{"id":45825,"date":"2021-12-14T14:48:06","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T19:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=45825"},"modified":"2021-12-14T14:48:09","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T19:48:09","slug":"reflection-on-a-virtual-pilgrimage-to-ecuador-with-fedice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/reflection-on-a-virtual-pilgrimage-to-ecuador-with-fedice\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflection on a Virtual Pilgrimage to Ecuador with FEDICE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Cathy Myers Wirt, Co-Regional Minister, Christian Church in Oregon and SW Idaho<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Ecumenical Foundation for Development, Integration, Training, and Education<\/a>, FEDICE, has been a global mission partner with the Oregon Regional Church and now the Oregon and SW Idaho Regional church since the mid-1990s, before Doug and I began our service as the Co-Regional Ministers of the region in 2001. FEDICE is not new to me, however virtual pilgrimages most definitely are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For 20 years I have gone to the airport to see people off on their journey to Ecuador every other year and have been at the airport to collect them on their return, including my husband and son. I have been at the airport to welcome Victor and Violet Vaca and Executive Director, Blanca Puma, with key volunteer and husband, Luis, and then to drop them off to fly back home. I have always been glad for the travelers but sad for me that I could not go to Ecuador myself. My body does not do well at high altitude, so I have never wanted to burden my hosts with my extra needs.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have sold craft items, invited offerings, preached sermons full of FEDICE stories, I have posted the blogs of FEDICE trip travelers, shared videos\/PowerPoint presentations about Ecuador, encouraged people in our regional church to go to Ecuador, and hosted Victor Vaca at our high school church camp where he ran circles around the teenagers on the soccer field.  We have worked in stories about Ecuador into VBS and Camp curriculum.  Ecuador dwells deep in my heart and the hearts of our regional church.  Blanca, and Luis, are dear to me.  We have traveled together, laughed, and cried together when they have visited in Oregon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our regional church is a global mission region and in the 2000s almost 1\/3 of our Oregon congregations became \u201cglobal mission churches\u201d through the hard work of Mission Interpreters trained by Bob Shebeck, former staff of Global Ministries.  I was raised in a family where my mother was a \u201cCWF lady\u201d and told me stories of missionaries, mostly straight out of World Call Magazine.  As an adult, Disciples Women\u2019s ministries built within me a sense of critical presence through global ministry as foundational to Disciples identity.  However, a virtual pilgrimage is not the same as any of those experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What a gift I received in being able to touch Ecuador in a new and closer way \u2013 finally MY turn to go to Ecuador \u201cvirtually in person.\u201d  The concept of minga<\/em> learned from Blanca on her many journeys to the United States, already had me primed to experience Ecuador\/FEDICE through the community lens of people working together for the good of all to accomplish building of resource, capacity, and hope.  I have seen minga<\/em> in my other travels with Global Ministries visiting with our partners in person in Zimbabwe and Cuba. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My experience with a virtual pilgrimage is not so much one story but more like a series of snapshots.  Here are some of mine from this minga<\/em> with FEDICE\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n