Alexis Reed is a 19-year-old student double majoring in nutrition and dance at Ohio University. This summer, she had a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in Ecuador for 40 days for a mission’s trip with Extreme Nazarene. Reed first heard about the program when two people affiliated with Extreme Nazarene came to speak at her church. They filled her in on what the experience would entail, and after one brief speech, Reed was hooked.
Reed spent the majority of her 40 days in Quito, Ecuador with 12 other college-aged students, but there were times during the trip where she was living in close quarters with up to 35 people. In the group there were only a handful of people who had a solid grasp on the Spanish language. Reed had only ever taken French, but by the end of her trip she was able to pick up on many more Spanish words; this language barrier did not stop her from embracing the culture. “It is much easier to enjoy new cultures and a new environment when you don’t know what to expect. It makes it easier to adjust so you don’t have a huge culture shock,” said Reed. One of her favorite parts of the Ecuadorian culture was how friendly everyone is. For example, if two strangers stood next to one another on a bus, there would be no hesitation to simply strike up a conversation.
Although most of their time was spent in Quito doing missionary work such as spreading the word of their church and cleaning up the city, they also spent ten days in Manta and a weekend each in Mindo, Ibarra and Otavalo. Reed went on an abundance of hikes including an intended 8 mile hike that turned into 16 miles around a volcano. She went zip lining through the cloud forest and tubing down a river in Mindo, as well as jumping off a 75 foot cliff with just a rope attached to her. This summer abroad was a chance for Reed to impact people’s lives and openly embrace a new culture. “If anyone is thinking about traveling abroad, not even just specifically for a missions trip, there are a lot of different programs offered,” said Reed. “I think everyone should have the chance to explore the world and discover what normal is for different people.”
(Photos courtesy of Alexis Reed)