Malone Service Learning - Ecuador

Thursday - This was our last day teaching at the school. We taught our baseball lessons to 7th-9th grade. These grades enjoyed learning new baseball words in English, some symmetry concepts, and a craft which involved the students using their handprint to create a baseball. These students also really enjoyed learning to play the game of baseball. They understood many of the rules that were taught and had fun playing outside. After teaching two classes, we had a break before lunch. We walked down the street and bought some drinks to try. For lunch, we enjoyed a traditional Ecuadorian meal and some conversation with the staff. The staff had a surprise for us as well - they prepared presentations for us in English. They have been learning from the English teachers at the school and decided to teach us how to prepare two foods. We also exchanged gifts we had brought and made for them as well. This was bittersweet knowing it was our last full day at the school. In the evening, we had our fi...

TUESDAY - Tuesday was our first day of teaching and it went very well. We taught K-3rd and what an experience that was from teaching them the terms of Baseball in English, to some addition and subtraction, and then wrapping it up with a fun craft! Next we walked the students through the rules of Baseball and then led them outside to try the game out. At first it was a little challenging, especially with the younger ones, but as the day went on the game got easier; still a challenge but easier! Before we knew it the three classes of the day was over and it was time to move on to the next project of the day. We finished up our painting job and then headed to a big park in Quito. We saw a lot of different sports being played and got to admire the beauty. Finally, we came back to the house to settle down for the night and reflect on the past day. WEDNESDAY - Wednesday was an eventful day! The sun was shining and we were eager to teacher our next age groups, 4th-6th. Again, we taught them d...

Sunday we woke up bright and early after a late night to go to San Pablos church. The service was very moving. The whole congregation learned part of a song in English just for us and the whole congregation came together in a heart felt prayer session for one of the members dealing with an illness. After church we had lunch at BBQ Pinchinchas where we took a few church members to talk to about their mission at the church, school, and neighborhood. We then burned off our large meal by walking down the hill to the school to get a feel for the neighborhood we are working in. We then headed to the mall in the center of Quito to look at the stores, which were very similar to our stores in America, and buy some groceries for the week. The grocery store was very busy and took a while to make our way through. After getting back to Extreme Response and unloading, we walked down the street to get some fresh bread for dinner and we made pasta. Monday we traveled to the school where we first watch...

We had great flights! All our luggage came with us and the team is doing well. Thanking the Lord tonight and excited about the week ahead.

The first leg of the flight was great! We are waiting in the Atlanta airport, grabbing food, and enjoying people watching!  Next flight at 5 pm. :)

I pray for your journey to be fruitful.  With  open hearts you will each be incredibly humbled by the lives and lessons of faith among the good people of la communa!  I will pray for you daily and will see the beautiful country and my dear friends at Nuevos through your eyes!  Have an incredible week! 🙏🏼 ❤️Dr. C-T

Alright...so here's the thing...today was a big day for us! Today was a day of firsts for sure! We started the day off at Rey Sabio Salamon spending time with the teachers and students. They showed us many cultural games that were so much fun to play! We even played a four on four soccer game and won against them! After playing the games with them they put on a goodbye show for us. It was amazing to see all of the talents that God has provided those children with. They danced, sang, played instruments and even did some miming! It was so incredibly hard to say goodbye to them. After saying our goodbyes, many more firsts began. We went to the center of the earth (both the real and fake one). We attempted to balance eggs on nails, watched water drain different ways, and tried to walk in a straight line with our eyes closed...talk about a fail. That was a really cool experience, though. We learned a lot about it from our tour guide. Then, we we drove through the clouds to get to the to...

Today was our last day of teaching in Rey Sabio Salomon. Our goal was to finish with a big bang and from what I heard we did just that. Unfortunately I was unable to join the team this morning. It was so great to hear about everyone's lessons. I was able to vividly imagine the expressions of the children through my team's descriptions and excitement. God has been so good this week. I can see his presence growing everyday in my team. Tonight we had an appreciation dinner with the teachers from the school. The team spread out and sat amongst the teachers. Tonight was so great to just relax and attempt to talk to each other in our broken languages. We were able to laugh with each other at our attempts in speaking each other's language. God was present tonight (as always) as we had the opportunity to get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ. The love and appreciation the teachers showed us as we came into their school and messed up their schedule was amazing. It was compl...

Today we had the opportunity to teach the students of RSS for the very first time. Despite the language barrier, everyone's lesson went extremely well. We all felt like God was with us from the beginning to the end. He gave us a peace of mind by calming our nerves so that we could present our lesson to our best ability. I am so thankful for the patience of the students, teachers, and translators. God has allowed us to learn so much from each other. The diversity that we face throughout the week will prepare us for the future as teachers. We are very excited that we have the chance to teach and inspire these young minds again tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing what God has planned for the days remaining. -Mackenzie

Today was our second day of observation in the classrooms.  The kids and teachers were more engaging with us.  Our language barrier is, of course, still there but not inhibiting us from forming friendships.  Lorri and I helped the 8th grade class work on learning a worship song in English. That was a great honor for us to help them learn proper pronunciation. What struck me most today was the sense of God I felt.  Everywhere we go, His presence is felt around us.  I am constantly in awe of our Creator here.  I see His hand on the kids and staff at RSS and He has given me such a love for this city and the people. Blessings, Melissa

Today was the beginning of getting involved in the school. We started the day by getting up by 6:00am. We did our morning routine of breakfast and a devotion by our team member, Mason. We then were on our way! Once we got to the school we got settled in and met the faculty of the school. The teachers and other faculty were just as excited as we were for us to be there.  Each of us introduced ourselves and then we headed into the classrooms. We experienced recess with the students and were able to become childlike with them. The school day ended by 2:00pm, and then it was time for lunch and professional development. We finally finished our day by going to a bakery and convenient store. The people of Ecuador are so kind and loving. It has stood out to me the past two days. Today, though, working with the students amazed me; they will come up to anyone and just hug and love him or her. Coming from the U.S. where we all have to have our own personal space, it was a shock to experience it. ...

Today was our first day to truly experience the culture of Ecuador. In the morning we had the opportunity to experience worship at a church in Quito. The people were extraodinarly welcoming and kind. The worship was cheerful and upbeat. Even though songs were in Spanish, it was clear that everyone was able to feel God's presence during this time. They graciously provided us with a translator for the sermon so that we could continue to feel included in their service. We were also given the opportunity to participate in communion. Overall, church was a great experience. It allowed us to see God at work in the community of Quito. After church, we ate lunch with a few church members at a local restauraunt. Despite the extensive language barrier that we faced, we enjoyed attempting to get to know each other. God was definitely at work, as he gave our new companions great patience as we communicated through our limited Spanish! We all enjoyed creating these new relationships with brother...

This post is very short yet long enough to let you know that our day of traveling was uneventful (thankfully!) and everyone is asleep in bed. Sweet dreams, to All, near & far. -Dr. Hamsher  

We have been "busy bees' pulling together the final details and securing and understanding our roles while in Quito. We have been preparing to become teachers, mentors, roommates, community members, tourists, friends, and God's vessels during our busy week.  I have seen how acquiring these roles has been challenging, especially since we have had only a few months to prepare.  But, I have been a witness to the fruits of the challenges as we are melding together, seeking the best interests of the team.  I have no doubt that our actions will be God-centered and will speak volumes to those who we meet.  And, I know that our actual words to the children and staff at  Rey Sabio Salomón school will be an encouragement as they echo Proverbs 16:14, which says, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul & health to the body." And, truthfully, as I look out on the snow and experience the cold, I also look forward to milder temperatures at the equator! ...

MALONE UNIVERSITY                        2600 CLEVELAND AVE NW CANTON OH 44709 SERVICE               DATE  FROM           TO             DEPART  ARRIVE DEPARTING FLIGHT INFORMATION: DELTA AIR LINES       28FEB CANTON AKRO OH ATLANTA GA     1107A   1253P DL 5248            SATURDAY AKRON          HARTSFIELD JAC X ECONOMY                     TERMINAL S NON SMOKING                   NON STOP RESERVATION CONFIRMED         1:46 DURATION FLIGHT OPERATED BY EXPRESSJET DBA DELTA C AIRCRAFT OWNER: EV  EXPRESSJET AIRLINES AIRCRAFT: CANADAIR REGIONAL JET 900 DELTA AIR LINES       28FEB ATLANTA GA     QUITO          545P    1111P DL 673             SATURDAY HARTSFIELD JAC MARISCAL SUCRE X ECONOMY                   TERMINAL INTL NON SMOKING      SNACK      NON STOP RESERVATION CONFIRMED       5:26 DURATION AIRCRAFT: BOEING 757   RETURN FLIGHT INFORMATION : DELTA AIR LINES       07MAR QUITO          ATLANTA GA     1229A   546A DL 680             SATURDAY...

Welp! Today is our last day in Quito, Ecuador. We are getting ready to head to the airport in just a couple of hours. Today was bittersweet. The children from Nuevos Amigos performed a goodbye program for us. It was amazing! We sat in the middle of the church while each grade came up one at a time to perform. The children were adorable. They danced to songs, did a human video, and sang for us. At the end of the program, every single student stood in line to give all nine of us a hug and kiss on the cheek! Many of us cried. I tried so hard not to cry, to just be strong, and say goodbye to each child. Then one of the students that I was privileged to teach these last couple of days, said, “Chao, Tia Kristina!” And he held on to me so tightly. It was so meaningful and authentic. I could tell that he truly did care and was sad that I had to leave. That was when I started tearing up. I have really enjoyed this week. It has been heartwarming, heart changing, and (today especially) heart brea...

Hola everyone! I am writing from our 5 th day in Quito!  It’s unbelievable that we will be returning  back to the United States late  tomorrow night already. This trip came and went so quickly, and I sure am going to miss everything about this place. Today, we taught our second day of lessons at the school with our assigned grades. I think it is safe to say we all felt a little more comfortable in front of the class today! As always, recess was a blast! You have never really experienced a real recess until you’re sprinting up and down steep hills and stairs, trying to avoid the super fast kids of Quito (who are faster than you, even in their school uniforms :) ). As soon as we enter the school, it’s an immediate sense of belonging and warm welcomes, by both the children and faculty. The love that we all experience with the people of Ecuador is so overwhelming, and it is clearly a gift from God. We are all recognizing and thanking our Savior every day for this wonderful opportunity to ...

Hola! We are having an awesome time here in Quito, Ecuador! (Also, I'm starting to think in Spanish, so...here we are.) Today was our first day teaching in the school, and oh boy was it eventful! We had been pre-assigned to three groups and prepared inquiry-based science lessons prior to coming on the trip. Arriving in the classrooms, we came in with it all planned out. However, we are quickly learning that God doesn't care so much for our plans, especially here in Ecuador, so we put our trust completely in Him! Many of us adjusted our plans as we went and talked with the students and teachers through the translator, but all involved had a great time! I loved seeing the students' faces light up as they discovered new concepts and learned in brand new ways, and it was so satisfying! (p.s. This was each of our first times teaching a full day, and we taught internationally!) We also did a professional development meeting with the teachers, and I felt just as much satisfaction ...

Buenos Dias! Day “tres” in Ecuador has been quite the adventure. We conducted day two of our VBS with the kids of the Nuevos Amigos community. I had a blast singing worship song with the kids. Most were in Spanish, but the San Pablo Youth tried out singing a few songs in English. We also played games that had the kids laughing and screaming, and we made bead bracelets and necklaces, which happen to be the perfect adornment for my wrist. We also were able to go to “La Mida del Mundo”, the Center of the World, which was the equator line. We had a small tour about some historical aspects of Ecuador, such as gigantic spiders and snakes in the jungle or some of the native tribes. We also watched how the water swirls in different directions on the Northern and Southern hemisphere, and a few of us tried to balance an egg on the equator line. Tomorrow we start teaching in the classes at Nuevos Amigos' school Rey Sabio Salomon, and I cannot wait to meet the teachers and all the kids. -Jaime...

Hola! Today we woke up to an overcast city..but warmer temperatures than at home! After breakfast and morning devotions, we met the youth group at the church and set up for ourVBS games and crafts. At first not many children showed up for the day so we got to go out into the community in groups of 2-3 people to get more children involved. This was very interesting and exciting because we got to see our San Pablo friends in their community...see their way of living from their shoes. We actually got many children to come to VBS and had a blast with our games and crafts. The children really seemed to enjoy what we had planned for them and it was great to interact and come together. After VBS we got to take a bus ride with the youth group, going to an overlook with a beautiful view and sharing a wonderful lunch! The bus ride was fun and despite the language barriers, we got along great...singing and talking about our likes and dislikes. I cannot wait for tomorrow to see what God has planne...