Trip Reflection

After going on the Dominican Republic trip last year I had high expectations for this trip. It didn't take me long to realize how different this trip was going to be from last year's. When we went to Dominican Republic we had a set goal (build 10 latrines) and we were expected to complete that while we were down there. While in Ecuador, we didn't have a set goal. It was more of a "do as much or as little as you want" trip. This made it very hard for me to feel like I was actually doing something to help out.

For the first couple of days I especially didn't feel like I was doing much. Monday we helped out with an English class where the students asked us memorized english phrases to which I responded something that they seemed to not understand. Tuesday was the day when I especially felt useless when we helped out in the talleres. I chose the auto shop along with PJ and Sam. That consisted of us sitting in on a theory class for about a half an hour followed by the practical application of what they learned. We did absolutely nothing for this besides watch the boys attempt to start various motors. Needless to say, I had a rough start to my experience in Ecuador.

The combination of Wednesday and Thursday was the turning point for me. After seeing the houses these people live in on Wednesday and then helping some of the kids of these families with their crafts on Thursday, I realized that by just being there we were helping these people out.

Friday and Sunday were definitely my favorite days of the trip. On Friday I got to help teach 12 year old girls in an English class. They were learning about the 5 senses and they really enjoyed being able to speak English with us. Sunday was the best day: the minga. I love manual labor and I took full advantage of the opportunity to leave a physical symbol of my service in Ecuador. We built part of the foundation for a house. A 15 year old Ecuadorian boy and myself were in charge of mixing the cement for the foundation. This was a great experience because in the beginning I was taking all the directions from him, waiting for his approval to do anything but by the end of our work there, he and I were working on the same level and I didn't feel the need to ask his permission before doing something. Learning and working with him was the best experience I had on this trip.

Although I did appreciate all of the free days we had and the various activities we did on these days, they posed a certain challenge for me. I felt that we could have done a lot more service during the hours we spent on the zip-line and at the market. As much as I enjoyed myself on the free days, looking back on those activities, they were much less fulfilling than teaching a class or building a house.

This trip helped me to understand that not all service leaves a physical mark. Sometimes the service we do leaves a mark in the hearts of the people we serve, as well as our own.

Scott Levy