11/17/2025
Ecuador Worthy Bathroom Program July 31- August 9th. Join us
The Ecuador Worthy Bathroom Program
Imagine living in a cold, rainy, mountainous region near the equator, with very limited income, and your bathroom is an outdoor hole surrounded by a tarp. Each day brings a struggle to maintain dignity and privacy, particularly for women living in such conditions.
In August 2024, 15 volunteers from the JAX Church in Jacksonville, FL, serving in partnership with HOPE worldwide Ecuador, along with brothers and sisters from the Orlando and Broward (South Florida) churches, participated in the HOPE worldwide Ecuador Worthy Bathroom Program. The team served in the mountainous region of Cuyuacu, located three hours south of Quito and one hour south of Ambato. During the trip they completed several bathrooms and spent time with the indigenous families of the community. Earlier the summer of 2024, a HOPEww Volunteer Corps team served many families and children by constructing a greenhouse to help grow food, which is difficult in this climate.
Volunteers served in a difficult climate and at high altitude to work alongside the local community to construct bathrooms that connect directly to the homes. Trenches are dug by hand. Concrete is sifted by hand. Block walls are built and painted. Roofs and doors are added. Plumbing is connected to a septic system away from the home. Each bathroom has lighting, a new toilet, sink, and shower. Hygiene instructions are posted on the wall and volunteers teach safe handwashing. HOPE worldwide Ecuador, which is based in Quito, maintains a strong ongoing relationship with this community and models “doing with” rather than “doing for.” They also partner with a small group of disciples in nearby Ambato, a church planted in 2022. Disciples have been able to worship together in both Quito and Ambato, which has been very encouraging.
Fellowship among disciples, worship, bus ride devotionals, shared meals, morning coffee runs, and a little tourism are all part of what helps volunteers grow spiritually and build strong relationships.
In 2024, the HOPE worldwide JAX Chapter contributed $6,000 to help provide construction materials, scholarships, and supplies for volunteers from Quito and the United States. We also received $1,500 in employee volunteer assistance grants from Bank of America for the service of three of our volunteers who are Bank of America employees.
From August 8 to 18, 2025, another group of volunteers returned to construct additional bathrooms for families in the region. For that trip, the HOPE worldwide JAX Chapter helped raise funds to purchase construction materials, reaching a goal of $6,500 through an MLK Day Fun Run in January, volunteering at the GATE River Run, and through personal and corporate donations. This past fall, we received an additional $13,500 for construction materials, tools, and to provide scholarships that will help offset participation fees in 2026.
To date, 57 bathrooms have been completed and the goal is to complete 80 or more. The cost to build one bathroom is about $350. Tax-deductible donations may be made to HOPE worldwide / Ecuador. We keep a separate fund for construction materials and have raised nearly $26,000 total for scholarship assistance and for purchasing construction materials locally, which also supports the Ecuadorian economy.
Please consider joining us July 31 to August 9, 2026. Full details will be available in December 2025. There is an application fee that covers meals, housing, and transportation in-country. Volunteers are also responsible for airfare and personal medical/travel insurance. The total cost is approximately $2,000 and scholarship assistance is available. If you cannot travel but want to support the work, you can make a tax-deductible donation to HOPE worldwide / Ecuador. We are also looking for medical professionals to serve the community during our time there.
Participant Reflections
Keith Davis, minister at the JAX Church, shared that this experience “is a crash course in empathy. When you leave, your hearts are always full because of the seeds you have exchanged in each other’s hearts.”
HOPE worldwide Ecuador Country Director Edwin said, “For all the team, for me it has been an experience to be able to share so much with each one. Seeing your love for God and your compassion has helped me understand what Jesus’ example is like. I aspire to achieve that. Thank you for everything you have done for the community to meet their needs.”
Another participant shared, “This experience was a spiritual, emotional, and life-changing experience. I got to be with my brothers and sisters from another sector and never felt like an outsider. It was like we were all family from day one. The devotionals were amazing, emotional, and inspiring. I definitely felt the presence of God throughout my entire journey there in Ecuador. I loved talking with the people from Cuyuacu and learning about their experiences. The HOPE worldwide Ecuador team is amazing, helpful, and caring. Definitely a life-changing experience.”
“This was a life-changing experience for me. I feel totally bonded to my brothers and sisters from Jax, NJ, and Quito, who I spent every day with. I also felt honored to break bread and worship with the Ambato church and serve our families in the mountains. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the week, but especially during our bus ride devotionals.” – Mike, NJ
“It is not just about building bathrooms. It is about building relationships, not only with the Cuyuacu community, but also growing spiritually with our brothers and sisters.”
Another volunteer shared, “I originally pictured the trip as mainly our group serving and sharing with them. But the greatest impact on me came from the morning bus ride devotions and especially from the Cuyuacu community. Through their humble spirits and quiet generosity, I felt closer to God and to each other. It was an experience that is hard to fully explain.”
In John 13:4–5, Jesus teaches us the lesson of the towel when he washed his disciples’ feet. When we serve others in this way, we become more like him and our hearts are purified. Please join us.
For questions and further information, contact:�Jim Mackie�Email: [email protected]�Phone: 904-477-9291
If you cannot go but want to support this effort, you can make a tax-deductible donation to HOPE worldwide / Ecuador.
You may also contact the JAX Church at:�6118 Bowden Rd.�Jacksonville, FL 32216
