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This past summer I was blessed to spend two months in Quito, Ecuador studying abroad with the program . I started out the experience living in an apartment with nine other girls from the program. I was able to build relationships with the other students, which helped create a slower transition into a completely different culture. Later, we transitioned into a month of homestays, where we lived for a month with a family from Quito. A fellow ��͹��Ƶnursing student and I moved in with the Maldonados – Saúl, Fer, and their four-year-old daughter Emilia. They showed us around Quito, took us on hikes to mountains and waterfalls, and shared lots of delicious food. Our time with them was filled with laughter, games, and language learning. They truly became like family, and it was very bittersweet to leave.

During my time in Quito, I spent 200 hours in a nursing internship at Hospital San Francisco, a large public hospital, where I was on the Pediatric floor, shadowing a different nurse every day. It was such a blessing to have this experience, but it was also definitely one of the most challenging parts of my time in Ecuador. Due to the fast pace of a large hospital as well as everyone wearing masks, it was very difficult to understand the Spanish spoken. It was also a completely different healthcare system with different medications, different charting (half was in a system that seemed to be from 1990s, the other half on paper), and different roles for the nurses. The nurses didn’t do a lot of assessment, but instead there were more doctors who worked closely with the patients.

Being in a public hospital was very eye-opening as well. Everyone had access to free healthcare, yet because Ecuador is a poorer country, there was usually a shortage of supplies such as gloves or needles. Although these parts were challenging, I loved getting to know the nurses and the patients, and by the end I felt a lot more like a part of the nursing community. As I worked with the patients, I was able to see how much family is integrated into healthcare. Family was often with patients, providing some forms of care that are often done by staff in the United States. Overall, it was enlightening to see the unique ways another healthcare system operates and build relationships with the nurses at San Francisco.

I also went on two different trips during the two months. For five days we traveled to Misahuallí, a town on the edge of the Amazon. We worked with an organization called Jungle Kids for Christ, helping teach lessons in English and working on some maintenance needs. We also did of a bit of exploring on a night hike, fed monkeys and tried grubs. In the last week, some of our group went to the Galápagos Islands. It was an incredible opportunity to explore, snorkel and see more of God’s creation including tortoises, iguanas, penguins, and blue footed boobies. I really enjoyed exploring the islands with friends from the program.

As I reflect on my experience, I think about what it is to be a stranger. I entered into a completely different culture and a hospital where I spoke only some of the language. It was difficult to get used to the culture, language, and especially the stares. I was a tall, pale gringa in a ��͹��Ƶ sweatshirt; everywhere I went people were staring. The streets were lined with small shops; each street would have a panderia, a frutaria, and several pharmacies. I had to learn to navigate public transportation – a world of coins, stares, and street vendors selling DVD’s, bracelets, candy, or rapping for money.

And my internship provided the most difficult experience. It was a completely different healthcare system, one I was trying to learn while having a hard time understanding the fast-paced Spanish through a mask. Most mornings, I would end up sitting on a stool while my nurse charted, trying to hear conversations around me, or simply trying to keep my mind occupied. I was frustrated with how the language barrier interfered with my ability to demonstrate competency in nursing and build relationships. Some days I was utterly exhausted from never being in my comfort zone, the constant stares, and always trying to understand what was being said.

Yet, at the same time, there were so many moments where I felt at home. The nurses giving me besitos (welcome kisses) when I walked onto the floor and asking about my weekend. The way a nurse greeted me with a simple, “Hello? How are you?” because it was the only English they knew. A meal shared with my family and laughing over a joke. Playing Uno with my host sister. People taking the time to talk slowly, articulate well, and not just move on or immediately and pull out google translate. Nurses inviting me to sit with them at lunch. People asking questions – about my home, my interests, and my knowledge. These were the moments that made me feel like home.

As I think about these things, I begin to wonder how we can create these pockets of peace for those who feel like strangers in Sioux Center. I chose to come to Ecuador and knew it was only for two months. There are many in our community who have come here because they had to or they felt there were no more options in their home country. As Christ followers called to welcome the foreigner, how do we put ourselves in the place of the stranger and embrace them?

Perhaps we invite them in for meals, offer patience to English learners and learn a few words of their language in return. Maybe we ask about their home—country and culture—and allowing space for the many emotions that come with leaving the familiar behind. Although these may seem like small things, as someone who became a complete stranger for two months, those seemingly insignificant gestures reveal Christ’s light. As we continue about our lives in our communities—in our homes, churches, hospitals, and schools— I pray that we can begin to work toward welcoming the stranger, providing pockets of peace, and spreading the love of Christ – who died so that strangers like us could be welcomed home into His family.