
Ecuador
In pre-colonial times the area was part of the Inca Empire. In 1533, the Spanish arrived. In 1563, Quito became a seat of colonial government. In 1717, it became part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, consisting of New Granada (Colombia), Venezuela, and Quito. After achieving independence between 1819 and 1822 they formed a federation known as Gran Colombia. In 1830, Quito became independent. In modern times, even after 50 years of civilian governance, Ecuador has experienced much political instability.
In 1967, there were only 120 believers out of three million Quechua people, who are a local indigenous people. Today, around 50 per cent identify as Christian. In 2023, 26 per cent of the population was living in poverty. It is also a country with a young population with 35 per cent or six million children and youth aged under seventeen years of age. Due to poverty and other circumstances, such as violent homes, many of these children and youth are failing to thrive. In cities, especially in the coastal areas, some children are turning to drugs as young as twelve years old or becoming victims of child exploitation.
The Bible Society of Ecuador is reaching out to marginalised children with its “Open the Book” project. It seeks to engage children with the Bible who are not connected with churches by using volunteers who act out Bible stories for them. This year, they intend to develop ten volunteer teams to deliver the programme to vulnerable children.
Your gift to Bible a Month Regular Giving will help to support this project this month.
View the PDF version of your Member’s Report here.

Prayer Points for Ecuador
Pray that God will work through this project bringing hope to children in vulnerable situations.
Pray for wise government leaders who are committed to justice and willing to address difficult social issues.
Pray for a spiritual maturity that roots out false teaching and has a heart for the less evangelised.
Pray for effectively trained workers in the Church who are equipped for addressing both physical and spiritual poverty.
Pray more with us here.
FURTHER BIBLE MISSION PROJECTS

Haiti
As well as being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Haiti faces ongoing political instability, gang violence, widespread corruption, along with the impact of natural disasters.
Amid this turmoil, the Haitian Bible Society is working to bring healing to people who continue to suffer. Through trauma healing programmes, they are offering spiritual and emotional support to those most affected by these crises. The Society is also providing New Testaments to school children, many of whom have not only suffered due to recent violence and instability but also continue to face the long-term effects of earlier disasters, such as the 2010 earthquake, which left many orphans or disabled.

Cambodia
Cambodia has emerged from several decades of war and civil unrest. The resulting influx of humanitarian and development aid has thrust a simple, agrarian culture into the 21st century with inadequate time to process rapid changes in the social and economic environments.
Buddhism remains a dominant influence on Cambodians’ worldview, and a largely non-existent reading culture makes Scripture engagement especially challenging. The political scene is far from stable, and civil demonstrations for better economic conditions are often met with oppression and violence. The younger generation has embraced all forms of modernity, which presents the Bible Society with an ongoing challenge to stay abreast with technological advances.

Chile
Chile is a country whose population suffers through a poor education system and high rates of income inequality.
The Bible Society of Chile is reaching out to people suffering from a range of issues, including poverty, domestic violence, and serious illness with trauma healing. They are running Bible study groups and providing large-print Bibles for the elderly to help them draw closer to the Word of God.
It is promoting Christian values amongst families and to educate teenagers on issues such as bullying and assertiveness. It is equipping churches to assist at-risk families, and to have the professional skills they need to deal with topics such as sexuality and domestic violence.

Tanzania
Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest nations with around 26 per cent of the population living on less than $2 per day.
The Bible Society of Tanzania is working to reach out to vulnerable groups including orphans, the visually disabled and refugees. Many children are becoming orphans due to HIV/AIDS, and Bible Society is reaching out to them to teach them life skills. It is also educating parents and caregivers about children’s basic needs. For the visually disabled, it is distributing audio and Braille Bibles. It is running Bible reading and listening groups to enable them to connect with the Word of God.

Haiti
As well as being one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Haiti faces ongoing political instability, gang violence, widespread corruption, along with the impact of natural disasters.
Amid this turmoil, the Haitian Bible Society is working to bring healing to people who continue to suffer. Through trauma healing programmes, they are offering spiritual and emotional support to those most affected by these crises. The Society is also providing New Testaments to school children, many of whom have not only suffered due to recent violence and instability but also continue to face the long-term effects of earlier disasters, such as the 2010 earthquake, which left many orphans or disabled.

Cambodia
Cambodia has emerged from several decades of war and civil unrest. The resulting influx of humanitarian and development aid has thrust a simple, agrarian culture into the 21st century with inadequate time to process rapid changes in the social and economic environments.
Buddhism remains a dominant influence on Cambodians’ worldview, and a largely non-existent reading culture makes Scripture engagement especially challenging. The political scene is far from stable, and civil demonstrations for better economic conditions are often met with oppression and violence. The younger generation has embraced all forms of modernity, which presents the Bible Society with an ongoing challenge to stay abreast with technological advances.

Chile
Chile is a country whose population suffers through a poor education system and high rates of income inequality.
The Bible Society of Chile is reaching out to people suffering from a range of issues, including poverty, domestic violence, and serious illness with trauma healing. They are running Bible study groups and providing large-print Bibles for the elderly to help them draw closer to the Word of God.
It is promoting Christian values amongst families and to educate teenagers on issues such as bullying and assertiveness. It is equipping churches to assist at-risk families, and to have the professional skills they need to deal with topics such as sexuality and domestic violence.

Tanzania
Tanzania is one of the world’s poorest nations with around 26 per cent of the population living on less than $2 per day.
The Bible Society of Tanzania is working to reach out to vulnerable groups including orphans, the visually disabled and refugees. Many children are becoming orphans due to HIV/AIDS, and Bible Society is reaching out to them to teach them life skills. It is also educating parents and caregivers about children’s basic needs. For the visually disabled, it is distributing audio and Braille Bibles. It is running Bible reading and listening groups to enable them to connect with the Word of God.

Get Out of Your Head
In Get Out of Your Head, Jennie Allen takes you on a study in Philippians, inspiring and equipping us to transform our emotions, our outlook, and even our circumstances by taking control of our thoughts. When we submit our minds to Christ, the promises and goodness of God flood our lives in remarkable ways. It starts in your head. And from there, the possibilities are endless.
EMPTY HANDS
BIBLE POVERTY
EMPTY HEARTS
BIBLE ENGAGEMENT
EMPTY MINDS
BIBLE LITERACY