Rajamundri, India and Guayaquil, Ecuador

In 2012, we will be undertaking two separate, distinct trips. First, we’ll be sending a group to India in January, where our missionary John Pachigalla and his family run a school for the underprivileged. Second, we’ll be sending a group to Ecuador in August, where our missionary Jerry Smith and his family have found a church and school that has changed the very nature of their city.

We have a history of outreach to the needy populations in the world. It started from the very beginnings of our church. Two of our pastors had previously been full time missionaries in Africa: Pastor Thomas and Pastor Beiser.  And former Pastor’s Mel and Sharon Johnson are currently missionaries.

Our history has become the future, by sending missionaries around the world and conducting working mission trips to build food distribution centers, assists teachers and pastors; we have distributed food and basic necessities in Thailand, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and this year to Malawi, Africa.

MORE ON ECUADOR

The School

In 1987, Centro Cristiano de Guayaquil founded its school in conjunction with Latin American Childcare.   Over the past 24 years, the school has graduated over 4,300 students!  Nevertheless, over that same period of time, the school has had to turn away thousands of children due to lack of space.

Heartbroken over this loss, the school is now endeavoring to build additional classrooms that will make room for 25,000 kids who currently cannot afford an education.  Our hope is to reach more of the overlooked and forgotten children of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Where Exactly Is Ecuador?

Ecuador is located on the western coast of South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru. In terms of size, Ecuador is slightly smaller than the state of Nevada.

Poverty in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Poverty and despair are stealing away the dreams of kids in Guayaquil.  Throughout the city, countless children live without hope in slums and shantytowns.  Chronic malnutrition stunts growth and many are at high risk of major infectious diseases.  To complicate matters, Ecuador’s frequent natural disasters have displaced thousands of families in recent years.

In the midst of these dire circumstances, myriad destitute women and children are forced into slavery.  Many are kidnapped and coerced into nonconsensual commercial sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, labor in mines and other hazardous work.  Other children are forced into slavery as street vendors, beggars, drug traffickers or thieves.

For many disadvantaged children, the hope of a future or an education that will empower them to live a different life is distant.  Most schools operate on such limited budgets that families are left to cover the cost of books, teaching materials and utilities.  More than 100,000 school-age children in and around Guayaquil have no access to education whatsoever.

 

THE HOPE

What’s being done?

Through the work of humanitarian organizations such as Latin American Childcare (LACC) and supporting churches like Centro Cristiano de Guayaquil (CCG), things are changing for the better. They have helped thousands of children throughout Ecuador to dream again and to live a better life than they ever have before.

What is LACC?
Latin American Childcare (LACC) is one of the largest networks of schools in Latin America and the Caribbean.  It is dedicated to transforming the lives of needy children through quality education and compassion.

How can I help?
In August 2012, Glad Tidings is sending a team of 100 people to Ecuador.  The team will work with LACC and CCG to build classrooms vital to the future success of kids in Guayaquil.  You can help us today by donating money or building materials for this construction project.

If you would like to contribute click below and designate Missions 2012 (see below)

Make a donation to Glad Tidings Missions 2012!
Just click on this button:


 

Also if you would like to mail a check or money order to 1280 Webster Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115.  Please designate Missions 2012.


 

Why did we choose Malawi for our last trip (2011)?

Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world.

Areas of Concern: Deforestation, land degradation, and water pollution are Malawi’s primary environmental concerns. A serious famine continues. HIV/AIDS is a serious health problem. Between one-third and one-half of the working population are thought to be infected, with inevitable economic consequences.

Malawi is a very poor country that has a high population density and a high population growth rate. Most people depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and traditional fuels, particularly fuel-wood and charcoal, account for 89 percent (1997) of the country’s total energy use. The high population density and dependence on the land put great pressure on the environment for more farmland and fuel-wood.

Malawi has one of the highest rates of annual deforestation in Africa, at 0.9 percent (1990–2005). Unsafe sewage disposal, agricultural runoff, and soil erosion due to deforestation combine to contaminate much of the country’s fresh water. Only 73 percent (2004) of the population has access to safe water. The two biggest killers in 2011 will be Malaria and AIDS

Glad Tidings Church in San Francisco, California

Phone: 415 346-1111
Email: pastor@gtsf.org
Address: 1280 Webster Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
(We are on the corner of Webster & Ellis Streets, across from the Safeway)

For Sunday and other services, we offer two on-site parking lots. For that go here.