Pablo and Paola
Dando Amor Ecuador would not be the same without Pablo and Paola! Anyone who is lucky enough to meet Pablo and Paola are blessed, and their lives are never the same after. After meeting people like them, you want to be a better person, and serve God more.
Pablo and Paola, have dedicated their lives to the service of taking care of orphans. I first met them 5 years ago, and was amazed by the love and passion in which they served. They where at that time running a home full of over 50 orphaned children, and doing it full time 24 hours a day 7 days a week, with no pay other than room and board. They come from Uruguay, and have made Ecuador their home.
Because of corruption in the organization they were serving in, they left. They fought the corruption as long as they could. As we returned to Ecuador, the orphanages they had served were gong down hill fast. The children were not being taken care of, and there was a noticeable difference in the spirit of the orphanage, and the light and spirit was gone from the children. They were now being treated like “orphans” and not like children of God.
Several of the older children ran away, and sadly had nowhere to go. They ended up on the streets, or back in abusive situations. Pablo and Paola where “in hiding” because the organization they left had said they were going to have them kicked out of the country.
Once news got out where Pablo and Paola where at, the children sought them out for help and refuge. They were given a small two-room place to stay behind some old friends house until they had things figured out. They did not have but only a few things that had been given to them personally and had no money, or food. But, as the kids came knocking, Pablo and Paola would not turn them away. The kids were sleeping on the cold hard floors, and only had the clothes on that they were in when they ran away.
We got word of this back in the USA, from some of the older boys, and they asked if we could maybe help them get some blankets and a little food. We were sickened by the stories of what these children, and Pablo and Paola had gone through, and sent aid that day, as well as booked flights for the following day to go find the other children.
Dando Amor did not have the funding to start an orphanage, and there were so many stumbling blocks ahead of us, but we acted on Faith. With the commitment from Pablo and Paolo to run the Dando Amor Orphanage for us in Ecuador, we jumped in head first, and started an orphanage.
They are the Orphanage parents. They love the kids unconditionally! They do not get to go home at the end of a long day. They live in the orphanage full time. They cook, clean, discipline, and fight for these kids 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
They do not do it for money; in fact they only take the salary of one full time Ecuadorian worker ($350/month) to help Dando Amor use their funds to go more to the children.
They do not worry about vacations, or retirement. They have told us many times, God will provide, we are in His service. In fact most if not their entire small wage goes to the children, and the service they do to Widows and less fortunate.
Paola is a Mother to these boys. If they are having a bad day, she is there to listen to their cries. It is not uncommon to find her on the cold floor asleep next to one of their beds with her arm up in the air, holding their sweet little hands. If one is sick, they will sleep at the foot of her and Pablo’s bed so she can care for them through out the night. She gets them all up at 5am and does scripture study with them, and they do not fight her, they love and respect her.
She goes to the schools often to meet with their teachers, and fights to get them in the best classes. She helps them with their homework, and teaches them many other life skills.
Paola also loves life and having fun. Back at the other orphanage where she came from she was known for climbing high mountains with cardboard boxes and sliding down them with the kids. She takes them on bike rides, and has fun racing the kids, and will not let them win if she can help it. The best Paola story, is that she loves WWF wresting. So if Pablo is gone she will let the kids all bring their mattresses into the living room for sleep over’s, and it always turns into a massive WWF wresting ring, with Paola leading the body slams and pins!
Neither Paola nor Pablo has been back to their country for over 5 years. Paola came to me recently and told me she needed to talk to me. With tears in her eyes she told me her Mother is very sick, and she needed to go to Uruguay and see her, and help her. She was so upset, because she was embarrassed to even ask for us for money for herself. Even though it was to go and help and visit her sick Mother.
She is concerned that her Mother is not being taken care of properly, and the other siblings, are not helping, or willing to help. She wants to possibly bring her Mother to Ecuador to be able to oversee her care in her old age. She is so sweet and assured me it would not in anyway keep her form her responsibilities to the Dando Amor home. But, if her Mother was to get worse she said, she would have to go to Uruguay for a longer period and care for her. What an amazing example to the Children here to see how a child should help care for an ailing parent.
Dando Amor does not really have the funding to fly Paolo to Uruguay, or to be able to help her in this matter. But, I gave her my word that I would do all I could to help her, after all look at all those she so selflessly serves.
So, I am asking, and pleading for anyone who is able to help contribute to help us help this woman, who is such a blessing to all. PLEASE help us bring a miracle to Pablo and Paola.