From Rwanda to Ecuador, Thomasena Thomas Learns the Value of Missions

Six months ago, I started traveling internationally. I wanted to see the world the way God created it to be and help be the change I want to see in the world. It was a blessing to serve in Rwanda, East Central Africa and learn from the Rwandans. This past month, I was able to travel for Christ again in Ecuador. This was where I saw Christ the most. It was such an amazing blessing to worship Christ with a different culture in a different language. It was amazing to serve the same God with seven different Ecuadorian communities of people.

When I was younger, I was involved in missions but never to the extent that I was able to fully interact and grow in relationship with the people I was serving. In Ecuador, it was different. We worked on the church in the center of Mishauii, which is a small town in the Amazon Jungle that the Wesley Foundation (the organization I served in Ecuador with) has been working with for 3 years.

The Wesley Foundation cultivated a relationship with the Ecuadorian people and continuously sends resources to them and works with them. We served in other capacities as well, such as teaching Vacation Bible School classes and worshiping with different churches in Ecuador. Singing in Español was so beautiful, knowing that we were connecting with the native people as well as serving God in a different language touched each of our hearts.

Relationship building and community is one of the key things God wants us to do. He wants us to serve with others and grow in community with them. Ecuador showed me that I have a heart for mission work and building communities. I highly encourage everyone to serve with Christ, to engage in mission work, internationally or domestically. We are the hands and feet for Christ and need to do the work of Christ.