After a long bus ride we made it to the beautiful Hacienda Porvenir in Cotopaxi. The rolling hills, and the mighty 19,000-foot volcano welcomed us with a fresh air of tranquility and adventure.

We want to share with all of you some of the most important reflections and takeaways we’ve been discussing with our team after the intense and wonderful experience that we have just finished in Las Tolas.

1. We valued their work ethics. Everything we did in the community was agreed upon as a team. Everybody has a clear and strong intention that is put into the details of the work. The work was physical and rough but we learned that putting in the effort and the best of ourselves makes a big difference.

2. Even though the experience initially appeared to be too overwhelming and challenging, out of our comfort zone, the growth that we are taking home is truly deep and invaluable.

3. The capability of the people in the community is inspiring. They are an extremely resourceful and wise town. They can grow all kinds of food seasonally, manufacture products like cheese, and have a tight connection to the land and nature (like usage of medicinal plants to heal); they can build houses by hand using sustainable resources and whenever they are available at the right time of the year. At the same time they live in a more simple way, without the clutter and noise of our technological lives, more connected to reality.

4. The importance of being present and tech free. We’ve been in the community for a relatively short time and we might not see the people again, but the relationships that we made definitely have a long-term impact on our lives and theirs. Having disconnected from our phones and media for a few weeks felt so grounding and great, allowing us to focus on why we were there and why we chose this trip, and how to embrace every second of it with full presence.

6. We realized community service is not about bringing our skills to a community in need. In fact we were there to learn. Construction, conservation, use of tools, working and living as a big communal family, patience and hard work as a resourceful life style. The beauty of the service was the cultural exchange, perspective, the shared love for exploring each other’s lives, the language and, most importantly, the human connections.

We are so grateful and privileged for having been able to be accepted and invited to Las Tolas. There’s a lot more to reflect on but we are surely proud of how much we have given and we are taking home more than we ever thought we would.

— Alvaro & Leah