What do SST leaders do before their students arrive?

By Hillary Harder

Ever wondered what SST leaders do during the month before students arrive? Here are a few glimpses of what life has looked like for our SST leadership team as we prepare for the arrival of our students in Ecuador next Wednesday, May 6.

The team

Micah and I are fortunate to work with an amazing in-country coordinator here in Ecuador. Klever Guevara is an anthropologist, theologian, former mayor of a beautiful mountain town south of Quito, and all-around gifted community-builder. The in-country coordinator plays a crucial role in the smooth operation of SST units everywhere, and Klever has done this with aplomb for over seven years in Ecuador.

Our days always include at least one meeting with Klever at Casa Goshen (the SST leaders’ residence and group gathering space in Quito). Over a cup of coffee brewed by our resident barista (Micah), we discuss logistics like host family placements, excursions that our group will take within the city of Quito, trips around the country we’ll take as a group during the Study period, and possible volunteer placements for our students during the Service period. We craft schedules, tweak itineraries, look at maps, make phone calls and send Whatsapp messages to community partners, and check items off of our daily to-do list. We are fortunate to be part of a wonderful equipo (team).

Connecting with partners

We have been delighted and honored to begin getting to know the vast, intricate network of SST community partners here in Quito and throughout Ecuador. It is readily evident how much time, energy, and care has gone into creating and nurturing these relationships over many years. Along with Klever, we have had the chance to meet individually with each host family. These meetings are lovely, warm, and full of welcome; each family shows so much generosity and trust in opening their home. There is lots of laughter, some pet snuggles, and usually some kind of delicious treat or drink to share. In every meeting, fond stories are shared of past experiences with students – a testament to the lasting bonds formed between young people from a little town in Indiana and their Ecuadorian families.

In addition to families, we’ve had the chance to meet with instructors who will teach classes in Spanish, Ecuadorian sign language, and Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities. We have also connected with several guest speakers who will deliver conferencias (lectures) on a wide variety of topics related to Ecuadorian history, culture, environment, and current events. We are excited for the rich learning and hands-on experiences our students will engage in with the guidance of these skilled educators.

Travel

Part of our work before students arrive is traveling to some of the places we’ll go with our group in order to become more familiar with the locations, important landmarks, and key people in each place. Group trips during Ecuador SST include a mix of sierra (mountains) and Amazonia (rainforest), larger cities and smaller towns. During our travels, we have visited a wide range of these places, each full of unique beauty and history.

An important focus of these preparatory travels is also laying the groundwork for possible service assignment placements for students during the second half of SST. We had the chance to visit several organizations that have hosted students for service in the past, as well as some new ones that could serve as service locations for our group. In each case, we were warmly received and, again, heard fond stories of previous SSTers at each organization. Over and over, we heard that Goshen College students are different from the average American young adult traveling abroad: that our students are invested, inquisitive, and ready to fully engage in day-to-day life and relationships. It is truly humbling to hear everyone from school principals to municipal government officials to indigenous community leaders speak of Goshen College with familiarity and pride. It’s a helpful reminder for me that months from now when I’m back in my office at the Goshen College Music Center returning to my roles and responsibilities at home, somewhere in Ecuador there are community leaders telling their neighbors about their experience being connected with Goshen College, strengthening the web of relationships that expands our institution’s impact far beyond our campus.

Taking in beauty

Finally, this month before our students arrive has included some time for us to get acquainted with our new home and appreciate all of its natural and urban beauty. One of my favorite words in Spanish is aprovechar: literally it means “to take advantage of,” but it means so much more than that – it means to soak in, to make the most of, to seize the day. We have felt grateful to have the chance to do just that during this spacious time of preparation before our students arrive. Some of our favorite moments have included:

• Hiking up Rucu Pichincha, the volcano that overlooks Quito from the west
• Strolling through the Jardin Botanico on a sunny Sunday afternoon
• Enjoying delicious Ecuadorian dishes like seco de pollo and fritada

Five days to go!

We are excited to welcome our students to Quito next Wednesday! There’s plenty to do, but each day we feel more prepared. See you soon, Ecuador SSTers!