Mission: Ecuador

This program is designed to enable and empower the local church to stand on its own... to help it mature and become, in turn, a body carrying out the great commission. In other words, our objective is to create disciples who will become missionaries, teachers, ministers, and disciplers who will multiply themselves through evangelism and discipleship.

This program has the following major objectives:

* To train pastors and church leaders in outlying poor areas.

* To train the church body in basics such as evangelism and discipleship.

* To help create missionaries, teachers, and ministers from within the Ecuadorian church body.

* To identify specific needs, share these needs with the church body around the world, and address these needs. Needs such as :

- The lack of hymnals, bibles, Sunday school material, study books, and tracts.
- Specific training targeted at leaders of children, youth, women, men, families, or VBS.
- Literacy problems/solutions.
- Construction projects.

 

Addressing these needs:

One way of being involved is to "adopt a church". Your church group could provide the basic needs of one of these needy churches. For very little, you could get one of these churches "on its feet" with some basic materials, and provide a small amount of support for Sunday school literature every 3 to 6 months. Start a relationship with a church body here in Ecuador through prayer and providing some needed resources.

Another way is to actually come here with a short term mission team and work along side one of these churches and meet their needs. Take a look at our Short Term Misson Teams page to get an idea of what it would be like to come here and work with these beautiful people.

Providing a "pastor's library" of critical study books such as a bible dictionary, commentary, Study Bible, and concordance to each church is another way.

Sponsor a child at Chambitola, providing for their school needs. In the Indigenous farming community, many times the families decide between food on the table and educational needs of their children. You can bless one of these families that attend the church at chambitola by sponoring a child's educational needs for $20 per month. Please visit the webpage for further info.

For our first three years, we worked with Candelaria Baptist church and some of its daughter churches, mainly centered around a community north of Quito called "Calderon". In 2006, we started our discipleship cycle over again in communities farther out, focusing on New Life church of Chambitola in the "Cayambe"area, an indigenous farming community named for the local volcano, and at Linaje Escogido church above the Cusubamba area. Both areas are much more remote and needy.

In 2007, we weened ourselves from the first group of churches in the Calderon area, now only with limited involvement at "San Jose Alto", to concentrate exclusively on the Cusubamba and Cayambe areas. Out of our years of discipleship, we raised up a group of missionaries from four churches, and began evangelizing areas without churches. In 2008, we find ourselves in these same two areas and one new one: "La Victoria". (See a full report for our work a little farther down the page.) Starting in 2007, we have been carrying the Gospel into closed areas where persecution at various levels still exists today. The villages above the church Linaje Escogido, and at the community of La Victoria are where our missionaries are working and facing this persecution. We continue our discipleship at the two churches, and in the areas where we are evangelizing with new Christians.

In the Spring and Summer of 2008, we have also become involved in a new work on the Galapagos Islands.

2009 finds us working in the community of Cusubamba, just below Linaje Escogido church, and expanding our work in the Galapagos. We are still working with Linaje Escogido church, and at a more limited level, Betania church.

In 2010 we are mainly focusing on areas without churches, and growing our ministry team in both quantity and quality. These areas are in the communites of Cusubamba and Quinche. We have hopes of opening a new work nearer to the Cayumbe community later this year. Our new work on the Galapagos Islands has been put on hold. We had hopes of planting a missionary from our group there, but it has fallen through, so we are waiting on God at this point.

Detailed explanation of our work below the map.

Map of Ministry Areas

We continue to work in the Chambitola area with Betania church, and with Linaje Escogido church in the Chinchinloma community in discipleship of all age groups and leadership. Our little bible study at "La Victoria de Quinche" has grown into a small, self-proclaimed church. We include the added dimension of the new work in the Galapagos islands, where we continue to grow a bible study group, led by Eduardo Jaramillo, with the vision of planting a church in the next 5 years.
Our evangelism work is shifting somewhat to the Cusubamba community, just below Linaje Escogido church due to a radical shift in circumstances. First, the only church that was there has folded up and no longer exists. There was also one bible study by another group, but it too has gone by the wayside. We held two days of open-air outreach in November, along with a VBS day, and there was much interest on the part of the community. It is an open, fertile area ready for a powerful work. Secondly, the roads up to Linaje Escogido church and beyond into the other areas of work are torn up due to a sewer line project. Many times we cannot pass, even in a four wheel drive vehicle, especially in this rainy season, until the work in completed some time in late Spring. Pray for us; especially for the national missionaries, as we work in this area.

UPDATE: the roads remained torn up through the fall of 2008, and the Lord used this to refocus us in an area "ripe for harvest". We have since planted three bible studies in these communities below Linaje Escogido church, and we are overjoyed with the number of new believers as it continues to grow.

We continue to focus on the Cusubamba area, up into the mountains about and hour and a half outside the city. There are no evangelical churches above Linaje Escogido church, our base of operations for that area. In early 2008 the former pastor resigned. Sixto Salcedo, Jose Perez, and I are leading this church back from the brink of disaster due to years of poor leadership. Slowly but surely, we are encouraging and teaching the congregation, and adding new members as we go along.

"Cangahua Pungo", and "Chaupiestancia" are the next two remote communities up the cobblestone road, and the leaders of both are aggressively apposed to the gospel. Here, our Ecuadorian missionary team is working weekly to spread the message of hope, with slow but steady success. We have number of believers and a discipleship study going on in "Cangahua Pungo" right now. There are a few believers from "Chaupiestancia" coming down to church on Sundays as well.Especially pray for these new believers, as they face tremendous pressure and persecution to deny their new belief from their community, some women even being beaten by their husbands for it.

"Monte Serin Alto" is the third village up the cobblestone road and is at the peak of the mountain (11,700 ft). We had a Christmas outreach there with much success, seeing 15 or so people respond to the gospel. Discipleship is slow going as it is VERY remote and quite dangerous to get to... in the rainy season it is impossible for even a good 4 wheel drive vehicle. So we go as far as we can and drop our group off, and they walk UP the mountain the rest of the way for about 45 minutes. The president and vice-president of the village are the principle students, and we hope to add more quickly. UPDATE May '08: This community has suddenly become closed to us (at least officially), through the influence of the next village down the mountain, "Chaupiestancia", an extremely hostile community to the gospel. Please pray for our opportunity to restore relations with the local government. We continue to visit regularly anyway, for the most part being received by the people very well. Unfortunately, the leaders, including the president, have succumbed to the tremendous pressure against the gospel.

The Chambitola community, where "Betania" church resides, is a big focus. We continue to encourage and help support the pastor, as well as teaching in the church. We are sponsoring their Sunday school teacher training (also for Linaje Escogido church). We also continue helping with resources, as well as personally mentoring the pastor, Pedro Tandayamo. We have also started a new program to sponsor some of the church's children in regards to their school costs.

If you are interested in this program, go to:
http://www.rodbond.com/sponsor/Chambitola/sponsor_chambitola.html
or go to our home page listed below and click on "Sponsor a Child" if interested.

 

"La Victoria de Quinche" is one our newest areas of work, started over Christmas 2007. It is and area of tremendous persecution against the gospel. We had our first bible study in late February 2008 with 15 - 20 people, less than a mile from "Quinche", the heart of the area that is aggressively opposing Evangelical Christian presence and bible teaching. There is no evangelical church or presence in this community. We met in a grain shed, sitting on stumps, cans, boxes, and all sort of things for seats for almost a year, and then one of the ladies offered her humble house, where we meet now. The people are mainly middle class and of all ages... both men and women. The one thing they have in common was a hunger for the truth of God's word and a fearful existence in an abusive religious system. They share about being warned and threatened not to come see us. They share about being bullied into doing things in the name of religion that are not biblical. My partner, Freddy and I began a simple bible study that starts at "0" and they love it! This is a very delicate situation and we need your prayers for the continuation of our ministry to bring the truth of God's word to an oppressed people in the face of tremedous opposition. For more detail, see the page dedicated to "La Victoria de Quinche".

WORK FROM 2006 - 2007

We focused on three distinct areas:
One is in where we have been working for the last 2 1/2 years in discipleship with a mother church and a number of daughter churches. Over 2007 we gradually diminished our active discipleship to move on to other areas of need.

As a natural result of our discipleship, we have formed a group of Ecuadorian missionaries from these churches, and will begin a campaign of evangelism this next year in the villages above one of the daughter churches, "Linaje Escogido" church where the Gospel is not established at present. To establish this "outpost for the Gospel", God is putting together many things at the same time, all centered at and around Linaje Escogido church, an hour and a half outside the city and up in the mountains. We finished the church building, that has been in progress for 10 years. We are training the church members to be ready to disciple new converts. We are helping build up the church membership through programs for women, men, teens, and kids. We have trained a team of Ecuadorian missionaries to work with the church to evangelize the lost in the next communities up this long and windy cobblestone road on a weekly basis, starting with the very next pueblo, "Cangahua Pungo". Click here for a Special Report: Linaje Escogido about the construction and dedication in January 2007.

The third area of focus is where we started our multi-year discipleship program anew, in the communities around "Cayambe", an indigenous farming area about 2 hours away. The Chambitola community, is in an area completely isolated, where farming is the way of life, and most people still speak "Quichua" at home instead of Spanish, and are simple and precious. Betania Baptist church is farther out, higher up, more remote than anything we've previously experienced. We have completed a 3 month course on "how to share your faith" with them, provide Sunday school material and teacher training, leadership training, general membership training, and pastoral support.

 

 

My Partners in Ministry

It has always been my philosophy that Nationals can reach Nationals much better than we (North Americans) can, and should be involved as much as possible. The real backbone and success of our ministry, right after God in importance, are my national partners. Meet these wonderful men and women that God has put in my path to bless me.


From left:
Pastor Pablo Lincango. Although not officially a ministry partner, he has been critical to our ministry in developing contacts and relationships in the Indigenous community. He is the pastor at "San Jose Alto" BC.

Diego Leon. (pictured far right) Gifted teacher and wise couselor, and small group leader. Adult focus. He is the principle leader of the work in "Chambitola"and in the summer of 2009, our work at La Victoria.

 

Freddy Garcia. Gifted musician, and small group leader. He is a member and song director of University Baptist Church. He is the principle discipleship leader at Linaje Escogido church for the children and youth, and works as a great team with his wonderful wife Sandy.

Sixto Salcedo has been on the team since mid-2006 and is a leader of our missionary group, evagelizing in Cusubamba area. He has also been working as the temporary pastor at "Linaje Escogido" church for a number of years. In 2008, he became a co-leader in the church "Linaje Escogido" with myself and another Ecuadorian to help guide them to maturity.

 

José Panama is the leader of our Ecuadorian missionary group, evagelizing in the mountains
above "Linaje Escogido church", where there is still persecution against the Gospel. This past year, since November of 2008, has seen their focus shift to the Cusubamba area below "Linaje Escogido" church.

 

In the Spring of 2008, we held a campaign to seek more workers for our ministry who were both willing and able to have a part in our ministry. We started with 10 or so, and at the end of 4 months, we ended up with four capable and committed new team members. They are Johffre Ruiz and his wife, Maribel, Soledad, and Rafael Minda.

 

In late 2008 through present (August, 2009), we have seen a substantial increase in ministry parter interest and discipleship. Our group fluctuates near 30 members, which includes a drama team, musicians, children workers, teachers, and evangelists.

 

 

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Small Groups for Men
We are involved in small groups to build accountability, leadership skills, and Christian maturity. For 2 years we were personally involved in three of the churches, added a fourth (Linaje Escogido church) in early 2007, and a fifth at Chambitola in Fall 2007. This is an interactive format, held during the week to build up the men of the church. The men are all progressing incredibly well, and many are part of our "home grown" missionary group! Our first "daughter group" has been born at Parada Siete church in 2007 as well, fulfilling the commandment to multiply! In 2008, we have left all of the churches in Calderon to be on their own, and they still continue with this leadership small group meeting.

UPDATE: these groups have been left to grow, and we ask you to be praying for them to continue producing mature leaders, and multiplying. We continue to use the small group, interactive model as the principle means of growth in our ministry.

Things I've learned and Experienced

I have learned much over the past few years of ministry, and have changed partners a number of times. I have learned that it takes time to build relationships with people of another culture; more time than my western mind anticipated. I've learned how to share resources more wisely, that the doctrine of many people and churches here is very confused, and that I am in a very different culture which does not have too much interest in time, doctrine, studying, long-range planning, giving, or "going". I've learned that just because I've come to do God's will and "help" the lost and hurting here in Ecuador, it doesn't mean all the people are overjoyed to have me here, or are going to treat us with respect or even kindness (although many do). I've learned that I need a lot more patience, perseverance, love, understanding, and help from the Lord than I came here with. I also realize that I need your prayers even more than I thought I would. I have been betrayed by close "friends", manipulated by "Christians" for personal gain, robbed by pastors, persecuted by other missionaries who have a distorted view of what working for the kingdom of God means, and experienced relentless and overwhelming spiritual attacks. I haved been humbled in ways I never imagined, and yet God is using me here in unexpected and mighty ways. Missionary life is very interesting and full of surprises, intense spiritual battles, disappointments, and joys. It has never been easy or comfortable (mentally or spiritually), even though God has blessed us beyond our expectations. Always exciting, and trying, but NEVER boring...What a ride!



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