Global GospelSample

Joining in God’s Care for One Another in Ecuador

Ecuador’s mountains, coastlines, and rainforests frame communities rich in culture and tradition. Across this diversity, followers of Jesus are finding ways to live out the call to love God and love their neighbors through care, prayer, and partnership.

Pastor Christian Sani Calderón, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Ecuador, says, “Nothing can be done if we don’t pray first.” For him, prayer is the starting point of living faithfully with others—turning to God with gratitude, listening for direction, and asking how to walk alongside people in their joys and struggles. In Ecuador, discipleship is understood as following a teacher closely enough to imitate their way of life. To love a neighbor is to be present, learning, and serving together.

One expression of this presence is the SUMAK Comprehensive Care Center for Women Victims and Survivors of Violence in Cayambe. SUMAK, which means “good” or “beautiful” in Quichua, provides trauma care, counseling, and practical help for women seeking safety and hope. Marisol (not her real name), a mother from Carchi, came to SUMAK after enduring betrayal, financial loss, and abuse. Through the center’s support, she found strategies for healing, renewed her faith, and began building a more secure future for her children.

Care for others is also woven deeply into Ecuador’s cultural tradition of hospitality. Esther Moreira, who is on staff at The Santiago Partnership in Ecuador, describes how guests are welcomed with music, traditional dress, and food from the land. This is more than a greeting—it is an expression of joy, pride, and respect. She likens such hospitality to a seed of God’s welcome, meant to grow and be shared.

From safe spaces at SUMAK to the warmth of indigenous hospitality, God’s love in Ecuador is made visible through prayer, presence, and shared life. As Pastor Christian reminds us, this is not about one group helping another from a distance—it is about joining God in God’s mission, walking together as learners, friends, and co-laborers in Christ.

Reflection Question

Where might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to join God’s mission by walking with others in ways that are prayerful, humble, and rooted in shared life?

Prayer Points

• Peace and stability amid unrest
• Strength for pastors and leaders
• Discipleship for children and youth
• Provision for struggling families
• Unity among churches in mission

Prayer

God of love, thank you for the ways your Spirit is at work in Ecuador. Teach me to begin with prayer, to walk humbly with others, and to give and receive care as we follow you together. Amen.