Largest City in Ecuador Adopts Seventh-day Adventist Church Project

In Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and the country’s economic powerhouse, dozens of women from several areas in the province of Guayas gathered on November 29 to participate in the “Florezca” [Flourish] project of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in that South American nation.

Flourish is an initiative developed by the women’s ministries department of the Adventist Church. It provides a set of materials with ideas and activities to help women develop their emotional well-being, experience healthy emotions, and maintain a positive attitude in the face of challenging situations, organizers behind the initiative said.

The project was introduced and implemented during a gathering at the city’s Samanes Park. It was part of the Day Against Violence, which is celebrated every November 25, regional church leaders said. The initiative offered training to strengthen women in spiritual issues, self-love, and healthy ways of channeling their emotions. In addition, every participant received a free copy of the Breaking the Silence magazine, which advocates for an end to domestic violence.

Celia Olivo, leader of women’s ministries in the South Ecuador Mission, highlighted the importance of bringing a project like Flourish to the community. “Today is an important day for our church,” Olivo said. “As we strive to include women from the community in our projects, we have partnered with our local government to take care of these ladies by providing our professionals, our staff, and our resources to special and spiritual support.”

Attendees also heard presentations on topics designed to help women flourish in every area of life and empower them to find ways to make their goals, aspirations, and dreams a reality. “Our ultimate goal is promoting women’s development as a core element in our society,” organizers said.

Miriam Obregón, who coordinates social reconstruction initiatives for the municipality of Guayaquil, emphasized the value the Adventist Church’s participation in events like the one that took place on November 29. “For us, the Adventist Church has made an invaluable contribution, since their representatives use a methodology that seeks to strengthen important areas in the life of every woman,” Obregón said. “We are now looking to expand these partnerships to also involve children and adolescents.”

This is the second Adventist-sponsored project that the municipality of Guayaquil has adopted to better serve their residents. The first was the Breaking the Silence drive, which seeks to fight the scourge of domestic violence.

Regional church leaders noted that the Adventist Church in southern Ecuador seeks to fulfill its mission by working in community partnerships to improve lives. “The goal is to introduce them to projects of service and then to Jesus, by being faithful witnesses who show love and care for their neighbors,” they said.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division’s Spanish-language news site.