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Visit the Meeting Place

Tucked away in the majestic Andes Mountains, not far from the sprawling metropolis of Quito, rests a serene valley called Nanegalito. Nanegalito is home to a retreat center called The Meeting Place. Motivated by a passion to see the glory of God cover the earth as the waters cover the seas, The Meeting Place exists to assist the local church in order to foster greater church health and fruitfulness. 

Currently, The Meeting Place can house and feed over 60 people and is situated in the heart of the cloud forest with one of the most abundant flora, fauna and birding locations in the world.  Eduardo (National Director of IMOJ) also shares a future vision for the camp to house and disciple those that are most vulnerable in this society, i.e. widows, orphans, special needs children, and the disabled. It is an honor to serve alongside of Eduardo and his family to reach and serve the ‘Mestizos’ or ‘mixed’ people of the Nor Occidental region and surrounding communities with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for the future of this exciting ministry.

Ministry Opportunities

Soccer Ministry

The Soccer ministry began in September of 2017 and exists to glorify God and reach children and teens with the Gospel of Christ through soccer. Utilizing the facilities of The Meeting Place as a base camp allows this ministry to minister to very remote and hard to reach communities in the Cloud Forest region of Ecuador.

In 2019 The soccer program progressed to Pedernales, Ecuador. We currently minister in four communities, using soccer as a platform to share the gospel and teach sportsmanship. We have a team of 10 adults who are working four days a week in these areas. The Soccer ministry is also used to interact and minister to families in IMOJ’s Special Needs Ministry.

We invite you and your church/small group to bring a team to come and help seed soccer reach these forgotten communities.

Special Needs Ministry

The IMOJ ministers to many special needs families in the Cloud Forest Region of Ecuador. These families have various degrees of disability and hardship and neither the government nor the surrounding communities provide much assistance. Over the years, Eduardo has built strong relationships with these families by demonstrating the love of Christ and helping them when nobody else would.

We currently minister and disciple many special needs families in several different communities. The families have since developed their own support community, elected a president for this community, and meet at least once a month to hold Bible studies and weave hand made baskets that are sold to the market and help support the families.

Teams that choose to incorporate the Special Needs Ministry into their Ecuador trip will get an opportunity to meet, work, and play with these families and see first hand, the joy that Christ has brought into their lives!

Join a Medical or Dental Team

Throughout the year we have medical and dental teams come and help with clinics for the rural communities.  The Gospel is shared with each person as they wait to receive care.  

If you have a medical background and are interested in joining or brining a team please let us know. We always have a need for medical teams.

Pastors and Women’s Conferences

Twice a year, we partner with Bayou City Fellowship Church from Houston, Texas and Institute of Biblical Training from Central and South America  to bring a team of pastors and leaders here to Ecuador. They are taking around 120 national pastors and leaders through an intense 7 year program that is similar to a modified seminary training in the truths from Gods Word.  This has strengthened the churches in the area as they understand more of Gods Word and how to apply it..

The goal of our annual women’s conference is to provide an atmosphere where women are challenged to grow in their Christian walk, develop lasting relationships, to serve others and have fun!

• women helping women
• women teaching women
• women encouraging women 
• women praying for women

You are invited to join us as we desire to hear God more clearly through His Word and open ourselves to life changing experiences together. Titus 2

Ask about our next conference and how you and your church can help lead it.

Disaster Relief Trips/Construction Trips

In 2016 a 7.8 Earthquake hit Ecuador in the Pedernales Coastal community. At least 676 people were killed and over 13,000 homes collapsed. Eduardo Andrade felt in his heart that God wanted him to travel to Pedernales and help those who had lost everything. He began making a plan along with his brother, to build an “earthquake resistant house” made out of lighter wood and bamboo, that would shake and bend whenever the inevitable of more earthquakes came. 

As of January 2023, 15 houses have been built, 4 churches have been restored and six families have received materials for repairing their own houses. Emmanuel Baptist church of Oklahoma, Fellowship Baptist Church of Oklahoma, Enterprise Baptist Church of North Carolina and Bayou City Fellowship of Texas have sent teams for a week at a time to finish the construction of these 15 houses.

The local churches prepare the beginning structure by pouring the concrete floor, placing support poles and securing the roof. then teams come and finish the rest (walls, electrical, plumbing, tiling etc.). Plans are in place to build two more houses in 2023.

Please join us on a team or send one from your church or community.  This will be a blessing both to you and to the community that receives it!