Encounters of Culture and Compassion

Tabacundo is an hour drive north of Quito and is one of the largest suppliers of roses to the US and Canada. We toured Dream Cut Flowers and viewed the process of cultivating the roses for shipment. This company is known for its environmentally friendly production practices and has Rainforest Alliance Certification. A surprise bouquet of roses for each student rounded off the tour!

Prior to coming to Ecuador, the students spent a morning working at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Resource Center at the Depot, packing school kits and learning about MCC’s work with Quito Mennonite Church for the past 23 years. Now in Quito, we visited the church and heard directly from several individuals who fled their homes and countries, escaping violence and insecurity. Sharing a meal together and listening to these personal experiences brought further group discussions with students centering around how to help, and reminding us of Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”