Why we ended up here {ITEC Ecuador}

Spending a good chunk of time immersed in a Spanish speaking culture has been high on our list for a couple years now. Though my husband is Cuban, he did not learn spanish at home. We both have a desire to be fluent in spanish and a strong desire for our children to learn the language while they are young. We thought our initial Spanish immersion experience would be in Spain, then it changed to Colombia, but shortly before our South American adventure began, we found our expertise could be of use in Ecuador, assisting an organization that was already dear to our hearts.

ITEC Ecuador trains indigenous Christ-followers to meet the physical needs of their community as a door opener for the gospel. They provide basic medical training for community health workers deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle. They teach people to use an iPad to record and edit a compelling video documenting the ways that the lives of themselves and those around them have changed as a result of their relationship with Jesus. This way they can easily share the gospel with others who speak the same language while avoiding the language and cultural barriers that many face when trying to share the gospel to people outside of their own culture. I was shocked to see how many people in very remote areas such as the jungles of Ecuador and the plains of Kenya, have smart phones and use them to watch and share videos.

ITEC is now self-funded by AeroFOR, an organization run by the same people thru which they build and sell airplanes and canoes, offer air transportation and are contracted to operate medivac services for sick and injured people deep in the jungle. Without this service, an injured person may have to endure a lengthy hike and/or canoe ride upstream to where a car can finally transport them to a hospital, a journey that can take days. It's been incredible to see the impact they have on those who depend on them to save the lives of people who would otherwise not make it to a hospital in time.

One of the 40ft canoes in production.

A completed canoe

A beautiful RV-10 nearing completion.

ITEC Ecuador produced and performed a musical, The Prince of Egypt, to a packed house in Puyo, a much larger city 10 minutes away. The two hour long musical told the story of Moses and the Israelites' exodus to a packed venue of about 400 guests. 200 custom costumes were created for this one night only show. It was a lovely way to bring to life the story of God's power and provision.

The story of ITEC really begins back in 1956 when 5 missionaries left this very same airstrip in Shell, never to return. They were killed by the people they had hoped to befriend. You can read about it HERE. Today, a yellow Piper airplane sits atop an oil drilling well in Shell's central park as a reminder of the history of the area.

With Galo's translation assistance, Daddy was able to share the miracle that happened when God saved his life during a deployment. Despite 17 broken bones plus lots of other injuries, he is here with us today, by the grace of God, the one and only true God who desires a relationship with each one of us. If you haven't yet experienced a real relationship with God, drop me a message and I'll be happy to share his and my own experiences with you. 

I recently finished reading Walking God's Trail, a book written by Steve and Ginny Saint sharing some of the ways that God has revealed himself in their lives. If you have ever wondered if God is real and if he cares about the details of our lives, this is a must read.