Building the Realm of God, One House at a Time, in Ecuador

Maybe you remember our story several months ago about Juanita Tocagón, who lives in the community of Caluquí, an Indigenous community north of Quito, Ecuador. She had to take responsibility for the upbringing of her grandchild Eydan Tamba Paisano, as the mother of the child was murdered by her husband. The house where Juanita would raise and care for Eydan was not suitable for a child. Her community saw her need and united as a “Minga” (“collective work” in the indigenous “Kitchwan” language) to build a new house for her and her grandchild. You can read the story here: https://www.globalministries.org/minga-the-work-of-solidarity-in-ecuador/ Now we rejoice, along with our friends from the Ecumenical Foundation for Integral Development, Education and Capacity Building (“FEDICE”) that the house is finally finished!

The community substituted a shed built with adobe walls and a tile roof for a completely new house made of cement. It has three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The community also installed systems to provide water, electricity, and a lavatory inside the house for the family. The construction of the residence became an opportunity to create the appropriate conditions that allow Eydan and Juanita to live with dignity and comfort. Along with the building of the structure, the community monitors Eydan’s health as well as his nutrition and education. He is already enrolled in the Child Development Center, Violet’s Seedlings (Centro de Desarrollo Infantil Retoñitos de Violeta). The school is named after Violet Groth, former Global Ministries’ Mission Co-worker and wife of Victor Vaca, also a Mission Co-worker, deceased years ago, who accompanied the work of FEDICE in that place.     

Here is the testimony of Juanita, shared with all of you by Blanca Puma, FEDICE´s Executive Director:

Hello to all the people supporting me through FEDICE and other organizations. I’m María Juana Tocagón. Thank you very much for your support! Dios se lo pague (“may God bless you”). May you continue to be successful in helping people like me. Now that I see the little house is completed, I reach my dream. Here I am going to spend time with my (grand)son Eydan as long as God gives me life. I hope that one day you will visit me personally.

The work of FEDICE, our Partner in Ecuador, is possible thanks to our financial contributions through Global Ministries.  Information on sending gifts to Global Ministries online, by check in the mail, or by phone can be found at www.globalministries.org/give.

FEDICE shares this video about the house built for the indigenous family in Tocagón, Ecuador.