Nayara Silva, a missionary in Ecuador, saw a need among the children on the seminary campus where she lives and took it upon herself to meet that need.

Silva lives on the campus of South America Nazarene Theological Seminary in Quito along with other missionaries and seminary staff. She noticed that the children who live on campus with their parents needed help socializing together.  

Nayara started teaching classes every two weeks. Since the nine children who represent seven different world areas are multicultural, she chose a curriculum that discusses identity. 

The topics covered are “Understanding my emotions and feelings,” "Being conscious of who am I," and "Who I can be in relation to God."

Silva explained why she started the classes.

"I said 'here I am' to the Lord,” she said. “I saw the need and was willing to serve them. Children that are in another culture need to be cared for and loved on."

Children's ministry is not new for Silva, nor is being immersed in a different culture. She spent two months in Kenya serving children and youth through a partnership between her sending church, the Evangelical Missions Center, and the Church of the Nazarene in Kenya. She has served in ministry with children most of her life.

Silva presently serves as a regional assistant for Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in South America. To learn more about Nayara, click here to read her missionary profile both in English and Portuguese.
--Church of the Nazarene South America