One thing I’ve learned while on SST is to seize every and any desirable opportunity that comes my way even if I’m unsure of how it will work out! I am a pre-med student with the goal of going to medic...

During my time in service, I’ve been fortunate to dive deeply in the local culture while focusing on both my physical and spiritual health. My host family has played a significant role in making this ...

Since being stationed in the town of Mindo for my service portion of SST, I’ve noticed a big cultural difference between U.S. Mennonites and Ecuadorian “Mindo-nites” – pun intended 🙂 approaches to lif...

For my service, I work in Cayambe with an organization called FACE. Under FACE there are other organizations; Casa Hogar, Sumak, Centro Medico Emmanuel, and Forever Flowers. They work together to help...

While being in Ecuador, I’ve noticed how people value their history. It was so impressive and inspiring to see how much they know about their history. They’re not afraid to share it, even through thei...

During my first week in my service placement town of Pujilí, I attended 4 different parades. The first one was on my second day here! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I knew that we were going ...

I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a service organization in Ecuador that aligns with my interests and has been a lot of fun. The mission of my assignment is to combat deforestation in Ecuador....

After the first six weeks in Quito, I had become more accustomed to the culture here and my Spanish had improved as well. I was able to understand what was going on around me most of the time and I fe...

Cayambe, a smaller city in Ecuador, is surrounded by indigenous communities spread throughout the surrounding mountains. Casa Hogar is an organization in Cayambe that houses children who have been rem...

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 ...

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 ...

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...