By MJ Zelya-
Everyone who does the work of a Special Mother at Dorie’s Promise has an important role in the lives of our children that will be remembered for the rest of their lives. If not by a name, it will be by a loving gesture, good manners that have become a habit, polite character, and an appreciation of how valuable life is. But the top goal of being a Special Mother is to show our children that there is a living God.
We want them to know that God is our Father, that He takes care of us, that everything in life happens according to God’s loving plan. They can feel free to talk and pray to Him. All of us want to pass on faith in God and the hope He gives for their future.
Each of the Special Mothers, supervisors, staff, and drivers are motivated by the most important thing in this world: LOVE.
Love for the Lord and love for the children. As Scripture says:
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
—1 Corinthians 13:3-8 (NIV)
The value of the work the Special Mothers and other staff do for our children is immeasurable. It’s not easy raising so many children of the same age at the same time, but because they have a foundation of love in their hearts, they can 
continue to work with joy despite the difficulties that are bound to arise.
When we do activities with the children, one thing that touches my heart is the way they act like a family — protecting each other, worrying about each other, looking out to make sure no one is missing out. The children at our home show the fruits of love as they grow. The love we give them they not only return to us, but also show each other. Life hasn’t always been easy or pleasant for these children, yet they find that Dorie’s Promise is an oasis where they have everything they need: food, toys, a nice bed, medical assistance, protection, and people who genuinely love and care for them.