Experience Ecuador & Meet Our Partners
November 15-24, 2024
More details to come! If you have interest in going to Euador, check out the following document that has lots more information to help you get a feel of what to expect on the trip. If you have further questions or want to talk more about the possibility of joining the trip, Trip Leader Natasha Westerhoud is happy to chat with you. Send her an email at natasha@mykasha.com
Trip details coming soon, but below is an example of timeline and estimated cost.
Ready to sign-up!? Send in your deposit and register before August 1st, 2023!
Deposit. The deposit is $300 per person. Etransfer, cheque, and PayPal are all options for paying your deposit. Please contact Hanne Pihowich at hanne@covchurch.ca to process your deposit payment.
Registration. Please use the link below to register. If you are attending as a family, please complete the form for each participant.
Covenant Partners in Jesus’ Kingdom
The Evangelical Covenant Church of Ecuador (Iglesia Pacto Evangelica del Ecuador, or IPEE) has invited the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada (ECCC) to partner with them to build up the body of Christ in a global way.
For several years Andy and Jenell Pluim, former Covenant missionaries to Ecuador, have lead an ECCC mission trip to Ecuador. In recent years we’ve been serving Sumaco, a small village in the eastern jungle to support that community after surviving a devastating earthquake and encourage them in agricultural development and children’s ministry. Pastor Natasha Westerhoud will be leading the 2023 trip.
By partnering together, Canadian Covenanters have the opportunity to send service teams on a regular basis to many different communities in Ecuador to participate in construction projects, work with children, or medical ministry. In each trip we have the opportunity to share our faith with one another and worship with our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters in Christ.
Canadian Covenant individuals and churches also have the opportunity to give financially to support the work of the Santiago Partnership, both in the Medical Clinics and in the Homes for Children at Risk. These programs are run under the direction of missionaries Joel and Kim Delp. Keep scrolling to learn more about the Santiago Partnership.
The Place
Ecuador is a South American country about a third the size of Alberta with 13 million citizens. It has three distinct and beautiful ecological areas: coast, mountains (sierra) and jungle. The people work hard and love to laugh and play. Spanish is the official language.
The Indigenous story of Ecuador is very similar to that of the Canadian indigenous. They were enslaved, conquered and then displaced from their homelands over the centuries and remain in situations of oppression with lack of access to education, quality medical care, etc.
Although Catholicism predominates, only 5% of the population attends church regularly. Many children are caught in a cycle of abusive parents and little hope of higher education. Churches are limited in resources to provide families with Biblical parenting skills and discipleship.
+ There are 64 Evangelical Covenant Churches in IPEE, plus another 20 house-church groups.
+ These churches average about 100 members each, much like the Covenant Churches in Canada.
+ Ecuador has the second highest alcoholism rate in the world, second only to Russia.
+ 20% of the Ecuadorian population earns less than $1 per day.
+ Only 48% of secondary age children are in school.
+ Unemployment is about 24%.
+ 7 out of 10 Ecuadorian children live in poverty.
Despite all of these statistics, our Ecuadorian partners and missionaries are serving and caring for the least of these and working to empower those around them. The Canada Covenant gets to support them in this mission work for God’s Kingdom.
The Santiago Partnership is an international team of Christ followers who seek to transform the lives of at risk children and their families, and serve underprivileged communities alongside the local church of Ecuador.
Learn more at santiagopartnership.org
