At the end of June, we celebrated another batch of birthdays at Dorie’s Promise. 🎉 We’re excited to share a little update about each of June’s birthday kids! In June, we celebrated four very special kids—Aron, Isaias, Merari, and Yohana. 🎂 Aron Last May, Aron and his two younger sisters joined our Dorie’s Promise family as foster children. At first, Aron may seem quiet and shy, but when...
Every child in our home has a story, all of them difficult. Efrain’s story is especially hard, given all we know and the many things we may never know about his birth and complex medical conditions. A Baby in Need of Help Most of Efrain’s family history and birth story are a mystery to us. Even now, 15 years after arriving at our home, we don’t have...
The past few weeks have been hard for us. We have officially been home for 4 months. Since March, our kids have been doing e-learning, the whole country has been under varying degrees of a nationwide curfew, and most businesses are shut down. Becoming anxious and extremely disappointed is fairly easy at this point, but we know there is still good in the middle of...
One of the best parts of the educational system in Guatemala is the practical career training students are offered during their high school years. We have two future chefs and a future doctor living in our home, waiting for the day they can hone their craft in a classroom again. Brayan, Myra, and Aracely have all transitioned into diversificado, specialized career training, during their high...
Feliz Cumpleanos from Dorie’s Promise. At the end of May, we enjoyed our family birthday party in the backyard at Dorie’s Promise. We’re excited to share birthday updates about our May birthday kiddos! In May, we celebrated four very special kids—Dulce, Jimena, Manuel, and Elvis. Dulce Our sweet Dulce just turned 8! It seems almost impossible that the tiny baby who came to our home during the summer...
In April, Doc Castro shared an update with us about COVID-19 in Guatemala. With so many developments surrounding the virus in recent months, we asked Doc to update us again about the current situation. Today, we’re sharing his most recent update. Can you describe the current COVID-19 situation in Guatemala? It has been 3 ½ months since the pandemic reached our country. The first person infected was...
As many areas in the United States begin reopening, in Guatemala we’re still under strict stay-at-home orders. We’re entering our fourth month of e-learning, daily curfews, and travel restrictions. Honestly, even with all of that, we’re missing people the most. We miss our friends, our mission teams, and our church! Staying connected with our church family has been hard, but we’re grateful for their support,...
Life during quarantine has been hard. Just like yours, our kids have been home from school since March. Public buses are shut down, we can’t travel between departments (states), and we have nationwide curfews, making our staff’s daily commutes difficult. But, amid all the difficulties, there are good moments as well. For some of our children, they are happier at home, an upside of quarantine we didn’t expect. Making Time...
The last Friday of each month we have a big party at Dorie’s Promise. Balloons and streamers hang from the pergola in our backyard. Our kids fill the tables. We sing. We eat cake. Most importantly, we celebrate birthdays together as one big family. Today, we’re sending you birthday updates and blessings from Dorie’s Promise. Thankfully, our family birthday parties have continued with only a few...
The last few months have been difficult for all of us. Most of us aren’t accustomed to the uncertainty and lack of control we’ve experienced. Imagine what it feels like for children, especially children who have already overcome traumatic experiences. We’re committed to healthy, happy kids even during times of stress. This week, we’re hearing from our mental health program coordinator, Ana-Maria. Describe your work at Dorie’s Promise. I am in...