Chinese Grace Bible Church’s (CGBC) Ecuador Summer Team 2007 was my first short-term mission experience. I was one of 36 team members, comprising the largest Ecuador team to date. Thinking back on it now, I can’t tell you what made me decide to go to Ecuador. I can’t tell you how I knew I wanted to go to Ecuador. I don’t remember why or how. But I do remember the trip itself in great detail. So much has changed since.

When we first arrived at the airport in Ecuador, we must have been quite a spectacle. How out-of-place we must have looked—36 Chinese people coming off the plane in their blue shirts, each pulling two big suitcases, all the while laughing and talking as loud as can be. People were probably staring, thinking how we all looked alike. Kids were probably tugging at their parents’ sleeves, pointing us out and asking who we were. Even the church in Juan Montalvo, whom the team had been with previously, must have been surprised by us. The church met in a small room, and the team seemed to easily take up two-thirds of the room.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) was a crazy sight to see. Each day we had about 300 kids. We were all divided up into small classrooms playing games, teaching them lessons, doing crafts, and trying to get them excited about learning the memory verses. While teaching the memory verse in Spanish, I just kept yelling “Fuerte, Fuerte! No puedo escuchar!” (Louder, Louder! I can’t hear you!) VBS was definitely the big event and the primary focus, but the 2007 team was also blessed to be able to expand its ministry to include the dental and couples’ ministry for the first time. That trip left a lasting impression on me and turned out to be a very eye-opening experience. Before it was even over, I had already decided that I wanted to go back again the following year. Since 2007, I have been blessed with the opportunity to go back five more times, the more recent one being in 2015.

While that first year was a wonderful and memorable experience, one of the things I appreciate most about the Ecuador mission is how it has changed, grown, and developed over the years. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been able to witness God at work within the communities, the partnering churches, and the team itself. So much has changed since my first year in 2007. The church in Juan Montalvo has grown significantly and its attendees are no longer squeezed into a tiny room that the team can easily take over. They built a beautiful new sanctuary with a bright blue roof that stands out, visible from a distance while driving by. Every year, in August, they send out their own team to work, minister, and share the Gospel in different regions of Ecuador. Instead of ministering to the church, the team has now partnered with its people in reaching out to new communities by doing VBS. We are no longer the ones who teach and share the memory verses. The youth whom we taught have now taken over and are using their talents to do a much better job than we did. The ministry continues to grow and expand beyond VBS to include medical, men’s, women’s, youth, and couples’ ministries. These ministries allow for deeper and longer lasting relationships, providing the framework for continued growth and ministry after the team is gone.

The continual focus on investing in the spiritual growth of the people in Ecuador is what makes this mission special, and what I appreciate the most. The success of a short-term mission isn’t defined by the number of kids you get to participate in VBS or how many buildings you can construct within a week. At the end of the day, the short-term trip itself is just one piece of the puzzle; one piece of the broader picture; one piece of the long-term plan that God has for the local church, the team members, and the community the team serves. To be able to participate and minister is a privilege and a duty as a follower of Christ. Ecuador is just one example of where God continues to work and grow His Kingdom for His glory.

As the 2016 Ecuador team prepares to go in July, I hope that you will consider partnering with them and supporting them in this venture. This will be the team’s 16th year serving in Ecuador. Please keep the team in your prayers, as well as Allen Graham, who has faithfully served with the team for each of the last fifteen out of over twenty years he has served in Ecuador.