All the women and mothers of my host mother’s family. Plus the random customer who wanted to be included. 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…
My host sister and I on the day of the 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…
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! Wrapping up the Study portion of SST…
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 and learned about exotic animal trafficking, rescue and rehabilitation. During…
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 showed us how to put it all together. In a…
We were so fortunate to meet Maria Virginia Farinango, the author of The Queen of the 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 forgiveness and reconciliation with her family is deeply moving.
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 coordinator, gave us a tour of his coffee fields and…
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 on Monday celebrating our students and teachers who are mothers…
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 more exploration around the city, as well as some…
The students arrived Wednesday night and we made it to Casa de Espiritualidad, our retreat and orientation center by 2:00 a.m. It was a short night, but we were ready to go by 9:30 the next morning. Visiting the Historical Center and the Basilica was a highlight. On Friday, we…
