Sophia’s Sponsored Service Challenge: A Unique Approach to Fundraising

Sophia took a different approach to fundraising. She reached out to a local doctor and asked if he’d be willing to sponsor her trip. Instead of saying yes right away, he proposed a challenge.

He and his colleagues agreed to fund Sophia’s trip—but with a few conditions. She had to complete community service in her hometown, explore other fundraising methods, and, after returning from Ecuador, give a presentation about her experience.

Sophia eagerly took on the challenge. She worked hard, met every requirement, and proved her dedication. In the end, the doctors fully funded her trip! They even encouraged her to donate any extra funds she raised directly to the orphanages, which she was more than happy to do.

TLDR – Sponsored Service Challenge

• Find a business willing to sponsor your trip.

• Offer to complete community service in return.

• Give a presentation about your experience when you return.

• Some sponsors may even help you cover additional donations.

Liam’s Simple but Effective Business Sponsorship Strategy

Liam wasn’t sure where to start with fundraising, so he decided to be bold. He printed a letter explaining his service trip to Ecuador and visited local businesses, asking to speak with the manager.

Instead of just dropping off his letter and leaving, he took the time to share his passion and explain why this trip mattered to him. He visited doctors’ offices, chiropractors, and small businesses, hoping to find sponsors. Many business owners appreciated his effort and enthusiasm and were happy to help!

Some donated money directly, while others contributed services or products he could use in a fundraiser. By the end of his outreach, Liam had raised most of the funds he needed, all by simply asking in person.

TLDR – Business Sponsorships

• Print a letter explaining your trip and funding needs.

• Visit local businesses (especially small ones) and ask for sponsorships.

• Offer to promote their business or keep them updated on your experience.

• Some will donate money directly; others may offer items for fundraising.

How Ava Raised Funds with a Raffle Basket Fundraiser

When Ava decided to volunteer in Ecuador, she needed a creative way to raise funds. She started by visiting local businesses and sharing her mission—how she’d be working with children in orphanages, offering love and support. While some chain stores had strict policies, small businesses were much more willing to help (and Chick-fil-A was a standout exception!).

Need different basket fundraiser ideas? Check out 17 Fantastic Auction Basket Ideas For Your Next Fundraiser

She collected gift cards, handmade goods, and services donated by generous shop owners and bundled them into themed baskets—one for food lovers, another for fitness fans, and even a self-care package. Then, she used social media to spread the word.

By selling raffle tickets through Facebook Marketplace and local community groups, Ava quickly gained support. Friends and family also shared her posts, helping her reach an even wider audience. Buyers sent payments through Venmo, specifying how many tickets they wanted. To wrap it all up, she hosted a live drawing on Instagram, keeping it interactive and exciting.

The result? Ava exceeded her fundraising goal and inspired others to use the same strategy.

TLDR – Raffle Basket Fundraiser

• Ask local businesses for donated items or gift cards.

• Bundle them into themed baskets.

• Sell raffle tickets through social media and Venmo.

• Host a live drawing on Instagram or Facebook.

Transforming Lives on Giving Tuesday: Support OSSO's Mission to Empower Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Ecuador

As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving becomes more profound, and there's no better way to embrace it than by participating in Giving Tuesday! We hope you’ll join this worldwide movement to give to causes that you love.

When it comes to orphan care, one organization stands out above the rest - Orphanage Support Services Organization (but you can call us OSSO for short)! This Giving Tuesday, let's explore how OSSO is making a difference to children in Ecuador and why your support matters.

Since 1999, OSSO has been dedicated to providing love, care, and support to orphaned and at-risk children in Ecuador. We currently support 300+ children in eight different orphanages across Ecuador.

OSSO’s mission is to create a brighter future for these children by offering them a safe and nurturing environment. We provide holistic care for orphaned children by meeting both their physical and emotional needs.

Why Donations Matter:

OSSO relies heavily on donations in order to continue providing the children in our care with food, education, medical care, full-time caregivers, mental heath counseling, legal assistance, and more. Your orphanage donation will go directly towards providing these essential resources that enhance the children’s quality of life.

One of OSSO’s most important initiatives is Hogar de Angeles or “Home of the Angels” - an orphanage for 16 children and young adults with disabilities. Most of the residents are wheelchair users and nonverbal and rely completely on OSSO for their survival. Here, the residents receive the proper medical care they require that other orphanages could not provide them with. Hogar de Angeles is completely funded by OSSO and extremely expensive to run.

From providing physical therapy for a child with disabilities to paying for school uniforms and textbooks for another, every donation makes a difference in shaping a better future for these children.

Volunteer Abroad with OSSO:

One unique aspect of OSSO's approach is our volunteer abroad program. Although all of the orphanages we support in Ecuador have employed caregivers, there are a lot of children and typically not enough staff members to meet each child’s emotional needs.

This is where volunteers come in! When you volunteer abroad with OSSO, your role is to fill in that gap and help ensure that each child receives the individual love and support they need to truly thrive!

Volunteers play a crucial role in creating a positive, fun, and loving environment for the children - creating healthier and happier childhoods.

Why Should You Donate to OSSO this Giving Tuesday?

There are many incredible organizations and causes to choose from, but we hope you’ll consider giving to OSSO during Giving Tuesday this year! In case you’re still on the fence, here are a few more reasons why your dollar will have a direct impact when you give to OSSO:

1. Transparency and Accountability: Here at OSSO, we are committed to financial transparency in all of our operations, ensuring that your donations are used efficiently and effectively to directly benefit the children. We’ve recieved nonprofit transparency awards multiple years in a row - including this year - from both Candid and GreatNonprofits.

2. Holistic Approach: OSSO goes beyond basic orphan care, offering a holistic approach that meets both children’s physical needs (food, shelter, medical care, education) and their emotional needs (mental health counseling, legal assistance by social workers, volunteer support).

3. Ethical Orphanages and Children’s Homes: Since 1999, OSSO has thoughtfully and carefully screened each orphanage that we partner with to ensure that they are providing the children with the highest standard of care available. Many of the orphanages we currently support have been our partners for 24 years and we’ve built strong relationships with them. When you donate to OSSO this Giving Tuesday, you can trust that your donation will go towards trustworthy and reliable orphanages.

This Giving Tuesday, we hope you will consider making a difference in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children by supporting Orphanage Support Services Organization. Whether you choose to volunteer abroad or make a monetary gift, your involvement will help provide some of the world’s most vulnerable children with hope for a brighter future.

Join OSSO in spreading joy, hope, and love this holiday season. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those who need it most.

Not Your Typical Volunteers

We are not your typical volunteers.  I am a parent of an adopted child from Quito. When we adopted our son in 2011 we briefly met these really nice young people who were there volunteering.  We ran into a few different volunteers while traveling around the area and everytime we did our son ran up and hugged them so tight.  I could tell that these young people were so very special to the children. From that time on I have wanted to be one of those volunteers and give back to other children what my son received ..... unconditional love and my time.  I later found out that these volunteers were from OSSO.  I have followed OSSO since.  In 2018 I decided it was time and my now 11 year old son wanted to come too. In October we traveled to Cuenca and spent two weeks there.  My son was asked many times why he wanted to go and he always replied "the food and to play with the children"!  And that is exactly what he did.  He became a big brother, little brother, friend and amigo to many of the wonderful kids that we got to spend time with. He was in awe as to how happy they all were.  As we traveled around to other orphanages he couldn't wait to meet up with the buddies he had made. They were excited to see us arrive and sad to see us leave.  He taught a few kids how to catch grasshoppers, build a racetrack, do handstands and make paper airplanes. The experience was very hard work at times but priceless to see my son give to these children exactly what they wanted and needed...and exactly what he received when he was a child of an orphanage.  I feel it gave my son a sense of who he is and what his life was like when he was a young child.  He saw the love that these kids and himself were surrounded by.

Mari and Danni Creque

Equestrian Therapy

Equestrian therapy is a form of therapy that makes use of horses to help promote emotional growth. [It] is particularly applied to patients with ADD, anxiety, autism, dementia, delay in mental development, down syndrome and other genetic syndromes, depression, trauma and brain injuries, behavior and abuse issues and other mental health issues.(source:https://www.equestriantherapy.com/equestrian-therapy/)

From our director "The children go each week.  It really was a miraculous blessing that it happened.  Keenan happened to be with some of our friends at the spa and while they were chatting with a man there, Keenan had mentioned the our OSSO children used to go to horse riding at the Calvary base down the street from OSSO.  The man actually owns and runs a horse training facility and said that a woman was running a hippotherapy section.  Long story short, she (Carol) invited us free of charge to ride every week and to pay for the transportation to get there and back from OSSO.  We now take all the casa children (those who aren't in school or are pulled out) and the OSSO children every Tuesday.  

Carol studies hippotherapy (or horse therapy) in University and even in Spain for a while.  She has 3 different groups come including a down syndrome group and an autistic group and many other individuals.  The children ride the horses in various different positions to increase movement, balance, relaxation among other things that you can look up online.  Interaction with horses has proven to be very emotionally stimulating as well.  Some of the positions include riding backwards, to each side, on their backs, on their stomachs and leading the horse by hand if the child walks.  While on the horse, those children that are able to, are sometimes asked to do a task like throwing a ball through a hoop.  These things help them balance and stimulate them.

We've seen children who normally never react to much of their surroundings just cry their eyes out on the horse.  Although it may seem disturbing to witness or hear, it's actually a great experience.  That child is able to react and express emotion and is stimulated by their environment.  You can watch some children get on the horse worried and tense at first and then just melt like butter by the end, at one with the horse.  Some of the children have grown accustomed to going each week and one now heads straight to the horse in the arena and climbs up the steps and swings his leg over the horse without even being prompted practically.

To insure the upmost safety for our children, we coach the volunteers a bit to be sure they feel comfortable with the task at hand.  OSSO volunteers know the children better when if comes to the individual children.  The Physical Therapist is the one that knows best though and she always accompanies us each week.  Some children can't open their legs so they can only sit in specific positions.  Some children don't hold themselves up on the horse well and our volunteers must help them which can be difficult.  There are volunteers from the schools that come to help while we're there and there are people from the horse facility that help us out as well."- Sasha

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The Importance of Male Volunteers

We have had multiple volunteers ask, "Do you accept male volunteers into your program?" The answer is YES! Although the majority of our volunteers are women, we DO accept men as volunteers and LOVE having them! Although women make great volunteers, we realize that the impact men have on children is a very different and special type that cannot be duplicated. We researched and found some outstanding facts about having a male presence in the orphanages.

"No matter how great a mother is, she cannot replace what a father provides to a child. Irrefutable research shows that mothers are typically nurturing, soft, gentle, comforting, protective and emotional. Fathers tend to encourage risk-taking and to be challenging, prodding, loud, playful and physical. Children need a balance of protection and reasonable risk-taking. If a positive male role model isn't around, there is a void in this child's life. Children without positive male role models are more likely to be involved in criminal activity, premarital sexual activity, do poorer in school and participate in unhealthy activities. (https://firstthings.org/importance-of-positive-male-role-models/)

Studies have shown that involvement of a father or a positive male role model has profound effects on children. Father-child interaction promotes a child’s physical well-being, perceptual ability and competency for relating with others. Furthermore, these children demonstrate greater ability to take initiative and evidence self-control. (https://firstthings.org/importance-of-positive-male-role-models/)

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Turi

Turi is an adorable daycare up in the mountains of Cuenca. The children who go to school here come from poor, hardworking families. The kids come here during the day to learn and play and occasionally spend time with our volunteers! None of the children at Turi are orphans or looking for a new home. You will usually go to Trini only once during your time at OSSO, but you may have a chance to go again the longer you stay! An average day at Turi might sound something like this.

"After about a 30 minute bus ride, part of it through some beautiful mountains, we arrived at this cute little preschool called Turi. We walked inside and immediately were ambushed by a ton of little kids! They grabbed our hands and took us back to their classrooms, all the while asking us questions in rapid fire Spanish. Once we got to their classrooms they begged us to open our activities bags, but after being shushed by their teacher, they calmed down and patiently wait for us, well as patiently as two and three year-olds can. Finally the teacher gave us permission to do our activities with the kids. We pulled out books, blocks, bubbles, coloring books, crafts, puzzles and so much more! The kids were so excited! Immediately I had several children in my lap, begging me to read them a story in my broken Spanish. They watched and listened intently as I struggled to get through the story. As soon as I was finished, another kid was pulling me over to help her with a puzzle. We played for a little while longer before it was time to clean up so the kids could have snack. While the kids ate their fruit, the teachers had us sing songs and do silly little dances for the kids. I think that we entertain the teachers more than the kids when we do this! After snack, we went outside and played on the playground. We took turns catching the kids as they went down the slide and pushing them on the swings. When we started blowing bubbles the kids went crazy! They were so excited! All too soon it was time to say goodbye. The kids didn't want us to go and they all ran and hugged us at the same time! It was so cute!”

Thailand Tips and Tricks

* Our thailand program has since been closed*

Accepted to serve in Thailand this summer? Read our list of tips and tricks to help you survive your time there!

Thailand Tips and Tricks

So you’re heading to Thailand! It is often called the “land of smiles” because of the country’s friendly people. Nevertheless, there are a few things to remember while you are in Thailand that will help you assimilate into the Thai culture.

When greeting a Thai

❖    Greet people with the traditional “wai” (w-A-e). For a proper “wai” bring your open palms together at chest height, then bow slightly.→

❖     Don’t wai a child. You would only embarrass the person if you do. Simply nod and smile even if you feel snobby not returning the greeting.

❖    Feel free to be open; don’t perceive it as intrusive if a Thai asks you questions about your age, marital status or income.

❖    Don’t touch someone’s head, not even the cutest child’s. You may mean well and see it as a form of caressing, but the head is considered to be the most superior and sacred part of the human body to Thais. They believe that the soul resides in the head. Only family members or monks are allowed to touch anyone’s head.

❖    Smile! Smile as much as you can. A smiling face is a sign of respect toward surrounding people. It will get you what you want faster than any demonstration of anger.

❖    Dress modestly and keep your attire clean. It is considered a form of respect to society to wear a nice outfit.

When visiting a temple

❖    Don’t touch a Buddha image, climb on top of it or sit next to it, even for a picture. It’s very disrespectful.

❖    Cover your shoulders and knees. This applies to men and women.

❖    Remove your shoes and hat upon entering a temple.

❖    Do not take pictures when you enter the temple, even if there is no sign asking you not to.   

When in a restaurant

❖    Don’t call a waiter by waving your index finger.

❖    Don’t use your left hand, if your friends eat with their hands and you want to join in. It is considered an equivalent to toilet paper and thus dirty.

Other important things to remember

❖    Do not throw things before someone else, this is considered extremely rude.

❖    Thais find it hard to decline a request. For this reason Thais will “lie” if they don’t know an answer to a request.

i.e.If asked directions to a place and they do not know, they will give you false directions to avoid appearing ignorant.

Remember these cultural do’s and dont’s but watch to see what other natives do and how they act in these situations. They will be your greatest teachers.

PACKING LIST

→ You will need at least one set of clothing, including shoes, which you won’t mind getting dirty and/or wet.

→ You can use your suitcase to lock away valuables, if you feel this is necessary.

→ Bedding, a pillow and a bath towel are provided

→ Electricity—Thailand’s voltage is 220 volts compared to States with its 110 voltage. Please read the following article, http://www.220-electronics.com/blog/voltage-converters-for-thailand/

You will need to bring a converter, if traveling with a friend you can split this cost. Converters are hard to find in Chiang Mai and are expensive.

Don’t go out and purchase clothes specifically for this. You’ll want to be dressed comfortably when working in the orphanages.

Culturally Thai men and women are more conservative in their dress and refrain from wearing shorts or tank tops. Many Thai people are Buddhist and visit Buddhist temples on a regular basis and are more modest as they are in their places of worship.

As OSSO volunteers you will be asked to comply with the a same dress pattern.

Clothing (suggested list, more than adequate—you can get by on much less)

• 3-4 pairs of light weight pants or capris for women. You can also bring knee length skirts

• 3-4 pairs of Nylon slacks or Nylon- Convertible type hiking pants for men

• 8–10 short sleeve shirts/tops

• 1-2 pairs comfortable shoes (no tank tops)

• 2-3 Sunday outfits

• 1 pair comfortable dress shoes

• 1 pair of flip-flops/sandals

• light-weight jacket (waterproof and hooded works best)

• 10-15 day supply of underclothes and socks

• pajamas/lounge wear

• backpack/duffle bag for use on field trips and activities

• camera and applicable accessories (cables, high capacity memory cards/USB drives

•  sunglasses, baseball cap for the field trips

• To see a more detailed packing list, please see: Thailand complete packing list 

Toiletries

Due to the increased restrictions for checked luggage and carry-on restrictions of liquids, we highly recommend that you bring only travel-size toiletries to get you by for about a week, and then you can go to the supermarket there and buy the toiletries you’ll need during your time. Generally, if buying U.S. brands, the cost will be comparable to U.S. prices, but if you buy local brands, the price will generally be lower.

However, the costs of hair care products and makeup can be expensive. You may consider bringing your own of these items, but you can also find them in Thailand.

Things you should bring from home:

Makeup (you’ll likely use very little because it is so humid)

Hair accessories

Hand sanitizer (one regular size bottle and a small pocket-sized one),

Contact stuff (this is actually not very common there, so you should bring the amount you need)

Feminine products

Medicine

Suggestions: Pepto-Bismol, Tylenol/Advil, cold medicine, allergy medicine, medicine for motion sickness, anti-itching cream, Robitussin/Dayquil, etc.

Bring the needed amount of any prescription medicines you as well as any medicines you take on a regular basis.

Other

·         backpack/duffle bag for use on field trips and activities

·         Ziploc bags for travel as well as for storing things

·         camera and applicable accessories you may want to bring a waterproof disposable camera for some of the field trips

·         supplies for scrapbooking, art projects and preschool activities are constantly used and needed—colored paper, construction paper, folders with pockets, stickers, glitter, rewards/prizes/treats for the kids, markers, colored pencils, glue bottles, glue sticks, etc. are some suggestions

·         American candy—especially chocolate or other favorite food

Optional (completely up to you whether you want to bring any of this, just some things previous volunteers have liked having)

·         Sunglasses, baseball cap for the field trips

·         Pictures of your family, home, friends

·         Journal

·         A money pouch if you’d feel more comfortable using this to carry your money, ATM card and passport in while traveling

·         Thai reference material, e.g. Thai-English dictionary

·          “Favorite” foods

Eat, Drink, and be Merry

A common question that we get from volunteers is, 'What will I be eating while I'm in Ecuador?" We have delivered and put together a helpful list of common meals that you will be eating while in country!

1. Meat, rice, beans and vegetables

This will be a staple meal for lunch. There will be lots of food to choose from and a good variety if you're a picky eater!

2. Cuy

Cuy is an Ecuador delicacy and is served at many nicer restaurants. One cuy can be about $20! Don't be afraid, it tastes like chicken!

3. Chocolate bread and other pastries.

There are a couple of bakeries down the street from the volunteer home. Most breads are around a quarter and just heaven on earth. We recommend the chocolate bread!

4. FRUIT...lots of fruit!

There will always be a variety of fruit in the kitchen for the volunteers to eat. Several of the staples include bananas, star fruit, mangoes, melon, papaya and many others!

5. Fruit Juice

6. Chatos

I wish we could make you fully understand the magic that is chatos. Chatos is a local food stand in Cuenca that sells dessert kebabs. They pile on fruit, marshmallows, brownies and coat the whole thing in chocolates. Chatos is the #1 thing talked about by the volunteers. Don't hesitate, just buy 10 your first day.

7. Treats

There will be vendors all over the city and lucky for you, some of those include treats. If you are not wanting to brave the street food, you can shop at the local mall and get packaged treats (The really good chocolate is cheaper than Hershey Bars!)

8. Pizza! Yes, pizza!

Tutto Freddos is a volunteer favorite! Tutto Freddos is a very nice pizza restaurant in downtown Cuenca. We recommend getting Fiora Vanti (soda) to wash it down! 

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Giving Tree

The season of giving is upon us!

OSSO has continued their tradition of a Giving Tree for the holiday season! This is the second year that OSSO has had their virtual Giving Tree available online. If you are looking for a way to donate, it could not be more simple! Just choose an ornament!

Our Giving Tree is a fun way for those to see what their donation will bring to the orphans in Ecuador and Thailand. Wondering what your donation will cover?:

• $5- Fresh fruit for every child in an orphanage of 80 children for a day.
• $15- A field trip to the park with 15 children.
• $20- A custom brace for a handicapped child.
• $40- A Christmas feast for an orphanage of 25 children.
• $100- School fees for 5 children.

Consider joining us this holiday season by donating a few dollars to help children meet their basic needs.

From OSSO alumna, Katie Eberhard:

"I've been around OSSO a couple times around Christmas, and I was blessed to spend Christmas day there in 2015 as well. Christmas is naturally a special time of year, but being with those incredible kids made it even more beautiful. We spent weeks thinking about and gathering Christmas presents. Hours were spent wrapping gifts and stuffing stockings. The work was worth it; the planning the preparation, more than paid off. On Christmas Eve we went from casa to casa singing carols to the kids and to the workers. Several of the children joined us as we sang. With excited hearts and light in their eyes we sent them to bed. In the morning wonder of wonders, Santa had come in the night! We ate a delicious breakfast and crowded into Girasol. I don't know that I have ever seen such delight as I did on the faces around me. Gifts were opened amid wide smiles. Everyone was so grateful for their gifts, even though some of them may have seemed meager int he sight of others. I was humbled beyond measure. The rest of the day was spent in the normal routine and happy playing with the gifts  received."

Volunteer Directors Position

Information for Volunteer Director(s) Position

in Cuenca, Ecuador and Chiang Mai, Thailand

Volunteer Directors will be expected to arrive in Ecuador May of 2019.

Applicants must show a commitment to stay a minimum of 9 months. Individuals or couples will be selected for this position. Spanish and Thai is not required to apply but strong preference will be given to those who do speak it. Note, for the position in Ecuador, at least one of the two individuals must speak fluent Spanish. Thai is not required for Thailand.

If applying as an individual or as a couple, compensation will most likely be sufficient to cover costs pertaining to travel, room and board, and a small living stipend.

While there are no specific educational requirements, those with any of the following background(s) are encouraged to apply:

·         special education

·         training or experience in child development

·         have taught English as a second language

·         recreation management

·         youth leadership

Applicants must be energetic, have strong leadership skills, be able to get along well with people, and have a strong commitment to service. Preference will be given to those who have experience in International travel and volunteering.

Responsibilities of Volunteer Director(s) in Ecuador and Thailand

Your responsibility is to oversee and facilitate the volunteers’ work in orphanages as well as their overall experience. You will also be responsible to keep open communication with office staff to work on program improvements and overall program needs. These duties will be shared between the two Volunteer Directors.

Responsibilities include (but not limited to):

·  Maintain positive orphanage relationships with all staff

·  Administrative tasks such as attending meetings with orphanages to discuss volunteer work and orphanage needs

·  Attend a weekly Skype meeting with office staff to approve weekly budgets, review weekly travel plans, express any concerns, and keep open communication.

·  Communicate with other branches of OSSO via email and/or phone

·  Train and supervise volunteers

·  Ensure the volunteers observe the Code of Conduct

·  Schedule volunteer work with the various orphanages

·  Translate and interpret for volunteers and visitors (where applicable)

·  Manage finances for volunteer and program expenses

·  Keep accurate and up-to-date financial records in Quick Books.

·  Accompany volunteers to medical appointments

·  Purchase food for the volunteer house (Ecuador)

·  Coordinate visitors’ schedules and activities

·  Arrange transportation for the volunteers

·  Airport pick-ups and drop-offs for all volunteers.

·  Coordinate, attend, and supervise OSSO sponsored field trips.

·  Coordinate Spanish class for interested volunteers (Ecuador)

·  Work at the orphanages when there are not enough volunteers and when supervision of volunteers is needed.

Applicants must be committed to living by the OSSO code of Conduct and enforce it among volunteers.

The job will require frequent evening work and extra work on holidays when short-term volunteers often volunteer in the orphanages. It will require some Saturday work and occasional Sunday work, although compensatory time can be taken during the day and during mid-week.  During busy times, the work load may exceed 40 hours per week.

Please complete the online application below. Be aware that as part of the online application you must attach your resume and a letter of intent.

A note from past Ecuador Volunteer Directors, Sasha and Keenan Foster:

"I know that everyone’s experience as director is different, but there are some things that are universal.  This volunteer position shapes part of your life.  It becomes your life for a time and then you can’t imagine the rest of your life without this experience in it. We’re beginning to reflect on the year we’ve had here and the influence we’ve had and the influence everything has had on us.  We refer to the OSSO volunteers that came while we were here as our volunteers.  We literally consider the teens at OSSO and HML and Remar and HPT our friends.  It truly feels that way.  We made life long connections with the orphanages’ staff, our bus driver’s family and people at church and in the community.  Although I personally never thought of Ecuador as a place I would feel for, it is now engraved upon my heart.  It’s now not just another South American country that we might one-day visit.  It’s a home away from home.

This opportunity was perfect for us poor wandering college students. OSSO takes care of you.  We are volunteers and we work hard.  Sometimes we work so hard and so many days in a row that you would do anything for a nap.  When you reflect on it though, there’s nothing you’d rather be doing.  It’s a job that doesn’t ever really feel like a job and offers more perks than any job that you’ll ever have in your life.

When we first applied for this position we couldn’t believe that this type of opportunity existed.  Job experience – volunteer experience – compensation for travel, stay and living – working with children – living in Latin America – speaking Spanish all the time – a change – adventure.  I mean, we really didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into, but we were all for it.  I hope that everyone considers what this opportunity could do for your life.  It was a random and sudden change for us, but it was everything we needed and wanted.  We wondered if it was the right time or the right thing to be doing.  All I know is that the best things that have happened to us in the last few years weren’t planned, they were sudden and adventurous and required us to adjust our lives.

The people you work with from the Rexburg office to the 2-year-olds next door here in Cuenca, will love you and you will love them.  Consider it.  Do it.  There won’t be regrets."