Our staff is made up of both paid Mexicans and American volunteers. We currently have about 28 Mexican staff members on-site and about 10 American volunteers. Our American volunteers raise their own personal support–No American receives any financial compensation from Door of Faith, if you’d like to support our volunteer staff please contact them directly.
Directors:
Gabriel & Eduarda (Ocampo Meda) Diego Garcia
Gabe (Gabriel) and his wife Lala (Eduarda) are the Directors of Door of Faith. For over 20 years they have been serving the children here. Gabriel has been involved with Door of Faith from early on, joining the family as a teenager in 1962. Together they oversee the children and staff here at the orphanage. Gabriel is also president of the Orphanage Comity, an organization made up of orphanages serving approx. 500 children of Ensenada, Baja. Lala and Gabe have three children living at home, Gabriel, Perla & Patricia, and two married children, Alana and Gabriel Jr.
Volunteers:
US Board President/Administrators: DJ & Lynette Schuetze (since April 1993)
Email: dj@dofo.org lynette@dofo.org
DJ & Lynette Schuetze moved from Orange County to Door of Faith in April of 1993. Lynette is trained in child development and was a preschool teacher. DJ’s background is business, running a wholesale company in Southern California. After volunteering on weekends for many years at various orphanages, they felt led to move full time to Baja to serve the children here at Door of Faith. Since their arrival at Door of Faith to handle day to day operations and serve where needed, the home has grown into one of the largest orphanages in Baja. Today DJ & Lynette spend much of their time helping with orphanage consulting and training, both in Mexico and parts of Africa. DJ also is president of Strong Tower Ministries, a team serving multiple ministries here in Baja including medical teams, construction projects, food programs, and whatever ministries need to further the Kingdom.
Michael Brown (since August 2012)
Email: michael@dofo.org
While Michael was studying Christian Ministry with a Focus on Youth at Southwest Baptist University in Missouri, he was also leading short term missions teams to Door of Faith. After university, he chose to come and serve the children of Baja. His first full-time mission was with Genesis Diez, a ministry south of Ensenada, leading summer camp programs for orphans. After Genesis Diez he joined the team here at Door of Faith. He has been serving here with a special focus on mentoring our teenage boys. Michael works hosting groups and has taken a strong leadership role in the day to day operations of our home. His servant’s heart comes through as he is a natural leader with the visiting groups, the staff, and Door of Faith teens alike.
Gabe and Heidi Landes (since April of 2016)
Email: gabe@dofo.org heidi@dofo.org
Gabe and Heidi are from Dayton, Ohio, and have been leading mission trips and serving orphanages in Baja for 25 years. Gabe was a pastor for 14 years before starting an insurance agency which he continues to operate as a funding mechanism for his and Heidi’s work here at DOFO. Heidi has a background in urban ministry and non-profit fundraising. While in Ohio, they served as a host family for African children who came to the US for life-saving surgeries. Together, they began Courage for Parents , a ministry which encourages and equips families to follow Jesus and serve together locally and internationally. Gabe helps coordinate short-term mission groups coming to DOFO, and Heidi helps run our child sponsorship program. They serve here with their four children, living out their family motto: “Never Boring!”
Melody Hemmer (since March 2014)
Email: melody@dofo.org
Melody Hemmer was born and raised in a small town in Illinois and has known since she was a little girl that God was calling her to the mission field. Unlike many of our volunteers who come to us after visiting with their church or some other group, Melody found out about the orphanage on the internet. She now helps to host the groups, works on art projects, runs the library, and is part of the cake baking team. Melody has many talents she brings to the work here including being a part of the worship team at our local church and being our “in house” artist for many of the murals and signs that brighten life here at Door of Faith. She is a huge blessing to the children here, the staff, and the teams that visit.
Maggie Anderson (since August 2015)
Email: Maggie@dofo.org
Maggie was raised in Salem, Oregon and joined the DOFO team a few months after graduating high school. From a very young age she knew that the Lord had called her to be a missionary in Mexico, and this calling was confirmed as she visited several orphanages and ministries in Baja California throughout her childhood. She is the onsite preschool teacher for the toddlers and helps lead Homes of Faith, a program where American groups can build a house for a family in need in the community. Maggie is involved in her local church by translating for a women’s Bible study and being a part of the worship team.
Beth Barcelos (since Jan 2017)
Email: Elizabeth@dofo.org
Beth is from Fresno California. She has known that she wanted to be a missionary since her family adopted her two sisters from China at ten years old. When she was eighteen Beth had an opportunity to work in an orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico. After that experience, she felt like God was calling her to Mexico. Hearing about Door of Faith from a friend, she began praying about being a long-term volunteer and felt like this is where God wanted her. Beth has felt blessed to have this opportunity to serve both the groups coming to serve and the kids here at Door of Faith