Hephzibah Baptist Association

Ecuador Mission Trip Report

January 16-23, 2023

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A team of six from our association traveled to Sigchos, Ecuador on January 16th for a week of work alongside the pastor and members of the Iglesia de Bendiciones and Vida.    The visits I made the first two days took me into the homes of several who had come to Christ and were preparing to be baptized.  We had fantastic conversations about the meaning of Baptism with these individuals and often with other family members listening in.  One day there were some boys shining shoes in the town square.  My shoes needed some help so I sat down.  The other boys weren’t busy so I offered each of them a gospel of John and a gospel tract which they eagerly took and began to read aloud.  When I passed by a half our later one of the boys was still reading from the gospel of John.

                Another day on the way back from a time of ministry with children and adults in a rural village we stopped in to visit some believers that I have come to know in a nearby community.  Their house sits at the cross road across from a rural school.  They sell staple goods from their dusty, smoked stained dirt floored house and raise livestock while their son in law cuts hair.  This day there happened to be several teenage boys lined up to have their hair cut.  Having been warmly welcomed by Delia into the the dusty, smoked stained, dirt floored house, we sat down on whatever we could find for a visit.  Caesar, the husband, wasn’t home but I knew that he would be in soon because the afternoon rain had set in.  I had a captive audience with the kids getting their haircut but I didn’t want to start Bible Study until Caesar arrived so I asked Delia to share with us how she came to know Christ.  Delia has quite a testimony of how she ran away from home around the age of 10 or 12 and was taken in by a family where she was exposed to the gospel through the Christian Radio Broadcasts from HCJB in Quito.  About the time she was finishing Caesar got in and was telling us that he was looking for 2 lost sheep.  We promptly held a Bible Study on the lost sheep and the lost coins.  I don’t know what the Lord will do but there are some boys who heard a powerful testimony and a clear presentation of the gospel.

                Throughout the week several made hopeful professions of faith and 3 of the candidates for Baptism we visited were Baptized. The church continues to grow both in number and in faith.  What remains is to strengthen leadership and see new churches organized in the remote communities.  I count it a privilege to minister among the people of rural Ecuador and am grateful that the Associations make it possible for us to continue this ministry.

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​Contact Bro. Tim if you are interested in going to Ecuador later this year.