Our Summer in Photos

How in the world can I recap all that has happened these past 8 weeks of summer? The Lord has been so good and so faithful! Here at B2B we like to ask our missions guests each night during debriefing what is their "picture of the day," or a particular moment that stood out to them that they would like to always remember. Tonight I am posting for you some of our "pictures of the summer" (in both the literal and non-literal sense!). I hope this gives you a real glimpse of what the Lord has been up to this summer and how privileged we have been to play a part in it. Enjoy!

First group of the summer prays over the construction of the new children's home "DREAMS" for Manantial de Amor. 

I was privileged to have 2 brothers visit for the whole month of June and lend many a helping hand at MDA.

To the zoo! One of the many field trips we were able to take the MDA kids on this summer. 

Enjoyed having my dear friend Anna come to serve week 2 of the summer! Luis enjoyed her company too :) 

Cheque was blessed to have my brother Jon help out around MDA. What a blessing to have family so close this summer. 

We loved seeing MDA's new caregivers in their element. Jose and Lorena have added so much to MDA in just the few months they have been working there. Jose has blessed the home with his skills as a carpenter and an artist. Here is the new entertainment center me finished for the boys with the help of good friend from Oxford, Jason Bantz. 

Who can beat slip-n-slide on a hot day! The kids enjoy hanging out with the  Crosslife group during week three. 

DREAMS continues to progress. Week 3 and the first floor walls are nearly up! 

My awesome man showing strengths in so many ways this summer. Here he is reviewing the plans for DREAMS.

Loved having mom with me as I lived my daily life in Monterrey. She got to celebrate with  me and Ady when Ady got her braces finally taken off! 

Fun days in the sun (and big slides!!!)! 

Trip to the pools week 4! 

New sheet donation for the girls dorm room at MDA! Ester enjoys her Hello Kitty sheets :) 

Celebrated Chuy and 3 other's birthdays week 6 of the summer!

Loved seeing all the kids and group pouring into the kids who celebrated birthdays in July. 

Melanie offers her talents as a hair stylist to spruce up the kids summer do's! (Week 6)

DREAMS continues to grow! Week 7 brings the walls even higher and a sidewalk around the building. 

Love these kids and all their joy! Headed out for a safari ride week 7!

Jocabel feeds a wild steer on the safari ride!

A very friendly giraffe :) The kids got to be so close and to pet him. Made their day!

Enjoying the downtown market with the family and trying out ice cream form Oaxaca :) 

Enjoyed helping with the filming of a documentary  about Shannon's life (Hope Program student who I mentor). It is called "1/163,000,000" What an amazing girl and talented film crew.

Finding a small moment to encourage Israel in who he is :) 

Got to celebrate Shannon's acceptance into nursing school! What a huge achievement for her and her family! Still praising Jesus for this one :) 

These are just a few snapshots! Boy, do I have so many more!!!! Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness to us this summer!!!

Adi's Faith

Adi Leslie

It was later than I expected. I was taking Adi back to Manantial de Amor children’s home after her monthly orthodontist appointment with a gnawing sensation in my stomach. We needed to stop for some food and fast. I decided it was the right time to introduce Adi to the amazing delights of Little Ceasers pizza; a nugget of American grease right in the middle of Monterrey. We pulled into the parking lot, ordered a medium pepperoni greaser and two Sprites, and sat down at a table to devour.

As I sopped up the orange grease puddles on my slice with a napkin, Adi began to talk about her family. Adi had been living at Manantial de Amor children’s home since she was six and we were currently in the midst of planning her quince anos celebration. Living in a dorm with fifteen girls, sleeping on a bunk bed, eating every meal in a cafeteria, seeing family only on weekends, participating in group chores, group homework, group everything, had been Adi’s normal life for over nine years.

Through bites of pizza, Adi began to tell me about her younger brother who was once at the children’s home with her, but had returned to live with their folks several years ago. Circumstances were hard, but Brian was living with his biological parents while Adi remained at the children’s home. I wiped my mouth and ask the question that I weekly tell visiting group members not to ask, “Why then, are you still here?” I said hesitantly.

 

Adi laid her crust on the Styrofoam plate in front of her and looked up at me. “I don’t know,” she said. I could tell her thoughts were a mud puddle of confusion. How hard it must have been to see her brother lovingly invited back into the family, and not even an explanation given to her as to why she was not. 

“I really don’t know why I’m not living with my family,” she said. Before I could offer a consoling word or hug, Adi continued sincerely, “But I do know that God knows the reason I’m still here. He wants to work in my life through being at this children’s home. He wants to perfect me in a way that could only happen through this time at Manantial.” She nodded, “this is all part of His plan and purpose for my life.”

I stopped chewing as the tears bubbled up. “And,” Adi continued, “I even think that God has a plan to use me to help others while I am here.” She reached for another slice, matter-of-factly, and plopped it on her plate.

I knew the words Adi had just spoken had been divinely revealed. The God of grace and loving-kindness had spoken that truth to Adi’s heart. He had chosen her, given her this faith, and intimately revealed His heart to her. She missed her family, but contently submitted herself to the story her Heavenly Father was weaving for her, a much better story than one she could write on her own.

“Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” James 2:5

Adi with a friend showing off a gift from their sponsor!

Josue's Apple

There is a children’s book by Shel Silverstein called, The Giving Tree. In this story generosity is shown as over and over as an apple tree gives, and gives, and gives of itself to the little boy it loves.

Lucia and I were teaching our little students at Del Norte children’s home about true generosity through this story. When we had finished our lesson, we passed out red construction-paper apples for the kids to decorate with ways they could be generous to others.

  I have no idea what suddenly came upon eight-year-old Josué in this moment. He went from a laughing, good-natured boy to an obstinate, negative soul in literally one second. Josué stood up with a hardened frown on his face and announced that he thought the activity was stupid and he just wasn’t going to do it. We talked with him nicely and then firmly and still he didn’t budge. One of our rules at the library is that if you come to class, you must participate in all the activities, not just the ones you favor. Josué was reminded about this rule, but his countenance and opposition did not change.

Josue

Josué spent the next twenty minutes under the teacher desk ripping his paper apple to shreds. Lucia and I ignored his behavior and attended to the other students. I have to admit, I was not feeling very generous toward Josué in this moment. Unlike the tree we had just read about, I was about ready to take back everything I had ever given Josué and make him leave the library! This was not the first time Josué had been a challenge to me. There had been several other days when I asked him to leave the library because of his behavior. He usually left while laughing mockingly at me, no sense of remorse for the chaos he had caused. 

Our reading circle at the library

Our library "Giving Tree"

As the students finished the activity and began perusing books, I felt a slight tug on my shirt. I turned to see Josué with The Giving Tree in his hand. “Can we read this together?” he asked, once again a happy boy. Speechless, the anger shocked out of me, I nodded a “yes.” We sat on the floor and opened the cover. Page after page we read together the story of the Christ-like tree. I turned the last page, closed the cover, and much to my surprise, Josué asked for another paper apple. I watched quietly, as with a tinge of embarrassment Josué wrote on his apple, “I love you. Forgive me for what I have done.”

Josue's apple 

Never in my life did I expect to see those words written out on Josué’s apple. After months of giving, coaching, disciplining, loving, and teaching these kids, we were finally seeing some return… and from the least likely of all. Josué stood up and took his apple over to Lucia to ask her forgiveness as well. I overheard Lucia telling him that he didn’t need to ask forgiveness for himself, but for his behavior. “Love,” she said, “God has made you a very wonderful boy and He wants your behavior to reflect that.” Josué turned toward her and asked, “Why do you call me ‘love’?” Lucia, swooped him up in a big bear hug and said, “Because YOU ARE LOVED!!!”

Despite the day-in and day-out trials, God’s love is seeping into these little hearts. He is slowly removing abused hearts of stone, and replacing them with hearts of flesh. This day, for the first time, we saw that Josué’s heart was beginning to warm and the first layer of stone was cracking off. 

Princess for a Day!!!!

Adi Leslie and Sinai celebrating their XV Anos!!!

God blessed me with the privileged to get to know these two beautiful young ladies through the course of several months as we worked together to plan their Quince Anos. Adi and Sinai are beautiful inside and out. They have hearts for Jesus and I felt so blessed to be able to help make such an important day a reality for these MDA girls!!!

Below are the words of my good friend and Co-Back2Backer, Jenn Myers as she talks about this XV Anos day!!!! Enjoy :) 

"One of the traditions that I love about Mexico is how big they celebrate girls’ 15th birthdays, their entrance into womanhood, by throwing a quinceanera. This elaborate party full of flowers, decorations, and princess dresses is enough to make anyone feel special, which is the ultimate goal. Usually the families of the children would be the ones to plan and provide a party for their girls. Unfortunately for the children in the Casa Hogars this is not possible. We as a ministry believe that this is a very important time for the girls, a rite of passage, not just a party.

The girls being escorted in with their chambalans.

We are grateful to our child sponsors in the states who partner with us to help provide a special day to celebrate the amazing lives of the girls that we serve, daughters of the Most High King! I know how special I feel when I think of myself in this way and I am excited to be a part of helping others to feel the same.

The ceremony

I was gifted with the privilege of joining my friend and co-worker Hope, to go dress shopping with the two beautiful girls shown in the picture above as well as taking photos of their special day. Both girls are beautiful on the inside and out.

Sinai

Making vows to keep their lives pure and unto the Lord. 

 Raziel, pastor and house parent on staff with Back2Back was asked by the girls to speak at their ceremony. His heart and words for them were so beautiful, a glimpse of God’s love for His daughters. Each girl was given a rose from a friend as scripture was read over them. 

Adi Leslie

Us with the girls. I was the event planner of this day and Cheque was DJ/ muscian. 

Yay!!!!

Edgar, the director of MDA giving a charge and blessing to the girls. 

It was a great time of celebration as friends and family came together to celebrate the lives of these girls. Both of the girls had their sponsors from the States fly in to help and to celebrate with them. There was dinner for all of the guests as well as the traditional dancing that followed dinner. What wasn’t so traditional was the girls’ request that we have a small worship service to thank God for all that He is and all that He has done. I am so thankful to be a part of all that God is doing in the lives of the children of Monterrey."

 - Jenn Myers, B2B Staff

The party!!!!

What We've Been Up To...

No fears, folks! We are still alive and thriving!!! By looking at my blog you would think we have been MIA for the past 3 months. Glad to say that is not the case (unless MIA stands for "Ministering In Action" !!!! Hahaha!) Truth be told, we have been BUSY!!! Here are a few snap shots of what we have been up to these past few months. I so wish I had all the time in the day to tell each of you the stories behind each photo, but this will have to do!

So what have we been up to????....

RETREATS

Ministering to over 80 teenagers during a 121 retreat in the mountains

 In February we spent a weekend with 80 teenagers in tents and cabins in the mountains during a spiritual retreat weekend. The retreat was targeted at the teens who are still finishing middle school and therefore still living in the children's homes where we serve. What a huge group! One day each of these kids will have the opportunity to be in our Hope Program.

Cheque playing the drums

Cheque helped with worship during the retreat. These days you can almost always find Cheque behind a set of drums either at church, back2back, retreats, or events!!! He is quite talented :) 

Camping with the teens!!!

LITERACY PROGRAM

Reading with Cristian

I've been busily filling my days with the Back2Books Literacy Program! We now hold classes twice a week at Casa Hogar Del Norte and my time between is filled preparing lessons or developing the program to soon plant in other children's homes. 

Caring for Baby Isaac while teaching literacy!

Easter egg hunt with my students

MANANTIAL DE AMOR

Cheque leveling a soccer field 

 We also spend many a day at Casa Hogar Manantial de Amor (MDA) where Cheque and I are the B2B captains. It is quite the multifaceted job!

Bowling with the MDA kids

Writing child sponsorship letters with the kids

Hanging out with Rubi from MDA and Jess Biondo.

... AND OTHER THINGS!!

Translating for a dental team in Cadereyta

Hiking with my mom when she came to visit in March :) 

Dying Easter eggs!!!

Stay tuned for more to come :)