Today was another early day for the leaders of the day as Lucas and I (Brianna) had to wake up at 6:00 am so we could wake up everyone on time to head to breakfast at Cafe del Tren. For breakfast we ate eggs, melons, bread and drank a fruit smoothie made from guava.
After eating breakfast we took a short bus ride to a tea processing plant and farm named Jambi Kiwa. Brianna and I (Lucas) spend the entirety of the two tours translating the tour guides through the farm and the factory. As a surprise each student was given a box of tea called Té de Abuela. We all got the opportunity to learn about the impact of our purchases as we were shown how much buying a certain tea brand can affect the livelihood of an entire group of people. The people in this case were the multiple native families of Riobamba, Ecuador. One big surprise for the tours was Brianna’s inexplicable skill as a translator despite her constant denial of Spanish speaking skill. After the field trip to Jambi Kiwa, we took a bus with our bus driver Juanito to lunch at Roma Santa (our usual location). There we ate soup (AGAIN!), chicken with vegetables in a sauce all wrapped inside of a crepe.
After lunch and a quick break at the Hotel Tren Dorado we prepared for our Ecuadorian partners from Casa de la Mujer to hear our CAP project proposals. The four proposals were to patch up and paint the walls, plant a small garden in their open area, make signs, and finally a deep cleaning. One of the three women present named Ana Maria mystified us with her presence as an indigenous woman who has spent the majority of her life fighting to preserve the culture of the indigenous people and for the rights of women. The presentations went very well and all the groups got to present their ideas and receive feedback from our partners. We then went to the local high school and taught our first English class to people of various ages. We were split into eight classes to teach at multiple levels. We are understood the difficulty of teaching classes of any size. We were humbled by the experience and were taught to be flexible. We all look forward to teaching our next class and getting closer to our students.
After leaving the high school and talking about our varied experiences teaching, we walked to Roma Santa for dinner. It was chicken noodle soup and lots of empanadas. We both loved the experience of being leader of the day and we hope that the next leader of the day will have an equally good experience.
Hello Glimpsers!
It looks like you guys learned a lot at the Jambi Kiwa tea processed plant. I can’t wait to taste the Té de Abuela!
Ana Maria sounds like an amazing woman. I’m looking forward to hearing about her fight to preserve the culture of the indigenous people and the rights of women!
Good luck with teaching English! Have patience and understanding with your students.
You guys are doing an amazing job! This experience is going to change you forever!
Arriana, you look fantastic! I miss you more everyday! Father and I can’t wait to talk to you again! We love you so much and we are so proud of you! Be safe everyone and God bless!
Thank you Lucas and Brianna! I think what is standing out to me the most is the amount of things accomplished in a day! Imagine if we all put our phones down and accomplished even half of what you are doing. I hope Sara is trying and enjoying the food in Ecuador. At the very least she has realized that you can live a day without kale and it isn’t the only food group! I love and miss you Sara however the photos show a genuine smile on your face everyday and that makes me happy! Love Mom
Great job being the leaders for the day, Lucas and Brianna.
The experiences you all are getting is amazing.
Carmen mommy loves you and misses you dearly?? I look forward to hearing you voice. I am so greatful that I can see a picture of you everyday.
Great job Lucas and Brianna. How amazing that you get to teach others, and see how their lives are affected by your presence and vice versa! Can’t wait to hear all about it, and taste the Te de Abuela. So proud of all of you, you’re making a difference and you’re getting an unforgettable experience.
Julie, I miss you!!! Hope you’re writing in your journal! Daddy and Jaime miss you too!
Thank you Brianna and Lucas for doing such a great job as leaders for the day! I am always pleased to see all the smiling faces in the pictures! You are all making memories to last a lifetime!
We see you Soleil!!! 🙂 Love, love, love you!
Thanks for writing the blog Lucas and Brianna. The tea estate sounds like an interesting visit. Mikaela you know how much I like tea. I can’t wait to taste Té de Abuela. Looking forward to reading the upcoming blog.
Hey, Anika and Ella, I hope you’ll are having a fun time. Can’t wait to hear all about your trip!
Love ya a ton!
~Pauline
You are all having an amazing trip. As someone else stated you are accomplishing a great amount of activities in one day. Look forward to hearing more about your teaching in the schools. I pray for you all every day!! Mikaela I hope you are having the experience of your life!!! love mom
Brianna, I couldn’t more of a happier mother than to hear how much fun and how much of an impact you are making on your adventure. I know you are amazing and I am so happy that you were able to believe in yourself. I hope you continue to have fun with you friends and I miss you my princess, and I am always proud of you. Your brother and your father are also so proud of and we hope you never forget that!