Step By Step

Esteban is a young and very determined 60-year-old Shuar Indian. He grew up in the village of Makuma in Ecuador’s eastern jungle region. A missionary couple there has photos of him as a schoolboy, one at 14 years old carrying the school flag. He became a Christian and later helped with the translation of the Shuar Bible. Everything in his life looked rosy, until…

Tragedy! Esteban gradually lost the use of his legs. He was fast losing the use of his arms as well and was faltering in his Christian faith. Towards the end of 2006 he was completely paralysed from the chest down. He consulted the local witchdoctors looking for a diagnosis and a quick cure. He also tried the main hospitals of three different provinces but was left not only without a diagnosis but also without hope. With this background he came to Vozandes-Shell. Tests showed a mass in his thoracic spine, which was thought could be tuberculosis (TB) of the spine, Pott’s disease. In any case, the prognosis was poor and there was virtually no hope that he would ever walk again. In March 2007 Esteban started on TB medicine.

Seven months later a little movement in one of his big toes was cause for great rejoicing. Then in March 2008, exactly one year after starting the TB medicine, he came to Vozandes for his 3-monthly check. At that time he managed a few uncoordinated steps with the use of a walker and the help of a physiotherapist, Barbara.

By then Esteban had also regained his Christian faith and was back working on the Bible translation – all day he would sit up in his hospital bed and ‘work.’ He was thanking God for leading him to Vozandes-Shell when his life was toppling. The Christian doctors and other staff had helped give him the hope and stability he had been seeking. He found that God was much bigger than his circumstances, was in control and wanted Esteban to trust him unconditionally.

In April, Barbara flew to Makuma to see how Esteban was managing in his own home. She took in crutches for him ‘just in case.’ He was ready! He had been doing his own exercises and Barbara showed him how he could improve on these. Esteban’s wife Rosa could also help. As soon as Esteban stood up with the crutches he was off, beautifully coordinated and strong. He hadn’t been in his main house for over 17 months and wanted to go up the steps into the house and then try the stairs to his second floor bedroom. With help he achieved all of these.

After all, he IS a young and very determined 60-year-old.