Ecuador Part 2

Ecuador Update: Part 2

Our next two days were filled with exposure to many different ministries connected with Education Equals Hope. On Monday morning, we headed to Reypin Habilitareh, a therapy center for kids and young adults with developmental disabilities. Visits to Reypin have been a highlight for many fellows in the past few years, and we were excited to meet the kids and Martha, the driving force of the organization. We received a tour of the classrooms and learned more about Martha’s mission to create a safe and loving environment where students can learn and grow.

After talking with Martha, we paired up with the kids and walked to a play area up the street to enjoy some games and dancing in the sunshine. The Reypin staff members prepared activities for the kids and provided endless energy and patience. We enjoyed hearing the laughter of the kids and reflecting the smiles on their faces as we danced to Daddy Yankee songs that are still stuck in our heads.

Back at the Youth World office, we talked about poverty with e=h director, Cameron Vivanco. This discussion stirred our hearts and sparked conversations about ways we can continue to partner with the ministries in Ecuador while we are in the States. We value this trip not just for our own experiences during the week, but because of the long-term impact that can come from building relationships and being proximate to God’s work in another place. We also heard from Doris, the project coordinator of End Slavery Ecuador, a ministry to women affected by prostitution and sex trafficking. She shared about the deep interpersonal work of the organization and showed us their jewelry-making business, EsperanzArt. After these discussions, we had the chance to visit John and Caroline in their home and enjoyed coffee, ice cream, and fellowship.

For dinner, we visited Casa Gabriel, a home for young men connected with job opportunities through Second Chances. We toured their coffee and consignment shops, visited the art studio, and looked at the beautiful hand-drawn portraits of each young man who is part of the home. We enjoyed hearing testimonies from the boys and staff members and learning more about what God is doing through the ministry. We ended the night back at the Youth World office with a dance party with our hosts and some of the team.

Tuesday morning, we were excited to be with Reypin again. This time, we met their bus at a large park with lots of trees and places for the kids to run and play. We partnered up again and headed to a pavilion to play more games and eat snacks. We helped the staff by providing extra supervision for the kids and giving them individual attention. The kids were thrilled to be at the park, and their joy was infectious. We were glad to be part of the work Martha is doing to help the kids thrive.

After saying goodbye to the kids, we headed to the Super Maxi, where we bought lots of snacks to bring home to friends and family in the States. Hef stocked up on boxes of tea! Next, we drove to the Equator museum and learned about cacao production and the lives of indigenous people in the area. We witnessed some physics demonstrations and took lots of pictures. The museum highlighted how unique Ecuador is and how it is one of the best places to experience the equator.

As our time with the ministry sites wound down, we reflected more on what we experienced and headed to El Refugio in Calacalí. “The Refuge” is just as the name suggests, a beautiful camp and retreat center where people can experience peace in God’s creation. Our team member, Emi, worked at El Refugio in 2023 and got to reconnect with some of the staff and show us a place close to her heart. We ate the world’s best chicken for dinner and finished the meal celebrating Sarah’s birthday! John Allen provided the most interesting skillet cookie baked with love and epsom salts. We haven’t stopped laughing, so I think this dessert brought more joy than one baked with sugar ever could. We finished the night with some group games before turning in early to prepare for the Perimeter hike.

- Alana