Each of us is living our life story. In our home, we’re helping our children change their storyline every single day because we know they are more than their hardships. We believe in families and it’s our shared vision for the future of Guatemala that cemented our relationship with the community of San Nicolas.
Our Shared Vision for the Future of Guatemala
Caring for 40 children is not a small task. If you’ve been with us for any length of time, you know we rely on God’s provision and our faithful donors. Quite simply, we have a mission from God and people who believe in what we do.
So why do we partner with local communities if we aren’t fully supported by monthly sponsors yet?
As we see the needs around us and help others, God continues to show up both at Dorie’s Promise and in the communities we serve. We trust his guidance. Our core values are just as relevant in local communities as they are within the walls of our home.
Our shared vision for the future of Guatemala focuses on preserving families, caring for orphans, and transforming lives. In San Nicolas, we’re working with families who are facing a crisis. Helping them overcome the realities of poverty is the first step in orphan prevention.
Our Work Continues in San Nicolas
Several years ago, our Community Outreach Director walked out of an otherwise mundane appointment in the city with contact information for a new community partner. Within a few weeks, Bertha met Rodrigo and toured his community center in San Nicolas.
Many of our children come from communities like San Nicolas. Some of them have family members who simply cannot care for them. Poverty is a component of the orphan crisis.
During 2019, our mission teams spent many weeks in San Nicolas. Homes were updated, Rodrigo’s tutoring center received much-needed improvements, and our relationship quickly solidified. The more frequently we showed up, the more families trusted us. Families were being helped. Rodrigo and his staff were encouraged. There was hope in San Nicolas.
Then, the pandemic hit Guatemala. We suspended mission trips to Dorie’s Promise. And, the families in San Nicolas began to wonder what would happen to them. Families who already struggled were now facing immeasurable uncertainty.
Our work continues in San Nicolas, even during the pandemic. Conditions and restrictions in Guatemala have varied since last March. Nonetheless, Bertha and Rodrigo remain in constant contact and our assistance to the families in San Nicolas continues.
Reaching Communities in New Ways
Although this wasn’t how we planned to support the families in San Nicolas, the pandemic is teaching us how to reach communities in new ways. Bringing mission teams into a community is helpful and allows participants to witness life in Guatemala. But, our commitment to the community can’t end because mission trips are suspended.
Similar to the way we’re helping our children at Dorie’s Promise change their storyline, we’re helping the families of San Nicolas step into the lead role in their stories of hope. 2020 and 2021 will be remembered as the years when the families of San Nicolas faced a pandemic, experienced massive job loss, weathered a hurricane, struggled with inadequate education systems, and transformed desperate need into hope and determination.
We’re still working in San Nicolas. More importantly, we’re watching the families of San Nicolas rise and change their story for the future. Want to know more about our partnership with the community of San Nicolas? Next week, we’re sharing more about our efforts to help them thrive in 2021.