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News
Feb 22 2026
It is a bittersweet weekend as we said goodbye to our Quito host families and each other and ventured off to our service placements. Our study portion in Quito culminated with a despedida (farewell) fiesta on Friday to thank our host families for their generosity and hospitality. We also performed various presentations to demonstrate everything we’ve learned these first six weeks, including a prayer in Kichwa, a comparison of Ecuadorian and American Sign Language, and skits or songs from each Spanish class. It was a beautiful evening filled with heartfelt words of gratitude for our families, who have given us so much love and truly welcomed us as members of their own families.
Saturday morning, we said goodbye and departed for various cities across Ecuador: Ibarra, Otavalo, Mindo, Latacunga, Pujilí, Salinas, San Simon, Riobamba, and Puyo. Our new host families welcomed us with open arms, and service placements begin on Monday. We are nervous but ready for this next part of the journey!
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…
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…
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...