I Have a Dream

I have a dream that one day Ecuador will be a country of peace where children play in parks and mothers walk through the streets without fear.  I have a dream that one day sicarios will not exist, and youth will play soccer and read books instead of robbing their neighbors.  I have a dream that one day each Ecuadorian child will have access to education both in Spanish and in Kichwa.  I have a dream that one day the mestizo, the indigenous, the montubio, and the afroecuadorian will join hands and proclaim freedom and equality for all.   

I have a dream that jobs will be available for those willing and qualified to work.  I have a dream that businesspeople will see their work as service to the Lord, and wealth will be used to improve the lives of those who have the least.  I have a dream that one day corruption will be stigmatized and honesty will take its place.   

I have a dream that one day the Evangelical Church of Ecuador will not have the reputation of being so divided that it is no “threat” to political leaders.  Instead the government will be run by Christians who are passionate about leading their country with integrity.  I have a dream that one day the Gospel will be proclaimed from the peak of Chimborazo to the Napo River to the lagoons of Cajas to the Galapagos Islands.  I have a dream that we can conserve the natural beauty and diversity of Yasuni and Sumaco and minimize our human impact on the jungle.  I have a dream that the beauty of this rich country will one day be complemented by the beauty of a truly free, peaceful, transparent, flourishing society.

This is my dream, but it cannot only be mine.  Will Ecuadorians dare to articulate a bold vision for their country?  Can they see the current reality and yearn for a better future?  Can that yearning become so great that we are discontent with the current state of things and determined to bring about change?  Will we never settle for anything short of our most lofty vision?  I know that there are others who dream, but we are too few.  Too often I hear of problems, but rarely do I hear a call to action or dreams of a better Ecuador.  

 I have only been in Ecuador for a year and a half and may not have the legitimacy to propose a larger vision for this country.  However, I have been ripped off, outright robbed, and subjected to machista comments.  I have seen children begging in the streets; youth who can’t find jobs; and adults who see corruption, cronyism, and dishonest behaviors as completely acceptable.  I’ve complained about all these things, but if that is the only thing I focus on, it will suck up all my energy and distract me from the good things in life.  Instead, I have a dream of a better Ecuador, and I am determined to be part of making that dream a reality.