Blogs

Jul 26 2025

Since being stationed in the town of Mindo for my service portion of SST, I’ve noticed a big cultural difference between U.S. Mennonites and Ecuadorian “Mindo-nites” – pun intended 🙂 approaches to life. There’s a palpable sense of serenity and…

Jul 24 2025

For my service, I work in Cayambe with an organization called FACE. Under FACE there are other organizations; Casa Hogar, Sumak, Centro Medico Emmanuel, and Forever Flowers. They work together to help break the cycle of abuse and neglect in…

Jul 22 2025

While being in Ecuador, I’ve noticed how people value their history. It was so impressive and inspiring to see how much they know about their history. They’re not afraid to share it, even through their art. During my first weekend…

Jul 20 2025

During my first week in my service placement town of Pujilí, I attended 4 different parades. The first one was on my second day here! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I knew that we were going to…

Jul 18 2025

I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a service organization in Ecuador that aligns with my interests and has been a lot of fun. The mission of my assignment is to combat deforestation in Ecuador. Throughout my time here,…

Jul 15 2025

After the first six weeks in Quito, I had become more accustomed to the culture here and my Spanish had improved as well. I was able to understand what was going on around me most of the time and I…

Jul 14 2025

We were so fortunate to meet Maria Virginia Farinango, the author of The Queen of Water. Students read this book together for class discussions. She writes of her experiences as an indigenous child forced into domestic service. Her path to…

Jul 11 2025

Cayambe, a smaller city in Ecuador, is surrounded by indigenous communities spread throughout the surrounding mountains. Casa Hogar is an organization in Cayambe that houses children who have been removed from their families for varying reasons. The main goal of…

Jul 08 2025

My experience in Ecuador has very likely been different from that of every other SST’er here. Yes, we took the same classes and went on the same trips. One of these included a few days in the town of Mindo…

Jul 04 2025

One of the things I’ve noticed in Mindo, my service placement, is the overwhelming number of mixed-breed dogs. While many of them are undeniably adorable, their growing numbers are a direct result of a serious underlying issue; almost none of…

Jun 27 2025

In Latin American culture, family is a core value rooted in one’s identity. Family is not limited to immediate family members, but also expands to extended families as well. One cannot include one without the other, as they are whole…

Jun 20 2025

One major experience I had during my study term of SST was being a part of my host sister’s quinceañera. I was originally asked to be part of her quinceañera the first weekend that I spent with my host family.…

Jun 19 2025

Every day is a good day to learn a little more about history. Today, Juneteenth, is an especially good day to listen to a story that has shaped our present day through a long and painful struggle for freedom. In…

Jun 17 2025

This past weekend our host families celebrated Mother’s Day in style, with flowers, outings and cakes! Many of our students met extended family: grandmothers and aunts, as this is a grand celebration in Ecuador. We had our own little party…

Jun 17 2025

This week was our first group excursion to Mindo, a town about 2 hours outside of Quito. The beauty of nature came alive in our visits to the Tarabita waterfalls and the Alambi hummingbird sanctuary. Klever Guevara, our Ecuador country…

Jun 17 2025

It has been a week of new experiences in every aspect of our lives! Before the students joined their host families, there was a spontaneous, and very moving rendition of the hymn “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.” With…

Jun 17 2025

Students visited the museum and home of Oswaldo Guayasamín, one of Ecuador’s famous artists. Then as part of the celebration for the end of the Study portion, students had a Salsa dance lesson, which is a typical dance in Ecuador!…

Jun 10 2025

There are always two sides to every story. On one hand, we enjoyed the beautiful views of the Amazon and the enormous Napo River, and got completely soaked by waterfalls! On the other hand, we visited an exotic animal refuge…

Jun 05 2025

When Kevin and I set out on a learning tour about Anabaptists in Switzerland and Germany, we were prepared to hear stories of persecution and cruel executions. What has surprised me are the stories of ecumenical reconciliation and active love…

Jun 02 2025

Last week I had the privilege to participate in the 100th anniversary celebration of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. This 100th anniversary coincided with the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, with the joint theme, The Courage to…

Jun 01 2025

Delicious ceviche really isn’t that hard to make! Cut up onions, tomatoes, cilantro for the base, add your protein, and even sprinkle some popcorn on top! Our teachers spent the morning with us at the farmer’s market, and then Noemi…

May 27 2025

“Translate, understand, convey.” – The English translation of a new poster outside Zürich’s main Reformed church marking events of 1525 As part of the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism this year, Kevin and I are with Joe Springer (curator…

May 26 2025

After a course spent in and around the Himalayas, we wrapped our time in the hills up with a full afternoon of student presentations. Each member of the class had researched an issue of their interest, ranging from utility provision…

May 23 2025

By Hillary Harder Leading the Environmental Disaster and Response with MDS course in Selma, Alabama this month has been nothing short of transformative. As I reflect back over the three weeks of our travel, living, learning, working, fellowshipping, and processing…