Ecuador - Days 1 and 2
We started out our first day in Ecuador cooking a collaborative breakfast in our hostel downtown Quito. Everyone enjoyed the fresh fruit and having a nice cup of joe after a longgggg day of traveling the day before.
The first place we went on our first full day in Quito was the Basilica de Voto Nacional. John, who works for E = H, gave us a tour. The view was beautiful from the top!
After the Basillica, we enjoyed an amazing lunch at Fruteria Monserrate. The bolones (cheese balls cooked in plantain dough) were a big favorite among us. Their fruit bowls and smoothies were also delicious!
The Fellows spent the afternoon learning how to make an Ecuadorian staple, EMPANADAS! They were taught by the lovely Racquel how to mix the dough, roll it out, and then make them look bonita. The empanadas didn't last long on the kitchen table because they were absolutely delicious!
Day 2 in Ecuador began with a tour of Carmen Bajo. This is a church and school in Quito that serves the city by providing affordable education to children. The Fellows met with college-aged students there and Jed led an inspirational devotional to launch the new young adults ministry at Carmen Bajo.
Upon arriving at the campsite with Carmen Bajo's youth group, we led them in some icebreakers. We had a lot of fun getting to play games with them.
After games, we went on a hike up to a stream. This was one of my (Ellie) favorite parts of the trip because I got to talk to know one of the girls, Carla, better while we walked. Even though we sometimes struggled to understand each other, the high schoolers were kind in trying to start conversations with us.
The Fellows enjoyed a nice time of rest and worship led by Kevin and Ellie after our hike. Singing in Spanish is definitely a hard skill to learn, but they both learned very quickly and did such a great job throughout our trip! Antonio also gave an encouraging motivational talk to all the youth.
We ended our night at the camp surrounded by the grace of God while teens from Carmen Bajo shared their testimonies as well as our very own Madison Hardy shared some of her life story with everyone. We ate s'mores and worshipped before heading to our hostel for a good nights rest.
Written with love,
Drew, Ellie, and Madison A
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Honorable Mentions
