Salcedo, Ecuador

Outside of the not so sleepy town of Salcedo lies a very special place, the focus of this mission trip. Jardín del Eden happens to be the highest government-rated orphanage in the country, although you may not have recognized this fate at its humble beginnings. The orphanage was founded by Roberto Altamirano in 1989. Growing up in an orphanage himself, when Roberto reached university age and began his studies, he set about paying regular visits to prisoners at the local jail in his free time. In these Ecuador prisons, shockingly many children were left with no choice but to live in jail with their condemned fathers. They had no other home. Small cells would at times hold several children, where cold floors served as their only bedding. Sharing what little food they were offered and participating in the daily prison drills constituted the new lives of these forgotten youths.

As the years passed, the children’s social neglect became more and more obvious to the Salcedo residents, but no one would offer a solution. One day a prisoner said to Roberto, “Nice of you to come visiting and talking, but you are like all the others. You just talk, but you don’t act. Go do something.” Roberto was deeply moved by the children’s situation, and God decided the time was right to act, and He had His man. Roberto resolved to commit one year to the Lord, and began his adventure. Jardín del Eden hosts prisoners’ children, those mistreated or abandoned by their parents, children who formerly worked and lived on the streets, as well as those orphaned or whose parents were unable to support them. This unique haven nestled in the Andes Mountains of South America provides shelter, home-cooked meals, medical care, schooling, and professional training for the youths who live there.

Your team will participate in experiential cross-cultural training, attend a worship service in Ambato, and learn about life in the community. There will be many opportunities to engage with the children of Jardín del Eden through crafts, Kids Club, and sport activities.

The team will be constructing a class room for vocational training. We will work alongside the community on tasks such as hauling sand, mixing concrete, laying foundations, carpentry, finishing concrete, and painting.