After settling in with my host family in Guayaquil, Ecuador, I begin to feel more at home. I get to know my host parents Tarcisio and Julia and their three children Diana, Fabian and Juan Sebastian.

There are two other international students also living with us, one from Germany and one from France.

For four months, I am adopted into this family. Together, we share meals, stories, experiences, living space, thoughts, feelings, and our cultures.

Our differences in appearance are literally only skin-deep. In our hearts and in our souls, we find common ground. 

Professors at the university help me adapt to living in a world where Spanish is the dominant language.

No longer contained to a textbook or a classroom, Spanish is now everywhere I turn. It is the language of the government, the universities, the street, and the home.

My classes are practical; I am able to apply my new knowledge as soon as I step out of the classroom. I eagerly devour new information about this culture and its language. Language is the key to unlock differences and foster greater understanding and communication.

I find a church close to my house and get involved with their college-age group. It is here I find my closest friends and connect with others despite our differences. With these friends, I play soccer, go bowling, celebrate birthday parties, travel and have fun.

We also invest in each other, learn from one other, share our hearts and worship together. I volunteer at an after-school program called Ninos con Futuro (Children with a Future).

This school was established by the government to serve low-income families with few resources. I teach English, play games and plan activities for these young Ecuadorians. This opportunity allows me to serve, contribute and hopefully have a positive impact on the community in which I live.

Time passes. Friendships form. A language is learned. Understanding increases. Through my experiences the world shrinks. The unknown becomes known, the unfamiliar becomes familiar and similarities surpass differences. The differences do not disappear but my focus changes.

I no longer am overwhelmed by difference because I can see similarities. Through my relationships with the members of the church, I realize that although we are different, we are fundamentally the same. Barriers that once separated us are now broken down because we have the same desires, the same needs and the same passions.

We share the same priorities: God, family, and friends. Our differences in appearance are literally only skin-deep. In our hearts and in our souls we find common ground. The same fire burns within us, giving us purpose, identity and significance. It is through these transcendental connections that this big world that we live in becomes a little smaller.