Good morning, afternoon, or evening! The first delegation to Ecuador has finally made it to Riobamba after a long 4-hour drive from Quito!

I am the first El Lider Del Dia (ELDD) and I hope that this blog post will be adequate enough for parents hoping to know what their children have been doing, especially my own!

Our day actually started off quite early; we had to wake up at 6:00 AM still jet lagged but nonetheless eager to continue with our adventure. There was plenty of bonding between all the Glimpsers during the 4-hour drive to Riobamba. The scenic view from our bus windows showed off what Ecuador has to offer: huge mountains with luscious green plants, and a beautiful view of the white-tipped volcano we’re right under.

After getting settled in at our latest Hostel, the first thing to do was to take a tour of Riobamba! We learned our way around the city, exploring and understanding why the city is important to the indigenous population, and what rich culture it has to offer. From the tall and winding houses to the beautifully detailed cathedrals we continued our trek to learn and understand the customs and tradition of the indigenous people here.

One of the major aspects of the trip that must be mentioned would be the FOOD! Rest assured that your children have been enjoying many Ecuadorian dishes at the hostels (not that many of us were picky-eaters) for the last few days. The food is absolutely delicious and keeps everyone healthy. We always end our day with a wonderful dinner followed by a Nightly Meeting. The Nightly Meetings give us Glimpsers a chance to unwind and talk about the day. The first few nights were a bit shaky, as we weren’t completely comfortable with each other yet, but our latest Nightly Meeting went perfectly, everyone participated and had input in our general discussion and activities.

Shout-outs from Riobamba, Ecuador go to:

-Jennifer’s Mom: Hola Mami! Te quiero mucho! Me estoy divirtiendo aqui, so no se preocupe! Te extrano much pero me hando divertendo con much amor – Jennifer M.

-Katushka’s Mom: Hi Mommie! Te quiero mucho! Me estoy divirtiendo aqui, so no se preocupe! Ca llamo cuando pueda. -Katushka

-Leslie’s Parents: Hey Mom & Dad! Estoy en Riobamba y aunque no he estado muchos dias aqui, y ne visto mucho. En quito, visitamos casa Victoria ane tuve la oportunidad de pasar tiempo con kis ninos. Jugue futbol con ellos y me dio mucha felicidad de verlos sonreir. -Leslie

-Marcus’ Parents: I’m safe and having loads of fun! Miss you guys! -Marcus

-Arjun’s Family + Alondra: Love you! I am alive and well! -Arjun

-Helena’s Family + Aparna: I’m having such an amazing experience! I can’t wait to tell you all about it! <3 -Helena

-Jordan’s Parents & sis: Hey guys I am alive, I love you guys, Ecuador is amazing, I miss you a bit lol. I am loving it here. I have visited Quito & am in Riobamba. -Jordan

-Anthony’s Family + Sr. A: Hi Mom, Dad, and Vivian! I’m sorry I couldn’t email back to you guys everyday, we aren’t allowed on our phones and internet is very limited. I’m doing alright here in Ecuador, the altitude makes me a bit dizzy, but I’ll be fine. Don’t have too much fun without me, this blog post was hard enough to write. I love you guys. And mom, thank you for letting me go on this trip even if you were totally against me going. Hola Sr. A! I am enjoying my trip here in Ecuador, I would like to thank you from ALL PARTS OF MY HEART for convincing me to go through with this trip! I’ll be in contact with you soon. -Anthony