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This blog captures the experiences of Goshen College students participating in Study-Service Term in Ecuador.
Over the course of the semester, students are living with host families, strengthening their Spanish, learning alongside Indigenous communities, and engaging in service that connects local realities with global questions. From the Andes to coastal regions, Ecuador offers a powerful setting for hands-on learning shaped by culture, community, and care. Through these reflections, readers are invited into the everyday moments, challenges, and discoveries that are shaping how students understand the world and their place within it.
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
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…
The students arrived Wednesday night and we made it to Casa de Espiritualidad, our retreat and orientation center by 2:00 a.m. It was a short night, but we were ready to go by 9:30 the next morning. Visiting the Historical...
The process of Making Stain Glass Hummingbird: During my time in Ecuador, I got the opportunity to learn and create 4 different types of stained glass hummingbirds. I learned how to cut glass, wrap it in this copper foil, and...
Students have been on Service for weeks now. This experience has allow them to learn, reflect, and live among Ecuadorians in closer relation to many of them. SSTers want to share their activities and how they process them during this...
Students have been on Service for weeks now. This experience has allow them to learn, reflect, and live among Ecuadorians in closer relation to many of them. SSTers want to share their activities and how they process them during this...
Students have been on Service for weeks now. This experience allows them to learn, reflect, and live among Ecuadorians in closer relations. Many SSTers want to express how their activities help them grow and become global citizens. Here is a...
For the Goshen College community, service is accompaniment, “an attempt to walk along-side host nationals and enter (where you can) in their work. Service at this juncture in our history is much more about being than doing. It is about...
Being in Quito has been an enlightening experience for all our students and faculty as we visited incredibly interesting and beautiful places that enriched our minds and souls. During these six weeks, we relished the classes, reflection sessions, readings,...
In our last week of study, SST students and faculty were hosted by peers at Instituto Universitario Tecnológico Rumiñahui, in Sangolqui, Ecuador. The day was full of information, cultural exchanges, games, English-Spanish conversation practice, and history lessons. We learned that...
Oswaldo Guayasamin (1919-1999) is considered one of the most important visual artists of the 20th century, not only in Ecuador or Latin America, but in the world. His work is visually vibrant, emotionally compelling, and politically engaged. He depicted scenes...
For our last week of traveling as a group, we took the road to Cotopaxi National Park, a natural reserve on the foothills of Cotopaxi, a volcano that erupted 87 times, produced hills and valleys, and offers and impressive...
Recently, we had a master class on how to ceviche, a dish that consist of marinated seafood and vegetables that is now traditional to Ecuador. Though ceviche’s creation is attributed to Asian immigrants in Perú, it is widely enjoyed in...
Last week, we went to Otavalo and other places in Northern Ecuador to see the sights, meet people, and learn more about the local culture and history. Otavalo is home to the largest craft market in Latin America, so we...
Our first trip was to Mindo, a small parish about two hours Northeast from Quito, in the middle of the cloud forest. There, we meet with our enduring partner, Kléver Tello. He is the head of the parish and has...
After orientation, students met their host families and joined them in daily life. Through this key component of SST, students learn about cultural practices, social dynamics, and personal relations. A few days after orientation, we returned to Centro Histórico to...
Our Summer SST Ecuador group arrived this May 1. We are all very excited to start this new term! Bienvenidos a Casa, chicos! One of the first actives of orientation was a group discussion about expectations, hopes, and how to...
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