Ecuador GO Week
By Samantha DePriest
Two of our GO Week trips traveled to Ecuador last month to serve internationally. One of our trips was to Cuenca and was featured last week in the “Inside the Pride” and also on our website under Latest Stories. The 2nd trip to was to a place called Cotacachi, Ecuador. Ecuador is located on the west coast of South America bordering Colombia on the north and Peru on the south sitting on the equator. The city of Cotacachi is home to approximately 40,000 people and is famous for its leather goods. It is known as “leather town” for the abundance of shops that sell various leather products.
(Pictured left to right) Ken Jones, Nathan Jones, Logan Barnes, Porter Haire, Tai Pete, Ethan McDowell, Hasten Patel, Sam Smith, Shawn Braxton, Oliver Smart, Mr. Reed Shackelford, and Jack Thompson,
Ecuador GO Week Team led by Assistant Director of Student Development in the High School and High School Spanish teacher Mr. Reed Shackelford, who students lovingly refer to as “Shack”. Mr. Shackelford shares “We served alongside fellow believers from different parts of Ecuador. We served on a farm in the mountains helping with construction needs, harvesting fruit, and teaching kids how to play baseball. We also helped a local church build new walls, stain walls, and helped preserve the current place where they worship.
We had many meaningful conversations with believers about who the Lord is and how the same Lord that changes and works in our lives is the same Lord who is changing lives and working in lives in Ecuador. One of the most impactful things that we experienced was that we are all worshiping the same God no matter the language.
“This trip was one of the most impactful trips that I have had the opportunity to be a part of. We served with Teen Street in Cotacachi and the surrounding areas. The original plan that we had for the week was changed a week before we left, but the Lord's plans were bigger than our plans.
We had the opportunity to serve with a youth group at a farm that is owned by the church that we were serving with. The farm is named "Finca Proveedor" which means Provider Farm in English. The farm grows coffee, lemons, peppers, and many other vegetables. The profits from the farm help support the people who work on the farm as well as meet needs of the people in their community. We also had the opportunity to pick many of the crops as well as help with maintenance on the farm. We were serving and working alongside a youth group in the community.
Even though there was an obvious language barrier between our students and their students, it was so amazing to see our students serve diligently and build relationships with fellow believers even though they spoke a different language.
The rest of the week, we worked at a church that was established during the height of the pandemic. Through the Lord's faithfulness, this church has grown incredibly. We were able to help meet a need for the church. The church had a roof, but that was it. Throughout the week we were able to refinish the existing wood structure and help put up new walls. Our guys worked so hard and learned a lot of new skills. On Sunday, we worshiped with this church during their service.
Senior Shawn Braxton shared this take away, "Even though we were worshipping in a different language, it was amazing to realize that we were worshiping the same God."
Memorable experiences like these give our students opportunities to put into practice all that they are learning both in school and in their homes. These are some of the main reasons our families tell us they choose Trinity Christian for their children’s education. The spiritual foundation and mentorship by our teachers and staff help give our students a place to launch that is unlike any other.
