We have many great staff members on our team. It would be impossible to do what we do — serve the children in our home and the community around us — without them. Alejandra Diaz is the Director of Dorie’s Promise and has been part of the team for more than eight years. If you’ve met her, you know what a dynamic and delightful person she is.

The story of her journey to Dorie’s Promise and her heart for orphans is below:

I want to start by saying that God has done so many great things in my life that it is difficult to know where to begin.

I am the middle child of three siblings. My parents led by example — going to church and helping people in need. I remember while I was in middle school we went to an orphanage to feed the children, ages two to nine years old, once a month. I still remember the odor of rice and chicken. They would eat the same thing day after day. Many of the children would be crying, looking for attention, because there were not enough people to take care of all of them. It made me realize how thankful I was for my family and the variety of meals we were able to have in our home.

After I left middle school, I continued to visit that orphanage occasionally, sometimes with my family and sometimes with a friend from church. That feeling of knowing you are helping somebody is incomparable — and it’s what kept us coming back. During this time, God started showing me that there are lots of needs around us. Just 10 years later, I understood why He had given me the opportunity to volunteer there and to see the needs of those children. He was preparing me for Dorie’s Promise.

During the eight years that I have been at Dorie’s Promise, I have seen God’s hand at work, taking care of our children. As it says in His Word, He is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows…” (Psalm 68:5). The ways God has shown us His love have been many, but I remember some special occasions in particular, like the time when the end of the month was nearing and we didn’t have enough groceries. The very afternoon we realized the situation, a girl came to us saying she had found us through our website. She and her classmates had collected groceries for the — – more than enough food to last us until the new month came. For me, it was clearly God saying, “They are my children, I will feed them.”

It is amazing to see how He knows the desires of my heart. He has faithfully given as I ask. I am blessed with a family — my husband and I have been married for 15 years and have two children of our own, and a place to serve Him while helping others.

I have learned that it is not necessary to give birth to children to love them as your own. I say that I have many, many children — some of them are still here, some of them have found forever families, but in each one of them I have seen God’s face. 

I remember one special boy, Angel. I can vividly picture him when he was about three months old and we had an epidemic of rotavirus. He was so little and struggling with a high fever, non-stop vomiting, and diarrhea. We ended up taking him to the hospital. I stayed with him for a long time there because I was so afraid to lose him. While the doctor and nurses worked, the only thing I could do was pray. Two days later, he came back to Dorie’s Promise … and sometime later, I had the blessing of seeing him leave with his adoptive family. We recently received some pictures from him, and I still remember that tiny baby whose only family was here at Dorie’s Promise.

As God’s Word says, I have had times to be happy or to be sad, to cry and to smile, to be worried and to be thankful, to lose and to win, but in all those times it has been God’s will acting in my life. 

By Arwen McGilvra & Pablo Villagran

I’d like you to meet a free-spirited little six-year-old. Jack is an active little boy living in our home who likes to play tag, sing songs, and go on field trips with our mission teams. He loves pancakes and the colors red and blue. He likes to kiss and hug his teacher and Special Mothers, who say that overall Jack is obedient, sensitive, and loving.

Children come to our home for a variety of reasons — most are sad … tragic, even. But some are puzzling. That’s the case with Jack. He was moved to Dorie’s Promise from a government home: he and another boy there looked so much alike, even had the same name, that they kept being confused with each other. So it was decided to separate them. Jack has been at Dorie’s Promise for almost a year now.

Sometimes when the children come to us, we do not have much information about their past or about the situations in which they lived. When Jack arrived, we were only told that he needed to be transferred from the state orphanage. We attended different hearings in the process, but never learned much about his family.

That recently changed when we were informed that he has family living about 10 hours away … and they want Jack back. Not knowing much about his family leaves us with a lot of questions.

• What will his life be like with family members he doesn’t know?
• Will they be able to provide a safe home and good education for him?
• Will it be difficult for him to adjust to his new life?

In the last hearing, we asked the judge to give us the chance to keep Jack at Dorie’s Promise until he finishes the school year. We are praying for Jack, for his family, and for the decision that will be made in the next hearing.

Above all, we want the children here to be in a safe home with love and care.

While he’s been here, Jack has blossomed into a talkative, outgoing boy who is full of curiosity. He enjoys participating in devotionals. He is a good observer and pays special attention to small details. Jack has a tender heart — which can sometimes lead to temper tantrums, but he is learning to control those outbursts. His special mothers have a song they sing to help him calm down. It’s called Cuando Obedezco, or, I Will Obey.

Cuando obedezco lo que dice Jesucristo
me hago fuerte y crezco al oir su voz
y si el diablo dice no le obedezcas
lo callo le digo obedeceré
Cuando obedezco lo que dice mi papito
me hago fuerte y crezco al oir su voz
y si el diablo dice no le obedezcas
lo callo le digo obedeceré
Cuando obedezco lo que dice mi mamita
me hago fuerte y crezco al oir su voz
y si el diablo dice no le obedezcas
lo callo le digo obedeceré

(or in English)

When I obey what Jesus says
I become strong and grow to hear His voice
and if the devil says not to obey
I will ignore him and I will obey!
When I obey what my daddy says I
become strong and grow to hear his voice
and if the devil says not to obey
I will ignore him and I will obey!
When I obey what my mommy says
I become strong and grow to hear her voice
and if the devil says not to obey
I will ignore him and I will obey!

For the time that Jack is still with us, he needs the support of sponsors. People who have a heart for children like Jack — children who have been forgotten by a wider world. When you sponsor Jack, you are reaching out to an orphan in need.

Dorie’s Promise Guatemala is a place filled with love and care. It is a place where joy is a daily experience, and where orphaned children find safety and security. But most of all, it is a place where children who have never known love can grow up knowing that God loves them no matter what and has a plan for their lives.

Thank you for being part of our family and for caring for Jack!

By Bradley Burck-

The Water in Guatemala is Contaminated

It’s full of the  kinds of waterborne illnesses we don’t even think about in the United States — diarrheal, intestinal heminths, Schistosomiasis, Dracunculiasis, Trachoma, and more. This is the situation faced by those living in Guatemala City. Fresh,clean running water doesn’t exist. Everyone knows that drinking the water is likely to make you sick.

The solution seems simple, buy bottles water or use a water filter to purify it. However,  those living in the ghettos and the dump don’t have that option. When you struggle to find enough to eat,  digging through the trash for a mouth full, bottle water is far out of your reach. Most families simply drink dirty water or boil what they have and take their chances.

Water Filters

Modern water purification devices are relatively inexpensive and easy to get in the United States. You would not think much of one if you saw it a store.  They are small but extremely effective in filtering contaminants. We are working with families in the ghetto of Maria Teresa Caballeros of Guatemala City to provide these life-saving water filters. A water filter provides fresh drinkable water for a whole family. Our missions teams visit the ghetto and the dumps several times a month to bring these gifts to families in need. With this practical need met doors are opened to share the love of Jesus

Pilas

We go further than just delivering water filters we also provide families with sinks called pilas. Running water is unknown in the homes of the poorer families. The pilas give families the ability to wash their food, clothes, hands, and bodies with uncontaminated water.

Now you can help too!

What has God placed on your heart? The cost to provide a water filter to a family is just $40. Now you can provide a pila for a family for just $50. This $50 gift will impact a family for several generations. Please consider how you might be involved.

Consider partnering today by providing water filters and pilas to families in need.

Give online so a family can have fresh water today!

OR

Mail a check to:

Forever Changed International

c/o Water and Pila Project
Forever Changed International
19215 SE 34th Street Suite 106-387
Camas, WA 98607

By Bradley Burck and Palbo Villagran-

The statistics are depressing; 380,000 orphans in Guatemala. The highest rates of infant and maternal mortality in Latin America. 26% of children don’t receive any schooling.  Malnutrition claims the lives of 38 children under the age of 5 every day. 1.6 million children living in poverty.

Into this darkness we are shining a light. For the past five years Reach Out Missions has been giving people a chance to passionately serve the world’s forgotten children in Guatemala. It begins with providing the basics;  food, water, clothing, but we desire to do more. By sharing the love of Jesus with them we share an eternal hope. A hope that leaves people forever changed.

Over the years, our Reach Out Missions program has grown and improved. We have had some fantastic mission leaders. Joel Juarez is currently leading our trips, and I have been impressed with his ability to show people the heart of Guatemala. He connects so well with our guests and really makes it a point to ensure everyone who visits our home has a unique experience.

As a ministry we believe we can serve best through relationship building. When you build a healthy relationship with someone, trust is established and the person you are trying to serve is open to your help. This is why we have designed our trips to allow our team members the ability to build relationships with the children of Dorie’s Promise as well as the surrounding communities. Each part of your schedule has been designed with this is mind.

Through working in the community you will meet some of the most impoverished people on this planet. They live among garbage and make their homes out of cardboard and tin. The many children and families we serve throughout Guatemala eagerly wait for Forever Changed International to bring teams of people to share Christ’s love with them as well as provide them with what we would consider basic living essentials. Soap and a pair of shoes can brighten the eyes of a 5-year-old boy more than you can imagine. Teams that return regularly get to see how Forever Changed long-term programs are helping these children make their way to a better life.

We would love to have you come and visit. I think you will find our mission experience to be unlike any you have ever had before. You will make new friends, experience a wonderful country with a fantastic culture, and serve people who will simply be blessed by your presence and willingness to come and serve them.

Come to Guatemala!

Come and serve our orphans!

Come and do social justice work in the ghettos of the city!

Come and change lives!

Come and see your life changed … forever!

Figures are from Unicef Guatemala

Dulce is a very special child to us — she was born premature, so we have been closely watching her growth. There has been an incredible progress in Dulce’s health, thanks to the care of the special mothers and special attention from our doctor. She is a fighter — she has been fighting to survive ever since she was born. Her special mother Myriam prays every day for Dulce’s life. Since coming to Dorie’s Promise she has gained a few pounds and has better movement of her arms and legs.

She is starting to babble; whenever we put her on a bed she loves to turn around. Even thought she is very small the staff love picking her up and playing with her. Although she smiles less than the other babies, she is an observer, always watching whats happening around her. She loves her bath time and is more and more accepting of affection. We often talk to her and ask her questions; she responds by smiling or cooing. Her favorite drink is soy milk. She loves playing in her crib or just being held by her special mothers Janeth and Myriam. We think she is such a cute baby.

Pray with us for her continued development, and that she would not have developmental delays due to her premature birth. Please take some time to get to know Dulce on our site. She is currently only 40 percent sponsored. Over the next few months, we would love to see that reach 100 percent. We also would love to have you come to Guatemala City to see Dulce for yourself.

Source:Alejandra Díaz.

By Claudia Roncal-

Today, I want to give you a report on the educational programs in which our children at Dorie’s Promise are involved.  These programs cover three main areas: Home schooling, Preschool, and our School Support Program.

Home Schooling

Mirna, our 15-year-old student, is the only child currently involved in our home schooling program.  She participates in a distance education program, and receives teaching based on a 3^rd grade level curriculum.  Her curriculum covers the following subjects:

• Spanish
• Math
• Social Studies
• Science
• Music
• English
• Art

Her typical school day is divided into two parts: one-to-one tutoring and individual study.  Her tutoring sessions run for two hours in the morning, when she covers specific topics of study with her tutor.  For two hours in the afternoon, Mirna engages in the assignments and homework given by her tutor for individual study.

Additionally, Mirna assists the individual in charge of Child Development as a complement to her regular studies.  This gives Mirna a chance to learn about Child Development and to be in an environment where she is given responsibilities.

Future goals for our homeschooling program are to include visits to museums, a computer class, research projects, developing a life plan, and other roles in which students can be assigned responsibilities.

Preschool Program

Our preschool program serves seven children between ages 5-7.  The objective for the program is to give all children an education that meets or exceeds national standards while meeting specific individual needs.

Education within this program includes the following subjects:

• Motor skills
• Environmental Education
• Cognitive Skills
• Emotional Development
• Art
• Spirituality
• Speech Development

The goal is to prepare these children to transfer to a formal school outside of Dorie’s Promise after one year in the program.  Other goals are based on the needs of individual children, including family dynamics, coping skills, speech therapy, and gender roles.

School Support Program

The school support program includes four boys and eleven girls who attend schools outside of Dorie’s Promise.  This program provides needed interventions for girls and boys who may need additional assistance integrating into a new and challenging academic and social environment.

The schools that children in this program are attending are:

• Shaddai
• Escuela Nivel Parvulario Pública
• Colegio Kipling

We develop individualized agendas for each child in the school support program to ensure that they are doing well academically, socially, and developmentally.  Agendas are a guide for us to use while children work on homework and reading assignments.  These agendas are also used to ensure communication lines with these schools remain open about meetings, events, and any special concerns regarding each respective child.

Child Development Program

This program serves six children between the ages 2-3.  Within the current structure, children participate in activities lasting two hours daily for 10 hours per week.  The program is designed specifically to foster the development of age-related skills and milestones, and takes place in specific areas like the play room, the preschool room, and some outdoor areas like the garden, depending on the activities scheduled for the day.

Our Education Programs provide much-needed support to children who are in a sensitive and sometimes challenging academic and social environment.  We hope to continue to support the development of the children under our care through the continuation of these programs.

By Dr. Francisco Castro-Barillas-

I want to give you a report on our Health Program at Dorie’s Promise, outlining our achievements in the previous year and our successful support of the care provided to our children.  This program has been an invaluable support to Forever Changed and Dorie’s Promise’s goal to provide a loving Christian home for children to grow, thrive, develop, and reach their full potential.

Our medical program has accomplished many achievements in 2012.  We have fulfilled all administrative, Health Program, and clinical duties.  One hundred percent of the illnesses at Dorie’s Promise have been solved satisfactorily and have not returned or resulted in complications thanks to early interventions, preventive measures, and close monitoring.  Every child continues to receive comprehensive, personalized pediatric medical attention.  In 2012, their health needs were properly attended to on a daily and as-needed basis and continue to be.  Not a single dangerous infectious disease outbreak has happened since 2007 (before my arrival).  Every new child presenting to Dorie’s Promise with acute undernourishment has fully recovered within two weeks of coming into our care.

Dental cavities have been attended to and treated in 97% of cases.  A few children are still being treated, and two have not been able to receive attention due to psychological concerns and/or developmental delay.  Obesity has not been a concern for most of our children, except that five of them remain overweight.

Our health program has proven extremely proficient in handling health concerns independently: 97% of illnesses were solved by our Health Program at Dorie’s Promise through physician and nursing interventions—only 3% of health problems needed a second opinion or the utilization of outside facilities.

In addition to providing for the care of our children, the nurse and I were able to give medical attention to Dorie’s Promise personnel and families (with 225 medical and 350 nurse consultations).  We have an open-door policy for our families and personnel.  These interventions and preventative measures allowed us to address illnesses and prevent infectious disease outbreaks in our facility.  The nurse and I were also able to provide education and medical attention for missionaries and other visitors, ensuring that health concerns were addressed as needed.

Thanks to our Health Program, Forever Changed has saved a large amount of money, being supported by US and Guatemalan donations.  100% of our vaccines were donated by our Guatemalan friends and the Ministry of Health’s donations. 97% of laboratory procedures and tests have been performed for free (80% by private lab donations and 17% by public hospital assistance).

Overall, the Health Program has enabled us to provide a much needed service that supports the safety, well-being, and development of our children in Dorie’s Promise.  We look forward to continuing our service in the coming year.

Today as we loaded into the van, we brought with us money and bags to buy and carry our treasures. The drive was similiar to the ones we’ve experienced throughout the week. However, the trip to Antigua was longer and involved travelling up and down some steep roads. But it was highway the whole way, so we had very good roads, even though the motorcycles are scary weaving in and out of traffic. When we reached Antigua, we drove up a mountain and got out of the van to walk to a large cross overlooking a beautiful view of the city. There were volcanos in the background, and the city spread below. Joel told us a little of the history of Guatemala´s 3rd capital, which was mostly destroyed by two earthquakes in 1733 and 1773. It´s hard for Americans to comprehend a country on its 3rd capital city in the 1700s. After this stop, we drove back down the mountain and into the city to a market. There were so many beautiful things for sale! It was a little overwhelming for the Mabrys, but Jennifer discovered a great talent for bargaining. The rest of us were grateful that the section we went to were Joel´s Christian friends, who quoted us good prices and didn´t make us work too hard to get good buys. These things are all handmade locally and display the bright colors typical of Guatemala.

We had lunch at Monoloco, which means Crazy Monkey. We had nachos and quesadillas and ice cream until we thought we would pop. Then we walked off a few calories heading over to one of the cathedrals that was ruined in the 1773 earthquake. While the domes were gone, the huge brick archways remained, and we got to see a float used in a Holy Week parade. While some of the cathedrals were rebuilt, this one is used mostly like a museum, although there were some places used as prayer stations with candles to light. We walked the cobblestone streets back to our van and headed for home.

Back at the orphanage, we played with the children in the backyard for a while, then came in for debrief and prayer. Afterwards, we went back to the middle-aged children who had been bathed and were all sweet-smelling, and played with them, helped with dinner, and watched movies before putting children to bed. Unfortunately, we waited all we to discover the joy of watching tv with a dozen children while they cuddle up with you to sleep. Next time we will definitely take advantage of this joy every night!

After  prayer, we loaded up the remainder of the clothes, all of the shoes, a case of baby wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, toys, and candy to share with the community. The trip to the dump ghetto wasn´t very long. We stopped on the way at a store where Joel spoke with a woman about getting the two Pilas that we would install in the neighborhood. Pilas are a type of concrete sink that the families in the community use to wash all of the items they gather from the dump throughout the day.

It was only a few blocks later when we arrived at a community with walls made of sheet metal. Dogs were running around and some people could be seen going through bags of trash and sorting out plastic, metal, and any other objects that could be sold in the market. The road was narrow, but we only drove about a quarter of a mile before we stopped the car and unloaded the supplies into a small building where we were told to set up the donations. We went outside to help the men unload the pilas, each of which weigh about 500 pounds. Then we went back inside to organize shoes and clothes by size, and lay out the toys. Each mother coming through would receive either shoes or a piece of clothing for their child, a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, floss, and a toy. While they waited in line, Kate helped clean the children´s hands and faces with wipes, gave extra wipes out, and shared candy with the people (the adults loved it too!). Meanwhile, Brian took pictures of everything. Alyssa, Jennifer, and Michelle were in charge of making sure everybody got something that they needed, but no extra. It was incredibly touching to see people with no shoes or clothes that didn´t fit leave with something they really needed.

They sounded an alarm that sounded much like our tornado sirens or car alarms, which alerted the people that donations were ready to be handed out. Many people came and stood in line in the hot sun, waiting patiently for their turn to receive their gifts. We were impressed with how polite they were, with no pushing or complaining, just gratitude. Joel commented later that God multiplied the gifts, like Jesus did with the bread and fishes. It certainly seemed that way, as many many people came through, but we hardly seemed to make a dent in the toothbrushes and toothpaste. Everything that wasn´t passed out to the current group was left there to be distributed later. One of the women in charge showed us where the pilas had been put, then we left for home.

After lunch we watched a documentary about the recent history of Guatemala, which told how the country went from relative prosperity to areas of overwhelming poverty in the last 60 years. The joy of the story is how Guatemalans are working to improve living conditions, bring work, and help young men get out of gangs. We have seen this same determination, persistence, and faith in all of the groups that we have worked with this week. While life is difficult, people are focused on making things better for the next generation.

Then it was time to go back outside to play with the children. It´s heartwarming how excited they are when we come out. We love pushing them on the swings, kicking the ball with them, carrying them on our shoulders and playing tag. We know them well enough now to see them as individuals with different personalities, and to know what kind of play they like. We know who is going to want to be held, who will go through our pockets looking for treats, which toddler will make a break for the big playset they aren´t allowed to play on, and who will try to steal Kate´s shoes! They pass around Alyssa´s telephone to play with (and navigate the games very well) and we know enough Spanish to ask them to share. The mothers keep a close eye on them and make sure they all behave. We also distributed the gifts to the mothers who were working today and they were all very appreciative. They give so much of themselves to the children, and we  hope that these little gifts for them will make them happy.

We finished the day completely filthy, but full of love and true amazement by how God worked for and through us to do miraculous things! Dios es muy grande! Dios es muy bueno! Alaba a Dios!

By Bradley Burck-

Meet Juanita—a friend of Forever Changed who is an integral part of the work that we do in the community surrounding Dorie’s Promise.  It’s hard to imagine what a challenge it would be to organize service projects in the ghetto and prioritize the needs of the community without her.

Juanita is a mother of eight children—six boys and two girls—and lives in a poor community in Guatemala City.  She attends a catholic church close to her home named San Vicente Pavon.

A part of what makes her truly amazing is the smile she gives to Forever Changed missionary groups when they arrive at the ghetto to serve.  She always meets us with a large group of neighbors she has gathered together to help with donated supplies.  Then she guides the missionaries to homes in the community that have the greatest needs, and we pray with her for the families that we serve.  During the day, she often organizes a soccer game with the older children in the community, and sets up piñatas for the little ones.  Her tostadas and guacamole are always provided to our missionaries as a thank you gift.

Juanita works closely with our mission coordinator to plan visits to the ghetto and projects that take place there in addition to guiding the missionary groups as they serve.  She has been a great help to us in activities like building new houses for families, repairing and improving the homes of the poorest members of the community, and many other projects we do to serve and reach out to people in need.

When I think of Juanita, I think of what an incredible connection we have to the community through her.  Everybody loves, respects, and trusts her.  She does wonders for the organization, administration, and safety of the work that we do in the ghetto.  Without her, it wouldn’t be possible to build trusting relationships so quickly with the members of that community.

But what I think of most of all is Juanita’s heart to serve everyone around her and reach out to others for God’s glory.  Her dream is to make her neighborhood a better place for the generations to come.  Her desire to serve and help our team is a Godsend!