We are in God’s hands.
After two days of travel we arrived in the rain forest at the base of the Andes Mountains. We find ourselves just south of the equator that separates the northern and southern hemispheres.
It’s been raining all night. We have no schedule, no timetable, just a sense that God is calling us to this place. We are on a mission — a mission of presence, a mission of accompaniment, a two-way mission where we hope to teach and learn from our indigenous sisters and brothers.
We marvel at the beauty around us and rely on the help we have received from both Ecuadorian locals and North American missionaries. And we feel the support of our friends and family on the other side of the equator who have offered us their encouragement, support and prayers.
Blessings to all as we enter this New Year together!
View of the Chicago skyline on our drive from Goshen to the airport
Checking in at the airport. Jan Oostland drove us to the airport early on New Year’s Day and took this photo as we bid farewell
We spend our first night at FEINE, the Council of Evangelical Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Ecuador
We were greeted by sunshine….
… flowers…
more flowers
… and friendly people. This is Rosa, caretaker of FEINE headquarters, whom Jane befriended soon after we arrived
Talking with Rosa as we prepare to depart for the rain forest
Caleb Yoder, an international service worker with Mennonite Mission Network, helps us pack the mission vehicle
We pack the vehicle for the six hour drive to the Pastaza region
Rafael, Rosa’s wife, looks on as we tie our bags on top
View from the highway of the Andes
We passed many towns and cities along the way
First glimpse of the town of Shell
A creek-side park in Shell
The countryside near Shell
Our family — from left: Jerrell, Jordan, Sierra, Jane, Naomi and Teresa
twowaymission 
I’m glad to see you arrived safe and sound! Mimi’s (from GC) mother is a friend of mine on fb and she would like to have you for a meal when you are in Quito. I told her I would let you know. I pray you have many interesting experiences and feel God leading you all the way.
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Praise God for the safe trip and getting settled in. Sara and I pray that Gods guidance comes clear to your family on this Mission. I can’t thank you enough for publishing the beautiful pictures and informative blog post. We pray for you every day. Thank you so much for serving a Mission for Christ and the people of Ecuador.
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What a joy to know you have arrived and to see the rich colors in another part of God’s creation as January winds push snow against my office windows! Some congregations heard you may have a blog – they were right!. I am sending this link to all your supporting congregations. In these first days and weeks, remember the many people praying and supporting your family in this call to be present in Ecuador.
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Que bien que hayan llegados a tu hogar en el querido y bendecido Tierra de Ecuador. Sabemos con toda confianza que nuestro Dios Todopoderoso ha abierto esta puerta y que El Los guiara en el camino. Quiero que sepan que estamos en oracion diaria por el bienestar de cada uno de Uds.
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