Introduction: As I prepared to return to the United States after serving five years as a missionary in Ecuador, my new friend Trace Pirtle asked if I would be willing to answer questions in the personal interview that follows.
Structured Interview Questions: (by Trace Pirtle)
· Can you share the moment when you first felt called to mission work? What was that experience like, and how did you know Ecuador was where God was leading you?
I first felt called to missionary service after visiting Peru for the first time, more than 40 years ago. I had been invited by two young men who came to our local college and became part of our church. Leading up to that, I had been influenced by studying God’s Word and reading numerous biographies of many well-known missionaries. My sense of calling to Latin America grew stronger as I made several more short-term mission trips to other countries over the next few years.
After unsuccessful attempts to go to Colombia and the Dominican Republic when I was in my early thirties, this dream was put on the back shelf for many years. I continued to work, raise my family, and serve in the ministry. After a very painful divorce, I passed through long period of struggling and “wandering in the desert” for about twenty years. When I reached retirement age, God began to restore my spiritual life, and then my burden for missionary service. In 2019, this included another missions trip to Peru with a group from my church in Texas. That trip sparked the realization that I could retire and finally see my dream come true! The Lord then opened the door in 2020 to make an exploratory to to South America, and I was invited to come to Ecuador and work with an existing network of churches that shared much of the same vision and values as I did.
· Ecuador has such a rich cultural and spiritual landscape. How has living and serving there changed your approach to sharing the Gospel?
The country of Ecuador was deeply impacted through the years of Spanish colonization, slavery, and the all-permeating influence of Roman Catholicism. In the generations since, a rich blend of diverse cultures and traditions has emerged.
Coming to Ecuador has brought many learning experiences into my life. From learning a new language to embracing the culture, I have been challenged and stretched in many ways. The people have a distinct mindset, and getting to know them has enriched my life! I learned early on from my friends here not to attack the Catholic church directly, as others have done in the past. Even though the nation faces many challenges economically, socially, and politically, many are open to hear the true gospel of Christ. They become even more open when they are able to witness believers loving and serving the needs of their communities. This approach has proven very fruitful, as new people are coming to Christ regularly now in Ecuador.
· Mission work is full of both challenges and miracles. Can you describe a time when your faith was truly tested, and how God showed up unexpectedly?
Of course. One of the many areas where I have served has been with Medical Brigades. Our church works with other groups in the U.S. or elsewhere to bring short-term Christian medical professionals to offer free services to the people of Ecuador. My most recent experience was in a nearby city in southern Ecuador. I was asked to assist an opthamologist as her interpreter.
Even though everyone who comes receives an initial presentation of the gospel, she was determined to share the message of Christ with every patient that we had. I was more than willing to comply, but I was also nervous because I would have to share the gospel in Spanish. Initially, I spoke to each person individually, but this soon proved to be cumbersome because of the long lines of people.
The doctor then had the idea of bringing in groups of about 15 people into the waiting room, where I could speak to the entire group at the same time. This worked much better, and the Lord put on my heart to share with them the story of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. This message cuts through all the religion and explains clearly the necessity of being born again spiritually. Our visitors included the very poor, working class, professionals, and even the mayor of the city.
In my messages, I suggested a clear parallel with the Jewish people of Jesus’ time and the religion that they had experienced all their lives. When asked if they had ever had this type of experience, most of the good Catholics would shake their heads or say “no.” At this moment, the Holy Spirit would show up! During the course of the week, several hundred heard the true gospel and at least 20 people gave their lives to Christ for the first time!
What a blessing! And definitely one of the highlights of my time in Ecuador. I was also very grateful that our local church that was hosting the event would help them to grow in their new faith.
· What’s one story from your ministry that stands out—a transformation, a breakthrough, or an encounter that revealed God’s power and love in a fresh way?
After moving to Machala, Ecuador in 2022, I plugged into the church and began to serve. Over a period of time, I began to realize that the church was struggling in many areas. So I began to spend time personally with the leaders and other servants within the church to get their perspectives and to encourage them.
Eventually, this resulted in an invitation from the lead pastor to teach a series of classes and discussions with the entire leadership team on the subjects of evangelism, personal discipleship, and healthy church life. The people were very receptive, and this became a huge blessing and a turning point for the church. Even though this type of church renewal ministry has not been my strong point, I believe that God used me as a catalyst to set the stage for real transformation and church growth. Today, the church is moving forward with a clear vision and solid plans for growth and impacting the community for Christ.
· Your work likely involves meeting both spiritual and physical needs. How do you keep Christ at the center while also serving in areas like education, healthcare, or community development?
In Ecuador, the struggles of everyday life and physical needs weigh heavily on the people. The Evangelical Church in Latin America has seen tremendous growth, and part of that is vitally connected to ministering to people’s physical needs. This has been accomplished in many different ways: from distributing food, clothing, and other items, to free medical clinics, ministry to children at risk, and radio ministry.
Seminars are also given regularly on a wide range of subjects, including marriage, parenting, small business development, English classes, and more. Also, the church has rushed to help whenever there is an emergency caused by a natural disaster or other event, such as the Pandemic a few years ago.
This approach, when combined with a compassionate, yet clear presentation of the gospel message, has proven to be very effective here in Ecuador. When people witness or feel the love of God through these various ministries, they often become more receptive to hearing the gospel and responding. And as they become more involved with the church family, the process of life transformation continues and begins to permeate each family, neighborhood, and the entire city.
· Serving in a different country often reveals new aspects of God’s character. What has Ecuador taught you about His heart for the nations and His mission in the world?
I have learned a lot about God’s compassion for lost and broken people. Also, that God does not show partiality, but He is concerned and merciful to all. Witnessing firsthand the struggles of people at different economic levels has shown me the importance of ministering to people with sensitivity and patience.
The problems caused by broken homes and an unstable economy are beyond measure. Learning how to encourage people who have not had good role models in their own families because of these generational effects has been very challenging. So now, I also realize more deeply how important it is to disciple and train the local people, because they are better suited to reach their own people.
God’s heart is for ALL the nations to know Him and to experience an abundant life in Christ. His plan must be carried out by the Church, and we must respond to that call as a unified body of believers.
I hope this interview was a blessing to you. You may find out more about me at https://davidbatcheller.com. You can also learn more about Trace Pirtle and Faith in Action Ministry at https://www.faithinactionministry.com.