Heather grew up living an ordinary life. Shortly after her 18th birthday, however, she would embark on a journey that would change her forever.
While attending Bible schools overseas, she had the opportunity to visit Romania. Heather’s heart was overwhelmed by the many struggles the people of the war-torn country were facing – most of all, the plight of the orphans. If children on the streets were lucky enough to be taken into one of the state-run facilities, they still faced a struggle against all odds.
Overcrowded and unsanitary, the smell of urine and filth was overpowering in the Romanian Orphanages, and though the children had shelter, there were far too many for the beleaguered staff to care for. Many infants would simply lie in their cribs, crying day and night with no one to hold them, with the missionary teams that came among the only people to ever pick them up.
After this trip, Heather’s family made the life-changing, life-saving decision to adopt a precious little girl from Romania, named Hannah. When Heather came home with her little sister, it became clear that she had a strong calling on her life to help rescue and care for orphans on an international level.
With the help of her parents – Ron and Jan – Heather started an adoption and orphan care ministry called All God’s Children International. Her work took her to Romania and Bulgaria throughout much of the early 1990’s where she personally helped develop adoption and orphan care programs that continue today in Bulgaria. However, this ended in Romania when that country closed its borders to adoption in 1999.
From 1994 onward, Heather continued her work in rescuing orphans, developing and overseeing domestic and international operations. For more than 18 years she served as a co-founder of All God’s Children (AGCI). Today more than 2,000 children have found forever homes because of Heather’s work to start and then grow All God’s Children into a viable ministry.
For the first seven years of All God’s Children International (AGCI), Heather and her family partnered with government-run institutions. However, after trying to maneuver through the devastating conditions of these orphanages, they realized a more permanent solution was needed. They needed to find a way to provide more stable and loving facilities.
The Birth of Dorie’s Promise Guatemala
These homes would be consistent with Heather’s vision to provide hope to children whose futures were stolen by abuse or neglect. In 1998, the first Hannah’s Hope Orphan Care Home was constructed in Romania to give exceptional care to precious children who have no place to call home.
In 2000, Heather traveled to Guatemala to work on adoptions there. The Lord used this trip to open her eyes to the great need in Guatemala and what she could do to help. Soon after this trip Hannah’s Hope Guatemala, now called Dorie’s Promise Guatemala, was founded with Heather as the President of the board of directors. She moved there with her children and lived and worked with the staff for three years.
More than 400 children have been adopted from Dorie’s Promise Guatemala. Countless women in the community have been impacted too through the Promise of Life ministry that reached out to women in trouble – giving them education, counseling, and providing homes for many.
Today, Dorie’s Promise Guatemala continues to operate. It is one of the few private orphanages to remain open in Guatemala after international adoptions were closed in 2008. Orphaned children who come to live at Dorie’s Promise Guatemala receive a level of love and care that far surpasses any government standards and gives every child the hope for a future and a life forever changed.
As God blessed the work of Heather and her family, He also began to lay an even bigger burden on Heather’s heart. With more than 148 million orphans in the world today – many with no chance of ever being adopted – Heather knew she needed to do more to reach out to these children and give them more than just a chance to live, she needed to proved them a chance to thrive.
Today, Heather has embarked on her greatest challenge to date – the launch of Forever Changed International (FCI), an organization dedicated to rescuing orphans and giving them a home, love, an education, and a chance to grow up knowing that God loves them and has a purpose for their lives. FCI is also the platform from which Heather will work to inspire others to serve orphans and do what God has called them to do.
Her message – God can use you to forever change lives – and when you follow him He will change you too.
Dorie’s Promise Guatemala is the first of the homes being run by Forever Changed International. Right now 30 orphans call it home and there is room for more!
Forever Changed International has adopted a holistic approach to orphan care that turns orphanages into homes. Children receive care in a loving, nurturing environment, through which trained professionals in the fields of pediatrics, education, social work, and child care provide children with the emotional, educational, physical, and spiritual care they deserve.
At the heart of what makes FCI different is their commitment to care for the orphan who will never be adopted. To not only make sure he or she has a home and food – but that they’re loved, appreciated, and given the opportunity to grow into the man or woman God called them to be.
FCI is moving forward with the vision to rescue orphans everywhere, with plans to expand current homes and start new homes in Romania and Bulgaria. With the support, encouragement, and prayers of friends like you, we will work with you to change the lives of orphans and watch as God changes you too.
On MissionFinder, we have over 1,500 ministries offering opportunities like this to serve at home and around the world. To learn more about Forever Changed International and Dorie’s Promise Guatemala or to help support their ministry, visit their profile on MissionFinder.org here.
