My experience in Ecuador has very likely been different from that of every other SST’er here. Yes, we took the same classes and went on the same trips. One of these included a few days in the town of Mindo…

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Study AbroadAppreciating the Natural Beauty of Ecuador – Without my Phone
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Feeding Strays – Empathy in Everyday Encounters
One of the things I’ve noticed in Mindo, my service placement, is the overwhelming number of mixed-breed dogs. While many of them are undeniably adorable, their growing numbers are a direct result of a serious underlying issue; almost none of…
Study AbroadLa Familia
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 include one without the other, as they are whole…
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My First 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 family.…
Study Abroad‘Freedom for everyone’
Every day is a good day to learn a little more about history. Today, Juneteenth, is an especially good day to listen to a story that has shaped our present day through a long and painful struggle for freedom. In the words of Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, the freedom we celebrate through the telling of this story is freedom not only for enslaved people, or Black people, or Texans, but for everyone.
Study AbroadDia de Las Madres
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…
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Environmental Action in Mindo
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…
Study AbroadOur First Week
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…
Study AbroadÚltima Semana – Last Week in Quito
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!…
Study AbroadBaños and Amazonia
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…
President's BlogThe contemporary, creative work of the Gospel
When Kevin and I set out on a learning tour about Anabaptists in Switzerland and Germany, we were prepared to hear stories of persecution and cruel executions. What has surprised me are the stories of ecumenical reconciliation and active love that continue to spring forth from the Anabaptist movement 500 years later.
President's BlogStretching for solidarity in global Anabaptist education
Last week I had the privilege to participate in the 100th anniversary celebration of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. This 100th anniversary coincided with the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, with the joint theme, The Courage to Love.
Study AbroadEncounters of Culture and Compassion
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…
President's Blog‘Translate, understand, convey’
Listening to Joe describe the lives of these earliest Anabaptist leaders, I was struck by the ways that passionate learning extends from Zurich 500 years ago to Goshen College today. Young thinkers of that day, including Grebel and Manz, gathered in the mornings to study and translate, and in the afternoons to discuss the emerging meanings of the texts. How exciting that must have been!
Study AbroadA Grand Finale
After a course spent in and around the Himalayas, we wrapped our time in the hills up with a full afternoon of student presentations. Each member of the class had researched an issue of their interest, ranging from utility provision…
Study AbroadA word of gratitude
By Hillary Harder Leading the Environmental Disaster and Response with MDS course in Selma, Alabama this month has been nothing short of transformative. As I reflect back over the three weeks of our travel, living, learning, working, fellowshipping, and processing…
Study AbroadWhat I’m bringing back
By Aysia Adkins As we come back and re-enter our lives which we left on May 1st, I’m filled with many impactful memories that have accumulated in just 20 days. It sort of doesn’t feel right to jump back into…
Study AbroadIt’s All About the Journey
As evening rain fell with a cold May wind, we gathered our belongings, stepped off the bus, and exchanged warm hugs and sad goodbyes. Though our journey together has come to an end, the connections we formed through this shared…
Study AbroadBecoming like family, carrying our voices forward
By Lexie Coburn On May 20 we got home from our closing retreat at Camp Nacome in Tennessee where we reflected and processed our shared experiences and individual experiences we had in Selma, Alabama. Who would have thought 13 people…
Study Abroad“Singing” the seeds
By Jill Yoder, junior environmental & marine science major On May 16, a warm and sunny day, our class returned to Peehkahkionki, “the beautiful place,” where we had visited about two weeks earlier. This time, we met Dani Tippmann, who…
Study AbroadGetting comfortable with the uncomfortable
By Jazmin Ibarra Today is May 19th, I am sitting in a community lodge in Camp NaCoMe in Tennessee for our SST closing retreat, reflecting on my experiences and my encounters in Selma. Where can I even start? Before this…
Study AbroadIndigenous Artistic Culture
By Mafe Aguilar Vargas, graphic design and marketing majors Beginning on May 7, we spent two days with the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi and camped one night at their campground. Our first day consisted of hearing about the tribe…
Study AbroadA Day in Peru, Indiana
By Aaliah Higereda, junior graphic design major and communication minor After lodging at the Chain of Lakes and settling into our last location, Rieth village, located at the Merry Lea Environmental Center in Wolf Lake, Indiana, our group loaded onto…
Study AbroadInsights from Miami culture and craft
By Crystal Edson, senior environmental & marine science major and sustainability minor, and member of the Local Indigenous Cultures and Perspectives May Term course. On May 3, our class traveled to the northwest side of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and had…
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