I need to come home! by Travis Gugelman
My wife and four boys are at home, and we are expecting our first baby girl in a month. (I am very nervous to have a girl, a came from an all boy family, and so far have only had sons.)
As many of you know I have been in Ecuador for several months without my family living in our orphanage. We unexpectedly had to replace our Directors at the Dando Amor Orphanage. This has been a very long and trying process for my family. The children in this orphanage are in our custody and we love them dearly, and we had no other options in order to keep the orphanage going.
We have gone through many applications and I have had many interviews. This is not an easy position to fill, and we have felt strongly that we could not hire just anyone. The children here all have had very hard lives, and although they are all wonderful great kids, they need a couple that can give them large amounts of love, patience, and stability.
After several months of prayers, we feel we finally have found a couple! They are a perfect fit for the home, both bilingual, both can drive, and both have pasts that will help them understand the children. But, in order to bring them on so I can return home, many items need to be put back into place, and this will cost the orphanage more than our organization has at this time.
Sadly, as the last Directors left (and fled the country), they took many household items and documents from the Orphanage that have had to be replaced. This continues to put a large financial burden on Dando Amor and the orphanage. Thank you so much to all of you who helped us with some of those immediate needs. We really could not have gone much longer without a refrigerator.
I have been working non-stop while here to make sure Dando Amor comes through this a stronger and even better organization. I am so happy to report all of the children in our home are safe and being cared for. So many blessings and miracles have taken place throughout these last several months.
While being here we have been able to speed up the process of getting several of our kids adoptable. We were able to reunite one child back with his family living here in Ecuador. We were able to bring a little sister of one of our boys to the orphanage, this is after being in a battle to get her for several years. We just recently won a court battle and freed a child from the custody of very abusive Uncle. All our children are in school, attend their churches, and are being raised in a loving environment.
Recently as we were all together as a large group in public, a stranger approached on of our boys and commented on how well behaved they all were and asked about the Foundation. The boy’s unprompted answer was precious, he told her, “Dando Amor is not like most other foundations, WE ARE A FAMILY!”
With all of that being said, at this time…and for the first time since we opened the orphanage, we are at serious risk of not being able to keep the orphanage going. We are at full capacity of children in the home, and have put so much of our financing toward getting children adopted. This is a very long and expensive process. With all of our children in school, we have had many expenses to get school uniforms, bags, and books. We do all we can to be frugal and carful with all the funding we receive form monthly donors, and any donations. Dando Amor receives no government funding from the USA, or Ecuador. This allows us to screen the children coming in the orphanage, and not be forced to take just any child into the home. Because I have been here for the last several months, I was not able to do a few of the larger fundraising events we normally do in the States every year. This has also put us behind.
So… at this time, I am asking… even pleading, help us Save the Dando Amor Orphanage, and help me be able to return home to be with my family.
There are many important things that we have to do as an orphanage before the new couple can start, and do not have the finances to do so. Things like all the legal paper work to allow them to be in the home and drive the van. We need to do a background check and drug testing. We need to update our security cameras and security system. We have to purchase some items to make their living quarters more livable. All of these expenses are on top of the expenses we have had to replace the stolen items form the orphanage. This all came at the time we had to get all the children ready and back in school.
This orphanage/home is a little piece of Heaven on Earth. We have worked so hard over the last several years to make this all possible.
Please, help us not to lose it. Your donations, whether you become a monthly donor, or make a one-time donation at this time, go directly to the orphanage and to helping the children. All donations are tax deductable.
I do not take any wage from Dando Amor, or your donations. With the sale of our Studio, and doing a few photography jobs on the side, our family is able to survive.
Please help us and make a donation today. Any size of donation helps. And, please share this with friends, family, and anyone you know.
If you want to make a one time donation through our website, or become a monthly donor and join our “Friends of Dando Amor” program you can do that here.