Delores Zapeta started working at Dorie’s Promise in August of 2007 and is now the primary cook for Forever Changed International (FCI). Delores prepares 120 meals daily for the children that call Dorie’s Promise their home; that’s 840 meals per week!  Her menu is driven by the Guatemalan staples of tortillas and black beans but also includes other rich cuisine such as comfort soups, lasagna and chuchitos, a specialty native to Guatemala and similar to the Mexican tamale.

Wise woman that she is, Delores’ knowledge of recipes extends beyond the kitchen.  She also knows the ingredients for a good life: the Lord, a supportive community and plenty of rich food.  Delores has a love for God that truly permeates throughout all areas of her life and is the breath to every decision she makes.

Now the mother of two children in their late teens, Delores and her husband chose to have her stay at home when the children were younger instead of working.  This decision was made in spite of the financial hardship that forced the Zapeta family into severe debt.  Years later when the children were older, the family made another difficult decision to send Delores to the United States where she could make and save enough money to rid the family of their increasing debt.  In response to the ache she had for her children, Delores recalls,  “relying on the spiritual support of her church community was the only way to survive these two years.  It was a beautiful thing”.

Delores considers working at Dorie’s Promise a true blessing because she can be part of her family’s daily life and has been able to watch the Lord transform the lives of her children and several of several others in her extended family.  When asked about her daily routine, Delores was quick to note that she wakes up every morning at 4:30 to talk with God before taking the hour-long bus ride to Dorie’s Promise.   Regardless of her busy life, Delores knows her priorities: “When you love your family, and you know God, the only that you can do is be the best example of God for them”.

Delores is a faithful servant of the Lord, of her husband and children, and of her family at Dorie’s Promise.