Walking along the equator in Ecuador.

Above, an Awa man holds his daughter during the dedication ceremony for the Awa New Testament. Below, a young Awa boy studies an Awapit Bible.

Ecuador

Situated right on the equator, 13 million Ecuadorians live in an area about the size of the state of Nevada. Ecuador is a land of extremes, from the tropical coastal jungle, to its rugged volcanic mountains, and then to the steamy Amazon basin jungle in the east.

Two out of every three people are mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish); one-quarter of the population remains purely native American. Along with Hispanic peoples, there is a Black population, descendants of African slaves.

Ecuador's geographic variety matches its cultural diversity. A number of native American tribes occupied the region, most notably the advanced civilization of the Incas. Spanish conquest came in 1533 and was followed by a cumulous period of domination. Modern history has been marred by continued political instability since its independence in 1830. The average government lasts two years.

Roughly 83% of Ecuadorians claim to be Catholic, but actual church participation and practice is much lower. Religious life is a broad mixture of church practice, animism and superstition. Evangelical church growth has taken place primarily in urban areas; persecution of Christians is not uncommon in more rural settings.

Liebenzell’s work in Ecuador began in 1989 with a pioneer evangelistic outreach to the Awa Indians. This people group, with their own language, live in a remote tribal area which spreads from northern Ecuador into southwestern Colombia. They do not live in hamlets but on widely scattered homesteads which makes communication very difficult. They do not mix with outsiders and few speak Spanish.

As this outreach grew over the years, so did Liebenzell’s contact in the northern city of Ibarra. Liebenzell responded to calls for Bible studies, worship services and pastoral training with a ministry among Spanish speaking Ecuadorians in this region. The central aim of Liebenzell in Ecuador is to plant solid congregations guided by mature Christian leaders. The church in Ecuador is lacking leaders and trained pastors. The Christians are enthusiastic, but need to put holy living into practice.

The Awa ministry has been centered in the “Awa Christian Center” in the village of Lita. It was established as a "meeting place" between the isolated Awa and the predominant Spanish society. The three-story frame building provided a large meeting space along with apartments for two missionary couples and a caretakers. There is also an outdoor kitchen and some cabins where Awa can stay overnight on those few occasions when they venture into town for medical or business reasons.

As the number of Awa believers has grown, so has the strong feeling that real spiritual growth among the Awa – both in knowledge of God and actual numbers of believers – was hampered by this arrangement. After some discussions, and a lot of prayer, missionaries established an outpost in the Awa territory. "In order to disciple people and train leaders, you have to be with them on a consistent, regular basis."

The completed building in Rio Verde contains two small living quarters and a larger meeting room. There is no electricity or Internet. A cistern collects rainwater which is supplemented by drawing water from the stream down below.

Translation of the New Testament into Awapit was completed in 2001; two years ago, missionaries undertook a major project to make an audio recording of the entire NT in Awa. This past May, two Awa believers began distributing this audio version on the "Proclaimer". The Proclaimer is a self-contained digital player which plays an audio recording contained on a computer chip. The battery-powered player has a solar panel and hand crank for recharging. 100 of the units will be distributed among the Awa in northern Ecuador; missionaries hope some of the units can be given to Awa living in southern Colombia too.

At left, Four young Awa proudly display their certificates after completing a literacy course. The translation of the New Testament into Awapit was completed in 2002; since that time, literacy education has been a major part of the ministry in Lita, Ecuador. Aside from being able to read, these Awa can now go back to their remote villages and teach others.

In Ibarra, the CCB “Bible Institute” offers a variety of training courses for pastors and church lay workers. Additionally, short term classes and courses are offered in other regions of the country.

New congregations in Ibarra, Cotacachi and Atuntaqui are growing with a mix of missionary and national leadership. Two important outreaches spring from this core of churches. One is to the many Quichua-speaking people in and around Ibarra. Several small Bible studies are already meeting, but many other areas remain virtually untouched. Secondly is a outreach to Spanish-speaking Black Ecuadorians. The town of Salinas could become a center for this ministry with several believers gathering regularly. They are looking for leadership.

In 2004, Liebenzell had the opportunity to purchase a small FM radio station in Ibarra. With a new, higher tower, Radio Puento reaches about a quarter-million people in and around Ibarra. Along with programming in Spanish, there are also features in Quichua and Awa.

Ministry Needs:
     • A missionary for pioneer evangelism among the Awa
     • A missionary for evangelism and church planting among Black Ecuadorians in Salinas and other regions around Ibarra
     • A missionary to the Quichua-speaking people of northern Ecuador

Prayer Requests:
     • Training of church workers at the CCB “Bible Training Center” in Ibarra
     • Founding and supervising churches
     • Bible study ministry
     • Radio Puento outreach in northern Ecuador
     • Ministry in the “Awa Christian Center” in Lita and evangelistic outreaches in the remote lands of the Awa Indians
     • Literacy training for Awa to read God’s Word in their own language
    • Distribution of the audio New Testament among Awa people

Recent News Items
     • Ecuador: Changing in order to Grow (26 Feb.)
    • Ministries Move to New Home in Ecuador (01 Aug.)
   

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