St. Francis
Madison, TN

Mission Date: Sept. 22-Oct. 1, 2005
Location: Ecuador

Price of airline tickets to Quito: $600 each
Money to raise through fundraising: $7,000
Participating in the Great Commission: Priceless

St. Francis took on one of the greatest calls this September, to impact the world for Christ. Our destination: Ecuador. For a small church, this mission trip was the first of many to set the DNA of a mission driven congregation. This mission trip was a true testament of God’s provision, as He continued to provide for the funding through various fundraisers and donations. As we stepped onto the plane headed for Quito, we knew that we were walking with God.

Working with SAMS (South American Mission Society), we teamed up with Cameron Graham in Quito, Ecuador. Our ten-day adventure was one of hard work, emotions, and seeing God at work. Our team, Fr. Chris, Shelley, Shannon, and Brad, worked for the majority of the time with a church in Carmen Bajo, a small community in Quito. This church is teamed up with Compassion International and reaches out to the children in the community and provides schooling, food, and hygiene products to children who live on under $1 per day. We did construction and worked on a new kitchen and eating space for the children and also held kids programs in the afternoon. We also participated in church activities through sermons and a leadership seminar. Not only did God use St. Francis to impact Carmen Bajo, he also used Carmen Bajo to impact our team, as the wonderful people there will forever be in our hearts and prayers.

Another ministry we participated in was going to the Quito city dump and ministering to those that live there. We were able to provide them with food and water and washed some of the resident’s hair. The experience there was eye opening and life changing. The dump gave us new appreciation for the small things in life and allowed us to give to those who have next to nothing.

The smaller things that we could go on and on about are those that stand out the most: the look on the elderly lady’s face at the market when we gave her dinner for that night, the little girl that touched our hearts by simply a hug, praying in different languages and actually feeling God in the words. All the small occurrences that were experienced are what made the mission trip whole and portrayed God’s presence and love for the Ecuadorian people.

So, St. Francis’ first mission trip is now in the books. However, it is not complete. The impact this mission trip has had will hopefully continue on as we forge deeper relationships with those we met, keep them in our prayers, and continue to participate in the Great Commission. Our trip to Ecuador was not just a ten-day experience to be remembered, it was a life-changing event that ruined us for the ordinary.