This past Christmas season KLOE’s president Robert Harris had the opportunity to travel back to Ecuador in order to visit our partner church and to spend time with Pastor Ruben and his congregation.
The visit gave Robert the chance to see first-hand how our partner church operates and how they directly serve the people in their community. During his stay Robert was able to sit in on church leadership meetings and hear the church’s outreach plans for this year.
He was also able to attend worship services at our partner church and experience how Pastor Ruben and his congregation blend worship, prayer and Biblical teaching into a time of fellowship. Pastor Ruben always starts service with worship, which is then followed by a member of the congregation sharing their testimonial. There is more praise and worship, followed by Pastor Ruben delivering the message and then closing with worship and fellowship.
During his trip, Robert also got to speak to the congregation at our sister church as well as the congregation at Pastor Ruben’s sister church. He also had the opportunity to speak to a group of 30 to 40 people at a gathering at a local small business owner’s home. Every group was receptive and welcoming.
The best part of Robert’s trip was having the chance to be a part of the gift giving celebration at the Christmas/Hanukkah party. Every year Pastor Ruben and his church hold a party for children in the community where the children and their parent(s) receive gifts and have the chance to celebrate when they usually would not have the opportunity due to their circumstances.
Robert helped other members of the church prepare candy and presents for the party and he had the chance to hand out presents to the little kids. This year there were about 60 children at the party. There would have been about twice that number, but the group from the sister church was not able to make it due to extreme flooding, which can be a problem in Ecuador, especially during the winter season. However, the party was still a hit, and the kids had a great time.
The trip was both informative and inspiring. Robert received a first-hand look at how our partner church works, but more importantly he had the chance to interact with people in the church and within the neighboring community. Everyone was welcoming and in good spirits, even while dealing with the daily difficulties of life. Pastor Ruben and his church thanked our president and all those who donate to KLOE’s mission for their continued support. Many outreach programs have been made possible thanks to donations received and Pastor Ruben and his congregation are looking forward to seeking more ways to aid those in need.
