Greetings and blessings from Quito, Ecuador!

For the past few days, I have been taking part in the PANAM Zone Assembly of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). Fifty SVD representatives from provinces and regions across the Americas have gathered here in Quito to pray together, to share the joys and challenges of our missionary work, and to discern how we can continue serving the Church more faithfully as Divine Word Missionaries.

These days have been a living experience of the missionary spirit of the SVD. What a joy it has been to meet confreres from so many provinces and regions! Some are old friends I am seeing again after many years; others I am meeting for the very first time. We all come from different countries, languages, and cultures, yet we share one mission: to proclaim the Word of God and make Christ known. Sitting at the same table and praying in so many languages, I am reminded again why I first said “yes” to this missionary life.

Quito itself has been quite an adventure! The city sits high in the Andes, about 9,350 feet above sea level, and I felt the altitude the moment I arrived. I tired more easily than usual and quickly learned that even a short walk or a few steps up a staircase could leave me out of breath.  Seeing me struggle, one of our local missionaries kindly advised me to drink coca-leaf tea, a traditional remedy for altitude sickness. Of course, I took his advice!

One of the highlights of my stay was a visit to the equator, just outside the city. The country takes its very name from this line: Ecuador is the Spanish word for "equator," the line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. As I stood there with one foot in each hemisphere, I couldn't help smiling, and a familiar song came to mind: "He's got the whole world in His hands." In that moment, the words felt truer than ever. North and south, near and far, every people and every nation rest in the same loving hands of God. Lines on a map may mark our borders, but they cannot divide the family of God.

Another beautiful moment came during our cultural evening, when a local youth group joined us to share traditional Ecuadorian dances, music, and colorful costumes. Their energy was contagious! Watching these young people dance with such joy and pride in their heritage reminded me that culture is not simply something we preserve in museums or books—it is something alive, something passed from one generation to the next. Through their music, movement, and celebration, they welcomed us into the heart of Ecuador.

As our Assembly draws to a close, thank you for keeping me and all the participants in your prayers. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our final conversations, strengthen our brotherhood, and renew our missionary zeal. Know that I remember each of you in my prayers here in Quito, and I look forward to being back home with you soon.

Blessings from the Andes,
Fr. Long Nguyen, SVD
Pastor

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