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Encounters of Culture and Compassion

Jun 01 2025

Students preparing food in Ecuador

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 few minutes we were eating lunch! Check out the recipe below.

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.”

  • Study Abroad

    Saying farewell (for now) to Quito

    By Hillary Harder On Friday night, June 19, our group gathered at our Quito headquarters, La Casa de Espiritualidad, to mark the end of our Study period in Quito. We were joined by our host families, professors, and many community…

  • Study Abroad

    Learning from experts: studying Ecuadorian sign language and indigenous history

    During our six weeks of study in Quito, students had the opportunity to take classes in two specialized areas: Lengua de Señas Ecuatoriana (LSEC), or Ecuadorian sign language; and Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of Ecuador. This post includes reflections from…

  • Study Abroad

    A Visit to Derry/Londonderry

    In week two of our trip, our class went on its first train ride in Northern Ireland, and some of us rode a train for the first time! We were on our way to one of Northern Ireland’s more famous...