Glimpses of Ecuador
■ Judi Chow

A Modern Day Martyr
Ecuador is located right on the equator in South America, that’s how this country was named. Ecuador is also associated with missionary Jim Elliot, a modern day martyr. He was only twenty-nine when he died with four others at the hands of Auca Indians in 1956. Jim Elliot was a man committed to the will of God. He sought God's will, pleaded for it, waited for it, and—most importantly—obeyed it, to the point of giving up his own life. That passion and obedience was carried on by his wife Elizabeth. That’s why she went back with their baby girl to live among the Aucas and eventually led them to Christ. What dedication, how courageous, such amazing love!

" He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose… Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God… Why should some hear twice, when others have not heard [the gospel] once?"
-- Jim Elliot

A Modern Day Macedonian Call
A retiring American missionary went to a Chinese Missions consultation in hope to present the needs to reach out to the Chinese in Guayquil, Ecuador. You might call that a modern day Macedonian Call. Yes, there is lots of Chinese residing in Guayquil, their preferred language of communication is either Cantonese or Mandarin. They appeared to be friendly and hardworking; they can speak some pigeon Spanish to get by in their business dealings. They needed a Chinese speaking missionary to live out the love of Christ among them, to snatch them from the bounds of slavery to money... Please those of you who speak Chinese, won’t you go or send other Chinese speaking missionaries to share the love of Jesus? That picture was painted ten years ago to the hundreds of Chinese attended that consultation. Since then, many Chinese pastors and potential missionaries have gone…to see, but none decided to stay. There is a handful of Christians there, but not strong enough to start a fellowship or Bible study. 

“No one comes to teach us, if we gather by ourselves, we are just talking... 
several years ago, a visiting missionary promised to come back after he raised the financial support… we waited and waited, but he never showed up.” 
--A Chinese Christian in Guayaquil

A Modern Day Joshua & Caleb 
February 2004, six from North America, three from Central America, and one from South America formed a team of ten to explore the land of Guayaquil, Ecuador. To see rather this is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey. For seven days, from morning to night, this team set out in search of Chinese. They looked high and low, north and south, downtown and suburb, streets and parks, stores and restaurants, anything and anywhere that might indicate a Chinese inhabitant. It was not difficult, there are signs with Chinese characters hanging in front of their stores, last names that resembled Chinese. When you started talking with the Chinese, they usually can tell you where to find more of our kinsmen. 

What is our report after this exploration? The situation is similar to that was described by the retiring American missionary ten years ago except the Chinese population has increase many folds. Yes, crime-rate is high, people kill for money, and our team was threatened by robbers. Yet, the Chinese are friendly and very receptive to the Gospel. Indeed the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of these Chinese immigrants. No, there is no Chinese church, no pastors, no Chinese speaking missionaries except for the cults and the Buddhist actively seeking them out. We were encouraged by several American missionaries who diligently and faithfully laboring in Guayaquil for more than sixteen years. 

“There has never been such a time as this, people are so ready to accept Christ… we are waiting to witness revival come upon Guayaquil any minute now… the safest place on earth is in the center of God’s will.”
--American missionaries in Guayaquil

Once upon a time, they waited. 
The following story was shared during a morning devotion in the seven day exploration by this team. Once upon a time, there was a missionary working in a tribal village somewhere in the Ivy Coast of Africa. One day a native from a remote tribe came to his gospel station and inquired if he is a man of God. “Yes, I am. What can I do to help you?” “Well, you must come to our village to tell us about your God.” “Can I come later? I am in the middle of constructing the building for our gospel station.” “No, I walked many miles to look for the men of God, my people will never forgive me if I go back without you, but I will wait until you are ready to come with me.” The native waited at the compound and several days later, the missionary was able to hand over the task of supervising the construction and went with the native to his village. 

Upon arrival, the missionary was taken to a building they called the house of God. He proceeded to share the gospel from morning to night, each day more and more people came to hear. The missionary talked for three whole days and he felt it is time for him to go back to his family and the gospel station. “No, please don’t leave us yet, there are still so many of us have not heard your good story.” The missionary insists on leaving because he doesn’t want his family to worry about his where about. Before he leaves, the native massager took him to see the chief of their tribe, a very, very old man laying down in his hut. “Why you waited so long before coming to tell us this good news?” He then has some of the young men carry him on a stretcher up the mountain; he wanted to show the man of God, those who have waited for him to come. “Many years ago, one of our young man went to the southern part of our country and heard the good news and a white man told him to go back and build a house for God and to wait for a man of God to come. We waited and waited, the house for God you see now standing is the fifth one we built. (The native straw-building usually last for about five years) Look here, all these lying on their graves were my people who waited for the man of God to come. They died without hearing the good news you shared these last three days.” 

Today, they are still Waiting.
The Chinese in Guayaquil are still waiting just as the natives in the Ivy Coast had waited. Please, ten years has already gone by since some of us have heard that modern day Macedonian Call. Many of our kinsmen have perished without hearing the Good news of Jesus’ love in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Lord has showed us, indeed this is a land flowing with hungry souls ready to hear and receive God’s mercy. All we have to do is to go and proclaim that which was promised to us. Yes, there might be danger and opposition, but what better place there is to be except in the center of God’s will? What are you waiting for? Remember what Jim Elliot said? He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

HE IS NO FOOL by Scott Wesley Brown

I've lost track of all the Sundays
The offering plates gone by
And as I gave my hard earned dollars
I felt free to keep my life
I talk about commitment
And the need to count the cost
But the words of a martyr show me
I don't really know His cross 

Chorus:
For he is no fool
Who gives what he cannot keep
To gain what he cannot lose
Yes, he is no fool
Who lays his own life down
I must make this the path I choose 

Obedience and servanthood
Are traits I've rarely shown
And the fellowship of His sufferings
Is a joy I've barely known
There are riches in surrendering
That can't be gained for free
God will share all heaven's wonders
But the price He asks is me.

(CCM has planned another trip to Guayquil in Sept. 23-Oct. 4 to build up saints and seek out sinners. Please consider joining us in action by prayers and or come along to the battle ground.)