Thank you.. Thank you… Thank you to EVERYONE! Thank you for donating money, supplies, time, items for the garage sale and thank you for you prayers and support as I traveled to Guatemala. My time in Guatemala was incredible. Thank you Kala Kaminsky for allowing me the opportunity to visit Our Lady of Fatima and New Dawn. I will never forget the faces of the children at Our Lady of Fatima when we handed out baby dolls, books and soccer balls to the children. They were all so timid at first, but warmed up quickly. I am so anxious for children to arrive at New Dawn. The New Dawn Orphanage is a beautiful place. It is in the mountains and overlooks the city. There is grass for the kids to play on and a swing set and slide. There is a lot of room for the kids to play inside and the house itself is so beautiful!
While visiting Our Lady of Fatima, I had the privilege of meeting Pedro de Leon and his mother Barbara, the owners. Pedro is a young man full of energy and ideas and a passion for the organization and the children. PLEASE visit Our Lady of Fatima’s home page at www.asociacionluzdefatima.org They are doing incredible things there. URGENT!!!! Despite the wonderful things that are happening at OLOF, they are in danger of closing their doors due to lack of funds. The children will be dispersed and the quality of care can not be guaranteed. PLEASE, if you can find it in your heart, to donate just a few dollars, we can keep the kids safe in a loving environment. The economy has hit the world hard and Guatemala is no exception. There are many homeless children and families. I also urge you to write to the State Department urging Hilary Clinton and the U.S government to continue to push for the reopening of Guatemalan adoptions. The homeless rate will continue to rise and Guatemala is already facing a humanitarian crisis . The New Dawn orphanage is also in need of your help. Thank you to everyone, adoptive parents and families and those who are hopeful for adoptions. New Dawn is fully prepared to open its doors to children. There are beds and clothes and toys just waiting for the government to give the word. Although there are plenty of supplies, rent is $950 a month and EAC has been paying rent for a year now with no children to serve. Without monetary support New Dawn will have to close it’s doors before children even arrive. PLEASE if you could find it in your heart to donate today, you can visit www.eaci.com for more info on how and where to donate.
Mary Kinkelaar and I are working hard to get our new website – www.wedoitforthechildren.org up and running. The purpose of the website is to educate and update on the orphanages and the situation in Guatemala. You will be able to link to both New Dawn and Our Lady of Fatima and donate directly.
Please continue to pray for the Guatemalan government that they will be wise in their decision making, that the famine in the mountains will end, that the children will find food and shelter, and adoptions in Guatemala will reopen. Continue to check back for updates and check out the new site!
Blessings,

Jodi