Recent Comments from our volunteers (updated 2010)

I had an amazing time with Washington and crew. Your generosity was inspiring and for that I am very greatful. I loved the fresh juices and delicious meals every day. The bathsin the river and waterfall were an added bonus. Thank you so much for helping us become brujas!. Washington, Carlos, Edgar, you were hospitable, gracious and most of all, fun.
Working in the School (Espejo Nº 2) was challenging and rewarding. Although it was hard work, knowing the kids were really learning, something was awesome. They are fast learners and with enough practice and repetition, they can be speaking English in no time.

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

For starters, this past week was absolutely amazing, breathtaking, and aweispiring. Working with the children was completely comic. It is interesting to see how limited my Spanish is and incombination wiht their patience, the students developed one noteworthy relationship. The compassion of every individual I met in Espejo 2 wamed my heart. Everything... and I do mean mean everything was simply perfection, even the man-eating cockroaches spiders livened the kick in my step. Carlos was a complete PEACH! Everything that come out of his kithchen was mouth watering.
Edgar... your words could express the beauty of the life you lead, I would be well versed. Thank you, thank you, thank you for every moment.

You all are perfectio in my book.

Abrazos y besos,

Karen Shipman
Santa Fe, NM.
shipmank@seatle.eu.edu

What an amazing experience! Edgar, thank you so much for your hospitality, also thank you Carlos and Washington for your generousity. All aspects, the great breakfasts early in the morning, the magnificent cascada numero uno, the beautiful walk to the School, the adorable kids. It was my first time teaching English, these kids first time learning a new language for foreigners. It couldnt have gone better. The kids were very receptive to numbers, letters, our songs in English. I hope future groups can continue to teach at Espejo Nº 2. I hope we have helped quicken the process of their new floor and gave a positive impression of English speakers. We certainly enjoyed our stay.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. We can not say it enought.

Amanda wells,
California, USA.
onepoeticnomad@gmail.com

Thank you for showing us life in Espejo 2. I kow we will all take away so much from the experience. Washington, Edgar and Carlos, thanks for your hospitality, cooking tips, jokes and bantires. I loved all the trips to the rio and every walk to the School, learning and things in all that bosque, living in the farm and teaching children for he week was a grat experience, watching children reactions using computers for the first time, laughing and smiling and helping each other click and type, all a unique really role. I know the children will keep at the computers and I hope what we did in our brief time helps them on the way.

Thanks for everyhting,

Paul
New York, USA.

Well, well, well, this week was an absolute ball! Edgar, Carlos, and Waashington were an amazing people. The house, the food, were to die for. The work that you would do, the work that we did teaching the kids English at the School was a delightful difficult aspect of the week. I taught at the other School in the last town, “The End of the World” in Edgards words when I was arriving there. The kids would constantly have a bright smile on their face, even if they did not understand what the hell we were talking about. They just love you no matter what. This week was a beautiful xperience, minus killing spiders cockroaches.
But thank you Edgar, Carlos, Washington for a perfect week. It was purely delightful week. Anybody will enjoy it.

Jennifer Schopfer
California, USA.
jenn.schopfer@gmail.com

Thank you Washington for organizing an amazing experience for us; our group. Staying at Edgars was perfect –we were confortable, safe and very well fed. The cloud forest is georgeous and it was wonderful to have the walks to and from the Schools to enjoy it. You Edgar, Carlos did your best to accomodate us and our needs- from hikes to waterfalls, trips to the clinic, to fresh juices in the morning. The students and teachers and parents at the Schools were so all welcoming and friendly –it was great to have the opportunity to work at two different schools. While we are sorry, we can not be there to see thye construction project completed, we are glasd to have been able to contribute what we could and we wish them all the best with the rest of their work.

Muchas gracias por compartir sus vidas, compañía, comidas y comunidades con nosotros. Les deseamos todo o mejor.

Con cariño

Heather Diamond,
Chicago, IL.
USA.
Carpe Diem International Education

Thanks for all so much for your combined affords in both, hosting and teaching us all. The classes have been fantastic, I feel as if we have all learned so much with our teachers. Well organized. And our time in the cloud forest was quiet educational as well – the walks to the school were lovely chatting and reflexion time. Our time at Edgars place was very relaxing, Carlitos is an amazing Jungle man/cook, Edgar was quiet hospitable, the surrounding just momentous inspirational and very peaceful. Don Juan is a fabulous fun teacher –we enjoyed him very much. I wanted to really appreciate Carlitos for his constant willingness to help us with whatever we were working on and whatever our needs were. Thanks so much Washington for your time with you.

Many smiles and much gratitude.

Dawn Cothman
Asheville, NC
USA.
Carpe Diem International Education
samcarpediem@yahoo.com

Muchas gracias por la enseñanza y por ser tan Buenos maestros para nosotros. Además mil gracias por llevarnos a las Juntas y la oportunidad de trabajar en las Escuelas y los niños. Todos la pasamos super bien y aprendimos un montón y se lo agradecemos mucho. Fue una linda experiencia y estamos ya ansiosos de traer mas grupos en el futuro.

Suerte y gracias, un gran abrazo para todos ustedes.

Jeff
Carpe Diem International Education
samcarpediem@yahoo.com

Thanks so much to Washington, Juan, Stefania, Edgar and Carlitos for the lessons, the food and the cultural experience you give to me and my group during our stay. The experience was memorable, and I learned so much.

Que eles vaya bien a todos!

Medison… Febreruary 2010

I really enjoyed Juan´s teaching style. Being a teacher myself, I appreciated his patience and commitnemt to his students.

Kate Gassensmith

kgassens@gmail.com

Our teacher Juan did an exeptional job at meeting our “eduactional” needs.
He made me feel very confortable when we were talking in Spanish.

Jessie Metrish

jmetrish@eup.k12.mi.us

I love my Spanish class in Otavalo Joffre was an exellent teacher and I learned a lot of Spanish.

Judy Huynh

judyhuynh@hughes.net

Thanks so much for  wonderful experience. Not only did me improve in Spanish skills, we learned so much about the community, culture and country. Thank you for sharing your world, and for expanding ours.

Dale Elshoff

elshoff@msu.edu

My experience in Otavalo was “one of a kind” . Thanks so much for this amazing life changing experience. I really apreciated my learning opportunity with Joffre. His teaching style is amazing, specially the learning activities.

Farris Withers

withersf@msu.edu

The classes were geared to what we hended to know. Our teacher Joffre was exellent –very patient, and he expalined everything so well. I am looking forward to learning more Spanish in the future.

Marge Andrews

mvjandre@comcast.net

Our experience in Otavalo was much more than we expected. Not only did we learn Spanish but we became very close to our families. We were at the School  only eight days, but we are living behind close friends and families.
This was a wonderful experience.

Diane Ruonavaara, Ph.D.
ruonavaa@msu.edu

Fulbright Hays Group Program Abroad Director.
Michigan. USA.

Thank you for the wonderful experinece. Your School gave me the opportunity to not only learn Spanish but to also experience Ecuador. The people, culture, and experiences are unforgetful.

Thank you ,

Abeer Odeh.

Abeerodeh85@gmail.com

An exellent educational experience with a challengings currículo. It was incredible to see how averyone in our group progressed so quickly. A well baleanced efford with small class sizes. Thank you.

Andy Sanltz.

andysanltz@yahoo.com

Ha sido un placer y aventura estudiando en Otavalo. Mi familia fue muy amable y muy simpatica. Ojala que pueda volver algun dia. La cultura, la vida diaria, las experiencias son increíbles. Gracias por todo.

John Fruyter.
U.S.A

neighbor61@msn.com

Gracias por todo. Esta Escuela es la mejor en todo el Ecuador. Me diverti mucho, yo espero que pueda regresar.

Carter Venese.
Pasadera, CA. USA.

cavettese@gmail.com

Si, muchas gracias, estaba aquí por dos semanas y aprendi muchisimo, gracias Juan fuiste un buen maestro y me ayudaste mucho. Yo disfrute mucho mi tiempo contigo, y espero que tengas buena suerte en tu vida.

Adios,

Brett Payne.
Roseburg, OR.  USA.

Brettpayne22@yahoo.com

Tocayo disfrute mucho las lecciones. Creo que usted es el mejor profesor de Español en el mundo. Espero que nosotros vamos a reunirnos en Octubre.

Fuerte abrazo – Juanito

John Broomhall.
Emonton, Alberta 
CANADA

john@broomhall.ca

Ola Juan,

Muchas gracias por tu paciencia. Tu pobre.

Jacintha Van Beveren
Delf Den  Hoag
HOLANDA

jacintha.vanbeveren@fcdarwin.org.ec

Para Washington y Juan.

Muchas gracias por enseñar Español a nosotros durante tres semanas con muchisima paciencia. No solamente aprendimos unas palabras y diferentes tiempos, aprendimos expresiones nuevas hasta ahora inexistente, pero hemos ganado una vista mas profunda de la vida de la gente en la region de Otavalo.
Queremos agradecerles por todos los miembros de la familia de señora Yolanda por su hospitalidad y amabilidad.

Que les vaya bien,

Cornelia y Thomas.
SUIZA

tmeyer@gmx.ch

Para Washington y Juan,

Que buen tiempo aquí!!. Las clases fueron muy buenas y aprendimos mucho. Pero tambien tuvimos la oportunidad de aprender y visitar las montañas y subirlas!! (con Washington y David). Ellos son muy simpaticos y amigables, y queremos regresar lo mas pronto posible.

Muchas gracias,

Jaime Lieberman y su hijo Jace.
Seattle, Washington
ESTADOS UNIDOS.

jamie@jrlieberman.com