After a long and demanding flight from Anchorage to Guayaquil, Ecuador, in early March, the first portion of the Wasilla Adventist Church mission team made the late-night drive to Puerto Cayo.
The group was accompanied by local David Polk, known as “Relic.” In Ecuador, a nickname is given only when someone is well-liked, and Relic had earned his. Yet when the group arrived, he seemed discouraged.
Guests who stayed at his small resort during Carnival left it in disarray. Toilets and faucets were broken, towels and room supplies stolen and nearly everything needed replacing. Shaking his head, he said, “The longer I have this place, the more I dislike people.”
Before any planned outreach began, the team found themselves caring for someone who was discouraged and overwhelmed. Over the next three days, the team repaired fixtures, cleaned the resort, did laundry and bought needed supplies. Slowly, the resort — and Relic’s spirit — recovered, and by the time the rest of the crew arrived, his joy and warmth had returned.
The second group arrived around midnight and began the three-hour journey to the resort. At a toll booth, the truck and van became separated, a delay the team later viewed as God’s protection.
About 40 minutes outside Guayaquil, two motorcycles with their lights off pulled alongside the truck. Men climbed onto the truck, cut loose luggage and scattered bags across the road while vehicles behind them collected the newly stolen items. Two large trucks blocked traffic, and the team realized it was a coordinated robbery.
Relic stopped the truck after noticing bags falling onto the road. Mike Fithian, mission participant, saw a gunman approaching his wife, Barbara, and stepped out to protect her. The gunman grabbed Fithian's backpack — with his passport, license and cash — and fled.
Fithain chased after the thieves, escaped into nearby brush and eventually reunited with the group after a chaotic and dangerous pursuit. Officers offered little support, only advising the team to avoid traveling at night.
Though shaken by a series of challenging experiences, the team chose to continue the mission, refusing to let fear and loss define the rest of the trip. While some helped build the Healing the Nations treatment room at the mission farm, others handed out flyers for the upcoming seminar and rebuilt the VBS materials that had been stolen.
Seminar attendance grew each night, testimonies were shared and several locals decided to begin Bible studies. Though the mission trip included unexpected setbacks, the team returned home grateful for God’s protection, the kindness of the Ecuadorian community and the reminder that ministry often unfolds in unplanned ways.
Jorge and Lissi Mera lead youth in discussion during the meetings.
Interpreters Jorge and Lissi Mera, Healing the Nations Mission School owners, hold weekly Sabbath services.
The mission group constructs a treatment room.
Wasilla Church volunteers help construct a treatment room.
Relic (right) and Kiwi (left) clean the resort after Carnival.
Warren Adams preaches to those who attended the meetings, as local Jorge Mera interprets.
The Wasilla Church mission team gathers with local families and ministry partners.
