Monday, August 10, 2015

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Rubi outside her house
Yesterday I was able to share some of the exciting things that God has been doing in Cancun, Mexico with my church, and I thought I would share it with all of you, too :) I've loved being the social worker for Back2Back's Cancun site for the past year and a half and getting a front row seat to the ways that God has been at work reaching his children in Mexico. The first person who comes to my mind when I think about God’s healing power is a 15 year old girl named Rubi. 

Rubi at the annual Girls Retreat
Rubi comes from a violent, abusive home and had been caught drinking, smoking, and getting involved with an older boyfriend. Her dad died when she was six, and she never got along with her step dad. Her mom was diagnosed with cancer in February. After working with Rubi and her family for six months, Rubi pulled my co-worker aside after class. Rubi said “you and Sarah keep saying that when you believe in God you’re not alone anymore because God’s with you—I don’t want to be alone anymore; show me how.” So they prayed and sang a worship song together and we gave Rubi a Bible—she reads it all the time. In May, her mom was healed of cancer—Rubi says she knows God’s real because he answered her prayers to heal her mom; she says that now it’s her job to tell everybody about him and obey him. Rubi stopped hanging out with her old friends, stopped drinking and smoking, and regularly attends Bible classes. God is in the process of redeeming not just Rubi’s story, but all of his children's stories in Cancun. Four girls living at the children’s home have been reunited with their biological moms, and two more are expected to transition home this fall. Four parents and five teens accepted Christ this year. All of the kids are studying with tutors—some are even above grade level, and three of our kids have begun volunteering at their church’s tutoring program. And the Community Center of Tres Reyes will open in the fall after over two years of construction. God is good.

Thank you for all of the ways you’ve been involved in God’s ministry through Back2Back Cancun—through your prayers, encouragement, and financial support. It’s been a beautiful year and a half of service for me, and I’m excited to continue working with Back2Back part-time as I begin graduate school this fall in St. Louis. I’ll continue supervising Back2Back’s new social worker and helping with program development via the internet and visiting the site every few months. I ask that you’d please pray for me and the Back2Back Cancun site during this transition and would like to invite you to continue partnering with me both through prayer and financial support as I’m in the process of raising about $5,000 for this part-time role. I’d love to talk with you more if you’re interested and share 1,000 more God stories about adorable children with you. Thank you so much for the blessing you’ve been to me and God’s ministry in Cancun. <3


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