What if I told you the people of the Galápagos Islands are far more precious than the beaches, the volcanoes, or the endangered wildlife living on the islands? What if what’s most noteworthy about the Galápagos isn’t what the history books, documentaries or tourists take note of? What if I told you the most important part of the Galápagos is the people — the Galapagueños themselves?
A few years ago, I went to the Galápagos islands to celebrate my wedding anniversary. I had wanted to go since I was a seven-year-old kid, when my mom checked out a book from the library and I feverishly thumbed through the pages. I was mesmerized by the animals – especially the Galápagos Tortoise. I was captivated by the stories of pirates like Sir Francis Drake, and writers like Herman Melville and researchers like Charles Darwin. What kind of place was this? How can so much adventure be packed inside such a small remote place? I had to find out. I had to see it for myself.
During my first visit to the Galápagos, I met a pastor, and he asked me to preach. I was shocked! My wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary, and I was relying on her to translate. How could this possibly work? Long story short, my wife translated my sermon from English to Spanish for the congregation, and we made some new Christian friends 600+ miles off the coast of Ecuador. On the walk back to our hotel, I asked the pastor of this local church, “What do the people in the Galápagos need?” He quickly replied, “We need Bibles.” I was taken aback by the response. This seemed too simple. Of all the things Galapagueños need, “Bibles” is what this pastor said?
This Spring Break, 10 short-term missionaries from North Greenville University’s Spanish Department partnered with this Galápagos church and did Bible distribution all over the city of Puerto Ayora on the Island of Santa Cruz. Eleven Galapagueños made professions of faith. Hundreds of Gospel conversations were had. And 500 Spanish Bibles were distributed!
Yes, it was complicated. There were many moving parts. Traveling with 500 Bibles via planes, buses, pickup trucks, and boats during the Galápagos rainy season isn’t exactly easy. But God was clearly with us. Christ’s nearness was felt in the sincere signs of gratitude extended to us when we repeatedly ate in Galapagueños’ homes at their invitation, when we passionately prayed with person after person in and outside of the local church building, and when we gathered under a small shelter in the soaking rain to evangelize and eat street empanadas. Truly the people of the Galápagos are what makes the Galápagos Islands most special.
Looking back over the mission trip, while swiping through the hundreds of photos on my phone, I can’t help but wonder – what if we had visited the Galápagos without the people in mind? What if we had prioritized everything about the trip around the wildlife, beaches, and volcanoes? How different would our experience have been if that was all there was in view? Don’t get me wrong, we adventured through some pretty unforgettable locations that the tourists frequent but what made it most worthwhile were the times we ministered where only the natives reside, and we were able to gift God’s word to a people often overlooked – God’s people – the Galapagueños.
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