In the midst of great political instability, Byron and Yvonne McGuire, founders of NLI, arrived in Ecuador in 1968 with their five children and a call from God to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a population in need of good news. While high In the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Byron and Yvonne served with HCJB, a missionary shortwave radio station that broadcasted the Gospel in fourteen languages around the world and into Ecuadorian homes in Spanish and Quechua.

Quito was home base, but on the weekends the entire family would often travel by four-wheel-drive Jeep to remote villages to share the Gospel with the precious people near the Andes Mountains and low-lying jungles. “Arriving at each location, we would set up a sound system, a portable electronic piano, and my chalk easel,” Mrs. McGuire recalls. “Another missionary couple played the piano and sang. I would make chalk pictures depicting a gospel story accompanied by Spanish music and scripture. An Ecuadorian Christian preached. Hundreds of people gathered about to listen and eagerly receive the gospel leaflets we passed out.” This practice of sharing the Gospel established in Ecuador has served as the basis for the McGuire’s expansive ministry – past and present.

The McGuire family left their Ecuador shortwave radio days behind in 1972 to embrace outreach in their local Indiana community through a new ministry called New Life International. In 1998, water purification became the primary focus of the ministry. While the tools have changed, the heart remains the same. Today, our partners continue to share the Gospel internationally using NLI’s water purification system as a tool. “It brings me joy that after all these many years since living in Ecuador, God is working in unexpected ways we never dreamed of then,” Mrs. McGuire remarked.

Beginning in 2016, God led a return to once again serve in Ecuador. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Ecuador’s coast on Saturday, April 16, 2016. The tremor killed nearly 700 people and ravaged homes, schools, and the infrastructure. Once again a country in need of hope, a team from NLI called by God journeyed to Ecuador in August 2016. Six water purification systems were transported from Underwood, Indiana to Manta, Ecuador, where many forgotten communities were still in need. Steven Uhde, training and field operations coordinator, and Roger Conn, one of our key volunteers, partnered with and trained Luis Carvajal, a native Ecuadorian. Together they installed five systems near Manta while there and left the last for Luis and his team to install in Quito.

This initial contact initiated a very meaningful partnership in Ecuador that has resulted in Team Ecuador. A year later, when Luis felt called elsewhere, his brother Fausto took over the reins. Fausto not only installs the purification systems but is intentional about gathering with those he serves and deliberately develops relationships with them. Since the resumption of ministry in Ecuador, thirty-four water purification systems have been installed in communities throughout the country and God continues to open doors that lead to even more ministry and fruit.

We are now seeking to expand our ministry with Team Ecuador. For example, two difficult-to-reach tribal indigenous villages with critical needs have been pinpointed in Ecuador’s Amazon Basin where people are suffering from illness directly related to poor drinking water. We will deploy two water purification systems in these areas of critical need. To support Team Ecuador and projects like this, we invite you to partner with us financially. You can give online to the efforts of Team Ecuador by logging onto waterfortheworld.org/teamecuador or by reaching us using the contact information below.