How Do You Miss Someone After Three Days?
Dear Hope Family,
“Missions is more than a trip; it’s an experience.”
This saying is taught to us at our Quito missions orientation each year, and we’re reminded of it throughout the week. The idea is that a “trip” is something we can take, but it will most likely have very little impact on our lives—like a trip to the lake or to Target. However, an “experience” is something that changes lives. And while we would agree with that, we’d take the saying a step further: Missions is more than a trip, and more than an experience; it’s a relationship.
Let’s introduce you to one key relationship that we’ve been building in Quito over the past year. His name is David Valencia, and he’s the director of La Roca Skate Ministry. La Roca is a skate park where many young Ecuadorians (guys and girls) come to try out new tricks. But beyond that, it’s a community, and, thanks to David, it’s a community centered on Jesus.
La Roca is open to skaters Wednesday-Saturday each week, but Thursday Bible studies are what sets it apart from the other skate parks in Quito. And David’s not simply sharing the basics of the faith, he’s teaching skaters like Walter, Josué, Juanita, Mateo, Dana, and Jesús deep theology. They share their stories and learn from each other what it means to trust Christ.
This year, we had the privilege of leading three days of Bible studies and discussions, followed by an evening of home visits, where we prepared and shared a meal with skaters and their families. As David’s young disciples began to open up with our team (through some skilled interpreters!) we were inspired by their level of understanding of the Christian faith and their vulnerability in sharing many hard details of their lives. That vulnerability invited our mission team of three adults and 11 teens into a relationship that goes deeper than surface-level interaction.
After our week of serving La Roca came to an end, I overheard one of our team members say, “I miss [my skater friend] Jesús.” How could that happen in just a few days? Because it’s in those places of vulnerability that the love of Christ meets us in amazing ways and “the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3) becomes more real.
Emi and I have had periodic Zoom calls with David since meeting him in July 2025, and we are excited to see where God continues to mature our relationship and bear fruit for the sake of Christ’s kingdom.
Interested in hearing more? We’ll be sharing a report on our Quito mission at our next First Wednesday Fellowship on September 2nd! In the meantime, please join us in praying for David and his ministry at La Roca, and that God would continue to grow and shape our own people through these beautiful relationships.
Ethan & Emi
