Yet another awesome day… LIVE FROM EARTH… in the city of Riobamba, Ecuador.  Today’s theme was Aid & Development and while keeping the theme going the entire day, we all kept a positive attitude and became even closer than we already were.  So before my enthusiasm gets the better of me let’s check out the highlights of the day.  First, we had an Energizer that was based on our names and where they came from.  For example, Elijah- Is to restore false gods and to restore justice.  Genesis- Is the first book in the bible.  Torok- A name originating in Hungary and was given to me by my two amazing parents.  This activity was nice because we got to learn something new about each other which had us grow even more as a group.

Next, we had a fantastic speaker who happened to be the in-country director, Hector Zamora.  Hector majored in sustainable development and went into depth about what a developed community looks like, and what a undeveloped community looks like.  He also had us do an activity where we split into two groups, pull string from a pile of yarn in the air (each string representing a different quality of development, for example, a strong government, enough human resources, or awareness to good causes), and keep a strong structure as we balanced a ball (which represented a community).  We had to work together as a group to keep the ball balanced on the string while spinning in a circle (it wasn’t easy).  We also had to slowly let go of one of the strings (the qualities of a developed community) one person at a time and see which group could outlast the other.  This activity was super fun and important because it taught us how to work together as teams and that a community needs all it’s structures to stay strong.

Then, we took a bus to Isabelle’s farm (Nelson’s mom) and saw how her way of living worked and we actually saw what we were eating at the restaurant, Rosa Santa (this included mostly herbs and veggies).  Her farm was an example of food sovereignty. Her and her family also served us a lovely lunch, which was one of the best ever, including lamb, fresh veggies, and CHICKEN GIZZARD!  After the lunch though we had a ton of fun at a nearby park, where most of us were nearly dying from the altitude because we played full court basketball and soccer.  All and all though, we had a blast and was yet again another beautiful bonding moment.

Lastly, we had a new and awesome dinner at D’Baggio, the best pizza place in Riobamaba.  We all had some delicious pizza and juices and we were all like, “Finally, some familiar food!”  All jokes aside, we have been having some great dinners and I’m very blessed to be exposed to a new culture.  That sums up the day pretty much, but I gotta tell ya, being leader of the day was not easy.  I was slightly nervous towards the beginning because taking the leadership role was nothing like I expected.  All of a sudden the spotlight’s on you and you gotta take the bull by the horns while everyone’s relying on you.  However, being a leader was also a beautiful experience, because I got to see what it’s like to be a real leader and it was fantastic.  Everyone looked up to me, and gave me the same respect I gave them when they were leaders.  Well, that was how the day went.  For all the family members reading this, I think I speak on the behalf of the group when I say… we all love you and miss you so much, and we are all having a good time and are excited to see you soon!  Please be sure we’re doing just great. Buenos Noches!