Moving to Ecuador: Our Mission and Vision
We are a family of 7. Donna & I have been married 23+ years; we are best friends. Our oldest son is 23 - Caleb, Kole - 19, Isabella - 17, Hayes - 15, and Quinley - 9. Donna, myself, Isabella, Hayes, & Quinley live in Baños, Ecuador.
We love Jesus, food from around the world, traveling, adventure, risky-ish things, music, & laughter.
In 2014, I quit my career and we took our family around the world. God was building a vision in us that we never would have imagined. Upon returning from our journey, God was clearly calling us to something different; a 2nd calling for the 2nd half of life.
After 20 months of prayer, questions, confusion, despair, more prayer, doubt, tested faith, silence, anger, and refinement of identity and purpose...God finally opened a crack in the door to our next journey opening a hostel in Baños, Ecuador.
Our ministry is to the next generation - those between the ages of 18-30 - also known as the millennial generation. Our call is specifically to young travelers/backpackers.
Travelers are an interesting subset of their generation and we absolutely love them and want them to know Jesus. All of them are on a journey - a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey. All of them are searching. Who are they? Why are they here? What is their purpose in life? As Jesus followers, we have the answer.
Our mission: Advancing the kingdom of Christ through hospitality.
We will use our hostel as a tool for sharing the Gospel and the love of Christ to backpackers and travelers. Many of them do not know who Jesus really is OR what He really did OR how much He really loves us. They do not know the real Jesus. Hospitality will allow us to share this in the most natural way available to us all: the table. We will use the table in our hostel for community meals AND the table in our home to welcome both strangers from other countries and locals in Baños.
The beauty of owning and operating a missionally-minded hostel is that the world is coming to us. Travelers from across the globe are walking through our doors. In Mark, Jesus said, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." All the world is coming to us.
In the gospel of Luke, much of the time Jesus spent was going to, at, or coming from a meal. The table was of special importance in the time and culture of Jesus and it still is today. Anyone who has spent time in Middle Eastern cultures (the culture of Jesus) understands the importance that is placed on sharing meals; it says "you are my friend; you are important to me; I'm sharing my family and my life with you right now".
We are now settling in Baños learning the culture, language, and building local relationships. Our long-term plan is to live missionally supported by our own business, the hostel. We have a partnership with Adventures in Missions. We'll house and disciple World Racer, host WR debriefs, possibly host PVT (parent vision trips), and partner with AIM and a 3rd party in church-planting. You can learn more about AIM here.
If the Lord opens the door for us to lease the hostel in Baños which God has given us a vision for, the name of our hostel will be called: The Hospital Hostel. It was once a private hospital. Now it will be a spiritual "hospital". We hope to provide physical, emotional, and spiritual rest and hope to those in need.
Follow our blog and email me at steringpurdy@hotmail.com to follow our adventure.
