Kawsankichu mashi (Hello friends in Kichwa),
We are Zack Pakin and Kate Macaulay, the leaders of today’s free day! Our day started with a generous 7:30 wake-up call followed by yet another delicious and traditional meal at our host restaurant, Feroz. After we filled up on melon juice and breakfast rolls, Glimpser groups dispersed across Guaranda for free time. Our fellow Glimpsers Cassie, Kaia, Tanveer, and Mari volunteered to spend the majority of their free time gathering materials for our upcoming CAP (Community Action Project) with representatives from La Fundación Bethesda.
Remaining Glimpsers ran off to explore local cuisine, shopping, and culture. Together we dug deep to answer the question of what Guarandan youth do in their free time compared to American teenagers. Though there were many similarities, such as binge watching YouTube videos or shopping with friends, Glimpsers discovered that there is a larger focus on tight-knit friendships than the trends of social media and technology.
We returned to Hotel Palacio Real after a tasty lunch at Feroz to participate in an energizer to promote group cohesion in a fun environment. We had so much fun that we completely lost track of time, forcing a quick transition into our next, much more serious activity, Letters of Appreciation. During the seminar, we created small, but heartfelt tokens of our gratitude towards Global Glimpse staff, donors, and supporters.
Today marked the last day of English Tutoring at Verbo Divino, something that was very hard for many of us Glimpsers. Groups planned activities, games, and competitions to make the final class special for the students we had gotten so close to after such a short amount of time. As usual, the session flew by, forcing us to say our goodbyes to our new Ecuadorian friends. The group then walked to Feroz for a traditional dinner of soup, chicken, rice, and tea.
After we ate dinner, we returned to the hotel for a thought-provoking nightly reflection meeting focusing greatly on inclusivity and cohesion of our delegation. A very serious discussion was followed by an amazing party that we organized to celebrate our hard work (with a special focus on the three birthdays that occur during the trip). The night was filled with memories of home, as we purchased freshly made pizza and Oreo cake, along with hot chocolate and ice cream. The party was marked by dancing and smiles. Since we have an early wake-up call tomorrow morning, we quickly cleaned up the party and went to our rooms.
Buenas Noches y Hasta Pronto,
Zack and Kate
I’m so glad that you guys celebrated my daughter Kikue’s Birthday! Thanks so much- I can’t wait to hear about the friends made . See the spirit of the trip bring tighter knit friendships from here and beyond- enjoy !!
Sounds like another fun day in Ecuador for everyone! it is nice to see everyone making friends. I hope everyone has great friends for life after this trip. It was great to hear from you today Nicko and cant wait to see your blog post this weekend! have a great time with the community action project. Im sure the students will miss all of you tutoring them .
Hey Zach and Nicko,
I’m glad to hear your group had a positive English tutoring experience. Best wishes on the Community Action Project! I really wish I could have been with you in Guarana, but all your wonderful writing on this blog makes me feel like I’m right there with you. I hope you have a great conclusion and time for reflection after this grand adventure.
See you back at Freedom,
Mr. Sierra
glad to hear you will be back at Freedom next year Mr. Sierra… nicko will be happy to hear that, he really enjoyed your class and gardening!
Segundo día libre? De ley! Gracias de nuevo a los líderes del día! Another well written update to another wonderful day! Happy Birthday to all those celebrating their special day in Guaranda! With that said, I must mention that Glimpsers are a very selfless group of young adults. Rather than spend a portion of their summer vacation with friends or messing with their phones, they opted to take time to involve themselves in a truly eye opening, educational experience! Glimpsers are amazing young individuals that came together with an intent to help others! These amazing young adults come from amazing families! I am proud and honored that my child has involved herself in such an adventure with such a special group of young people! Big Love to ‘all’ Glimpsers, Families and Global Glimpse Staff!
I second that Erik!!!
So proud of all of you!!!
Hi you awesome Glimpsers! Kaia- Ella and I were so sad to have missed your call yesterday! Thank you for the message!!! We love you!!
Happy Birthday to all of you that got to spend your birthdays in Ecuador! How cool is that?
What a wonderful day experience you are all having. It would be hard for most high schoolers to go on such a trip. KEB – made my month to hear your voice!
I’m sure English tutoring was an enriching experience with many lasting friendships made. We’re so glad Feroz, a mainstay in many a daily blog continues to make every day of yours, an enjoyable culinary experience.