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Moving Forward in Ecuador Print E-mail
Thursday, 06 December 2007 10:01
God provides a much-needed national worker - by Fred Jonkman

As missionaries serving in a different culture, with a different language, we often thought our work among the Ecuadorians would be simple and quiet. Never did we expect that so many ministry opportunities would appear, making our lives so busy and full. Many times we could not seem to get enough done, and so we felt progress was slow. After analyzing our ministry projects, goals, deficiencies, and needs, we determined that we needed more hands. To our great delight, last year Word and Deed approved an education project in Ecuador, enabling us to hire a national worker perfectly suited to the needs of our growing educational ministry.

We are happy to present 42-year-old Luis Carlos Moreno. He and his wife Febe have three children. He has completed studies in journalism and is presently working on completing a BA in educational administration. He has worked in the production of educational material (print, video, radio and WEB); has taught workshops in churches on the Bible, discipleship and communication; and has worked with a wide range of age groups and ethnic groups (adults, university age youth, youth, children, indigenous). He has worked as a professor in a university, a director of communication with MAP International (mission organization), as a teacher, and as an education coordinator in a Christian school.

All of this training and experience has beautifully prepared him for what we needed to grow effectively. We started the process of getting the Sunday school teacher commentary published and his work in this area has been a tremendous asset. He has completely revised the Old Testament lessons for us. Luis also understands the publication process, which has been an invaluable help for us. His gift of teaching is greatly appreciated; he recently co-taught the Sunday school workshop in Colombia and Quito. Luis is well-read, and his knowledge of history and the Bible is extensive. The beauty of having him work alongside of us is that he is a member of our Reformed church in Quito (where he serves as elder and Sunday school teacher) and shares the same love for the Reformed doctrines.

Luis Carlos is very involved in our ministry of starting a Reformed theological study center in cooperation with Miami International Theological Seminary (MINTS). He is our administrative coordinator, helping to set up the curriculum, arranging for professors to teach the courses, organizing all the course dates and places, and administering all the record keeping. Though I work alongside him in all these areas, he does the majority of the administrative duties. He also is a student in the program, taking all the courses we have offered to date. Our desire is that one day he may be one of our professors. One of our main goals is to grow as a theological study center, providing Reformed teaching throughout Ecuador. With Luis’ help, we have started a new study center in Ibarra, and a third one will soon open in the port city of Guayaquil.

It is exciting to see the work take shape. We are advancing and growing in the ministry and learning many things ourselves. Our relationship with Luis Carlos and his family is excellent. I believe we complement each other in the ministry. It is exciting to see a national worker so gifted and who loves the Reformed faith. Luis himself will say he is still learning and growing, but we see a heart for God and a heart to serve. Luis Carlos is about education – that is his gift and desire.

God has been good! One begins to see the fruit of ministry support when nationals like Luis benefit from solid teaching and begin to minister in their own country. The support of nationals as they learn and grow will, under God’s blessing, lead to self-sufficiency in the future. We could not be here without our faithful Ecuadorian supporters. Foreign missionaries cannot do it all.

Neither could the ministry last or be sustained if it was not for you who support Word and Deed projects. A country such as Ecuador, with the American dollar as its official currency, has a high cost of living but low wages. It is nearly impossible for a national to work in full-time ministry and provide for a family without some outside support. Our goal is to start with support from outside and work towards national responsibility and independence. Working together as Christians with a world-wide vision gives hope and encouragement. Thank you for your support for national workers such as Luis Carlos and his family.

Fred Jonkman and his wife, Arlene, are Christian education and discipleship missionaries at La Iglesia Reformada del Ecuador in Quito, Ecuador.
 
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