A Blessed Pilgrimage to Ecuador

By Lisa and Kevin M.  –  Parents of Missionary

In August of this year my wife Lisa and I celebrated thirty-two years of marriage on a plane.  Though we had lived in both Italy and Japan many years before, we had not been out of the country since our children were born. But this year our daughter, Sarah, invited us to travel to South America for the first time to see her at the mission house in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

We did not know much about Ecuador or its largest city, Guayaquil. The mission house in Guayaquil is located in the heart of the port area in a community called Isla Trinitaria. We were warmly welcomed by Sarah and her new friends, Juan and Diego (we loved the combination of names!) and Sabina.  They were wonderful hosts, taking time out of their work schedule to prepare delicious meals for us and offer delightful conversation. They even prepared a sign in Japanese to welcome us!

The home itself was simple but beautiful and, though fairly newly built, it fit right into the community where it seemed to us to be the heart of the neighborhood. Young children regularly stopped by to say hello or play games or ask to have their phones charged, and occasionally even to pray. The most beautiful part of the home was the adoration chapel and our time in prayer and adoration was truly joy-filled and restorative.

Everyone in the neighborhood was so happy to meet us. They clearly had a love for the missionaries. We heard many stories about their families and the challenges they faced every day. But there was a communion about our conversations that was peaceful.  We were amazed to see our daughter, whose Spanish was fairly minimal when she left, speaking with ease with these neighbors and even occasionally joking with them with her usual good humor—even when the conversations were clearly about difficult situations.

Through it all the missionaries were truly present to these neighbors who blessed them with generosity and kindness. It was remarkable to see this beautiful exchange of love in such challenging circumstances. We were humbled and inspired by our time there. And we were amazed by the beauty of the country and its people. Our visit to Ecuador was a truly blessed pilgrimage and a life-changing experience for all of us.