Three churches in Ecuador have teamed up to help build houses for three low-income families who were on the verge of homelessness, or already there. 

Puerto Canelos is a community settled on the banks of a river in the province of Napo, Ecuador. The Church of the Nazarene in that community saw the need of three low-income families who had nowhere to live. These families did not attend the church, but the church felt the Lord was calling them to do something to help these families.

Three different congregations from three districts in Ecuador (Costa, Sierra Centro, and Sierra Norte) came together to help build three houses for these families. 

The project began with a Maximum Missions trip from 30 October to 3 November 2021 when 62 participants from three different congregations contributed money to go to Puerto Canelos and give their time and effort to start the construction of the houses. 

Construction is finished on the first house, which was given to the Dagua family. 

Angelica Dagua and her family were going to become homeless soon. Their current home was near collapse, and they had no way to rebuild. Angelica is a single mother to two young children.

“I was shocked when I saw young people and adults trying to build my house,” Angelica said “They didn’t mind carrying wood on their shoulders and were happy about what they were doing. I still don’t believe it. But God is great, and I am grateful to God and the young people of Maximum Missions for making my house a reality. Thank you for your passion to love your neighbor.”

The congregation in Puerto Canelos organized a work team with Nazarene Youth International members and Maximum Missions participants to continue with the construction of the other two houses.

--Church of the Nazarene South America