Fr. Vicent Turinawe talks about his missionary experience in the Río Onzole area of the Esmeraldas vicariate. “As missionaries, we are called to be people who dare to dream and build, even when the results seem slow or uncertain.”

I arrived in Ecuador in October 2022. Having come from Uganda, I was used to a different rhythm of missionary life, with busy days filled with sacramental activities and large congregations for Eucharist services and weddings.  Upon arriving in Ecuador, however, I encountered a very different reality.

Often, the churches were half-empty, even on Sundays. On a few occasions, I celebrated Mass with fewer than ten people in attendance. During these times, I found great comfort in the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 18:20: ‘Where two or three gather in my name, I am there among them.’

This understanding has given me the strength and courage to serve joyfully in the parish of Virgen del Carmen in Borbón, particularly in the Río Onzole area of the Esmeraldas vicariate.
In this remote area, it takes many hours to travel by both land and water to reach the faithful. To reach the most distant chapel, I must travel for at least three hours by boat under normal conditions. Sometimes, the journey takes even longer, not counting the time spent travelling by road.

I work with communities of different races and cultures in Ecuador. I hope that, despite the many challenges, the Gospel will one day take deep root through the tireless efforts of men and women who are truly committed to the mission.

These include poor transport networks, the vastness of the mission area, a lack of collaborators and permanent chapels or infrastructure in many communities.
It is this hope that encourages us to keep striving, believing that tomorrow’s mission will be better than today’s.

In the Río Onzole area, the main challenge is that each new missionary has to start from scratch. Some communities go for long periods without receiving a visit or celebrating the Eucharist. Unlike regions where the faith has already taken root, these communities depend almost entirely on the presence of a priest, religious sister or brother. Without them, little to no pastoral activity takes place.

The words of Jesus in Matthew 9:37, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few’, could not be more relevant in the mission lands of the Vicariate of Esmeraldas. I recall my early visits to the communities for sacraments and Masses. I was surprised to find that some godparents had baptised themselves or came from Pentecostal or Evangelical backgrounds. This was not out of malice, but due to a lack of training. In fact, some pastors from other denominations even bring their children to be baptised in the Catholic Church.

Having spent nearly three years in Ecuador, I now understand why St Daniel Comboni once said that if he had a thousand lives, he would offer them all for the mission in Africa. If I had a thousand lives, I would offer them for the mission in South America.

Even when I travel for over three hours by boat in heavy rain or under a scorching sun and find only five elderly women and a few children in the church, I rejoice. That small gathering gives me energy. Just as the Good Shepherd left the ninety-nine to find the one, I find profound purpose in these humble encounters. The hope that never disappoints continues to carry us forward, as it has for the past 70 years of the Comboni missionaries’ presence in Ecuador.

Hope reminds us not to be discouraged by the challenges we face today, but to remain anchored in a future that we cannot see, but which we believe in with all our hearts. As missionaries, we are called to embody that hope, to be people who dare to dream and build, even when the results seem slow or uncertain.

This mission has taught me to ‘think little and feel a lot’, to be a shepherd who walks with the sheep and smells like them, not one who walks above them. I strive to lead from within, not from the outside. My deepest gratitude goes to all the missionaries who came before us. I can only imagine how much harder it was 70 years ago when the foundations were being laid. May God reward them eternally for their sacrifices which paved the way for future missionaries.