Twenty years ago, a seed began to sprout in the Ecuadorian Amazon. On September 14, 2006, the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus established its presence in Sucumbíos, embarking on a journey built alongside communities, social organizations, pastoral workers, and individuals who, over these two decades, have shared in life and mission in this Amazonian region.
To mark this anniversary, the Teresian Family wished to reflect on the journey taken and give thanks for the experiences, lessons learned, and bonds that have shaped this presence. Inspired by the audiovisual series “Something New Is Sprouting,” various voices have shared their memories and reflections on a mission that continues to sow seeds of life and hope.
A Presence Born of Encounter
Over the past 20 years, the Teresian mission in Sucumbíos has developed through its encounter with the diverse reality of the Amazon, marked by the richness of its peoples, the depth of their spirituality, and also by the challenges affecting the region.
One of the voices participating in this celebration expresses gratitude for having been able to experience “the ordinary in an extraordinary way” and recognizes Sucumbíos as an experience that transforms those who come to this region.
The Amazon, the testimonies note, is not merely the setting for a mission but also a space that teaches, challenges, and transforms. Contact with the communities, with nature, and with the situations the people are facing has allowed them to discover new ways of understanding faith and of living out their commitment to reality.
“In Sucumbíos, I have encountered Christ in a different way,” says one of the testimonies. It is an experience in which human frailty, the beauty of the Amazon, and the threats hanging over it also become places where God’s presence can be recognized.
Faith and Commitment to Transformation
The experience of these 20 years has been linked to an understanding of mission that integrates spirituality and social commitment.
The testimonies highlight the importance of walking “with both feet”: on the one hand, alongside social organizations and communities; and, on the other, grounded in the faith and mysticism that inspire the commitment to transforming reality.
This perspective invites us to understand the Amazonian mission as a path of integral liberation, especially from the perspective of—and alongside—the people and communities living in situations of greatest vulnerability.
The experience in Sucumbíos has also allowed for a deeper exploration of a Latin American spirituality committed to life, justice, and human dignity. A spirituality that does not remain on the margins of reality, but rather seeks to accompany community processes and contribute to the building of a more just world.
A Center for Spirituality at the Service of Communities
The Center for Spirituality plays an important role on this journey; it is also conceived as a space for welcome, formation, and accompaniment.
Its facilities are visited by individuals seeking personal care and accompaniment, as well as groups from the communities, leaders, and agents from various ministries who find there a space to be formed and to strengthen their mission.
This experience fulfills the dream of those who established this space: to offer a place where the communities themselves can find tools to strengthen their processes and renew their commitment.
In this sense, the Spirituality Center is presented as an “oasis of formation and communal healing,” a space called to continue contributing to the life of the communities and to the mission of the Church in the Amazon.
Learning from the Amazon and Its Peoples
One of the key lessons expressed in the testimonies is that which emerges from daily life alongside the people of the communities.
Their simple faith, resilience, the richness of their community relationships, and their deep connection to the land have left a lasting impression on those who have participated in this mission.
The Amazon thus emerges as a teacher and a place of encounter with God, but also as a territory that calls for care and commitment in the face of the threats affecting our Common Home.
This experience resonates deeply with the Amazonian Church’s call to walk alongside the peoples, recognize their wisdom, and accompany their processes from a perspective of integral ecology.
“Something New Is Sprouting”
As part of the celebration, the video series “Something New Is Sprouting” was released in September; it brings together the voices of sisters and members of the Teresian Family who have been part of this story.
These testimonies take us through some of the key moments of these two decades: the beginnings of our presence, the people who have sustained the mission, the participation of women, the life of the communities, and the lessons learned and challenges that continue to shape the path ahead.
The image of the seed accompanies the entire celebration: a seed that was sown 20 years ago and that, over time, has given rise to new sprouts of life, relationships, learning, and hope.
A Mission That Continues to Sprout
For the Society of Saint Teresa of Jesus, celebrating 20 years in Sucumbíos is an opportunity to give thanks, reflect on the past, and renew its commitment to the Amazon.
The history of this presence is not limited to an institution or a group of people. It is a history built together with the communities, with those who have accompanied the pastoral and social processes, and with all those who have shared their lives in this region.
For the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), these experiences of consecrated life in the Amazonian territories bear witness to a Church that seeks to walk alongside the peoples, listen to their realities, accompany their processes, and recognize the Amazon as a theological space where God continues to reveal Himself.
Twenty years after that first seed was planted, the Teresian mission in Sucumbíos continues to blaze new trails. It is a story of presence, life, and mission that continues to flourish, in service to the communities, our Common Home, and hope in the Amazon.