June 7, 2010 issue
Partners celebrate 20 years in Ecuador
By Holly Blosser Yoder Mennonite Mission NetworkPage:
- 1
- 2
QUITO, Ecuador — Many people from many contexts contributed to the joyful celebration of 20 years of Mennonite involvement in Ecuador.
Patricia Urueña sings as she presents a cake celebrating the 20th anniversary of Mennonites in Ecuador. — Photo by Kevin Goertzen/MMN
Also recognized at the March 13-14 event was the 10th anniversary of the Ecuador Partnership, which brings together Central Plains Mennonite Conference, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia (Mennonite Church of Colombia) and Mennonite Mission Network.
In 2000, the Colombian Mennonite Church sent Patricia Urueña and her husband, César Moya, to serve through the Ecuador Partnership. Urueña cited a series of milestones as she reflected on the past 10 years of partnership activity:
-
Establishing a relationship of trust with indigenous people that bore fruit in an invitation to train church leadership;
-
Building a vibrant congregation in the capital city;
-
Planting another congregation in the mountains of Riobamba;
-
Multiplying Anabaptist believers through teaching in seminaries and workshops; and
-
Assisting refugees.
“Sometimes we think we should stop with the dreaming, but God is always giving us visions and ideas,” Moya said.
During the week of anniversary celebrations, members of the Mennonite churches in Riobamba and Quito hosted a partnership delegation, the eighth fellowship-and-work team to visit Ecuador. The visitors from Colombia and the United States attended partnership business meetings, worshiped with an indigenous church in San Antonio, met with refugee families who have fled violence in Colombia, visited the seminary and heard stories of peacemaking from Edu-Paz participants.
Page:
- 1
- 2
Comment on the article Partners celebrate 20 years in Ecuador
The purpose of comments is to engage in dialogue. We expect commenters to treat authors and each other as each would want to be treated. Respectful criticism is welcomed; offensive comments or parts of comments will be removed by the site administrator. Name and comment will be posted; email address is for follow-up only and will not be made public.
Download
Download a free PDF showing the populations of
Mennonite groups and other Anabaptists.
