The first day of our team’s time on the ground will be a day of orientations and cultural context. The Hope on the Ground team will share information about Ecuador, then we will experience Quito’s historical city-center to see the culture first hand. This is an intentionally slower day to allow our team to adjust to the 9,000+ ft. of elevation.

Food is a way of expressing love in Ecuador, and almost every day will involve sharing a meal with our ministry partners. It is important to both give and receive during a short-term mission, and the ministry sites love to prepare and share food as a way of giving to the team members. Some teams also cook lunch together in students’ homes.

e=h began as a micro-scholarship initiative, so teams will have the chance to engage with scholarship students and their families during their time in Ecuador. Teams may lead Sunday School lessons, run VBS programs, or even take the children on a camping trip. Don’t worry if you don’t speak much Spanish - soccer is the universal language!

If those on our mission team have the gifts and ability for it, we may help our ministry partners through physical work projects. Many hands truly make light work! We will work alongside church and community members to do things like moving materials, painting, cleaning, gardening, and more. These physical work projects are important, but more importantly, they are an excuse for the team to build relationships with the members of the community, as they work together towards achieving their goal.

Almost every ministry site in Ecuador is a church, or is connected to a church, so we will be part of the weekly worship service in some way. Some churches ask the team to preach the Sunday message, some ask for songs or skits, and others ask for testimonies or God stories from team members. It is a powerful experience to worship God together in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual way.

One day during our team’s experience will be a Sabbath day. We may get to go to the “Middle of the World” museum at the Equator line. There is time to process how God is working in your team each day, but there will also be an entire afternoon of time in solitude at our beautiful outdoor retreat center, El Refugio. This is time to recharge, rest, and listen for how God is calling you to bear fruit after this experience.

We have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of our youth pilgrims and embark on the same Galapagos journey they took. Those who opt into these extra days will engage in special theological study about Creation Care before and during our journey.