Our Mission Path
Serving God in Ecuador
El Guagua Auca
Folklore and legends are in important part of understanding a culture. Folklore sometimes communicates deep or difficult cultual reality. Listen to the legend of the Baby of Aura a see what you can learn about Ecuadorian culture.
The folklore of the crying child is one of the legends that have been passed down from generation to generation, which tells how a newborn child died without being baptized. Many say they have seen or heard this baby at night.
On uninhabited roads, enigmatic forests, cemeteries, solitary churches, and clear streams, a baby appears in the middle of the road crying. Wise travelers avoid the baby and ignore it’s cries. Others naively seek to help the child who was thrown away by a heartless mother, but they do so to their own parallel. The baby is actually a demon who kills his would be rescuer.
What does this story tell you about Ecuador?
Love,
The Downing Family
Sumaj Diosta Cantana Himnario #144 Christ Will Come Again
Some of Church of God congregations sing out of a hymnal that is printed in both Quechua and Spanish. During today’s podcast we reflect on the wonderful words of the 144th Spanish song. Timothy translated the words for your edification.
“The angels sing with sweet voice,
The men sing with a loud voice,
Christ will come, our conquering King,
Christ will come again.
He will come again,
He will come again,
In glory come to the world He will come again,
He will come again,
He will come again,
He is coming to reign soon,
See on earth the air and the sea,
Great signs already fulfilled,
Everything indicats that the time is near,
Our glorious Lord,
All the dead in Christ will rise,
With joy the dead will rise,
To find their King they will rise,
Christ is coming again.
Come in the clouds! Oh beautiful Savior!
Come to earth, I beg you Lord!
Come, your church awaits you Jesus!
Jesus Christ will come again.”
Love,
The Downing Family
Please click here to learn more about our missionary work!
Ceviche de pescado (Fish Ceviche)
Ceviche de pescado
Fish Ceviche is one of a handful of Ecuadorian dishes that the Downing family has completely rejected. We simply prefer to cook our fish with heat before we eat it but we will not break fellowship with you if you choose to prepare your fish this way. We are told that this is a good way to eat chemically cooked fish, if you are into that.
Ingredients:
2 red onions diced
4 tomatoes diced
2 bell peppers, assorted colors, chopped
20 limes
1 bunch of cilantro chopped as finely as possible
2lb of white fish fillets (halibut, sea bass, sole), cut into small pieces
Sunflower oil
Preparation:
- First. Place the raw fish pieces in a glass dish and cover it with salt and lime juice from 10 limes, (the fish should be completely covered by lime juice).
- Then. Cover the dish and refrigerate, for four hours.
- Then. Mix the onions, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro with the juice from the remaining limes and let marinate for one hour.
- Then. Once the fish is chemically cooked in the lime juice rinse it well and mix it with the vegetable marinade, add salt and sunflower oil to taste.
- Enjoy. Serve with chifles or popcorn.
Love, 
The Downing Family
Entrusted
If it be the duty of all men to believe the Gospel… then it be the duty of those who are entrusted with the Gospel to endeavor to make it known among all nations.
William Carey
Responsibility. You and I have a great responsibility to make the good news the gospel of Jesus Christ known throughout the world. We see this responsibility written large in the scripture. We see the great commission prodding us to go into all the world to evangelize to teach or make disciples and to baptize believers. We see the invitation of Christ to be part of his ministry not in a certain time or a certain place but throughout all time in all places.
None will enter into the kingdom of God without first believing in Jesus Christ. How then can they believe unless they first hear? How can they hear without someone telling them the good news? How can someone tell unless they are sent?
May we understand the duty that all people have to believe the gospel. May we more powerfully understand the duty that we have to make it known to the nations.
Love, 
The Downings
Do We Well?
And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.
2 Kings 7:8-9
Cultural Insight: Until When….?
Today’s cultural insight comes in the form of a story. The legend of Father Almeida tells a story of sin and redemption. Just click play below to be regaled with local Ecuadorian lore.
With love,
The Downing Family
Friend we need your support! Click here to learn more!
The Church’s Jubilee
This hymn is widely considered the anthem of the Church of God. It harkens back to a time when we were living in the purity of our doctrine. The poetry of this hymn elucidates the fact that we were a movement not a sect or denomination. As a movement we had a unifying message: “The day of sects and creeds for us forevermore is past, Our brotherhood are all the saints upon the world so vast; We reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one, While love entwines about each heart in which God’s will is done.”
The light of eventide now shines the darkness to dispel,
The glories of fair Zion’s state ten thousand voices tell;
For out of Babel God doth call His scattered saints in one,
Together all one church compose, the body of His Son.Refrain:
O church of God, the day of jubilee
Has dawned so bright and glorious for thee;
Rejoice, be glad! Thy Shepherd has begun
His long-divided flock again to gather into one.The Bible is our rule of faith, and Christ alone is Lord,
All we are equal in His sight when we obey His word;
No earthly master do we know, to man-rule will not bow,
But to each other and to God eternal trueness vow.The day of sects and creeds for us forevermore is past,
Our brotherhood are all the saints upon the world so vast;
We reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one,
While love entwines about each heart in which God’s will is done.Oh, blessed truth that broke our bands! In it we now rejoice,
While in the holy church of God we hear our Savior’s voice;
And gladly to His blessed will submissive we shall be,
And from the yokes of Babel’s lords from henceforth we are free.C.W. Naylor
Love, The Downing Family
Missions And Relationships: Rev. Bob Burns
What does a missionary heart look like? Listen to this interview with Rev. Bob Burns and find out!
Love, 
The Downing Family
Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche
Ecuadorian Shrimp ceviche
Serves 8-10 people.
Three out of seven Downings recommend this classical Ecuadorian dish. Click play on the podcast below to hear all about it!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ red onions sliced very thin
- 4 tomatoes sliced very thin
- The juice of 12 limes
- The juice of 1 orange
- ½ cup of ketchup
- 1 bunch of cilantro chopped very fine
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 pounds of raw Shrimp
- Salt, pepper and light olive oil
Instructions
First. Prepare the shrimp by cooking it in coconut milk. (sauté in pan until the meat turns white).
Then. Soak the onion slices in warm salt water for 10 minutes, rinse and drain.
Then. Mix all the ingredients together in large bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Enjoy. Serve with chifles.
With Love, The Downings