By Hillary Harder On Sunday, July 26, our students returned to Quito from their service communities and we began our final retreat together! The afternoon was full of joyful reunions as each student arrived at our Quito home, la Casa…
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Church and Going Home with Host Families
Jan 15 2023
Sunday Jan. 15th
The pictures say it all – today was a big day for students and their host families, as they met one another for the first time and began a 5-week chapter in their lives that will never be forgotten!
We attended Upanga Mennonite Church, hosted by Pastor John Wambura and Pastor Moses Ndege. We enjoyed 3 hours of singing, praying, storytelling – each student also had the opportunity to stand and introduce themselves in Swahili. They did so well.
After church we had a meeting with the host parents to clarify questions about the program and discuss our schedule for our time in Dar es Salaam. The meeting, of course, included sodas, samosas, and mandazis!
Tomorrow the students will make their first trek from their respective homes back to town for their first Swahili class. So many “firsts” – so many gifts of new things and fresh challenges. We rest gratefully tonight as all the students are settled in to their new homes.
– Ryan
Study AbroadFinal retreat in Ecuador
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By Dayanara Aguirre-Mulato During my service placement at the municipal Centro Médico in Riobamba, I had the privilege to be able to work alongside other nurses. Day to day each patient comes in to register for their appointment and I…
Study AbroadService visits: opportunities for connection in Ecuador’s “provincias”
By Hillary Harder During the Service term, leaders have the privilege of traveling to visit each student at the home and volunteer assignment where they are spending their time during the second half of SST. For us, that meant traveling…