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...
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Ecuador
BlogsWhat Mindo Taught Me to See
- Blogs
A Day in the Life: Working on a Flower Farm
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...
- Blogs
Where Art Meets History
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...
BlogsFestivities of Pujilí
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...
- Blogs
Reforesting Ecuador: Small Steps, Lasting Impact
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,...
- Blogs
A Work Trip to La Maná
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...
- Blogs
Visit with the Basquitay Community and Ingapirca ruins
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…
- Blogs
Making Food Kits in Cayembe
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...
BlogsAppreciating the Natural Beauty of Ecuador – Without my Phone
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...
- Blogs
Feeding Strays – Empathy in Everyday Encounters
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...
- Blogs
La Familia
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...
- Blogs
My First Quinceañera
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....
- Blogs
Dia de Las Madres
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...
- Blogs
Environmental Action in Mindo
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…
BlogsOur First Week
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.”...
BlogsÚltima Semana – Last Week in Quito
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!...
BlogsBaños and Amazonia
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...
BlogsEncounters of Culture and Compassion
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...