Ecuador’s new school year begins with a cost that many families simply cannot carry. Notebooks, pencils, backpacks, and uniforms can consume a week’s income — and when supplies are out of reach, children often stay home. Each year, Pan de Vida comes alongside families during this season with school supply kits.
Last week, on Wednesday and Friday, the team delivered 314 kits: 115 in Quito and 199 in Otavalo.
TWO CITIES, TWO DAYS
In Quito, 115 children received school supply kits as they prepared to begin the new school year. The afternoon included snacks, games, and teaching from God’s Word. Adults heard a message about biblical leadership in the home, while the children heard a message on Romans 10:9.
The following day, the team traveled to Otavalo, where another 199 children received school kits and snacks. Adults participated in a Life Farm workshop focused on seed management, continuing the practical training that helps families strengthen their gardens and provide food for their households.
Those gathered in Otavalo also experienced something special. A local praise band led worship with the rhythms and sounds of the Quechua culture, creating a beautiful expression of worship that reflected the community being served.
The day’s teaching centered on Luke 10:25 and Jesus’ call to love God and love our neighbor. The Quechua word shungo, meaning heart, became a meaningful part of the message: loving others isn’t simply something we feel; it is something we intentionally choose to do.
And throughout these two days, that message was being lived out.
A bus of volunteers traveled from Quito to Otavalo, giving their time simply to serve and encourage families. Pan de Vida’s Life Farm champions are doing something similar in their own communities. After benefiting from their own farms, many share their crops and help new Life Farmers get started.
These are simple acts, but together they demonstrate what it looks like to put love into practice.
WHAT A KIT MAKES POSSIBLE
A backpack full of notebooks and pencils is a small thing to send, and a large thing to receive.
For a family weighing school supplies against groceries, a kit can make the difference between being prepared for school and going without. Parents can use what they earn for other household needs, while children arrive with the supplies their teachers ask them to bring and can focus on learning.
For the families receiving these kits, the gift is practical. But it also carries a message: their community cares about their children and wants to see them succeed.
GOD WORKS IN THE UNEXPECTED
The day in Quito was planned around backpacks and notebooks. God had something more in mind.
Among those present was one of the police officers on duty. After the children’s message on Romans 10:9, God prompted one of the leaders from the children’s program to speak with him about salvation.
The officer was moved by the gospel, and after hearing about the free gift of Jesus Christ, he prayed to receive Christ and asked Jesus to be King of his heart. His testimony is a reminder that God is at work in every corner of this ministry — even in the moments no one planned for.
Across Quito and Otavalo, these two days brought together practical help, God’s Word, worship, volunteers, and local families. From the school kits to the Life Farm workshops, each part of the ministry provided an opportunity to serve people in tangible ways.
And perhaps that is what shungo looked like in Otavalo: people choosing to show love by taking the time to be there, to serve, to share, and to help one another. Thank you for helping make that kind of love possible through your prayers, generosity, and support of Pan de Vida. All the honor and praise belong to Him, as He continues to open doors for Pan de Vida to serve communities across Ecuador.