By George Park-
I'm back in the U.S. I'm so thankful for what the Lord has been doing for the people of Guatemala through me. God's timing is perfect. Heres a video clip of my trip.
By Alejandra Diaz-
A mission trip to Dorie’s Promise can be life-transforming. Just ask Linda Taylor, a homemaker from a farming community in Canada, who visited in December with her youngest son, Stephen.
It was the first mission trip ever taken by the member of Grace Baptist Church in Sunderland, Ontario.
Linda and her son joined six other people from the U.S. They helped lay sod in the backyard, spent time with the children and helped children in the ghetto. Linda also taught girls at a state-run orphanage to make a Christmas poster using finger paints.
“The trip has helped me to see how unimportant accumulation of material possession is,” Linda says. “Being on the mission trip has increased my desire to preach the gospel.”
Building relationships with the children here warmed her heart. She says the kids and Special Mothers were so open and loving that she found it easy to fit and help in various capacities.
Her first day, little ones were already calling her “Mommy.” Linda was particularly touched by her interaction that week with Alex, who requires a wheelchair.
“He had such a beautiful smile and his eyes would light up as I talked and sang to him,” Linda says. “One day, Lester, a three-year-old boy, took my hand and directed me to him. Lester put his hand on Alex and rubbed his tummy, which made Alex laugh. That was such a loving thing for a little boy to do.”
Another highlight came during their trip to the ghetto. After sharing their lunch with a family living there, they walked along a path, handing out candies and supplies to children.
Suddenly, Linda lost her footing and fell. Immediately, two members and children from the ghetto surrounded her.
As she looked up, a young boy with concern on his face extended his hand, offering the Tootsie Roll she had just given him.
“Knowing how much a candy means to a child like this, I was deeply moved by his expression of love,” Linda says. “It reminded me of the verse that ends, ‘And a little child shall lead them.’”
Best of all, Linda knows she was in God’s will every day they were in Guatemala. Reflecting on her experience, she says her trip helped her to put others’ needs first and taught her the importance of prayer.
“When we visited the ghetto and prayed with four different families, the presence of the Lord was so near,” Linda recalls. “I am so thankful for this mission trip.”
Our goal for participants this year is 300. Nearly 260 have signed up thus far. If you would like to help reach that goal and have the same kind of experience Linda did, e-mail us today.
By Heather Radu-
“The Search for Significance.” Besides the title of a best-selling book, I believe within every human heart lies an innate desire to achieve significance.
When it comes to reaching that goal, I believe there is no better way than taking a mission trip to Dorie’s Promise.
“God has placed the nation of Guatemala in our hearts,” says Heather Barnes, whose first trip inspired her and her husband to adopt a son from our orphanage. “Now we know we know it was more than just adopting our son. It was about our lives being forever changed by the people of Guatemala.”
With many churches and other groups now planning for summer trips, it is a good time to consider coming. We have designed trips to allow team members to build relationships with children here and in surrounding communities.
Children are always excited to meet visitors. To facilitate one-on-one bonds, we pair each of them with a mission team member—a match we hope will lead them to becoming friends forever.
In the community, you will meet some of the most impoverished people anywhere. They live on, or near, garbage dumps and fashion homes from cardboard and tin. The many people we serve eagerly await the teams that bring Christ’s love and provide basic necessities. Items that seem ordinary to many Americans, like soap and a pair of shoes, can brighten the eyes of a five-year-old boy more than you can imagine.
Don’t take my word for it, though. In addition to Heather Barnes, listen to others whose lives have been changed by the significant work going on here.
Alexandra Graziano says her time at Dorie’s Promise taught her and other members of her team about the importance of reaching out.
“Seeing how deeply the Special Mothers loved the children was beautiful,” Alexandra says. “To be a part of that ministry was an unforgettable experience. It challenged each of us to step outside our comfort zone and embrace this new world.”
Carolyn Emmert, who lives in a small Kentucky town, came twice in 2009—the second time bringing her nine-year-old granddaughter.
“Every time I go to Dorie’s Promise I come home happy about the wonderful work that happens there every day,” Carolyn says. “I feel incredibly blessed to have been there and experienced the loving people there.”
Henry Bond says his week here gave him the opportunity to yield his self-centered lifestyle.
“I don’t think I would be the same person I am today had I not taken a risk and traveled to Guatemala in order to volunteer at Dorie’s Promise,” he says.
Want to join Henry in satisfying that inner search for meaning in life? More information is available on the “missions” tab, or you can contact me via email.
By Alejandra Diaz-
One of the more stirring success stories at Dorie’s Promise is the Najera Cinto siblings. These five children were all reunited last year when now 14-year-old Mirna came to live at our home. She joined her three younger sisters—Ingrid, Ana and Maria—and baby brother Abraham, who have been here for almost two years.
I clearly remember the day the first four arrived. While that picture will stay in my mind for a long time, what will remain forever is the blessings God prepared by guiding them here.
One year later, Mirna joined them even though we usually only accept children u to age 12. However, because her brother and sisters were here, we made an exception. Having an adolescent at Dorie’s Promise has proved to be both challenging and rewarding.
Mirna is a happy girl who wants to discover the whole world. Sweet and innocent, after she arrived we realized that didn’t know how to read or write.
Despite this shortcoming, Mirna is learning quickly. Therapy has helped her overcome past difficulties and to learn to communicate with others.
Her sister, Ingrid, is also sweet and innocent, wearing a big smile each day. She, too, had never studied but on the first day of school she demonstrated that she was eager to learn. Ingrid is dedicated in everything she does and loves taking care of the little ones.
I still remember how hard she hugged her brother the day they arrived at Dorie’s Promise, like a mother trying to protect her baby. Ingrid is like that with all her siblings, including Mirna.
A normal eight-year-old girl, Ana is smart, sweet and funny. She loves to sing, dance and play, and has an abundance of energy. When Ana started school last year we quickly realized that it was her first year of studies. Yet she progressed so fast that it seemed Ana was an educational veteran.
This year she enrolled at El Shaddai Christian School, part of the evangelical church that has formed an alliance with us. We are sure Ana will take advantage of this great opportunity.
Fortunately, as the youngest Maria and Abraham had not suffered as much as their sisters. Still, they look much healthier and happier than on the day they arrived.
Without question, love produces miracles. The care provided by our Special Mothers and other staff members helps overcome many of our children’s past abuse and neglect. They deserve to be happy.
Our commitment is to help not only these five siblings, but every child who comes to Dorie’s Promise find that happiness. Each one is an opportunity to do what God called us to do: provide for the needs of the hungry, thirsty and homeless.
Picture 1: All five siblings in May of 2011
Picture 2: Ingrid, Ana, Maria, and Abraham in Dec 2010
Picture 3: Mirna, Ingrid and Abraham June 2011
By Alejandra Diaz-
Although a sinkhole that developed soon after we started backyard renovations last summer sent us back to square one, two mission teams recently helped us put down new grass.
First, a group of missionaries visited from Dec. 3 to 12 to help with this as part of their projects. We also had a group from a Nazarene church that did additional work the first week of January.
These two groups invested about $1,000 in the yard work, a welcome addition to our resources.
Fortunately, the problems caused by the sinkhole have been resolved. However, we still need to meet with the architect to formulate plans to resume other improvements.
We had completed a covered patio and a wall behind the patio before the sinkhole developed and wiped out all the grass. All the small plants we had put in also had to be removed.
Because of this interruption, we had to restrict access to the backyard due to safety concerns.
While repairs were in progress, children had to play outside the homes or in a small, nearby park. This was not always a good option because of rain or cold weather.
Although we have green grass again, we need to wait 20 to 30 days before the kids can play there, so we can make sure the turf is strong enough to accommodate them.
Despite the setback, we saw something good come out of this situation. During their vacation from school, we enrolled the older children into a football-soccer course. To make sure they had adequate exercise, they attended for four hours every morning.
Not only did they enjoy the course, they did so well that the team from Dorie’s Promise captured the championship trophy! So God does have a plan, even in the midst of apparent disaster.
In addition to establishing a new construction plan, we also have to draw up a new budget.
Before the problems, we were about $5,000 short of the $20,000 needed to complete the renovations.
One of the primary reasons for this work is to meet our goal of providing an attractive, safe environment where children can exercise, have fun, and socialize with visiting mission teams and individuals. It will also provide a meeting space for staff members.
For us, Dorie’s Promise is a place where most of the dreams that kids have can come true—such as having a nice place to live, a good school, and proper medical care, not to mention people who care about you.
Since having a good place to play would likely make any child’s “top 10 list,” we want to make this dream a reality too.
By Desi Stephens-
One reason Dorie’s Promise is able to continue providing services to the children of Guatemala is the efforts of numerous mission groups and volunteers who selflessly give of their time and talents.
Those volunteers include Pablo Villagran, a student in telecommunications at Universidad Rafael Landivar, who handles media production for us.
With an eye on one day becoming a filmmaker, he loves capturing the kids on video when they don’t know he’s shooting. Pablo says that leaves them feeling free to play and have fun.
“When I was a kid, I used to watch any kind of movies,” says Pablo, age 20. “My dad bought a camera when I was 14 and I loved it. I felt that shooting and taking pictures was my talent. After that, I learned how to edit them.”
Pablo is not a newcomer to Dorie’s Promise. He first came here at 14 because founder Heather Radu was his neighbor and he became good friends with her son.
After working here during school vacations helping the kids, last July he started shooting video for our “Reach Out Missions” program. Currently he produces sponsorship updates.
“I always wanted to work in a place where I cannot just receive payment and not give anything to help,” he says. “Here at the home I have the opportunity to give love and attention to those kids who need it. And at the same time I’m able to develop my talent.”
It is a joy to work with Pablo, who has been a huge benefit to our office team. His talents in media production make it easier to connect with our supporters in the States. Pablo comes from a busy family. His father is a businessman and his mother works as a housekeeper. He has one brother, who is a chef; and one sister, who just graduated from high school.
Not only has he been able to support FCI with his media knowledge, Pablo loves our children. In doing sponsorship updates, he gets to see firsthand how they are benefiting from being at Dorie’s Promise.
He also gets to watch them grow. And, because he has such a good heart, the kids love him and have reacted positively towards him. We love having the “camera guy” around.
As for Pablo, he especially loves being around the home because of the “special kids” who need extra attention.
“I love to be with them,” he says. “They teach me that I have every reason to be happy and that it doesn’t matter what kind of situation I’m facing. If they are happy with their inability, then why should I worry about life?”
By Bradley Burck
We've had a banner year with our missions program! Last year we had 154 people visit Dorie's Promise. As of this moment, we have 200 people booked for 2011 (and we're still going strong)! We started the year with some staffing changes that left us concerned about the future of our program. But in true Dorie's Promise fashion, our team rallied and really focused on promoting our program with people we knew and making sure the missions experience was an amazing one. All that hard work is paying off! Thanks to everyone who helped us make this possible. Our missions program is key to helping us with the finances to take care of the children in our care and really keep Dorie's Promise running. THANK YOU!
By Bradley Burck -
Maria's biological parents brought her to the hospital since she was very sick. During that time, a social worker started to analyze her case. A court ordered her temporarily removed from the home while they investigated whether her sickness stemmed partially from neglect. It’s not often that you don’t see Maria de los Angeles smiling. Special Mothers describes her as one of the happiest babies. She is also smart and starting to recognize things. Maria de los Angeles will only make a fuss if her daily routine gets interrupted.
One of Maria de los Angeles’ favorite things is to play with toys, such as her rattlers. She is at a stage where everything fascinates her. Every morning you will find her sucking her toes. Maria loves to be active, whether that means playing, sitting in the baby swing, or using the baby walker.
See her video:
One of our recent Mission Trippers, Morgan is sharing her experiences at Dorie's Promise through her blog Guatemala 2011 And the Story Unfolds.
Take a look at her blog for her complete mission trip experience, lots of pictures, and even some video.
By Desi Stephens-
Last December, a student chef from a university in Guatemala City contacted Dorie’s Promise to see if they could visit us regularly to serve food to our children and staff.
We arranged for them to visit during April and May, with students coming twice a week for two hours each day.
They came not just to cook meals for the children, but to volunteer their time, talent and knowledge to assist our cook, Dolores Zapeta.
They taught her how to cook a more nutritional diet for the kids. And, they served as teachers too, buying food supplies beforehand.
“I learned many ways of cooking food in a healthy, fast way,” Dolores says. “They helped a lot with planning new menus and new techniques I can use in the kitchen. I learned the importance of presentation and good flavor. Food is so elementary for children’s development. I hope they return some time to show me more recipes and techniques.”
One of the children’s favorites that the student chefs cooked was lentil soup— something I never would have expected!
After cooking up a storm in the kitchen, these volunteer chefs spent time playing with the children, too. For them, it was more than an assignment—one that they took to heart.
Watch more on this video: