By Kelly Shank – Last week we shared about the fun activities our kids are enjoying during their school vacation. As they are honing their soccer skills and learning new songs on the keyboard, Cecilia and Alejandra have been busy preparing for the new school year. In January, 36 of our children...
By Kelly Shank – While children in America are counting down the days till their winter break our kids are savoring their vacation from school. Most of our schools ended by the middle of October and won’t start again until the middle of January. Our home is full of excitement with all of our...
By Kelly Shank – 2017 has been an amazing year at Dorie’s Promise. Over the last few months we’ve shared stories about all the big things happening in our home. Our children, staff, and trip participants all experienced life changing opportunities over the last year. If you missed our stories...
By Kelly Shank – When Brayan was barely 3 years old he toddled into our home for the first time. It’s hard to believe that in just 2 short months he’ll turn 18 years old! For Heather, our founder, Brayan is like one of her own children. Having spent several years living in Guatemala with her...
This might be our favorite story of the year, the one where we share how thankful we are for everyone who supports Forever Changed International and Dorie’s Promise! First, we want to sincerely thank all of our monthly sponsors and donors. Without your support Forever Changed International would...
By Kelly Shank – We love to celebrate the big moments in our children’s lives. Last month we had the chance to celebrate Myra’s 15th birthday with a traditional quinceañera. Similar to a Sweet 16 party in the United States, a quinceañera celebrates a girl’s transition into womanhood. In Guatemala,...
By Kelly Shank – Recently we shared a behind-the-scenes story about our medical staff, Doc and Mirna. This week we’d like to share good news about a few of our children, as well as an update from Doc about our home. According to Doc’s evaluations, approximately 30% of our children have a condition...
By Kelly Shank – Guatemala is known for its big, colorful celebrations. National holidays are packed full of fireworks, music, food, and big gatherings. Family is also very important within Latin American culture and is at the center of celebrations. All Saint’s Day incorporates the importance of...
By Kelly Shank – Let the fun begin and the homework end at Dorie’s Promise! Summer vacation starts this week for most of our children and they are excited for later mornings and fun activities. Everyone at Dorie’s Promise is taking a much needed break this week. We had 30 children in 5 different...
By Heather Radu – Six months ago the news rang out across the world that an orphanage in Guatemala had burned to the ground and children had died. After the fire, our team immediately knew that we wanted to help in any way possible. We did many things like send food, water, and blankets to...
By Kelly Shank – At the heart of our missions program is the belief that we can make big impacts through long-term partnerships with communities. Last year we partnered with the municipality of Palencia to build an elementary school in Santa Elena. This year we have the opportunity to help build...
By Kelly Shank – If you’re a parent you understand how scary it can be when your child is sick, that helpless feeling when you don’t know what is wrong or what to do. Now imagine multiplying those feelings by 40 children. Describing how important Dr. Castro “Doc” and Mirna, our nurse, are is...