Employing education, one of the pillars of Feliz7Play, the nature documentary series Mission Earth was released with the support of the North Ecuador Mission of Seventh-day Adventists and the National Parks of Ecuador. This is the first production recorded and conceived in a Hispanic country in this category. The series began recording in December 2022 and premiered on Friday, October 6, 2023, on all Feliz7Play digital platforms.

The conception of the idea began four years ago, when Benjamin Castillo decided to do missionary work in a remote part of urban Ecuador. There, he understood that God communicates many lessons through nature. Kevin Wolff traveled from Brazil to volunteer in Ecuador. The two young men met and joined their abilities in order to plan the best way to share the God of creation. This was a favorable scenario for the Spanish-language project that Feliz7Play had as a premiere idea, to finally be conceived and taken to digital platforms with both young men as directors. They traveled to various points of the nation to show its most diverse natural ecosystems with the aim of showing the different aspects that speak of a Creator God.

Much of the filming was done in places isolated from civilization. "The biggest challenge was undoubtedly the use of batteries for the equipment, because we had to find the balance between recording as much as possible to have enough material and [saving] energy. We never knew when nature would surprise us with more beautiful scenery. When editing, the biggest challenge was to withstand the pressure of all the work ahead to deliver a good final product," says Wolff.

Throughout the seven 20–30-minute episodes, the series takes viewers to visit the highest mountain on the planet, known as the earth’s closest place to the sun, then to the tropical rainforest with diverse flora and fauna, and then to the largest supplier of water in Ecuador. In addition to culture, the series will also involve viewers in extreme adventures that challenge the physical strength of the two young men, who descended more than 400 meters (approx. 1,300 feet) to reach one of the deepest caves in Ecuador and spent several days in a restricted area near the most active volcano in the world. Viewers can learn along with them, examining some initiatives to promote the conservation of seas and oceans and contemplating one of the most anticipated natural events: the flowering of the Guayacan tree.

"The most impressive thing about each adventure is seeing the horizon and realizing that you are in the middle of magnificent landscapes, in places where few people have gone before. I learned that everything is possible with God's help, and although we had a guide on each journey, God was our guide throughout the series. I hope that people will see creation as a tool for salvation, and that they can dedicate time in their lives to go to nature and decipher God's voice through it," says Castillo.

Objective of the Project

Feliz7Play is the free video platform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America that offers several categories, among which one can find movies, series, music, Bible studies, and content for Adventurer and Pathfinder clubs, as well as this new documentary that will lead viewers to have a closer encounter with God through creation.

"The objective of this production is to highlight that the beauty and complexity of nature are proof of the existence of a Creator," highlights Carlos Magalhaes, Digital Strategies area manager for the Communication Department of the South American Division.

This series marks the beginning of several productions to be filmed and produced in South America. If you have an audiovisual project and would like to collaborate with the video platform, you can send your proposal to [email protected] or [email protected].

Elí Mendonça, one of Magalhaes’ colleagues, expresses that with this production, the Feliz7Play platform has the expectation of creating awareness for viewers: "I hope the series can show the beauty and diversity of the ecosystems of Ecuador so that everyone can see the hand of God in all creation and thus be inspired to take care of our planet."

Watch the trailer for the series HERE

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.