Thanks to Christian Aid donors, a carpentry workshop at the ministry rehabilitation center trains ex-inmates in a skill, so they can find employment as they restart their lives.

Angel began a rehabilitation program in 1998 for those who finished their sentences. In many cases, ex-inmates are not welcomed by their families. And finding employment is extremely difficult, considering their lack of skills and criminal records. Angel’s rehabilitation program offers these men a chance to learn a skill, such as carpentry, masonry, metal work, painting and other trades. Once the men finish the course, most are able to secure jobs.

With the skills they learned through the program, former prisoners constructed a rehabilitation center on a plot of land provided by the municipal government. For a designated period of time, the men live at the center and work during the day. They participate in a Bible study before work, and one after dinner each day.

A missionary shares the gospel with prisoners.

Angel now ministers to the inmates of 12 Ecuadorian prisons—four in Quito and eight in the surrounding provinces. He has started a church inside each one. Ten full-time gospel workers and 20 volunteers assist him with this work.

Angel’s biggest obstacle is providing support for his 10 full-time prison workers. Forty percent of Ecuador’s population lives below the poverty line, making it next to impossible for native believers to offer this needed help. Contributions from Christian Aid donors are a main source of support.

In the freedom he has found in Christ, Angel continues to serve his time in God’s kingdom by entering the lives of those behind bars in Ecuador’s prisons.