Manta, Ecuador - April 2023 - On Sunday, April 23, at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in the city of Manta, a Mass was celebrated to mark the missionary send-off of 17 young people from the Salesian Family of Ecuador. The ceremony was presided over by Fr. Marcelo Farfán, Provincial of the Salesians of Ecuador, in the presence of hundreds of people, including faithful, family members, friends, and members of the Salesian Family. In his homily, Fr. Farfán stressed the importance of volunteering as an experience of faith, which becomes an opportunity for service in charity and love toward those in need. The young people, who participated in a training course before leaving, will now serve children and adolescents in street situations, communities and indigenous peoples in the Sierra and Amazon, and people living in marginalized neighborhoods. Then, in August, a second missionary group will be sent.