Jamie Eng and Steven Rungaitis

In the mountains of Loja, Ecuador, is where two missionaries from Dallas, Texas lived for two years. Jamie Eng, a woman so full of life and joy, and her friend, Steven Rungaitis, a man with a heart as big as the world, will spend time in the city helping the poor. In 2008, Jamie left Dallas and went to Ecuador to be a long term missionary. A year later, her good friend Steven decided he would spend a year in Loja to be with his friend and also to teach the people there about Jesus Christ.

I first met Jamie and Steven in Loja when I went on my first out of country mission trip. The trip was a music trip, and I felt it would be a good trip for me to be a part of. When we were getting ready to leave for our trip, the leader told me that there was a lady in Ecuador that was going to be our guide and would help us get where we needed to be. Jamie was sent to Ecuador through a mission group called SIM, Serving in Missions. SIM had her there to keep up with the café which was where we were going to play music. She was also there to help teams schedule events and places to go while in Loja. The café is called El Sendero Café, meaning “the path”. It is a place in Ecuador where Jamie, Steven, and many volunteers get together with students and talk to them about Jesus Christ.

It was here that Jamie and Steven became my heroes. No matter what was going on, they were always smiling and laughing. They had serious moments but all in all they were happy. One time, Jamie and I were outside walking to the grocery store to get food for dinner. It was hot and we had a long way to go but she was laughing and smiling the whole time. It was a really good feeling to see that in some of the worst conditions, she could trust God. When Steven and Jamie were leaving the country to come home, Steven couldn’t find his ID card. This is something that the Ecuadorean government requires all noncitizens to have. To leave the country, you have to present this card and that is the only way out. With that knowledge, he told the customs worker that he couldn’t find it and he knew he had one. At the same time, he was asking God to let this man be graceful and let him through. The customs guy says, "Are you a missionary?" Steven says, "yes" and told him where they were and what they were doing there. The customs man says, "I am not supposed to let you through but go ahead." In the most stressful time, he put his trust in God and it saved him.

Jamie and Steven are my heroes but there is one other couple that I look to and can’t see how they survived. Luis and Vivi, owners and operators of El Sendero, lost their baby. In the hard time of this, Vivi was sending out e-mails saying it’s ok and it’s Gods plan. She was sad and couldn’t understand it but always said it's Gods will. It takes a lot of trust and belief to say that losing your only child is God's will. I ask that God blesses her in more ways than possible and imaginable.

This is why they are my heroes. They give everything to God and don’t expect anything in return. They both love Jesus Christ with all their heart and would do anything for him. They have influenced my life more than anyone else has. I see how they can trust Jesus in some of the most stressful times and I try to model my faith after those characteristics. I know I am not perfect and will fail sooner or later, but the way they live is a model people can follow. Jamie and Steven are now back in the US and are done with their two years as missionaries. They may be back from Ecuador, but only God knows what is in store for them next.