Church Mission to Guayaquil, Ecuador

More than 150 volunteers, a group of children and adults, returned from a week-long trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador. For 16 years Cary Church of God has been leading summer mission trips to the South American country, focusing the past 14 years of their outreach to the needy parts of the city, which has more than 2 million people.

Each year, the trip focuses its efforts on showing love and bringing hope to the people of the city. Through free medical clinics, health and hygiene education, conducting free seminars on topics such as marriage and how to budget, and evangelism to the schools, campuses, and prisons, the mission teams have been able to reach thousands.

This year, the medical team included doctors, dentists, optometrists, nurses, and volunteers from the church. Throughout the week, the 60 volunteers on the medical team were able to conduct the free medical clinic, which treated more than 3,500 people, providing much needed medicines and treatment to people who would otherwise not be able to get the help they need. In addition to the week-long clinic, the Hands of Compassion clinic was built on a prior mission trip and operates throughout the year as the only completely free medical clinic in the city.

The construction team this year focused their efforts on adding space to the Hands of Compassion Clinic. In years past, this team has worked on over 22 building projects including churches, medical clinics, schools, children's development centers and orphanages.

Many of the missionaries return to the city year after year and are able to reconnect with Ecuadorians they prayed for or worked with in prior years. "When we go on mission as a church we always come home with more than we have given," said Pastor Richard Dial. "With God's help, next summer we will be back in Guayaquil."

For more information on Cary Church of God and its ministry, please visit www.carycog.com.