Ecuador: Days 1 and 2

Ecuador - Days 1 and 2

We started out our first day in Ecuador cooking a collaborative breakfast in our hostel downtown Quito. Everyone enjoyed the fresh fruit and having a nice cup of joe after a longgggg day of traveling the day before.

The first place we went on our first full day in Quito was the Basilica de Voto Nacional. John, who works for E = H, gave us a tour. The view was beautiful from the top!

After the Basillica, we enjoyed an amazing lunch at Fruteria Monserrate. The bolones (cheese balls cooked in plantain dough) were a big favorite among us. Their fruit bowls and smoothies were also delicious!

The Fellows spent the afternoon learning how to make an Ecuadorian staple, EMPANADAS! They were taught by the lovely Racquel how to mix the dough, roll it out, and then make them look bonita. The empanadas didn't last long on the kitchen table because they were absolutely delicious!

Day 2 in Ecuador began with a tour of Carmen Bajo. This is a church and school in Quito that serves the city by providing affordable education to children. The Fellows met with college-aged students there and Jed led an inspirational devotional to launch the new young adults ministry at Carmen Bajo.

Upon arriving at the campsite with Carmen Bajo's youth group, we led them in some icebreakers. We had a lot of fun getting to play games with them.

After games, we went on a hike up to a stream. This was one of my (Ellie) favorite parts of the trip because I got to talk to know one of the girls, Carla, better while we walked. Even though we sometimes struggled to understand each other, the high schoolers were kind in trying to start conversations with us.

The Fellows enjoyed a nice time of rest and worship led by Kevin and Ellie after our hike. Singing in Spanish is definitely a hard skill to learn, but they both learned very quickly and did such a great job throughout our trip! Antonio also gave an encouraging motivational talk to all the youth.

We ended our night at the camp surrounded by the grace of God while teens from Carmen Bajo shared their testimonies as well as our very own Madison Hardy shared some of her life story with everyone. We ate s'mores and worshipped before heading to our hostel for a good nights rest.

Written with love,

Drew, Ellie, and Madison A

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honorable Mentions

Comments

June 2025

June brought a change of pace as our formal Fellows programming came to a close. But that hasn’t stopped the Fellows from enjoying some summer fun! They've been transitioning into fuller work schedules, searching for housing for the year ahead, and even managed to sneak away for a beach trip. Recruitment Above is a photo of the Madisons from this past year. One fun fact about Madison Avery (left) is that she joined the Fellows program just two weeks before it started—right in the middle of her sister’s wedding celebrations! Even with such a quick turnaround, Madison jumped in wholeheartedly and has had a truly transformative year. She fully embraced the experience and is now stepping into a full-time role with her Fellows employer. We’re still filling spots for our 2025–2026 class. So, if you know a recent grad or young adult who’s still figuring out their next step, send them our way —Madison is proof that great things can start even at the last minute. Oklahoma! We have a star...

May 2025

May 2025 Above, you'll see how it started versus how it ended. May has been a bittersweet month as we officially wrapped up the ninth class of Winston-Salem Fellows. What a year it has been—full of growth, laughter, challenges, and transformation. Truly, an incredible year worth celebrating! World Relief Race Earlier this spring, the Fellows were deeply impacted by our time with Jon Musser as we learned about the incredible work World Relief is doing here in the Triad. So when they heard that River Oaks Community Church was hosting a 5K to benefit World Relief, they were all in. And apparently, they brought their A-game—Steve and Ellie both placed in their divisions! Leader Lunches Our final two Leader Lunches were spent with two remarkable individuals. First, we heard from Charlie Barham of Cassia Capital, followed by a meaningful conversation with Amy Carlan, Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian. Classes We wrapped up the year with two of our longest classes. First, Gospel-Cen...

April 2025

April 2025 Update It's our last full month with the Fellows from the class of 2024-2025, and it was a full one! We celebrated as several Fellows received job offers to stay in Winston Salem. A couple are still looking, but we are crossing our fingers that all nine will remain here next year. Bryn and Dean Got Married! Well, they actually tied the knot back in February but we forgot to mention them in the last update! Bryn and Dean actually met walking down the aisle together for AJ and Bailey's wedding a few years ago. Fortunately for us, they are still in Winston Salem. We had a wonderful time celebrating them and enjoying a reunion of sorts with folks from several Fellows classes. Ecuador Video! The very talented Jed put together a short video to capture part of our time in Ecuador. We couldn't possibly show everything, but please check it out! Leader Lunches We had another stellar lineup this month! A fun fact: every speaker was either a current or former employers...

Winston-Salem Fellows

Search This Blog