Violence in Ecuador

Over recent months, and even for the last few years, tensions in Ecuador have been rising. We keep reaching new levels of violence, and last week was another unfortunate intensification in that regard. Maybe you heard something on the news. There were prison escapees, an attack on a television station that was broadcast live, doctors held hostage in a hospital, policemen killed, and more. We are concerned of course, but we are not in any immediate danger.   Although the tensions are high all over the country, Guayaquil remains the center of the conflict. To resolve the problem the president declared an "internal armed conflict", which basically means Ecuador has declared war on the dangerous elements within its borders. He named 22 different terrorist groups (read: gangs / organized crime / mafia / drug cartels) that are enemies of the state. The military has free reign to "neutralize" them.   The root of the problem centers around the drug cartels who are competing for territory in Ecuador and seeking to maintain drug routes from Colombia and Peru through this country to the US and Europe. Instead of serving as correctional facilities, the prisons are simply the center of the cartels' activity. About a fourth of Ecuador's 36 prisons are controlled by the inmates. That means they have the keys to their own cells, organize nationwide crime, conduct businesses, pay rent for better cells, or for having a bed, etc. The government is seeking to solve these problems, and that produces a backlash on the part of the drug cartels. Because the delinquents have the full backing of the international narcotics "industry" the solutions are not quick fixes. Ecuador will be struggling with this problem for months and potentially years to come. So far it has been slowly escalating and we don't know when the tide will begin to change. Thankfully, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and the United States are all increasing their support for the situation. Please pray for wisdom for all those who are involved in working to restore Ecuador to a land of peace and justice.

Read from the BBC How Ecuador Descended into Gang Violence

All schools have been closed due to the violence, so Kristi has been teaching online for over a week. This will continue at least until the end of this week. Beyond that, everything is uncertain. Please pray for Kristi and her students to adjust to the realities they are faced with. It’s kind of like living through Pandemic 2.0 and not too many of them are excited about it. As you know, online education sometimes decreases the posibility for truly positive learning opportunities. Pray for a soon return to the classroom. Also, pray for creativity and providential resourcefulness for Kristi with the challenging learning environment.

Scott’s dad is adjusting well to his new living arrangements. He really enjoys his assisted living apartment and is glad for having made the change. He is also making good progress with his health. Please pray for continued adjustment in these areas.

We had a great time with family over Christmas vacation. We gathered for a week in Arkansas with all our kids and grandkids!

We are now full of anticipation for Luke and Chase’s wedding coming up in March. Our next trip will be to celebrate their marriage in Chicago!