Total goal: $35,000

Received before 4/29/06: $31,617

Received on 4/29/06: $1,416

Remaining Needed: $1,966

For years, Oregon Disciples have supported the ministry of Victor and Violet Vaca. During the Vacas’ Oregon visit in 2002, many people asked what we in the United States could do to support their work. The Vacas then identified the sheep project to meet an urgent need for the poor of Ecuador.

In Matthew 25:35, Jesus teaches us to care for one another, even those who have the very least of the world’s goods.

Ecuador’s people have struggled with economic problems for years,including high unemployment and massive foreign debt. Because of our partnership through Global Ministries, Christians in Oregon can have a significant impact in the lives of some of the poorest of the many poor in Ecuador, who otherwise might find few options for their livelihood. This hunger prevention program will also honor our missionary partners, Victor and Violet Vaca for their lives of service to Christ among the poor of South America.

Your individual gift will enable Victor and Violet Vaca to provide pairs of sheep to poor Ecuadoran families through the FEDICE Ministry. A gift of:

• $150 will provide one sheep.
• $300 will provide a pair of sheep for one family.
• $600 will provide a pair of sheep for two families.
• $1500 will provide pairs of sheep for five families.

The total goal is $35,000, to provide sheep and training for one hundred families.

All gifts given through Christian Church in Oregon are tax deductible. Contributions may be made out to :

and sent to:

Victor and Violet Vaca have served together as missionaries in Ecuador since 1983. Victor was born and educated in Ecuador, receiving his Masterâs degree in Sociology and Political Science from Central University in Quito.

Violet was born in Minnesota and has studied at North Park College and Seminary in Chicago and at the University of Minnesota, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree. She first served as a missionary in Ecuador in 1950.

The Vacas have been married since September 1965. They are members of El Mesias United Evangelical Church in Quito. As Global Mission partners for the Christian Church in Oregon, the Vacas are highly respected and loved by our congregations.

Our goal is to provide a pair of sheep to each of 100 families in Ecuador. With these sheep, the selected families will begin to develop their own herds and gain a steady source of income. Each family will receive training in methods of raising a herd in the high altitudes of the Andes Mountains. This will allow some of the poorest families in the Cotopaxi Province to remain in their own communities rather than going to the cities for day labor.

Ecuador is located on the Pacific Coast of South America. Cotopaxi province, 120 miles south of Quito, is high in the Andes mountains, with many communities established over 10,000 feet in altitude. FEDICE, our Christian Mission partner in Ecuador, serves the poor in 17 communities of Cotopaxi province.

Our Partner organization in Ecuador is the Ecumenical Christian Foundation for integrated Development and Training Education (FEDICE). They work with communities located in the mountain villages of Cotopaxi and Imbabura Provinces, populated by Andean Indian communities.

The Vacas are global mission partners for the Christian Church in Oregon. They serve on appointment through our Division of Overseas Ministries. Their work is made possible by congregational giving to Disciples Mission Fund.

Oregon Disciples have traveled to Ecuador to visit our mission partners in the past. Another group plans to go in 2003. We look forward to a missionary visit from the Vacas in Oregon in 2005.