Day 10: Started From the Bottom Now We're Here

by Mike Flood ‘15

Today was another recreation day, so after going to the middle of the world the natural next stop would be the top.

We took a public bus to the TeleferiQo, a cable car which goes up high side of Quito’s mountain range and affords incredible views of the city. The ascent was fun, but the hiking at the top was even better. After some big climbs and a few friendly races we stopped at the ledges for spectacular photos. We played some trip anthems at the peak. including “Temperature” by Sean Paul (which JQ a little sarcastically called “a modern classic”).

A day at the races.

We then descended the mountain in a hurry in order to catch Ecuador’s world cup match against France. This was a big event at the Center, not just because the national team was playing a big game, but because the Vice President of Ecuador paid a visit! Cotocollao’s comedor was totally tricked out with big screen TVs, and the excitement was huge. 

Top of the World!

Despite a strong performance, Ecuador tied France, and was therefore eliminated. The national pride of that whole room really inspired us. After some selfies with the VP, we played soccer with the kids and had so much fun we just about forgot to be embarrassed by the 3-0 loss.

The Fearless Leader: Jorge Glass.

After some delicious lasagna we helped make, we were pretty beat, and went to bed after reflection. All in all, today was a great day to take a break and to experience the wonders of the city and the community. We had great times on the mountains, in the city, and with the people, and were reminded of God’s presence in so many different ways.

Day 9: Journey to the Middle of the Earth

by Joe Caparelli ‘15

After several days of hard work we decided that we had earned a day of recreation. After treating ourselves to an early lunch at KFC, we boarded a very overcrowded bus to Mitad del Mundo, or, the Middle of the World: Latitude 00 00’ 00”.

First we stopped to take a photo by what was once calculated to be the center of the world by 18th-century French cartographers. Thanks to the wonders of GPS, the “actual” middle of the world was found to be a few blocks down the road, complete with funky exhibits and activities!

Men for Others, across the world.

At this “unofficial” Mitad we were exposed to the culture of the Indigenous tribes of Ecuador, who worshipped the sun and developed clever ways to measure its movements. We saw totems from all over the world and passed through authentic huts made by tribesmen of the Amazon.

We were finally taken to the actual equator, where we took numerous selfies straddling the hemispheres and got locked in a battle to balance an egg on a nail. According to our knowledgeable and well-spoken guide, special physical properties kick in at exactly the equator line, to which resident scientist David Boak did protest! Nevertheless, the guide demonstrated rather believably the forces of the Coriolis Effect, and we all laughed about it afterwards as some of our number suited up in fetching (and matching) alpaca sweaters.

The Alpaca Pack: Mike, Jared, and Brandon.

We wound down the day helping the lovely chefs Maria and Antonia cook up a storm. We ate heartily and rested well after our “journey to the middle of the earth.”

Day 8: Flying Solo

Welcome to La Marin.

by Jared D’Sa ‘15

On our eighth day in Ecuador, brave Regians flew solo, away from each other for an entire day, as we shadowed year-long volunteers at the Center for Working Boys. The Center relies on the goodwill of these volunteers, many of them recent college grads, to do so much of what it does. Today was our day to have a taste of what that year is like.

Although start times varied, we began our day as we always do, in solidarity, with a prayer and hopes for the day. I myself followed Christina, who was teaching 4th grade English that morning. As it is the end of the year, the girls watched the movie Sky High 2 in Spanish while they got their nails painted in a manner vibrant even for energetic young girls. Afterwards, we took them to the library-slash-computer-lab where they took lessons on typing and silently read books to themselves. If one was so lucky, and I was one such sort, the girls would read their story aloud to you. It really felt amazing to be welcomed so warmly by girls I had just met into a place they called “mi hogar segundo.” They seemed to enjoy reading so much, sharing something that many of us take for granted.

Following the library, we went to the Girls Program, where girls make bracelets and other accessories that would be sold to raise money for the Center. As the girls worked (and told me absurdly difficult riddles in Spanish) Christina explained that for their last project they are making skirts that they think are being sold, but the year-long volunteer intends to give back to them as gifts. It was at that moment I realized the genuine and incomparable love the year-longs have for their kids.

Finally, after a lunch break, we went to La Marin and watched the kids play in the park completely blissfully despite being in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Quito. On the way back after a long day’s work, Christina and I stood on the hot and crowded public bus for over an hour. It was just one day, but I was exhausted, a sentiment shared by my Regis friends when we debriefed that night. We agreed that the year-long volunteers play such an integral role in the success of the Center and sacrifice so much for the kids they love. To think they do this every day for an entire year, away from their homes and families, is something we should not only respect, but admire.

Much Love,
Jared

Day 7: Dios Le Pague

by Joe Quinn ‘04

“El domingo es para la minga.” - Don Edison

While the Lord rested on the seventh day, the members of the CMT keep holy their sabbath with an honest day’s labor. Despite what its sounds like, minga is a corruption from the Quechua meaning “communal work”. And yet, for we Regians, the experience was far from foreign, and truly central to our mission of living out the gospel’s message of service.

Gringos looking for work.

We started one man down as the noble Frank Aguilar took ill and rested on the home front. The rest of us were up-and-at-’em by seven o’clock, joined by kind and able-bodied folks from Dubuque, Iowa. Gloves in hand and work-boots shod, we were met by Edison, one of the Center’s teachers in charge of placing the working boys after finishing their technical studies. On the long bus ride to our destination beyond the outskirts of town he explained that the purpose of our minga was to help Marciela, a local autobody-shop owner, build a new garage. While Marciela and her husband were not members of the center, their shop has employed many graduates of the CMT. In this we saw the widening circle of the Center’s “family of families”; while traditionally mingas are devoted to building places to live, a place to work must come next in the order of “felt needs.” Treating Marciela’s business as another kind of “home” offered us an added object lesson in the Center’s spirit of generosity.

You see a giant hole in the ground. We see jobs for working boys!

The site, when we arrived, was not much more than a cleared-out tranche and two mounds of dirt. A pit about thirty feet deep sat at the far corner of the property, bordered by a deep retaining wall. First to meet us there was Myrian, one of the directors of Center #1 (La Marin), who introduced us to Marciela, “la duena de la minga”. Our task was to move all that dirt into that big hole, and though you could hardly tell to look at it, a little prophetic vision made it all add up one day to a beautiful garage with jobs for the muchachos we met on Friday.

"La cadena" está en vigor.

The work was laborious, and seemingly endless -- but healthy activity for muscles atrophied by laptop typing and all-night cramming. By picking, hoeing, and shoveling we broke down the mounds, and it soon became clear that the best approach would be a collaborative one. “Se necesita cadena,” Myrian and Marciela agreed, which added to my store of Spanish working vocabulary by one, for it referred to a “chain” of loosening the earth and shoveling it from one man to the next and finally into the great open pit. We learned other choice modismos that day, but the most delicious of all was the chicharron -- pork chitlins -- eaten heartily for lunch.

We all stood a little higher that day.

By day’s end we couldn’t say hole was wholly filled, but those massive mounds were sure cleared out. Some even sacrificed their pantalones and a sliver of dignity to the effort of literally moving the earth… (Yours truly.) And yet, we had played our part. With hope in your heart you could see that bottom really had risen a few feet -- and even if you didn’t believe your own eyes you had to believe Marciela’s. “Dios le pague,” she told us. God will repay you. It’s an expression sometimes used as a mild joke here, a kind of “I owe you one, and since I can’t pay you so the Good Lord might.” But when spoken sincerely it conveys more gratitude than mere “gracias” ever could.

What a choir!

We got back in time for a local mass at the Iglesia del Divino Nino. While hewing closer to the Sunday services we were used to at home, a spirit of child-like joy brought the ceremony closer to the kids’ daily masses at the Center, and we were impressed by the moving songs and deep faith of the parishioners. Since the cooks were off duty we conceded to our American appetites and ordered entirely too much Dominoes. What pizza we had left over we gave to the midnight-flying Fordham group -- both in a spirit of Jesuit brotherhood and a preemptive peace-offering for the inevitably heated soccer matches played out on la cancha.

Day 6: Bizcochos and Bargains and Breathtaking Sights

 by William Lajes III

Hola y buenos dias damas y caballeros. Dejase su cinturon en ordinario, porque tomamos un viaje!

Today the Regis group left Quito to explore places of interest in the country nearby, namely, a beautiful Crater Lake and the market town of Otavalo. Even though the road was long and winding, and some of our group were sleepy due to not following the curfew... we saw some amazing sights along the way.

We first stopped at an overlook that gave us a terrific view of the Ecuadorean mountainside. This view provided a perfect backdrop for pictures with our new friends. Then we made a pit stop for delicious and crunchy Ecuadorian bizcochos and tangy cheese. It was so good that Michael Flood won the admiration of all by treating us to another round.

Once our hunger was relieved, we clambered back into our seats and pressed on to the world-renowned “leather town” of Cotocachi, where David Boak made the purchase of a fetching James Dean jacket. Next we reached the beautiful Crater Lake known as Cuicocha. We were captivated by the amazing view of this natural phenomenon, as well as fascinated by the fact that the lake sits over an active volcano. We took a boat ride around the lake, which gave us a perfect opportunity to take some breathtaking photos, as well as providing us with a quick shower.

We left the Crater Lake and arrived at last at our true destination: Otavalo. We hit the street and a sprawling market opened before us, where our hard bargaining truly shined. Setting the example was the dynamic duo Elliot Sanchez and Brandon Baldovin who utilized their tag team capabilities and impervious poker faces to bring down the price of Ecuadorean coins from $1.50 for 1 coin to 2 coins for 75¢. Most notable perhaps was Frank Aguilar, who let his Ecuadorean side come out by sporting a Panama hat, Ecuadorean scarf, and bag full of hand-crafted goodies.

Frank Aguilar: Ecuadorian gangster?

Once done with shopping for ourselves and family, we returned to the bus, feeling one with the Ecuadorean spirit as we sported our alpaca ponchos, sweaters, and blankets. We got back to the center exhausted, but the energy was well spent as we brought another amazing day to a close.

This is Double-You Lajes 3, signing off.

Day 5: Caminando en los Zapatos de Otros

Summer School with Marco Polo. 

by Elliot Sanchez '15 & Brandon Baldovin '15

Today we found ourselves in some new shoes -- those of the working boys to be exact. After kicking things off with a morning psalm and reflection, we met with Marco Polo, “dean” of the Center’s technical schools, who explained to us the program of education the children pursue. He ended his lecture by asking which of the courses -- carpentry, auto-mechanics, metalworking, or baking -- we ourselves would like to take. Unlike the boys who must make this decision and stick with it for years, we Regians needed to commit until just noon.

Elliot makes sparks fly in the metal shop.

Though we each experienced something unique, the general consensus was that the instructing children were incredibly patient and were kids just like us. Yes, a language barrier still existed despite our improved Spanish skills, but nevertheless we communicated effectively with enthusiasm, humor, and lots of pointing. 

Joe, Mike, and Frank look under the hood.

Each of us had something to show for our toils: the carpenters made step-stools, the mechanics a finished engine, and the lone metal worker (Elliot Sanchez) had little burns running along his arms.

Carpentry... wasn't JC into that? Ask Brandon, Will, or David.

With our labors behind us, we attended yet another 'clap-happy' mass with los niños, which included a special intention for Ecuador's victory over Honduras, which would pay off. At roughly 2:30, CMT's Doña Teresa led our party through a local produce market bursting at the seams with its fair share of pigs' heads and cuy (guinea pig).

A walk through Cotocollao's beautiful open-air market...

... and a visit with its beautiful people.

Teresa suggested to us what our delicate gringo stomachs could and could not handle. After peering through every tent of produce and haggling for some Ecuador futbol jerseys, we decided to take matters into our own hands and make guacamole. This led to a scavenger hunt to find all the right ingredients. Once we gathered the limes, tomatoes, onions, and avocados, we set to work at the casa. Using everyone's dicing, chopping, and mashing skills, the masterpeice was made and we enjoyed the fruits of our labor with some banana chips. Hard work never tasted better.

Day's end, and a new friend.

Day 4: Gonna Take On The World Some Day

Our first glimpse of La Gota de Leche

by Mike Flood ‘15

We spent most of the day outside the main center. First we traveled to another of the CMT centers, La Gota de Leche (The Drop of Milk). This center provides free medical testing and consultation for new mothers and children. They also have an elementary school on site for grades 2-7. Each of the classes we visited performed songs or jokes for us, and when we reached the 7th grade classroom the kids asked us to return the favor. Accordingly, Elliot Sanchez led us in an earth-shattering rendition of “We Will Rock You,” among more song and dance.

Regians rocking out.

We then traveled to La Iglesia de la Compañia, a Jesuit church with a gilded interior and icons claiming many miracles. An unassuming attic to its side may claim the site of a greater miracle, however, because it was here that Padre Juan first found the space to bring his working boys food and shelter. A woman named Marcia led us here, and the sound of her voice certainly showed she felt this was true. Hanging from the moldy rafters were amazing photos of the young Padre and Madre in the Center’s first days, when everything was new. You would never guess that such a meaningful program started here, which could have been entirely forgotten if not for its role in so many lives.

Where It All Began.

Finally, we spent the rest of our day in Center #1, known as La Marin. On the tour we got acquainted with the very vibrant people who are members of this center. Many of them are little girls who are smart, sassy, and street-wise -- they showed us a thing or two!

In the states he's mild-mannered Brandon Baldovin, but here he's Superhombre.

We served dinner there then returned home. Although JQ banned the internet, we still had an amazing day, and barely thought about the world we left behind for this mission trip.

Rage For the Machine: A Note from Off the Grid

[Note: In hopes of inspiring a sense of solidarity and "presence" among the people they came to serve, the chaperone asked his charges to refrain from using the dormitory WiFi for an entire 24 hours. In the course of the day the blogging laptop was "stolen", and this message covertly posted:]

¡Socorro! [Help!]

In a not at all unforeseen move, Jota Koo (JQ) pulled the plug on us by taking away our phones and internet. He seemed to think we were spending too much time on Snapchat and not enough time talking to the people we came to serve... We’re still trying to figure that one out. In any event, as he slipped out to reapply his Just for Men Touch of Grey, we managed to commandeer his trusty blogger’s laptop. We found some real gems within, including his collection of selfies in various Russian outfits.Anyway, he thinks this whole experience will make us “live in the moment,” so we've resorted to blogging instead. If you’re reading this, you are one of the lucky few as JQ will inevitably censor us and thereby harsh our chill. And yet, considering how great a time we had without once fleeing into cyberspace, perhaps he’s onto something… But oh no, here he comes now, with wrath in his eyes and face daubed in Incan war paint -- !


Love you family y amigos,

FA, BB, DB, JC, JD, MF, WL, ES

Day 3: Home (Away from Home)

by David Boak ‘15

The first alarm went off at 7:30. Three snoozes later, four of us mustered the energy to stumble down to the bakery for a breakfast of ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches -- an Ecuadorian concession to American appetites? With this new energy, we gathered at 8:45 for a brief prayer session before boarding the bus for a very special visit: of the casitas -- shanty homes -- of the people who belong to this great Center. Spirited along by the capable Don Vincente, the ride afforded stunning views of Quito and the surrounding environs. The homes, when we arrived, were stunning in quite another way.

Maria, a member of El Centro, invited us into her home.

The homes were cinderblocks with tin roofs, makeshift doors and dirt floors. In some there were nine people crammed into two small rooms, four children to a bed, in the company of cats and flies. But homes they were, and welcoming us into each was a kind woman from the Center, who graciously invited us to pass through, and told us about her children and her daily life.

These visits changed the tone of our trip so far. They made us think about how fortunate our lives were, about how God could be even closer to those who have little. The casitas also helped us reflect later on the meaning of home, especially for the children who see the Center as a true home.

William Lajes brings his buckets with a smile.

At noon we returned to the Center, where we served lunch before enjoying a nice one of our own at the Center’s restaurant, La Olla Quitena. The churrascos come recommended! Then, at 2, we engaged our toughest task so far: wiping down the cafeteria. Only when every possible surface (walls, columns, tables, shelves, etc.) was covered with soapy water were we able to take a break. At times the work seemed fruitless, for surely in another day or two the grease and grime would reemerge. But we later agreed that the work was a humbling experience, one we did because we were asked, and maybe not very well. We thought about Jorge and Pio, the two janitors, who had to do this work every day and not only never complained, seemed to take pride in it. Later that night we would discuss the meaning of work, and how it’s already begun to change in our thinking.

We had just enough time to recuperate for the evening’s crucial moment: a rematch with Team Ecuador. Unfortunately we “gringos” maintained our losing streak. But tomorrow is another match.

The 19th of June ended pointedly, for after washing dishes once more Jared D’Sa led us in reflection about not needing to be anxious, and JQ took the opporunity to lay down a gauntlet, and teach us all a game of cards. More on those tomorrow…!

Day 2: Work Duro, Play Duro

by Brandon Baldovin '15

Hola Mundo,

After failing to rise for our sunrise jog, we gringos found ourselves scrambling to meet Hota Koo (JQ’s) strictly enforced 8 AM meeting time. We made it. Then we broke for a quick bite at CMT’s own panaderia, which can feed an army, let alone the Regis squad, for not much more than $1. Padre and Madre then paid us a special visit to speak about El Centro’s history and core values. Though no names will be mentioned, a drowsy member of the convoy managed to doze off at the entrancing words of Padre Juan. 

Elliott Sanchez serving soup for the children's lunch...

But we had to wake up quickly to make ready for a tour of the Center and to help prepare lunch. We attended a mass much different from what we were used to, with clapping encouraged and music provided by the center’s very own ninos. Cleanup was long, and 500 washed and dried dishes later we and JQ were exhausted -- but a nice kind of exhausted, free of impending stresses like the ones we experience during a busy school week. 

... and then piled on by the kids themselves!

We took a well-deserved break and regrouped at 4:30 to spend some time at the daycare, where the children found joy in scaling Elliott as if he were one of the lush mountains surrounding their city. Finally we gringos dedicated our final hours of daylight to a thorough beatdown in futbol at the hands (or was it feet?) of the Ecuadorians. We ended our day by supping together and sharing our reflections a gospel passage from Matthew about work and leadership, picked by Elliott himself!

The first of many futbol matches.

Un Gran Abrazo,

Los "Gringos"

50 Years in 50 Minutes (or Less): A History Lesson from Padre & Madre

by Joe Caparelli '15

Our arrival at the Center happens to coincide with its 50th year of operation, and we began our first full day here with the story of its founding given by the founders themselves. What now engages dozens of volunteers and touches countless lives was started by one man -- Fr. John Halligan, a Jesuit from the Bronx -- who quickly realized he could never bring his vision to life without the help of a great woman -- Sr. Miguel Conway of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Padre” Juan came to Ecuador to minister to the indigenous peoples of the countryside, but when his Jesuit superior sent him to Quito he found the working boys there to be more than he bargained for… not at all the Bronx “hoodlums” he expected! The boys shining shoes simply wanted to work to help their families, and starting in the attic of the Jesuit Compania he aimed to provide them with a combination of catechism, educational training, and social assistance. As “Madre” Miguel related Padre’s words to her, all of this was “God’s work” -- meaning anyone responsible was merely part of something greater -- as well as a response to a “felt need”. From simple showers, to three meals a day, to a technical school, and ultimately the great facilities the Center would comprise, every decision made by Madre and Padre began in what they felt the needs of the people to be.

Padre closed by sharing what he felt to be the driving philosophies of the Working Boys’ Center -- ideas which made our whole group think a little more deeply. First was the notion that “poverty is a spiritual problem”. The problem with poverty is not money, as it seems the world has more than enough of that… it’s the meaning of money, and how it is allocated, and understood. Padre’s solution for poverty was to restore the values of family, community, and the dignity of work. He challenged us to rethink what work and ownership has come to mean in America, and praised what he believed to be the “heroism” of the young boys and girls -- and mothers and fathers -- sacrificing and striving to actively improve their lives.

Padre and Madre's tag-team history was a great way to start our day, inspiring us to take the meanings of what we would see later even closer to heart.

Day 1: Hasta la Vista, Parents

June 16, 2014. 1:45 AM. While in Dublin they may be toasting to James Joyce on Bloomsday, and Fathers across the Western Hemisphere still trying on their ties, for the eight stalwart students and one chaperone mustered at JFK International today is E-Day: the date of our flight into the wilds of Ecuador.

Some in our group had hardly left the country before, much less made a trip halfway across the world. And yet for two of our number Ecuador was more than just an exotic locale. Both Frank Aguilar and Elliott Sanchez have family hailing from various parts of the county, and were able to temper their excitement for where they were going with a meaningful sense of where they were from. I’m bringing my own previous visits as both Regian and chaperone with me on this trip, one in a line of succession from Jim “Scac” Scacalossi to Pierre Chavez to Ben Klay to your humble correspondent. Many other Regis graduates have come back to chaperone in our long relationship with El Centro, and in fact, Regis can now lay claim to having the longest relationship of all the visiting summer groups.

After posing for a photo op we bid our families farewell and were underway. Despite forcing us into fitful sleep the flight was fiasco free, and after a layover in Panama City we were greeted in Quito with a gorgeous clear blue sky. At 9,350 feet Quito is the highest national capital in the world, its shanty sprawl surrounded by rolling hills and active volcanoes. It was nothing short of auspicious that in plain view of the airport were the majestic and rarely-unclouded peaks of Cotopaxi and Cayambe.

Picking us up at the airport was Kelly Jessup, one of the sprawling Conway-Parkes clan so instrumental to the Center’s continued operation. Sister Miguel Conway, one of the center’s two “madres” and original founders, seems to have found a way to get her whole family devoted to helping the center, each kinder than the next and always eager to welcome new faces to Quito.

Our hour-long ride in the center’s brand new bus gave the guys their first taste of what we in the states are used to calling “the third world”. After arriving we got settled into the Center’s Cotocollao location, site to the volunteers’ dormitory. Once inside our rooms we took our time adjusting to both the altitude and the great change in our surroundings. Our official “orientation” would come tomorrow, but on our first day I offered my own version of the tour, giving the guys the lay of the land complete with stories of visits past. The image of Cotocollao’s soccer pitch is iconic for every visitor to the CMT, place of many hard-fought partidos to come. The USA’s 2-1 World Cup victory over Ghana that evening gave us hope for soccer glory!

After dinner we volunteered to wash the dishes, hopefully making mothers everywhere proud if not astonished. Before getting to bed after a long day we reflected together on our experiences, relieved to be, at long last, “here,” and excited for the work to come.

¡Bienvenidos!

Welcome to the Regis in Ecuador 2014 Blog! Here we will provide daily updates and reflection writings from the brave Regians volunteering two weeks of their summers hoping to make a difference at The Working Boys Center in Quito, Ecuador.

Comments? Questions? Drop us a line here. Check out important links to the right. Read on after the jump for more background on our involvement with this wonderful place!