To me, Thanksgiving is about being with family and giving thanks. I was unable to be with family from the States and even my own family here in Monterrey because I was scheduled to work. In a way I was able to be with “family” as the people of the Rio (a squatter’s village that I serve with Back2Back) have become my second family.
Hope Maglich, another Back2Back staff member, had a great idea to celebrate our Thanksgiving with them by sharing a meal and doing an activity to reflect on the meaning of the day.
Sharing a meal from Pollo Loco with a few families at the Rio
I tried with my Spanish to explain about the first Thanksgiving and that in addition to joining together for a meal, the pilgrims and Native Americans also took time out to give thanks for all that God had given them. Hope then asked everyone to participate in a Thanksgiving tree activity. Everyone was asked to take a leaf and write what they were thankful for. I’d love to share a few with you. One said, “I give you thanks for creating me.”
Another one read, “I give thanks to God for this life.”
As each leaf went on the tree, Meme, a local who partners with us in serving at the Rio, read them off. With each leaf, I was reminded how big God is and how much He cares for us. Lord, I thank you for my family, the food you give us each day, for the sunsets and all the beauty in your creation. I think I need to make a Thanksgiving tree every day.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we cannot help but celebrate the many ways in which God has been faithful and blessed Back2Back Ministries. We would like to take this opportunity to share just a few highlights from 2009 for which we’re thankful!
InMexico: As a result of the Back2Back Hope Education Program, six children who we met when the ministry first began have now graduated from college, forever breaking the cycle of generational poverty in their families.
Junior, one of the six Back2Back Hope Program students who graduated from college this year (pictured with B2B Directors, Todd & Beth Guckenberger)
In Nigeria: We have expanded our full-time staff to include John and Corrie Guckenberger and Will and Theresa Reed. Through the generous land donation of Self-Sustaining Enterprises, we are beginning to develop a permanent Back2Back campus with staff and group housing. We are also launching the Hope Education Program in Nigeria and building an education center on this land, allowing us to provide more opportunities to the children that we serve.
Will & Theresa Reed will soon be joining the Back2Back Nigeria team
John & Corrie Guckenberger joined the Back2Back Nigeria staff this year
In India: We have begun a partnership with EJH Children’s Home, as the directors of this home share Back2Back’s vision to show love and provide care to children in need. This particular home cares for children with disabilities, a ministry that is desperately needed in India, a country where those that have a handicap are marginalized by society.
A few of the children from EJH
In theU.S. Office: We have increased our staff in the US, allowing us to expand and improve our communications and have a greater impact in meeting the need of orphans. We also have begun a child sponsorship program, the Back2Back Shelter Program, which enables us to better meet the physical, spiritual and educational needs of the children we serve.
Beatriz, the first child to receive a sponsor through our new child sponsorship program
We truly cannot praise God enough for the ways in which He has blessed and provided for our ministry this year. These successes would not be possible without your commitment to partner with us. As we look toward the future, we are excited about how God is working through Back2Back Ministries. Please know that you are a part of our Back2Back family and we truly appreciate your love and support of the orphan child.
Please keep the children we serve in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.
El Limon Children’s Home is five hours south of the Back2Back Mexico campus in Monterrey. Since 2000, Back2Back has partnered with El Limon by helping to provide resources for the children, meeting their needs through service teams and ongoing care. At a recent anniversary event to celebrate the faithful service of the directors of El Limon Children’s Home, several of the children from the home read letters to them, as a tribute to express their love and gratitude. The common theme among the children’s letters was one of thankfulness for the way God had provided for them by placing Fernando and Yadira, the directors of the home, in their lives. This heartwarming moment caused us to reflect on the things that we’re thankful for, but it also acted as a powerful reminder of the way in which God is faithfully caring for the children we serve. In honor of Thanksgiving, we wanted to take a moment to share one particular child’s speech with you:
Real Parents, by Alejandra
A real mom and a real dad are not those who give you money to buy Sabritas (chips). They are someone who give you advice when you have problems and help you when you are in need and if you are in trouble they will help you and pray for you because they are good parents.
Mom, Yadira, Dad Fernando and Mom, Nancy, are some of the best parents I’ve had in my life because God gave them to me and He has a plan for my life. Thank God I’ve been set free and I´m happy. So, thank you Lord for giving me such beautiful parents who know how to care for me and do not leave me in hard times and pay attention to me when I tell them I need to talk. So, I want to tell them they are the best parents I’ve had in my life.
Thank you Lord for taking care of me and loving me so much. Thank you mom and dad – I love you.
A student from Horizon Community Church plays with a child at El Limon
Some of the children from El Limon pose for a picture with students from Horizon Community Church
A few children at El Limon playing with Back2Back mission trip guests from North Cincinnati Community Church
Back2Back India recently sponsored a concert at one of the children’s homes. The worship band from our urban Indian church is comprised of young people of different ethnic backgrounds. They sing and dance, play drums, guitars and keyboards and the sound system is loud. This is not the typical musical performance in rural Indian villages. About 250 children served by Back2back India gathered for the concert. The songs were sung in their native language, Telugu, with the words to the songs projected on a big screen behind the band. This was a great opportunity for the children to see a modern worship band and learn new songs including some action songs.
For several weeks, the children have been talking about the concert. Madhuri, one of the children who attended the concert, is severely mentally challenged. She is living at the children’s home because her father died and her mother was unable to care for her. Maduhuri, who is now about six years old, has some behavioral issues and does not speak. However, she loves music. During a visit several weeks after the event, we asked the children about the concert. They quickly pointed out that Madhuri had learned one of the action songs. It was a joy to see her singing and dancing to the Lord!
Check out the video below of Madhuri singing the song:
Celebrate the true spirit of Christmas by giving a life-changing gift to an orphan in need. Choose from dozens of items in our gift catalog to help the children that Back2Back serves in Mexico, Nigeria and India! Your gift will make a listing impact in the life of a child this Christmas!
View the gift catalog online and choose an item by clicking here.
Last year, Steve Harney, president of Quality Printing of Anderson, Indiana joined us at our Mexico campus for a mission trip. Serving with us at the children’s homes sparked a passion in him that ultimately led him to seek to find a way to use his resources to support the ministry. Shortly after, he partnered with Back2Back by offering us high-quality printing at a significant discount, only charging for materials. This partnership has been a tremendous blessing to our ministry, allowing us to expand communications, such as our magazine and our Christmas gift catalog.
A few days ago, we (Beth & Todd Guckenberger, Kristine Hall, Brian Bertke and I) had the opportunity to have lunch with Steve Harney and his staff. Beforehand, we were given a tour of the facilities, catching a glimpse of our Fall 2009 magazine during the printing process. If you’re on our mailing list, you can expect to receive it later this month.
Thanks to Steve Harney, Kay Cox and Beth Champ of Quality Printing for your support of the ministry!
Back2Back magazine pages ready to be bound
During the printing process of Back2Back's magazine
Some US Staff visiting Quality Printing (L to R: Claire Rogers, Brian Bertke, Steve Harney, Kristine Hall, Todd Guckenberger)
The sound of many little hands applauding echoed throughout the bus. The bus driver turned around in surprise. I too was taken back. The smiling faces kept grinning, the hands kept giving praise. Mama Connie, one of the caretakers at Casa Hogar Villa de Juarez, nodded her head saying, “Thank you God!”
The twenty children from the children’s home knew why they were giving thanks… Christopher especially was thankful that day… God had heard his specific prayer and sitting on the bus that day were a pair of brand new shoes just for him.
A church group from Cincinnati came to Monterrey with money specifically set-aside to buy new shoes for the children at Casa Hogar Villa de Juarez (VDJ), a children’s home that Back2Back serves. We loaded up twenty kids on a bus and headed to Wal-Mart. Each child was allowed to pick out a pair of gym shoes. We were pinching toes to make sure there was room to grow, searching for Barbie and Spiderman designs, helping the teen girls find something fashionable. Finally, we all loaded on the bus with shopping bags full of shoe boxes.
Back on the bus, Christopher tapped Mama Connie, a VDJ caretaker, on the shoulder. ”Look!” he said, pointing to his feet. The entire sole was falling off of his old shoe! Mama Connie looked Christopher in the face and said, “God has answered your prayers Christopher.”
She turned to me and explained that Christopher had been asking God for new shoes and that Jesus had heard that prayer and provided for him. Mama Connie stood up and told the rest of the children on the bus that God had met them and answered their prayers that day through these people who had heard God and come to take them shoe shopping. The kids smiled. Mama Connie asked the kids to applaud the Lord and thank Him for answering their prayers and providing for their needs. The bus echoed with the sound of grateful hearts that day, not just for the new shoes, but for the physical reminder that God cares for His children.
Lift Them Up Cards, by Back2Back Ministries, is pleased to offer Christmas cards that reflect God’s message of hope for orphans and His promise to hear their cry and lift them up from their distress. Proceeds from the purchase of this card will help Back2Back Ministries as they provide care for today and hope for tomorrow to orphans in need.
Three Ways to Place an Order
1. To pay by credit card call 513.754.0300 Monday through Thursday between 9am and 4 pm EST
2. Or, mail a check noting the desired number of sets in the memo line to: Christmas Cards, Back2Back Ministries, P.O. Box 70, Mason, OH 45040. Please add $4.95 shipping for one set or $10.35 shipping for 2-13 sets to your donation. Unless otherwise specified, cards will be shipped to the address listed on your check.
3. If you prefer, you can avoid shipping charges by picking up your cards from our office during regular business hours, at 8118 Corporate Way, Suite 201, Mason, OH, 45040. We recommend calling ahead (513.754.0300) to ensure someone will be available to assist you.
Back2Back recently received a donation to purchase new books for Casa Hogar Douglas, a children’s home in Mexico that we serve. I’d like to share with you a little of the story behind the donation.
Emily Taylor is a 14 year-old student at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. After participating in a mission trip here, earlier this year, she wanted to stay involved in the lives of the children she met in Monterrey. One of the needs that Emily noticed when she read with the kids in the children’s home, was the need they had to read better. As she thought about this, she had the desire to purchase books for their library. Once she knew what she wanted to do to stay involved with the children in Monterrey, she thought about how she could make this possible.
Emily decided that instead of asking for gifts for her birthday, she would ask people to give her money, that she could use to buy books for orphans. She collected $700! We used the money to purchase Christian books for all ages at a local Christian bookstore, here in Monterrey. The store gave us a 25% discount on our purchase so we were able to purchase $1,000 worth of Christian books with the money that Emily collected.
Before we put the books on the shelves, we prayed for them. We gave thanks for the 14 year-old girl who had a God sized dream to stay involved, from over 1,500 miles away. And we prayed that these books would help bring “hope for tomorrow” that these kids did not have before.
Back2Back supports the Christian Alliance for Orphans in their shared passion for caring for orphans. The Christian Alliance for Orphans unites orphan-serving organizations and churches to ignite passion and build excellence for Christ-honoring orphan care, foster youth and adoption ministry.
This Sunday, November 8th, is Orphan Sunday, a day created by the Christian Alliance for Orphans to honor the 148 million orphans in the world. Below are a few thoughts from the Christian Alliance for Orphans. For more information and resources, visit the Orphan Sunday website.
Thoughts on Orphan Sunday from the Christian Alliance for Orphans
Orphan Sunday is November 8th.
On November 8, 2009, Christians will do something we’ve never done before. We’ll stand with a united voice across America and beyond for the orphan. Our prayer is that this Orphan Sunday will be remembered as the day that launched a revolution. Building on the many ways God is already stirring, local events across the country will help catalyze heart change…and action. Already, we see hints of revolution in these numbers: over 50 excellent Christian organizations have united behind the movement; more than 75 volunteer coordinators are promoting efforts across the U.S. We anticipate hundreds of events that will touch thousands of lives. Clearly, God is calling many to a revolution in response to the Biblical mandate to care for His precious children. How will you be part of this historic day? An Orphan Sunday activity can be a Sunday morning sermon or prayer…the launch of an orphan initiative…a small group gathered to pray… a Sunday school class or youth group event.
- Tape a waiting child’s picture to your dashboard and pray for the child every time you’re in a car. Visit AdoptUsKids.org or RainbowKids.com. Organize an evening prayer vigil at your church and pray for children in foster care or an orphanage overseas.
2. SPEAK UP for them
-Carry a waiting child’s picture and show it to other believers. Ask if they, or someone they know, would give this child a home. Become a court appointed special advocate for a child in foster care. Visit NationalCASA.org for details.
3. PROVIDE for their needs
-Give sacrificially to a reputable orphanage. Financial gifts can be designated for specific items and aid needed by orphans. Visit HelpOrphans.org for more information. Organize a drive in your church to collect school supplies for children in foster care or shoes for orphans overseas. Visit GainUSA.org or ShoesForOrphanSouls.org.
4. SUPPORT those who support them
- Mow, baby sit, or organize meals for a week for foster parents. Pray with them and tell them you appreciate what they do. Encourage a family adopting an older child by hosting a shower for them. Partner with an orphan care organization or ministry.
5. PROTECT them from harm
-Become a foster parent or emergency foster parent. Raise money to build a children’s home to help remove children from the streets. Visit WorldOrphans.org for details. Support an existing children’s home. Contact Back2Back Ministries to find out how you can help (513-754-0300).
6. VISIT them where they are
-Go on a mission trip to an orphanage as an individual or family. Support reputable orphan care organizations on a regular basis.
7. GIVE sacrificially to them
-Contribute generously to an adoptive family to help offset their costs. Visit ShaohannahsHope.org or LifeSongForOrphans.org.
8. ENCOURAGE them to press on
- Sponsor a child, support them financially, and encourage them through your letters. Contact Back2Back Ministries (513-754-0300) if you are interested in sponsoring one of the children that we serve. Become a mentor or tutor to a teenager in a foster group-home.
9. ADOPT them into your family
-Give a child a home through international, domestic, or foster care adoption. Adopt a young adult who has aged out of the system.
10. MOBILIZE your church for them
-Be a catalyst in your church for starting a sustained orphans ministry. Visit HopeForOrphans.org for resources and to learn more about attending a Your Church and the Orphan™ workshop. Organize a church mission trip to serve at an orphange.
Last week, I was working at Casa Hogar Douglas, along with Mauricio, another Back2Back Mexico staff member. We were working on a list of “honey do” projects for the caregivers there in the children’s home. I always like getting things accomplished on this list because it helps make life a little easier for these ladies who live with and care for these children 24/7. I usually do things like fix lights or plumbing problems or repair doors or broken furniture. This day, Mauricio was hooking up a clothes washer in the older girls’ dorm for their caregiver, LuLu. The water hookup was not right on the washer. Each time she used it she had to carry water up from the first floor in buckets to fill it. In addition, there was no electric outlet near the washer so she had to use a very long extension cord to make it run. He hooked a direct water line to the washer and installed a new electrical outlet near it for a direct connection.
As we finished up that day, Mauricio told me that LuLu shared with him how she had been praying for some time, that this work would be done. He said to me, “I love knowing that God is using me to answer someone’s prayer!” I had never thought about it that way before, but he was right. When we submit to God’s calling for our lives, many times God uses us as an answer to someone else’s prayer. I know that many of you have been used by God to be an answer to my prayers. As I have prayed for God to provide for our financial support, many of you have been the one that God has used to answer my prayers. That is why it is important to be obedient in the calling that God has for our lives. We may just be God’s answer to someone else’s prayer.
Lulu (far right), a caregiver at Douglas Children's Home
Last week, Back2Back hosted a breakfast in Mason, Ohio. The purpose of this particular event was to expose new people to the ministry by providing an opportunity to learn how Back2Back is meeting the orphan care need in Mexico, Nigeria and India.
Thank you to all those who attended or partnered with us to make this event a success. We’re grateful for our supporters who weren’t there, as well as those who were able to partner with us by hosting tables. For more information about being involved or attending our banquet next year, please contact us at 513-754-0300.
Recently, a group from Christ United Methodist Church in North Carolina served alongside us at the Monterrey children’s homes. They were able to go to Imperio de Amor children’s home and have a birthday party celebrating the kids’ birthdays that are in July through September. The group brought money to buy tons of candy and a pinata. They also brought along festival type games to play with the kids. There was a big cake made up of cupcakes (quequitos),the group blew up balloons, and they had fun with the kids as they opened up their gifts.
One of my love languages is gifts. I love receiving gifts but I also love giving gifts. I am thankful I can be used in this way working hard to come up with great gifts that each child can enjoy. It also makes me smile thinking of the kids as they open up something that is specifically for them and that there are lots of people to get excited with them at the parties.
Thanks Christ United Methodist Church for loving on the kids and for buying them a pinata, candy, and for bringing the little skateboards for the boys! Also I want to give a big thanks again to the second grade classes at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy for making the birthday cards, necklaces, pencil decorations, and placemats. They are all so cute and each child received one for their birthday.
If you have children then what I’m about to tell you will not come as a surprise. Parenting is many times a thankless job. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we love our kids and we know that ultimately we are not only serving them but also the Lord, and that we should not parent with the motivation or expectation that our children will be grateful for the hours, the sweat and the tears that we pour over them – but sometimes you just wish they would express some small form of a “thank you”. As parents to six children of our own, and house parents to eight teenage boys here in the Hope Program, we have the special pleasure of seeing this lovely “thankless” spirit day in and day out….multiplied by fourteen!
So…more true confessions: Sometimes this “spirit of thanklessness” (I believe I just made up that word!) can make a parent lose steam. It can make one wonder why they spend their life cooking, cleaning, reminding people to do their chores, making sure people are getting to bed on time, and up on time, and that they’ve finished their homework. Sometimes it starts to get old. The good news is that God is great at taking over when we reach what sometimes feels like the end of ourselves. Julie and I want to brag on the Lord that He’s doing a great work in us in this season of our life. I think that in some ways we had reached the end of ourselves. The wonderful news is that He is making all things new – including bringing renewed focus and vision, renewed passion and love towards our boys, and even what you might describe as personal revival in our relationship with him.
In the midst of all that God is doing he recently gave my wife specific encouragement with regard to her role as a mother to 14. In Galatians 6:9 we are reminded, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” It sounds like such a simple command – but yet if we are trying to “do good” out of our own strength it can become so very difficult. Praise God that the very motivation to “do good” is from him, and that ultimately all the good we do is for him or for his glory as we serve those around us. And so it is with that renewed vigor that Julie and I are tackling each day, and each task as we press on to serve and love those who God has called us to minister to.
A few days ago we were cleaning out the closets and came across some things that have not been used in awhile. We got out some puzzles as we figured they could be good family activities for all ages. Just as we suspected, our young children and our boys have loved them. They have been taking turns throughout the day, and late into the evenings putting them together all over our kitchen table. It’s been very fun to watch. The other thing we got out of the closet were some refrigerator magnets of the alphabet. We plastered them all over the front of our fridge and assumed that at least our two youngest could entertain themselves. Much to our amazement nearly the whole household has gotten use out of them, making designs, writing the names of people in our family, and practicing spelling words – both in English and Spanish.
The other night Julie and I returned home later after being out and encountered a very special message that some of the boys had created for us. There on the fridge, spelled out in letter magnets was the following, “We love you mom and dad – thank you – by your boys”.
Our hearts were touched indeed. What a special thank you! So simple, yet so profound. It meant the world to us because as parents you long to hear it or see it in any form. But more than being just a message of thanks from our boys it was an encouragement from the Lord, “Do not tire of doing good.” I’m not sure he could have made it any clearer. Thank you Lord. May you continue to give us even more love to love, and more desire to serve those around us.
The lives of the kids who live in the children’s homes that we serve are often filled with pain. Many times, their lives are filled with bad memories of their families and a void of real love. In all of the work that we do, we want the kids to experience love and to know that God loves them perfectly. I love it when a child has an opportunity to exercise his faith in God and realize that God always loves them. Recently, Luis, a nine-year old from Casa Hogar Douglas (one of the children’s homes we serve) had this opportunity.
Javier, the head care giver at this children’s home, has been going to each dormitory at bedtime and praying with the kids. A few weeks ago, he was in the young boys’ dorm, and he asked if they had any prayer requests. Luis, the oldest of four kids in his family that live at this children’s home, said that he wanted to pray that a relative would come and visit them on Sunday. It had been weeks since anyone had come to visit them on visitation day.
Some of the other kids laughed and said, “No one is coming!”
But then, Javier calmly asked Luis, “Do you believe if we pray that someone will come, that it will happen?”
Luis answered “YES I DO!”
They prayed together that night for his mom to come and visit. That next Sunday, their mom came to visit them.
I remember the day that Luis, his two younger brothers and his sister were dropped off by their mom at the children’s home. It was about a year ago. I remember because I had tears in my eyes as she left them. But, none of the kids were crying. I know that their lives have probably always been full of sadness, heartache and pain. One of the hardest parts of our work, is witnessing the heartache and pain that so many of these kids carry. But I am also lifted up, each time I can witness God’s faithfulness in their lives as well.
pureNRG, a music group from Word Entertainment was our guest this past month in Monterrey.
They partnered with the James Fund and Payless Shoes in a marketing co-venture that resulted in thousands of donated shoes for orphans around the world. Hundreds of those were sent to Mexico with b2b and we were able to do a giant footwashing event that placed new shoes on literally hundreds of children in one of our squatters’ villages. The three members of the group served alongside their James fund counterparts and record executives and reached out to two of our childrens homes during work days and then all of the homes one afternoon for a giant concert. We began the concert with various children’s homes performing for each other and then culminated in a long set of pureNRG songs and their testimonies. The children loved the concert, singing and dancing and enjoying the time altogether. What a treat to labor beside our James Fund friends and Word Entertainment who has brought gifted artists like Mark Schultz and pureNRG to speak out with their voices for the children we serve. It was a fantastic week and we are all new and loyal fans of this great band!
Thoughts from Becca Gantz:
Has anyone heard of the Christian music group pureNRG?
pureNRG’s mission is to entertain, educate and promote Christian values for young people by using wholesome, uplifting lyrics, along with music and dance, in order to provide a positive role model. pureNRG has been a favorite on Radio Disney and has a top selling album out on Fervent Records. They recently toured with MercyMe, BarlowGirl and Skillet. Their mission is to entertain, educate and promote Christian values for young people by using wholesome, uplifting lyrics, along with music and dance, in order to provide a positive role model.
The members of the band, JORDAN, CAROLYNE, AND CAROLINE, were just here on a mission trip with Back2Back. We had such a blast with them! They are super fun, energetic, and eager to serve.
One of the nights they were here, they put on a mini concert for ALL the casa hogars (children’s homes) we serve here in Monterrey. Instead of it being just a concert from them, all the homes had something prepared as a little present to them. The Douglas girls performed a tambourine routine and the rest of the homes sang a couple of songs.
I am pretty sure it was all of the children’s homes first time to see anything remotely like a concert. There were a lot of kids, LOTS OF SMILING FACES, lots of food for dinner, and most of all LOTS OF FUN.
I also had the privilege of debriefing them one night after serving at the children’s homes. These three teenagers blew my mind. Their focus is completely devoted to God and there was no doubt in my mind that God has specifically chosen them, to share the Gospel in such a unique and fun way, for a reason.
Carolyne and Caroline from pureNRG with children from one of the children's homes we serve
With Jordan, Caroline and Carolyne from pureNRG
Hear from the members of PureNRG on their experience in Mexico here, here, and here!
Every Saturday morning, Meme, a partner of the ministry, hosts a soup kitchen for nearly fifty people at Rio I, many of whom are young children. The families from the community arrive around 12:30 and together we worship and praise the Lord for all He is doing. Most of the songs we sing without instruments but recently we have been worshiping with the help of a guitar! After worship, the adults listen to a Bible teaching while the kids are split up into age groups to have Sunday School-like classes. After this time of feeding on God’s word, we feed the people a delicious Mexican meal!
In the past month, we’ve celebrated birthdays for three boys that live with us through the Back2Back Hope Program. Birthday celebrations have been a sweet way to celebrate each boy individually by fixing food he wants and/or doing something that is just about him. Being a part of a loving family is part of our process for seeing God bring healing and wholeness to each boy.
There is a tradition in Mexico called the “mordida.” The person whose birthday it is takes a bite of the cake with their mouth and then friends/family push their face into the cake. You can imagine that with five teen boys this tradition becomes a bit of a full-contact sport. Even normally TOO COOL teenagers love this tradition (as you can tell from the photos).
Homero's birthday cake
The guys before eating cake for Homero's birthday
Cake on the face (mordida), a Mexican birthday tradition
Recently, the US and Mexico staff gathered at our Mexico campus in Monterrey for our annual strategic planning retreat. During the daytime sessions, we brainstormed how we might continue to grow and improve as an organization, while staying true to our mission to provide “care for today, hope for tomorrow” to orphans. We also visited all our ministry sites, both children’s homes and communities such as the Rios and Cadereyta, and participated in team-building activities.
One evening, we attended a chapel service at one of the children’s homes we partner with, Casa Hogar Douglas. Some of the girls from the children’s home performed a dance to “Lord I Lift Your Name on High.” It was captured using the video feature on a camera that someone had on hand. Check it out, along with some photos from the week, below.
Briefing before team building activities
Team building activity
The staff split into small groups for a series of team-building activities
Brian Bertke at Rio I
Kristine Hall with children from Rio III
Shooting video at Imperio de Amor
A few staff members during a dinner out at El Pollo Loco
Chris Ramos, spending time with the children at Del Norte Children's Home
Shooting video footage of Angel, one of our ministry partners at Cadereyta
A few members of the US staff at Cadereyta, one of the communities that Back2Back serves
Cathy Huffer, Back2Back Mexico staff, with Meme, a local ministry partner
A few Back2Back staff members before heading back to Cincinnati
Many of you know our car was broken into on a recent trip back home for a furlough this summer. As we were retrieving a police report, I found myself caught in a sea of people at the Shelby County Jail. We were checked, had to walk through three metal detectors, and even had a temporary photo ID made. It was a very new experience to me.
It got me wondering about the families that come here regularly to visit loved ones. It got me thinking of the way of life of those who for whatever reason find themselves in a life of crime. Then God brought my thinking to him, or her, or they – whoever it was that stole our things. I wondered what their life was like. What was it like for their family? I realized whether I liked it or not, I was connected to this person. God had me “walking in their shoes” for a bit that morning. I found my anger melting away. I found myself with mercy and concern.
God connects us for all kinds of reasons. God has created us to relate to one another and He allows things to happen that connect us. Some connections are simple and strong, like the connection that is made between a baby and its mother or father. Or connections that little kids make over a ball or game. Maybe it’s a quick connection, like the ones that happen daily during normal interactions. The kid that sells you your Starbucks coffee, or the guy who helps you know when a cantaloupe is ripe at the grocery store. And even sometimes he connects us to those who we would never pick to connect. I have found God bring to mind this person more than a few times to pray for them. He has me thinking about the other connections He has for me and wondering if He wants more from me through these connections.
What about you? Are you seeking what God would have for you through your connections in your life?
Connecting with children we serve during a pool party celebration that Back2Back hosted
This past summer, God blessed me with the opportunity to increase my Spanish by studying in an intensive program in central Mexico. This is a picture of one of the many stands in and around San Miguel de Allende where I studied.
A doll stand in San Miguel de Allende
Often women and children will sit on the curb and sell dolls similar to these… it breaks my heart to see these children there for hours. One day, I walked by a little girl of about six years sound asleep on the pile of dolls that she was supposed to be selling… precious and heartbreaking at the same time. Seeing so many children on the streets makes me so appreciative of the children’s homes that we work with here in Monterrey. Sure the job of caring for so many kids and homes is hard, but it is worth it to see them having a childhood, going to school, learning about Jesus….
Spending time with the children at Meme's Rio, a squatter's village that Back2Back serves
One day in San Miguel, I was calmly sipping my coffee in Starbucks (yes, Starbucks has taken over this part of the world too!) when a little girl, ten years old, came into the store and asked me to buy bubble gum from her. I have to admit that my first reaction was to kindly deny. But, after the girl left, I began to think about the interaction I had had with her. I began to feel convicted for brushing her off in the same way everyone else had in this town. Here was a girl who in so many ways is exactly like the children I serve in Monterrey. I thought to myself how Jesus would have handled that situation and quickly gathered my things and went out to search for the girl. I found her sitting by her mother on the corner still selling the gum. I asked the girl how much her gum cost and ended up having a beautiful conversation with her. I learned that her name was Maria and she was ten years old. She was thrilled to discover that I was a teacher. She told me which were her favorite flavors of gum and I promptly bought two. After a few more minutes of chatting, I said goodbye and began to walk home, feeling a little less convicted.
On the other street corner, I ran into an older woman with a small child. Both were sitting in the middle of the sidewalk with their hands outstretched, asking for money. I asked the woman if her child could have the gum I just bought and then began to talk to her about her life. Maria Paula and her grandson Erik Julian live outside of San Miguel with many other family members. Maria shared with me that it’s hard to provide for all the mouths she has to feed. Currently four of her fourteen children are still at home.
Maria and I talked for awhile and I was able to share with her about how the Lord has provided for me on multiple occasions when times were tight. Although I am sure I have never experienced what this lady has, she seemed to be encouraged by my stories. I prayed for her. She cried. God’s spirit was there. And I wondered why so many times I get caught up in my own bubble, my own goals, my own agenda and forget that I am on this planet not for my purposes but for His. This was a great awakening day for me… that ended with the gift of three new friends.
Two years ago we moved into a new home, The Joseph House. This is one of the Hope Program homes on the Back2Back Mexico campus.
There is a big walnut tree in the garden outside our house. It was in very bad shape - dry and unhealthy. There were construction materials like cement, gravel, and dirt all around the tree. We thought that it might not survive, but we decided to be patient. That second year, we spent time watering it, caring for it, hoping that it would survive and grow stronger. But that year there was a big plague that killed all of its leaves.
This year was different. We tried to remove all the worms’ nests from the plague. We hoped the tree would make it but time passed and still the tree was barren. Finally, new leaves began to grow and soon the tree had an abundance of beautiful leaves, even more than before the plague. It was much healthier and stronger than before. We were not expecting fruits, but one day as I was cutting the grass around the trunk, I discovered fruit on the ground and I saw chipmunks eating the nuts that had fallen.
In that moment, I thought about hope and how I see evidence of it all around me.
For Oscar, a Hope Program student who recently graduated from college, there were probably many people who dismissed him, underestimating his potential to rise above a difficult past, a childhood in a children’s home. Even at times, I felt frustrated during my journey with him once he left the children’s home and entered Back2Back’s Hope Program. But now, after completing the Hope Program, he has hope, skills, opportunities and the ability to live a better life and change the future.
It’s time to harvest the first fruits. Sometimes in the beginning, the fruit is not abundant, but we must remember just that – that it is only the beginning. There is more to come. If we continue pursuing God faithfully and diligently, we will see a harvest.
Since we had nursed that tree back to health and watched it grow, we were overjoyed as we watched it blossom and finally produce a harvest. My daughters and I were very excited to try the first nuts. That first tiny piece of pecan was like a delicacy in my mouth. Although there was nothing inherent in that pecan that made it better than pecans from any other tree, we enjoyed it so much more because we had been participants in the process.
Now, Oscar has graduated from culinary school and secured a great job in an upscale restaurant in the city. Oscar’s manager has shared that he plans to promote him to the position of head chef soon. He appreciates Oscar’s commitment to excellence and quality. Celebrating Oscar’s success feels similar to the joy I found watching the walnut tree blossom and later discovering and tasting its first fruits.
Thank you God for your perfect timing.
Oscar and Angel, two Hope Program students, who recently graduated from culinary school
Last week, I was talking with my neighbor, Norma, who lives near us in Monterrey, Mexico. She told me of the story of a teenage boy who stopped at her home to ask her where “the Americans” live. Wanting to protect the privacy of the Back2Back American staff living nearby, she continued talking with him, attempting to find out his reason for wanting to find our campus. She discovered that the boy was a classmate of one of the teens in the Back2Back Hope Program. He was on his way to the Back2Back campus, so that they could work on homework together.
Our neighbor gave him directions. After an hour, he returned.
“Did you find your friend?,” she asked him. “How did your study time go?”
This innocuous question led to a deeper conversation than Norma had anticipated. He quickly divulged that when he first arrived at the Back2Back campus, he was carrying a lot of burdens. But once he walked through our front gate, he said that he felt different, like something had been lifted from his shoulders.
Later, after Norma had relayed this story to me, she said, “You know, Cathy, I’ve felt something different there too.”
It was the perfect opportunity to share with her, that I thought that “something different” was the Holy Spirit. It gave me a chance to talk with her about the abundant life that Jesus offers.
“We receive the Holy Spirit as a free gift when we ask Jesus to come into our lives,” I said.
She was intrigued but not quite ready to ask Jesus into her life. Please pray with me that God would continue to draw her closer to Him and one day bring her to a saving faith in Jesus Christ, the one that makes a difference.
Norma (in the pink shirt) standing with her family
Through the role of my wife and I as house parents to teens in Back2Back’s Hope Program, God is teaching us to see through His eyes and to understand how to accept those who are unacceptable to society. He is teaching us that his mercy and love is able to transform.
We have experienced God’s mercy in our lives when we receive God’s forgiveness when we do not deserve it. What he has given us is a desire to work with eight young girls who live in the Esther House. We have to be tolerant, firm, patient and extend mercy. We are enjoying God’s work and that he has given us the opportunity through the Back2Back Hope Program to be instruments for the process of sanctification in the girls’ lives. We are understanding that in some areas we are not going to achieve fruit immediately.
The girls leave with the concept that a life full of values is important. We have the mission to achieve in each girl the values of mercy that God has had for them.
Six of the eight Hope Program girls that live in the Esther House
2009 Hope Program students, including the girls that live in the Garcia's home through the program
John, our children, and I were invited by the Chairman of the Kisayhip Village that we work with to experience and witness one of the farming/wedding traditions that they practice. We picked up the kids right after school and went to go “be a part” of traditional Africa.
Corrie with her children, Gus, Sarah, and Sami
Upon arriving, we learned more…. when a man marries a woman from another village, the husband’s village during the next year, has some responsibilities. Three different times the village will come over to the wife’s village and “farm” or till the land and then the two villages share a meal and celebrate. It just so happened that the Chairman’s youngest daughter was married this past year, and the man’s village was finishing up their agreement and coming for the third and final time to “farm” the Chairman’s land.
It was actually really fun. John got a try and I think within time, he would be great. No, seriously, it was amazing to be there firsthand and see the excitement and encouragement that both villages shared for one another. The one came with about sixty men and within an hour tilled maybe three acres, row after row after row of their corn. They worked together like a machine.
As the men were working, the women and kids were either dancing and encouraging or they were cooking and preparing for the meal afterward. Overall, I liked the gesture and thought it would be really cool if we could somehow put this practice into place in the States. Maybe it is not tilling or farming, but maybe it is something different. I don’t know…. something to think about. How sweet to see one people group take care of another people group. Even though they didn’t all get married, obviously, they all took part in the responsibilities of it. I like it!
Okay, I just spent about an hour having this video download (and it wasn’t finished) and our power went out. SOOO, no video. I have included a couple of pictures. It won’t do the scene justice because you need to see these men work with their tools and the women singing and dancing… but here are a few photos. I hope you can catch the moment somewhat.
September 16 is the Mexican Independence Day. The holiday is actually celebrated more on the night before than on the 16th. It reminds me of New Years Eve compared to New Years Day. The tradition here is to have a party on the night of the 15th, and at midnight the president leads the whole country in a cheer. At the end of the cheer, the president says “Viva Mexico” and everyone else joins in with “Viva!”
This year, Back2Back helped plan a party, organized by the church at Casa Hogar Douglas. The eighty kids that live at this children’s home were so proud to open their home up to the public to host this party.
The children at Douglas Children's Home helped decorate for the party
They planned and worked to decorate and then they entertained the guests for the evening. We had about one hundred guests who helped us celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day with the children. I am so thankful that the kids had an opportunity to enjoy this evening. This is something that they might be doing as a family if they had an opportunity to live in a home with their parents. Living in a children’s home, many times they miss out on events like this. But events like this are so important because they are part of their Mexican heritage.
The children dressed up in costumes to celebrate
The staff from Back2Back helped with booths, similar to the type that you would see at a carnival.
Back2Back staff enjoying the celebration
We catered a delicious Mexican buffet dinner and played games with prizes. The children even performed a short program with the Mexican pledge and national anthem.
The children recited the Mexican Pledge and the National Anthem
Some of the youngest kids did a traditional Mexican dance for the crowd and JJ Lail from our staff led everyone in the “grito” or “shout”.
Needless to say, they were all tired at the end of the night but they were very content too. “Viva Mexico!!!”
Lift Them Up Cards, by Back2Back Ministries, is pleased to offer Christmas cards that reflect God’s message of hope for orphans and His promise to hear their cry and lift them up from their distress. Proceeds from the purchase of this card will help Back2Back Ministries as they provide care for today and hope for tomorrow to orphans in need.
Three Ways to Place an Order
1. To pay by credit card call 513.754.0300 Monday through Thursday between 9am and 4 pm EST
2. Or, mail a check noting the desired number of sets in the memo line to: Christmas Cards, Back2Back Ministries, P.O. Box 70, Mason, OH 45040. Please add $4.95 shipping for one set or $10.35 shipping for 2-13 sets to your donation. Unless otherwise specified, cards will be shipped to the address listed on your check.
3. If you prefer, you can avoid shipping charges by picking up your cards from our office during regular business hours, at 8118 Corporate Way, Suite 201, Mason, OH, 45040. We recommend calling ahead (513.754.0300) to ensure someone will be available to assist you.
Recently I received a sweet message from home. My good friend Angel sent me a picture of herself at Casa Hogar Douglas from 1987. When JJ (my husband) and I decided to come on staff with Back2Back in Monterrey as house parents in the Hope Program, we had been friends with Angel & Shawn for six years. We had served together at Northstar Community Church in Loveland, Ohio and enjoyed their friendship. We were so blessed when they jumped on our support team right away. Not long after, Angel told me about how she and Shawn had taken several summer mission trips to Monterrey during their high school years. God had stirred their hearts for this city and they still felt the connection. Several summers ago, they returned with their son on a mission trip when a group from Northstar traveled to Monterrey to serve with Back2Back.
Last September, when we arrived in Monterrey and began spending time at Casa Hogar Douglas, God broke my heart over that home and the children there. Three of the boys in my home (Marcos, Mario & Gabriel) are from Casa Hogar Douglas and there are several more boys there that we have formed strong bonds with. It is a special place for us. As I began to write about it on my blog and post pictures, Angel sent me a message explaining that on their mission trips from high school they would come to Casa Hogar Douglas, climb the hill and pray in the chapel. They would pray over the children’s home and the whole city. I was so encouraged by the connection God had given us and how He has used Angel to remind me that He is at work in that home…and always has been.
I was feeling particularly discouraged recently but when I received this photo from Angel, God once again used her and her words to encourage me. The needs here feel overwhelming at times and often we can feel too small to make a difference. But then we are reminded that we are not alone. God has collected an army of folks here and at home to pray, to advocate and to fight for the orphan. We are so thankful and so encouraged by all those who choose to invest with us in these casa hogars, these teens, these children.
Read these sweet words of encouragement from Angel to me: “I just re-read the scripture I sent to you in the other email and the last verse says faithfulness through all generations…in 1987 the kids that you minister to were not created yet. Yet the same power, the same love and faithfulness that God had for the kids that I met in 1987 carries through to this generation right now. And so the same power, the same love and faithfulness will carry on to the next generation. This is so much bigger than you or me…I prayed over the Douglas home at lunch and I do feel the war. Please be strong in the power of his might. He hears our prayers…He will answer them.”
Thank you Angel for your encouragement. Thank you to all those Back2Back supporters for all you do for the least of these. We are so thankful for each of you.
Psalm 100:5For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Angel & Shawn at Casa Hogar Douglas in 1987
Mandy's husband, JJ, (far left) playing soccer at Douglas in the same spot where Angel & Shawn took a photo in 1987
A few days ago, I was able to share special moment with two children that live in children’s homes where Back2Back serves. One was with Joel from Manantial de Amor. One was with Gaby from Casa Hogar Betesda. Joel and Gaby are two very privileged kids. They aren’t necessarily privileged because of who they are or what they have. They aren’t privileged because they are receiving the world’s best education, or because they are well traveled. They don’t live in any special neighborhoods, and they wouldn’t likely win any awards for being the best dressed. Sadly enough they don’t even live with their families. However, God has placed them in a children’s home where they are being loved and cared for.
What makes Joel and Gaby special is that they have both been chosen. Back2Back has started a new child sponsorship program, the Shelter Program, and Joel and Gaby are two of the lucky ones. I call them lucky because I know for a fact that that’s how they feel. Today when I met with Joel, I hand-delivered him a backpack that sponsors from Michigan gave me to give him, when we saw them during a recent trip home to the US. The look on his face was priceless, as I explained who the backpack was from, and as he began to unload the candy, pictures, school supplies, and other goodies inside.
“A pencil box!” he exclaimed, “I needed one of these!”
I explained to Joel that God already knew his need, and that He sent the things, through his sponsors, just in the perfect time. Without a doubt I witnessed a child feel loved, not just by his sponsor, but even more importantly by God as well.
Spending time with Joel at Manantial de Amor
Joel was excited to discover that his backpack was filled with school supplies that he needed
Joel showing off his new backpack
After leaving Manantial, I went on to Betesda, another one of the children’s homes that we work with. I sat down beside a five-year old girl named Gaby and explained to her that a woman back in Ohio had chosen to sponsor her.
She immediately started looking around and asked, “Where is she? I want to see her,” she said.
I quickly explained that she wasn’t here today. I reminded Gaby of a time back in June when her sponsor had visited, and worked on projects in her children’s home, walked down to the park with her, and shared a snack of popsicles.
“Do you remember that Gaby?” I asked.
She nodded her head. “Yes, I remember. Can I have a picture of her so that I can remember her?” she asked.
Together, we scripted a letter to her sponsor, asking about her family, and requesting a photo.
“Can I send her a picture that I’ve colored?,” Gaby asked.
“Of course you can sweetheart,” I responded. “She is going to love it!”
Gaby
The Shelter Program is a way for every child we work with to have an individual sponsor. Those sponsors financially support “their child” by giving $100 a month, which goes directly to the children’s home expenses for the care of the children. Why $100? Because that is exactly what it costs to provide for that child for one month. It ensures that the child will be cared for emotionally, physically and spiritually so that they can thrive. The money covers the cost of health care, an education, food and clothing. The program also gives each child the opportunity to develop a deep and lasting relationship with someone who is invested in their lives and committed to their success. We’ve found that many of our sponsors have already come to think of their sponsor children as part of their family.
Some individuals or families choose to sponsor a child they have met during a trip to Monterrey. Others may not have met personally, but we will give them a chance to build and strengthen that relationship through letters, pictures and correspondence throughout the year. Joel and Gaby are two lucky kids, but there are hundreds more children we work with here in Monterrey just waiting for sponsors. They all deserve the privilege of feeling loved, of feeling like someone cares, and feeling like someone remembered them. They all deserve the privilege of feeling special. Please consider partnering with us in this very important project. There is a child waiting for you!
Interested in sponsoring a child? Email Claire Rogers at claire@back2backministries.org
A friend of ours who is an American working in Hyderabad went with us to visit the children at Eternal Joy Home. As you may recall, these children received the blessing of scholarships to a private English Medium primary school this year. Most schools in India, whether government-run or private, require the children to wear a uniform specific to that school. Some uniforms are very simple; others are very elaborate and include the school emblem, a tie and belt.
The school had donated a few old used uniforms to a couple of the children at EJH but most of them were wearing their street clothes to school. You can only imagine how the kids felt at this school. Most had been set back at least a few grades since they didn’t speak much English. Their classmates came from intact families with mothers and fathers. And “the kids from the orphanage” couldn’t even afford proper uniforms. When our friend learned of the situation, he was very moved. He had grown up in a large family and attended Catholic school. As one of the younger siblings in his family, he always had hand-me-down clothes including school uniforms. He tells of the other school children making fun of him in his old outfits, which were stained and worn. Fortunately, he could defend himself but he still recalls the psychological impact of this harassment.
Our friend generously offered to provide uniforms for the children at EJH. Some of the children are at the private school; others, who joined later, still go to the government school and a few of the special needs children are not able to attend school. We hired a tailor and bought bolts of cloth so that each child would have a set of new clothes. Once all the uniforms were complete, our friend and two of his daughters came to visit the kids and hand out the uniforms. It was a very happy day.
Receiving a new uniform
Against all the odds, the children are getting good marks and they enjoy school. Now, they have nice new uniforms – just like the other kids at school. How rewarding for our friend to identify a need close to his heart and give such a meaningful gift to these children!
Living in a foreign country can have its drawbacks. Especially one – the difficulty of crossing the border! This experience is enough to make a grown man beg…. for papers… for entry…. for mercy. Because, at that moment, the border immigration officers have ALL the power. It seems there are rules, but no one really knows the rules. This just makes it more fun. My last experience with the border was fairly painless. I thank the Lord for that. But, it did make me think about border issues in my life.
After being in the states awhile and gazing into the television for way too many hours (because it “talked to me” in English), I thought of the border issues of my mind. What am I allowing in without a fight? What are my rules? What do I give limited access too so that I can keep the pure mind that God called me to maintain?
It also reminded me of border issues in my mind. If I am trying to die to myself daily, then I can’t be having conversations in my mind about my rights. Rights to my own time, space, or wants. I need to look outward instead of inward. When people need my time or attention, my first thought should not be ‘me’! It kind of spoiled me going home and having everyone think I was so great. It filtered in through my brain and made me think I truly was something and some how deserved certain things. So, there is another border issue. To die or not to die. To have the courage to die to myself, I have to stay plugged into the Word. So that in dying to self, I am living in my spirit with Christ.
So with all the frustration of the border, I do have to thank them for making me think about the borders in my life. I want to maintain the borders that keep me different from the world so that I can live my life as a witness to Jesus. I had an interesting conversation with one of my boys who lives in our home through the Hope Program. He shared with me that he thinks his teacher is a Christian. His only proof is the man’s attitudes and actions. What a testimony for an eighteen-year-old kid to notice there is a difference in your life! I want people to see that difference in me. I want to talk about Jesus, but I also want to walk in a way that people see the difference and wonder why it is there!
She is two months old and yet her due date has not yet passed. She was born prematurely at six months. Janet, her mom, was experiencing a normal pregnancy until at a routine doctor’s visit she learned she was losing fluid. The doctor advised her to admit herself into the hospital so they could monitor her. She chose to stay home because of the cost. Four days later, Janet woke up with blood on her sheets and a puddle on the floor. Scared and worried, she and her mom went to the emergency room. She was taken away to a room and her mom was told to wait. After nearly three hours, the hospital staff returned with a bag of Janet’s clothes and told her mother to speak to someone about how they were to pay for Janet’s hospital stay.
That morning word got out and Meme, a Back2Back partner, came to me and asked if I wanted to go with her to the hospital to visit Janet and pray for her. When we arrived, she had been waiting three and a half hours with still no word. Soon after we arrived, they called Janet’s mom inside a tiny office. It was apparent that the news wasn’t good, as she began to cry. They had told her that Janet had given birth to a baby girl who couldn’t breathe on her own and she should prepare for the worst. Then she was escorted out to wait for futher news.
When Meme and I surrounded her, she told us the news about baby Melissa. We hugged and cried.
Then Meme turned to me and said, “Cathy would you lead us in prayer?”
In that little hallway, we huddled together and prayed for the health of the baby, for the strength of her lungs, for Janet and her mom and other family. We prayed for who knows how long. When we finished we convinced Janet’s mom that she had to eat something. We stayed with her part of the afternoon before finally returning home. Later when her mom got to see Janet, they shared experiences.
Janet recalled her initial reaction to the news. “When they told me about my baby, I thought God please let Meme and Cathy be praying for my little girl.”
What Janet didn’t know then was that at the exact same time that she was pleading to God for us to pray, we were gathered in the hallway of the hospital interceding on behalf of her little girl. When I visited Janet later she shared this with me and I was able to tell her how she can have a personal relationship with God. She too can have a direct line to the Almighty Physician. She was intrigued and I prayerfully anticipate more conversations about what Jesus offers us all. It is obvious to me that God is using this little girl already and I’m convinced that He has great things in store for her life. Would you continue to pray for Melissa’s health? The doctor’s gave Janet oxygen for Melissa however she has yet to need it, praise God. Also pray for the faith of Janet and the rest of her family.
It’s raining! It’s pouring! The monsoon rains have finally come to Hyderabad, India and are a welcome relief from the near-drought conditions. Thank you to everyone who prayed for this rain. And, thanks to our God for providing this “shelter” in a sun-scorched land.
Last weekend, my old concerns about the monsoons resurfaced. It had been raining all week, but we had planned a big event on Saturday. The children at Eternal Joy Home were going on a field trip! They were going to have a picnic lunch and play at a scenic spot. So, I started to worry. “What if it rains?” I’ve prayed for this rain and now that it’s come, I feel the need to put qualifications on it – “just not tomorrow, God.” But as usual, He had it all under control. We woke Saturday to beautiful blue skies.
When the twenty children piled into two SUV vehicles, it was the first time that most of them had ever ridden in an independent car. They didn’t care that there was no air-conditioning. Open windows made it easier to wave at passing cars and trucks. We found a shady spot near a lake, overlooking a big rock mountain. Amid some grazing cows and a baffled goat herder, the children enjoyed their picnic lunch.
Meal time
Then it was time for some games – cricket, badminton, Frisbee and jump rope.
The children enjoying a game of frisbee
They played a version of “duck duck goose” called “sumba, sumba, cumba” and the smiles on their faces were priceless.
An Indian version of duck, duck, goose
After that, our friend from the US gave all the children chocolates. Wow!
For many of the children, this may have been the best day of their life. For just a couple of hours, they enjoyed what we so easily take for granted as a normal life. God provided for these orphans just as He promises to do. The next day, we had record rainfall in Hyderabad.
When Wendy Kuremsky’s thirteen-year old daughter, Caroline, decided to participate on a Back2Back mission trip with her school, Wendy had no idea just how much that one-week in Mexico would change her daughter.
Wendy remembers the day she picked up Caroline from the airport. “When she landed in Dayton, OH, after the trip, we got in the car and before I even had my keys out, she had the light on and was showing me the things she did on her digital camera screen and telling me about the kids. It clearly had an impact on her,” she recalls. “About a week later she was in another’s mom’s car on the way to dance lessons. The mom called me afterward and told me how Caroline was so articulate about the trip and that it was obvious she had changed.”
Caroline serving in Mexico on a Back2Back Ministries mission trip
Caroline had been touched by the suffering and poverty she had witnessed. She felt compelled to do something practical to help the orphans that she had met at the children’s homes where Back2Back serves. As her birthday approached, Caroline began planning a big party, as she had every year before. But this time, her celebration would be different. Instead of accepting traditional birthday presents, Caroline made a special request to attendees, asking that they bring an item to be donated to the children’s homes in Mexico. On the invitations, she suggested a few specific items that were most needed in the orphanages: socks, shoes, flip flops, and blankets.
The Kuremsky’s were amazed by the response. Almost everyone who was invited to the party attended.
“It was literally overwhelming how everyone responded,” Wendy says. “We purposely set up a long table right near the entrance to our yard and put some buckets on it. When people brought their donations, we’d sort them into the buckets. It was so exciting to see what families had chosen. In no time at all, the buckets were overflowing. Another little table was added and we started putting stuff on the ground under the table. It was very fun the next day for Caroline to look through and see all the things she knew the kids could use.”
Wendy ‘s heart was touched by Caroline’s zeal. It was inspiring for her to see her daughter’s deep compassion for the children she had met and her determination to do something to make a difference, even after the trip was over. “God can indeed teach valuable lessons to us through our children,” she says.
Caroline’s older brother, Tanner, has also served on a Back2Back Mexico mission trip. Impacted by the experiences of Caroline and Tanner, Wendy and her husband, Michael, decided to take a family trip to Mexico to serve at the children’s homes together. This November, they are joining several other families, for Back2Back’s annual Thanksgiving week mission trip. They will be taking several extra suitcases, stuffed with socks, shoes and blankets, all of which were donated at Caroline’s birthday party. While there, they will deliver the items to the local orphanages.
The Kuremskys think that serving children in need is the perfect way to spend Thanksgiving together as a family. When asked what prompted them to forgo a traditional Thanksgiving celebration, Michael responded, “There is no better way to express our gratitude for how we’ve been blessed as a family than to serve people who haven’t been as blessed as us.”
Interested in participating in the Back2Back Thanksgiving mission trip, Nov 25-29? There are still a few remaining spots open for families or individuals. If you would like to join the Kuremskys in Monterrey, Mexico this Thanksgiving, please email the trip leader, Brian Bertke, at brian@back2backministries.org
It was Sunday. I arrived at Casa Hogar Douglas, a children’s home we serve, around 9:30 AM to prepare for church. When I got there, I discovered that the home had been without electric for twenty-four hours. All of the food in their refrigerators was spoiled and because their water well works on an electric pump, they were also without water. We began to determine the exact cause of the problem. Soon, we discovered that the transformer was shorted out and would need to be repaired.
It was the third week of July and the temperature during that time of year is over 100 degrees every afternoon. Since it was Sunday, we knew that we wouldn’t be able to do anything about the electric until Monday, at the earliest. So, we immediately began hauling drinking water from our property to the children’s home. We also brought the kids to the swimming pool on our property to cool down. Afterwards, we had a cookout for them.
Getting ready to cool off in the pool
Pool games
Alejandro loves playing in the baby pool
On Monday, we learned it would cost $3,000 to fix the transformer and it would be Tuesday before it would be ready. So we hauled more drinking water, fed them again and invited them to cool down in our pool once more.
It was a rough week. But that is why we are here. Without Back2Back’s help I’m not sure where the children’s home would get help in times like this. Those of you who support this ministry, make it possible for us to help the children’s homes when they have a crisis. And for that we are extremely grateful. Events such as the power outage enable us to have a platform to share the Gospel. Today, the kids at Casa Hogar Douglas know that God loves them and will provide for their needs.
One of the dorms on the Casa Hogar Douglas property (Douglas Children's Home)
This summer, I was often asked by mission trip guests, “What does a typical day look like in a Teen Home of the Hope Program?”
Wow, the best answer is actually… “There is no typical day – each one is a new adventure!” As you can imagine, it’s semi-controlled chaos in a teen home on our Back2Back Mexico campus. Days are full with households ranging in size from seven to sixteen! There are endless responsibilities and conversations for managing meals, chores, curfews, school enrollment, studying for exams, school supplies, friends, jobs and everything else that comes with raising teens (and staff kiddos, as well).
Cooking dinner with the boys
As a Teen Home parent, I often feel winded, like I just finished a sprint, but in reality it’s more of a marathon. Many days will not hold a visible pivotal ministry moment. Many days feel more like a chaotic dash of the never ending “stuff” to be done. But the precious reality of this ministry is the invested time – living life together. Because we are here day in and day out, because we can be found in the kitchen or upstairs at all hours, because we sit and eat with them, because we are here…over time many of these students will allow us entrance into their tangle.
The lives of our teens are a tangle of old wounds, dysfunctional family connections, hopes and dreams for the future, and worries about the present. It’s a mighty tangle. But the beauty is that when we choose to entangle ourselves into their daily tangle, many begin to allow us more and more entrance into their lives. And then, in those unplanned and unpredictable moments of living life together, God just might allow us to speak His truth to them and they just might listen.
This summer felt like a daily sprint with our summer schedule of visiting short-term mission groups and end-of-the-year activity at school for our boys. I ended each day exhausted and often overwhelmed. But now that it has passed, God has graciously reminded me that He was at work the whole time. In the midst of that constant dash, I shared the gospel with Pablo late one night. I spoke truth to Marcos about who he is and what God wants for him, after an issue at school. I had a difficult but necessary conversation with Mario about his behavior and choices in life. I had multiple conversations with Homero about his decisions and who God has made him to be. And I was able to answer Gabriel that yes, indeed, I would love to be the mother he never had.
None of these were planned moments. They happened in the car, at the kitchen table, and sitting at the lake, all because we have chosen to entangle ourselves in their tangles. Up close, it feels like a sprint. It’s tiring; it’s intense; and sometimes, even maddening. But when we can step back and look at it like a marathon, it’s nothing short of miraculous.
The last week of July we had our first Vacation Bible School for the kids that attend the church at Casa Hogar Douglas (Douglas Children’s Home). Each morning, the children had a time of worship, teaching by age group, and crafts. All of the kids had a great time, as they learned more about God and grew in their spiritual understanding.
In addition to the attendees from the children’s home, eight kids from the local community joined us for the VBS. Can you imagine how the kids from the children’s home felt when the neighborhood kids WANTED to come to their home to visit? Those in the community don’t typically WANT to come to a children’s home.
One of our goals is that the children would feel like the children’s home that they live in is more like a home and less like an institution. I know that this is difficult, but we want them to think as a family. We want them to know what it is like to have siblings, parents, aunts and uncles who really love them as Christ loves them. We tell them often in the church, that we are not perfect, but we are a family.
VBS was not only a time of learning Bible stories and worship songs. For the kids of Casa Hogar Douglas, it was a time to be proud. Please keep praying for this church. I believe God is moving mightily in the lives of these kids right now. Wonderful things are soon to come as we witness the fruit from this work!
Marilin leads children to their first VBS activity
Children working on an art project during craft time
Using puppets to share a Bible story with the younger children
Betty Betscher teaching a Bible lesson with the older children
Our foster daughters through the Hope Program were not allowed to date during their first year living in our house. Of course, they all quickly agreed to this rule back in August 2008 and then fought for their “right to date” all year long. These beautiful girls, who range in age from thirteen to eighteen, are constantly being chased by boys.
Yessica, the oldest girl in Casa Esperanza, our Hope Program home on the Back2Back campus
Yessica is the oldest girl in our house and has been “getting to know” a certain “friend boy,” (who we have met and scrutinized). He invited Yessica to a family gathering, which would require us to meet his parents. We put on our most “adult looking attire” and nervously left for our meeting. I asked my husband, Gabo, to please not embarrass her, reminding him that it wasn’t too many years ago that he was meeting my parents for the first time. As we drove to their house, we prayed that they would understand our intentions. This was, after all, a first for us.
Yessica understands that we love her and want to protect her. We want to know that the people she hangs out with have her best interests in mind. We want Yessica to make good decisions, and honor the Lord. We want to do so much for her, and yet are reminded how limited we are. We can teach our children in the short time they are with us, but then we must trust their future to the Lord.
Meeting his family was great and we had peace that we had done the right thing. We left knowing that Yessica felt valued and special. As parents-to-be to Baby Velasco, we are learning how tough it is to let go of the future and of people we love. We want to hold them as tight as we can, and never let anything bad happen. We are grateful that our baby will have a jumpstart on knowing God’s love. Unfortunately, abandonment and abuse have robbed many of the girls in the Hope Program from feeling the security of God’s plan for them. We trust their hearts will heal and they will get in step with the amazing plan God has before them.
This fall, Beth Guckenberger, one of the directors of Back2Back Mexico, will be speaking at several US venues, while she and her family are temporarily living in Cincinnati (through December). If you’re in the area, please feel free to join us!
October 2-4: NASCAR and Nationwide chapels, Kansas City
Check back often – the schedule below will be updated as new speaking engagements are booked! If you are interested in scheduling Beth for a speaking engagement, event or retreat at your church or organization, please contact kate@back2backministries.org to check Beth’s availability and receive additional information.
School is starting up again for the children in the homes we serve here in Monterrey. With the start of school, comes back to school shopping and new school supply lists. For a director of a children’s home, this can be a difficult time financially. Not only are they trying to make ends meet as kids return from summer break, but in addition, many new kids are dropped off for the first time and directors face the enormous expense of purchasing school supplies for fifty to eighty kids all at once. I have the privilege of overseeing all of Back2Back Mexico’s donations. Midway through our summer season, I sent a few emails out requesting school supplies in anticipation for the heavy donation needs during this back to school rush for the children’s homes. My faith was encouraged when visiting short-term mission groups brought several hundred spiral notebooks along with other necessary school supplies items just four days after sending the request. And I’m pleased to report that after communicating with each children’s home director for their needs, spending almost all of this past week in our donation room organizing the deliveries, and driving around Monterrey like some sort of children’s home Santa to deliver everything – everyone’s needs were met in full.
I love working with our donations because I love to see God provide for the orphan child. Several of the homes we serve have God’s Promises to the orphan child as found in the Bible printed on the walls throughout the home and their dorm rooms. This week, I’ve been fascinated to see Deuteronomy 10:18 which says, “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing,” come to life right before my eyes. I’m convinced this week more than ever of how passionate God loves the orphan child. There is something just angelically holy about each one of these precious children – the King of Kings loves them.
A promise to orphans from scripture is painted on the wall to remind the children of God's provision. In English it states, "God promises to give you food and clothing."
"God promises to help you," a beautiful reminder for the children.
During meal times, the children are reminded of another one of God's promises to orphans found in the Bible: God promises to be your Father.
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