Ecuador Andes & Amazon Mission Experience: Faith, Service & Fellowship

The trip starts with a travel day to Ecuador and arrival at El Refugio, the retreat centre that serves as your home base for most of the two weeks. Once you're settled, there's an orientation covering Ecuadorian culture, the communities you'll be working with, and the ministry partners involved. The next day you'll worship at a local church in Calacalí and visit the historic centre of Quito, which gives you a sense of the country's history and architecture before the work begins.

Days 4–6 are spent at El Refugio doing hands-on service projects. The exact work changes each year but typically involves construction, maintenance, and practical tasks that support the ministry. You'll be working alongside local partners, and the shared effort is a big part of how relationships get built. After that, the trip moves into the jungle: you'll travel by canoe toward the Amazon, stop for lunch by a stream, and reach the Cofán villages of Dureno and Totoa Naqui, where you'll stay in a remote cabin. In the villages, you'll help lead Bible lessons and activities for children and meet families connected to the ministry.

From Dureno, the team heads to the mountain town of El Chaco for two nights in a hostel. Here you'll partner with a local church through services and youth gatherings, and team members often share their testimonies. Then it's back to El Refugio for final service projects and a chance to reflect on the week together. The trip ends with a 'shoeless morning' — a quiet time of reflection, prayer, and sharing stories before packing up and flying home.

The Cofán connection is what makes this trip different from a generic service project. Rick Borman's father was the first missionary to bring the Gospel to the Cofán people, and his work happened around the same time Jim Elliot and Nate Saint were working with the Waorani. You'll visit the gravesite of Rick's parents and hear hymns that were translated into the Cofán language decades ago. It's a chance to see the long-term fruit of missionary work rather than just dropping in for a week.

What's included

- All meals - Lodging (El Refugio bunkhouses, jungle cabin, El Chaco hostel) - In-country travel in Ecuador - Program fee - Pre-trip Zoom meetings (5–6 sessions) - Basic Spanish instruction during pre-trip meetings

What's not included

- Round-trip airfare to and from Quito, Ecuador - Transportation to and from your U.S. departure airport - Personal spending money - Travel insurance - Passport and visa fees (if applicable) - Recommended medical preparations (vaccinations, etc.)