By Tere Ruiz & Meme Thorpe
Eight years ago, Rodney and Kina Dutro founded the Shepherd’s Heart Ministry and started the boys’ orphanage, named Hope House, in the Lake Chapala area in Mexico. This orphanage, now established in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, Jalisco, provides a home to 23 Mexican boys.
Meme Thorpe, liaison for the Hope House and Public Relations Director in charge of fund raising, is one of the speakers on our Focus on Mexico Program. In November 2008, when Meme Thorpe spoke to a Focus on Mexico group. she shared information about the work and needs of Hope House.
Mr. David Truman from Canada was in attendance. After the talk, he introduced himself to Meme and told her that he was part of a Rotary group in Langley, Canada, which had been searching for an international project to get involved in. At the time, the Hope House was in need of some water delivery system work, which was one of the interests of Rotary International.
David contacted the local Rotary group in Ajijic. Along with David, local Rotarians Sandra Loridans, Don Lott and Gardner Marcy began a year-long journey to apply for Rotary International grant money to help the Hope House. During the initial phase of their work, the water problems at Hope House literally exploded! They had to do emergency repairs. At the same time, the Rotary grant foundation funds were depleted. The original project proposal had to be scrapped.
The interested parties continued to pursue the idea of helping the Hope House in some way. Eventually they decided they could be of most help by providing a much-needed 15-passenger van and equipping the wood workshop that was being constructed to help the boys learn a sustainable trade.
Sandra and David worked together via phone and Internet to write the lengthy grant. Their efforts were rewarded and the money for both parts of the grant (the van and woodshop equipment) was approved. Late this summer the money was sent to the Ajijic Rotary to handle the purchase of the van and equipment. Delivery of the van and equipment was in late November.
David Truman returned to the area the first week of December to formalize the delivery of the results of a whole year of work. He inspected the van and woodshop, and was greeted with 
delight by the boys of the Hope House who had been ready for his visit since 6 o’clock that morning.
During his visit, David presented Rodney Dutro a ceremonial check for $41,757.99 USD…the money that had been raised for this project by the Rotary club in Langley, the Rotary District and the Rotary Foundation. David also visited the wood workshop, inspected the Hope House in a guided tour given by the Mexican Director of the orphanage and enjoyed meeting the children. Just before the visit was finished, the boys presented David a “Thank You” card on which each boy had made a drawing and signed it, to be delivered to the Rotary Members in Langley, as well as one of the napkin holders that was made in the wood workshop by them. Also one of the boys tied a friendship bracelet to David’s wrist.
Rodney Dutro couldn’t hide his excitement and gratitude at the generous donation. He was amazed at all the Rotary groups that came together to give this wonderful gift to the boys of Hope House. “You have no idea what this means to us. We are excited, the boys are excited, and it’s so overwhelming that I don’t even know what to say…except thank you very much!”
David explained he came up with the idea to make this happen “because I heard Meme’s presentation at the Focus on Mexico Program” and knowing that his Rotary Club was looking for an international project to do, he thought the two would be a perfect match “It is the mission of the club to do local and international service to improve life in the communities in which each club exists. Here is a project right here… someone needs money; we have money, why don’t we try to make it happen? It took a full year from the time I first came here…one has learn to have patience.”
David spoke to the kids and told them how when he was a child, his family was economically challenged, but he also told them how he had studied hard and had become a successful man who could now help other children who needed it. He also told the children how important it was for them to study and work hard in order to become men who would be able to help other children and give their own families a good life. He explained to them that with the wood workshop they would be able to learn how to work to become this kind of man.
This successful venture has sparked an increase in desire to continue to help the Hope House and work with the local Rotary.
Because of the association between Focus on Mexico and Meme
Thorpe, the boys’ home has received many benefits. Last Christmas an
alumnus of Focus helped to provide bicycles for each boy for Christmas.
Others have helped to ensure the boys have towels and shoes as well as
to have their medical needs met.
This year, the Hope House is seeking funds for a sustainable gift
of a combination soccer/basketball court. Focus on Mexico rose to the
need and offered a
'2009 Xmas Focus Challenge' for
matching funds up to $1000 U.S. for this worthy cause. We are very
pleased to announce we will be presenting a check for the full $1000
U.S. to Hope House before Christmas;
in addition to funds donated from Focus clients and Focus staff directly through the Hope House website.
Plus we will deliver a cash donation from David Truman who left money
with Marie for this cause; imagine...after all he did to raise so much
through Rotary, he dug into his pockets to donate again. We are so
proud David is a Focus Alumni.
Additional Note from Marie Dwyer-Bullock - Focus on Mexico
"Because of the association between Focus on Mexico and Meme Thorpe, the boys' home has received many benefits. Last Christmas an alumnus of Focus helped to provide bicycles for each boy for Christmas. Others have helped to ensure the boys have towels and shoes as well as to have their medical needs met.
Miracles Do Come True!!!
This year, the Hope House was seeking funds for a sustainable gift of a combination soccer/basketball court. Focus on Mexico rose to the need and offered a '2009 Xmas Focus Challenge' for matching funds up to $1000 U.S. for this worthy cause. Our intention was to attend the Open House at Hope House on the day before Christmas and give them our $1000 donation and any additional funds raised (including personal cash donations from David Truman and our own Karen and Bill McConnaughey from Focus. Other Focus Alumni donated directed through 
the Hope House website). One couple, Rob and Judith Leone, who attended the Dec 5th, 2009 Focus Program stayed over for the winter. Judith called me to ask about the Hope House and I invited them to come along with us to the Open House. To our absolute surprise and delight, they donated $2000 U.S., which was the balance needed after our donation, to build the soccer/basketball court, PLUS they donated 25 sets of sheets that were desperately needed.
Meme and all the organizers and boys at Hope House were speechless. They are in the habit of believing in miracles but are always extremely grateful when those miracles occur. We all had tears in our eyes at the realization that another dream had just come true for the boys orphanage.
Over the years, we have had many Focus Alumni contribute to Lakeside charities and it makes us so proud to have introduced them to this area and to know them personally."
If you would like to be a part of helping the 23 boys who live in the Hope House, you can contact anyone from the Focus team or e-mail Meme Thorpe at thorpe@shmius.org or go to the Hope House website and pay through PayPal. The Hope House is the primary charity that Focus on Mexico supports.
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