Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO)

Testimonials

"We adopted J.F. at the age of 8 months, having spent all but the first few days of his life in an orphanage in Cuenca, Ecuador. He came to us as a happy, content baby - unlike many of the already dispirited children we saw at other orphanages in Ecuador. We know that his spirit was allowed to blossom at the orphanage because of the love of the nuns, and the wonderful love and care of the OSSO volunteers. Before OSSO, the orphanage had one caretaker to every 25 children. Had Juan been in this situation, he would certainly have suffered, but instead, he had many hands to change, feed and play with him. We are eternally grateful to the OSSO volunteers, who made an incredible difference in the life of our son!"

- Susan

"I don't know if I can really describe how my experience with OSSO in Ecuador affected my life. It made my life feel more worthwhile. It made me a happier person. And it made me believe in myself and in the power of serving and loving others.

I had saved up money to buy a car, but decided that I wanted the experience of volunteering at an orphanage. I found out about Orphanage Support Services Organization (OSSO), and it was exactly what I was looking for. So I used my savings to go to Ecuador.

I was nervous, but excited. I had never been to another country before, and I had no clue what to expect. Our living conditions were pretty good for a third world country. I enjoyed the Spanish lessons and the occasional trips to experience the culture there, but the orphanage easily became my focus.

There were 24 infants when I first got there. All the volunteers referred to the orpahans as "my babies," which I didn't understand until I met them myself. I remember walking into the room for the first time and seeing about ten little faces turn and ten little sets of eyes look up at me from a mattress on the floor. I melted right there. I walked into the back room, and that's when I met the little girl that caught my heart.

As soon as she saw me she smiled so big, and tightened her little fists and bounced up and down as if she had known me forever and was so excited to see me. After that, they were "my babies" as well. We just loved them so much, we felt like they were our responsibility and our children until they could go to a home with a real family who would give them even more. We got to the point where we recognized the individual laugh and cry of each baby.

We were lucky enough to do therapy with the babies while the therapist was out of town for a little while, as well. When she came back, the children had progressed so much that they decided to keep having us help with the therapy every day. We helped them learn to roll over and crawl and walk, or eat with a spoon, etc. It was so amazing when I left, to think back to three months before, when I had first come. The differnece in the babies was amazing. The love and attention that they were able to receive from us had helped them to develop and grow in both their individual personalities and physical capabilities. I still haven't gotten a new car yet. But you know, I wouldn't trade my experience in Ecuador with my babies for ten new cars. I miss my babies and pray for them every day. Some of them have gone to wonderful families, and it's so comforting to know they are happy and loved. It's rewarding for me to know that I got the chance to love them and serve them, so they could know the feeling of being loved from the beginning, until their parents could come get them. They helped me grow and I helped them grow. It is the most worthwhile thing I've ever done. I wish the orpanage were here, so I could still serve them every day."

- Brooke

"My husband and I adopted a 10 month old little girl this year. She spent the first 10 months of her life at an orphanage in Cuenca Ecuador.

In my opinion, the OSSO volunteers were extremely helpful in the stimulation and development of my daughter. Developmentally she was right on track for a 10 month old child.

Many thanks to the volunteers who loved our little girl before we could be with her. Many prayers were answered."

- Aimee

"Going to Ecuador was an incredibly amazing experience for me. I love this program. I love what I was able to do for it. My first month and a half I worked in a baby orphanage in Cuenca and fell in love with each and every baby. I also worked with seven severely handicapped children ranging up to 21 years in age and learned a lot.

I then went to Quito and worked at a government-run orphanage where I worked with infants up through seven-year-old kids as well as several handicapped children, all of whom I loved dearly. We also had the privilege to take kids home with us overnight-it was so fun.

I was in Quito for a month and a half. Upon my return to Cuenca I became the supervisor of the baby orphanage I worked at before going to Quito. I passed through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's which I will never forget. They became the most meaningful holidays I've ever experienced. In January, Rex asked me to extend until June and to assume additional responsibilities. This I did in becoming OSSO's Administrative Assistant. The beginning of March I became Program Manager. Each experience helped me to grow.

The differences we are making in the lives of these children...I wish I could be talking to you face to face and you would be able to see on my face the depth I feel about this question. As a program, we work with newborns to 19-year-old girls to handicapped children with very special needs. We teach a child how to love. A child teaches us how to be loved. We give them opportunities to express their love. They give us opportunities to receive their love. They give us opportunities to express our love. We give them opportunities to receive our love. We give them opportunities to be loved. They give us opportunities to be loved. We provide love and stimulation (both emotionally and physically), at times from day one. We teach them to smile. We teach them to laugh. We teach them how to grab objects. We teach them to hug. We teach them to kiss. We teach them what their head, nose and mouth are. We teach them to hold their bottles. We teach them to sit up. We teach them to roll over. We teach them to crawl. We teach them to stand up. We teach them to walk. We teach them to drink from a cup. We teach them to eat by themselves. We teach them to dress themselves. We teach them how to use the bathroom. We teach them to share. We teach them to play in groups. We teach them social skills. We teach them how to play the piano and the guitar. We teach them to sing and dance. We provide them with role models. We do for them what they cannot do for themselves. We do therapy and stimulation and transform a clenched fist into a loose, open hand. We do massages and enable legs and arms to bend. We are making ALL the difference in the lives of these children.

Before OSSO began, these children received very little attention, and the attention that they did receive was mostly to satisfy their physical demands. From a baby lying in its crib for most of a day or a child sitting in a special chair for most of a day to a baby/child being played with, loved, massaged and worked with, we ARE making all the difference.

My heart broke when I had to leave my 16-month-old little girl and my two and a half-year-old little boy that are like my own children. But thank goodness I was able to have that "short" time with them. We had a special bond since my first day seeing them and I've loved them with all my heart since. It was so hard leaving them. We always ask ourselves the famous question, "Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all?" I can answer this without hesitation. Yes! My heart broke when I had to leave my babies and a part of my heart was left behind but I can't imagine never having had the opportunity to love them. And though it has been hard and painful, it is so much better to have loved and "lost" (meaning I had to leave all those babies and kids that I love) than to never have loved at all. I am a better person for it and I know I influenced many lives there. And though my little girl and boy won't remember me years down the road, they're different because I loved them with all my heart!

I can't express in words how much being there meant to me. I grew and changed and I can't imagine not having gone there. It was the best experience of my life. I learned life skills, mother skills, leadership skills, work skills, job skills�and the list goes on. I learned more in the 10 months I was there than I can even think of learning from one time frame in my life. It wasn't easy. It was hard emotionally. It was a lot of work. There were definitely days when I felt I could have easily left but I learned so much there and also had to go through so much there. No one ever said it would be easy to go to a foreign country and work with orphans. It was hard. But you know what? I'm a better person for having gone through each and every trial and difficulty. And even though for some of those days I laid on my bed and cried for hours, when I look back, I can see how each experience made me stronger, how each one stretched me and forced me to expand my knowledge and capabilities. We, as volunteers, went down there to serve in orphanages. We thought we were the ones who would be making all the difference when in reality those we served taught us more than we could ever have done for them physically. I came home a different person than the one that went down there 10 months earlier. And I'll be forever grateful for this."

- Amber Steckley August 2000-June 2001