Called back home

By José Gutierrez | Ecuador in South America

After several years living in Loja city, Servio and his family felt the call by God to go back to their hometown of Orianga to plant a church. Orianga is a town with a population of about 2,200 in the rural area of the mountainous province of Loja where people live a very simple life. There has been a big need for testifying believers and a Bible teaching church to reach that area with the Gospel. Servio and his family are answering this need by obeying God’s call.

When we met them, we were impressed by how they served fervently in a local church in Loja city, with generous hearts and full of encouragement.

Servio, the father, had the opportunity to be a part of ESI*, in one of the first two groups in the history of Equipping Servants in Loja, Ecuador. His wife, Esperanza, was also part of the first group of women to be equipped for ministry.

Due to their very long work days and only basic education, it was a challenge for them to make time to complete all of their homework. Week after week, though, both came with work completed and ready to participate with their classmates. It was encouraging to see how each one, little by little, became respected by the others in their groups as they shared from their studies what they were learning about each topic. They could always be counted on to share insightful and heartfelt comments with their groups.

As we were planning the closing ceremony for the final semester, Servio’s family felt God’s call to go back to their native town to share the Good News with the people in Orianga and what Jesus Christ has done in their lives.

They obeyed God by leaving behind the more comfortable life in Loja city, and for several months they have been investing their time and testimony to share God’s heart with neighbors and people in Orianga. God has touched lives through them, and now they are blessing others by leading a group of believers and taking advantage of opportunities to share or teach God’s Word.

José Gutierrez said, "Servio and his family continue to be an encouragement to those around them and to us, as they are being used by God."

*ESI: Equipping Servants International. ESI is an equipping program that seeks to encourage pastors and church leaders to continue studying the Bible, to be faithful to scripture and to be accountable to each other. For more information, visit ESI's website.

How you can pray for Loja and Servio's family

• Pray for courage and perseverance for Servio and his family as they plant a church in Orianga. Pray for the people around them, for open hearts as they hear the Gospel.

• Pray that we continue to encourage the churches of Loja to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Crist through the study of His Word. Pray for the different ESI groups.

• Pray for more missionaries to come and join us in equipping pastors and leaders in the city of Loja and its rural areas.