First Annual Celebration Event!

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, one of Joel & Kim’s dreams came true! A celebration event that brought supporters and longtime friends together to celebrate how far the ministry has come, and included our friends from Ecuador, offering a trajectory for the future.

We had 80 people in attendance, filling the room with their beautiful laughter and encouragement. Roses adorned the tables as decoration, alpaca blankets added color to the room, and artwork by the children at the Santiago Children’s Home sat front and center, waiting to be auctioned off. Attendees spent the first hour and a half in conversation with one another, shopping the Sumak store and perusing the silent auction, while a guitarist played quietly in the background.

An authentic Ecuadorian meal was served by dear friends of the ministry, the Sinchi family. Dessert included the famous biscocho with caramel sauce.

Joel & Kim were able to reflect on their time in Ecuador and share how they are still connected while living in the States. You could see their love for Ecuador in the smiles on their faces, and their words shared a desire for growth and expansion. It was so encouraging to hear the whole journey and see the impact God is allowing us to be part of.

Each staff member shared their new ministry video and provided updates and statistics on their program. People were able to see tangible ways their support has been received and the goals for moving forward. (Side note: our Staff in Ecuador created each ministry video with the help of an Ecuadorian videographer.)

Children in the Home created amazing works of art and agreed to have the pieces auctioned off at our event. All the proceeds from the auction were sent back to Ecuador for their art program. The artists ranged in age, the youngest being 6 years old! Each piece came with a handwritten title and explanation for the title, each one deeply moving. Their talent and creativity raised almost $2,000!

The Celebration Event was a huge success! We loved having everyone join us in celebration of the past and for the future goals. We could not do this work without the generous support from all of you.

Special thanks to Trinity Christian School for gifting us the space, the Sinchi family for helping with food arrangements and the serving of the meal, the volunteers who spent many hours helping set up for the event, our Ecuadorian friends for all their hard work preparing for the presentations, and many, many more!