Ecuador with Education Equals Hope - September 2024

You and your family have an incredible life-changing opportunity to take part in a Movement vision trip to Ecuador in partnership with Education Equals Hope (e=h) in September.
 

This trip is for you if:

• You value the importance of education and intentional relationships
• Enjoy learning about and experiencing new cultures
• You're willing to roll up your sleeves and help out with a construction project
• You want to gain a fresh perspective on life and be encouraged and challenged in new ways

About Education Equals Hope: 

Education Equals Hope’s mission is to provide for the education of students who are living in desperate and difficult situations. Education Equals Hope believes that holistic education is a fundamental part of the equation that empowers children and communities around the globe to break the cycle of poverty and impact the next generation. We provide educational support for children, teens, and adults, and work to provide educational resources for entire communities in regions of our world that have suffered from poverty, crisis and natural disaster.

e=h, in Ecuador, works with 20 unique ministry partners. You may serve at one or more of these ministry sites during your time on a Hope on the Ground or short-term team.

e=h’s work includes:

• Churches of all shapes, sizes and denominations.
• Two ministries who work with young men and young women coming out of vulnerable situations such as abuse, neglect and trafficking.
• After-school programs for students to complete their homework in a safe, welcoming environment.
• Leadership Development for students who desire to attend university.
• Feeding programs that provide meals for children who are a part of our scholarship program.
• Emotional, intellectual, missional, physical, social, and spiritual discipleship at our Hope Centers, which are focused on preventing crises.
• Meaningful support and encouragement to entire families from babies to abuelitos (grandparents) To learn more about Education Equals Hope click here

What you'll do:

•  Explore context & culture. The first day of a team’s time on the ground is typically a day of orientations and cultural context. The Hope on the Ground team will share information about Ecuador, then you will experience Quito’s historical city-center to see the culture firsthand. This is an intentionally slower day to allow the team to adjust to the 9,000+ ft. of elevation.
• Break bread together. 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. All teams will have the opportunity to spend time with a student in their home but some also get to prepare lunch together in the students’ homes.
• Connect with students. 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 help with school lessons, run VBS programs, play games or lead a workshop. Don’t worry if you don’t speak much Spanish - soccer is the universal language!
• Work projects. You will also help our ministry partners with physical work projects. Many hands truly make light work! Team members will work alongside church and community members to complete projects. Projects may include 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.
• Worship together. Almost every ministry site in Ecuador is a church, or is connected to a church, so teams will be part of a 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.
• Observe Sabbath. One day during your team’s experience will be a day of rest. You may get to go to the “Middle of the World” museum at the Equator. There is time to process how God is working in your team each day, but there will also be an entire afternoon of solitude at our partner’s 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.

Trip led by Kristy Gaines |  Love Works Coordinator at Movement Foundation

*Movement employees will receive a $500 mission grant. The grant is not available for family members. 
**Family members must be 12 years of age and older.