Mission
To transform lives, one child at a time with faith, love and hope
Vision
To break the cycle of ignorance, poverty and abuse by providing a safe and healthy environment for children to grow in thus, helping them to become productive citizens of society
OUR VALUES
Compassion • Respect • Integrity • Responsibility • Family • Love
our pillars
FAITH
Through the years, hundreds of children have been saved by Misioneros Del Camino. Their heart wrenching stories of how they were abused by their parents, family members or both causes them to lose their faith in humanity. Their trust in others is shattered by the atrocities they experienced as small children.
At Misioneros Del Camino they receive the compassion, love and respect every child deserves as they begin to rebuild their faith in humanity. Faith in God is also a key part of the process as well as learning to be loved by all their brother and sisters at the home. As time passes, their lives and their faith are transformed with the unconditional love they receive at the home.
LOVE
When children arrive at MDC that have been abused and abandoned they all have one thing in common, the absence of love. From the moment children are born they should feel the warmth and happiness that comes with being loved. Once that feeling of being safe and trusting is violated they become recluse and angry. The way to get through to them and transform their lives is through unconditional love. Love is at the core of Misioneros Del Camino; it is in our mission, our vision and our values.
HOPE
As faith and love are restored, the children begin to experience what it is to have hope. Hope in every sense of the word; optimism, desire, ambition and most importantly, hope for the future. From the depth of depression, introverted and anger to a feeling that everything will work out o.k. all thanks to the transformative process centered on the core principle of unconditional love.
Susana sala PORTELA
DIRECTOR
Susana Sala Portela has been working at Misioneros Del Camino since 2001. She is known to many as “Susy” or “Tia Susy” (Aunt Susy) to the kids at the home. She began working with MDC at the Miami warehouse processing the many different items that were dropped off as donations, cataloguing each item, packing and preparing them for shipment to Guatemala. When Leonor needed someone to work in the Miami office after a trusted employee could no longer work full time, she personally asked Susy to assume that role. Susy quickly learned what needed to be done to run the office efficiently including administrative duties, monthly mailings, donations, banking etc. and has since then been in charge of MDC Miami operations.
Susy began traveling to Guatemala in 2004 to assist with the medical missions and help Leonor with whatever needed to be done around the home. Through the years when Leonor traveled to Miami for fundraising events and meetings Susy was her personal assistant. They would spend everyday together on the road and in the office reviewing every detail of the office’s day to day operation. When Jose, Leonor’s son moved to Miami, Susy was his right-hand person solving issues and tasks that needed extra attention.
In June 2018 when Jose passed after a long battle with his disease, the board unanimously agreed to appoint Susana Sala Portela as the Director of Misioneros Del Camino.
Having spent all of those years learning every detail of the day to day operations of Misionero Del Camino and being Leonor’s niece, prepared Susy to be the perfect person to carry on Leonor’s legacy of “Unconditional Love.”
Misioneros Del Camino- The Home
Roxana Castellanos González de Navas
Roxana was born in the nearby municipality of Santo Domingo Xenacoj. Her family’s strong religious beliefs and upbringing were only strengthened by attending Catholic schools all her life. She was certified to be an elementary school teacher but continued on to the university and graduated with a degree in psychology. Roxana then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Human Dynamics and Mental Health. Prior to MDC, Roxana worked in schools and at the local hospital, San Juan de Dios.
She met her husband in 2004 who introduced her to Leonor as his future wife. Leonor told him she thought Roxana was a good, decent and educated person. As she was saying goodbye, Leonor said to her, “some day you’ll work at MDC,” at the time she didn’t give it a second thought. In 2008 they were married on the grounds of Misioneros Del Camino and now have two daughters and a son who were all introduced to Leonor shortly after they were born.
Roxana has always been close to the Home since her family has been an integral part of Misioneros’ history. Her sister Tuti, ran the home for many years and was Leonor’s right hand person in charge of daily operations. Her parents and siblings have always provided the transportation needs of the Home for individuals and groups traveling to Guatemala to visit MDC.
Roxana is amazed at how God works his miracles. Although meaningless at the time, she now sees how Leonor’s words have become her reality. Today she finds herself in charge of MDC helping to provide the children with a welcoming home to live in.
Roxana’s patient personality is perfect for her current role as Director of the Home. Her strong faith along with her abundance of caring and love for the children make her the ideal candidate to carry on Leonor’s legacy of, unconditional love.
