has your older teen/college student volunteered in other countries? (orphan, teaching)
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My daughter wants to go and volunteer in Ecuador next summer-she has found this website Volunteer Abroad, Summer Volunteer Programs Abroad in Asia, Africa and Latin - Central Americ and it looks great and I am all for it but not sure about Ecuador- that seems too far ... anyone that has any great experiences or know of anyone that has gone far away ....this can also include church mission trips also
My DD spent spring break freshman year (in college) doing volunteer teaching in the Dominican Republic. She found it extremely rewarding. I'll see if I can remember with whom she went. It was very reputable.
I am sure your daughter will be fine. I base this on the following story. If this girl could be fine anyone could be fine:
There was a girl at my college who woke up one day and felt that "God was calling her to Africa". Literally it was one day and she woke up and bought a $2,000 plane ticket to Africa with one bag and no place to stay. She found a home for HIV positive boys and decided to live with them and become their sister for the summer. I guess they make tote bags and now shes trying to sell tote bags to everyone.
My niece spent a year (2008) in Ecuador. She wasn't on a mission trip per se, more of an exchange student type of thing, although she did do some volunteer projects. She really enjoyed most of the experience, but she had to have a chaperone after dark for safety reasons, and she was robbed a couple of times while out and about. Fortunately, she was not hurt.
My daughter wants to go and volunteer in Ecuador next summer-she has found this website Volunteer Abroad, Summer Volunteer Programs Abroad in Asia, Africa and Latin - Central Americ and it looks great and I am all for it but not sure about Ecuador- that seems too far ... anyone that has any great experiences or know of anyone that has gone far away ....this can also include church mission trips also
"Seems too far" is a pretty irrational consideration. She gets on a plane in Ecuador and gets off in America---how can it matter how many hours it's in the air? I think what you're saying is that you don't want her to go at all.
Unless she is joining the Peace Corps, check out the organization carefully. A lot of so-called "volunteer abroad" organizations are just travel bureaus where they sent people off on costly sightseeing trips, and give them a few volunteer tasks to do while they're there, to make them feel warm and cuddly.
I just looked at the site you suggested, and their fees are about $15-20 a day, which includes food and lodging, which is actually not too bad. They might arrange to have her stay with a local family, or in their own hostel---it will be spartan. Plane fare is extra.
Last edited by jtur88; 09-04-2010 at 11:49 PM..
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