Teen Retreat

In February we had an amazing weekend up in the Sierra Madre mountains with around 80 of the pre-teens who live in the children's homes we serve. We realized that often the little kids at the homes get our attention and also the teenagers who are in our Hope Program, however the pre-teens can easily get over-looked. So we took them up into the mountains and set aside a weekend just for them to be poured into. 

Chris Cox, a B2B staff member in Ohio, came down to Monterrey for the weekend to host the retreat. He and Tonio worked hard exciting the kids and translating everything into Spanish.

The teens listened to several talks throughout the weekend on the life of Jonathan the son of Saul. The theme of the weekend was "Unbreakable"... everything in our lives can break except Jesus who is UNBREAKABLE. 

Team building activities

Working as a team to complete a challenge. 

Group games

The chapel where the majority of the talks were held. 

Fellow support staff making snack bags and tang for the kids between sessions! 

Hearing the word of God in His amazing creation!

Cheque getting to know David, the son of a caretaker at Casa Hogar Douglas.

One huge part of the retreat was an opportunity for each teen to express how they see themselves on a mirror. There was such a variety of answers both surprising and sad. Reading what these kids wrote really motivated me to pray. It is easy to go to a children's home and hang out with the kids and never really see the pain going on on the inside. To read how these kids view themselves was very eye opening, humbling, and motivating...

"I am trash"

"I need love, but pure clean love"

In the culmination of the weekend Chris, the speaker, talked about how all the things written on those mirrors were breakable. Everything that we put our trust in (aside from Christ) is breakable. Every way that we describe ourselves can change or break (aside from what Christ says about us). Chris smashed the mirror to illustrate this point and went on to talk about putting your confidence in Christ, the only nonbreakable one and coming into His freedom in our lives.  

Kids coming up to sign their names on the cross to show their faith in Christ. 

Cheque praying for one of the teens during the ministry time. 

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was that a local church group came simply to pray while the retreat was going on. For most of the sessions they were in another room interceding for the teens who were in the sessions. Some times they came in to pray and minister directly with the kids. It was AMAZING! 

My husband leading worship

Our whole group!!!