“It is hard to escape the conclusion that today, one of the greatest roadblocks to the gospel of Jesus Christ is the institutional church. The student protester who held up a placard “Jesus Yes! Christianity No!” was expressing a sentiment widely felt: The institutional church too often represents something radicallyRead More →
Reentry Into Familiar Territory As I was preparing to move to Ecuador to serve as a missionary more than five years ago, I wrote blogs like “Leap of Faith”, “Preparing to Launch” and “Taking Flight”. In early July, I moved back to the U.S., so this blog post will reflectRead More →
Facebook Post from Raquel Espinosa – June 3, 2025 David, it has been a privilege to have you in Ecuador. Your presence here was not in vain. Although you have gone through difficult trials, your faith, love, and service have left a deep mark on many lives. You sowed inRead More →
News from David Batcheller – June 2025 Greetings again from Ecuador. I hope this letter finds you and your family are doing well. I’m overdue in sending out an update, so here goes. Over the past year, my involvement with the Arco church here in Machala has decreased asRead More →
Merry Christmas from Ecuador! Update from David Batcheller – Dec. 2024 Greetings from Ecuador to all my family and friends. It’s the time of year when many of us reflect upon the good times we have had together and look forward to a new year of fresh possibilities. It hasRead More →
To all my dear friends and family, I wanted to give you another update on how I am doing here in Ecuador. I have tried to keep in touch by writing blogs, sending a newsletter earlier this year, and posting on social media. I really appreciate all of yourRead More →
My Cross-Cultural Learning Curve I wanted to share with you some more details about my new life here in Ecuador. There have been many cross-cultural adjustments, in addition to the language and changes in physical surroundings that are typical of any move. I believe the Lord has prepared me forRead More →
Greetings again from Ecuador! I wanted to share an update with you since it has been awhile. I hope you are doing well. I am continuing the process of conquering Spanish (poco a poco) and adjusting to the climate and culture here in Machala. We are getting ready to enterRead More →
Hello again from “Bananaland,” My adventure in Ecuador continues and in the process, I am getting a real education in cross-cultural ministry. At times it is difficult to not only speak or understand the language but also to comprehend the reasons for customs and traditions. Let me give you aRead More →
How I ended up here, I’ll never quite know for sure. While growing up and through most of my adult life, I never really thought about becoming an author. As a young student, reading and literature in general were way down the list of fun things to do. Yet somehowRead More →
One of the best jobs I ever had was with a jewelry supply company called Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was first hired as a sales and customer service representative for their call center, and later transferred into one of the accounting offices. The business has a basicRead More →
Today I would like to tell you a story. It’s a true story about a young man whose life was completely and radically transformed exactly fifty years ago. It is a heart-warming story of hope for anyone who may be struggling to find true meaning and purpose in life, orRead More →
Now that the dust is apparently settling from the most contentious presidential election in our lifetimes, I have been reflecting on my past political involvement and the new course I have chosen for my life. In reality, this is not really a new course, but one that I felt calledRead More →