Sofi's First Email Address

I have been given an incredible privilege: the ability to participate in human redemption and restoration. To step into their stories and be a witness to God's healing grace in their lives. Sometimes that takes the face of the extraordinary, but more often than not I've found that on the surface it looks surprisingly mundane.

One of the moms we work with has two daughters who have lived at the San Jose Children's Home for the past 7 years. While she has suffered from both depression and alcoholism, the main reason for why her girls do not live with her is because she does not have a consistent job. So a few days ago I went with her to a shop where they sell internet to browse through job postings on Mexico's version of Craig's List. After jotting down a couple that we would later call and look in to, I asked the mother to do something on the computer and realized that she had never used a computer mouse before.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with tenderness as I looked into the eyes of a 30 year old woman who gazed back at me with the trusting, eager expectation that school girls have towards their teachers. I showed her how to hold the mouse, how to click, how to scroll up and down the page. I wrote down instructions on how to look for jobs online, and we created her very first email account. I felt so touched that she would allow me to care for her in that way. It was a simple task, but it didn't feel simple--it was a reminder that everything matters. A reminder to choose gentleness over a to-do lists in a world where so many of us may look, pretend, or fancy that we are big, strong, and grown up but are still in so many ways little children.

I'm so thankful that I am the child of such a marvelous father: a father who by allowing me to care for a woman in an internet shop, showed me how intimately and tenderly he cares for me.

Best Birthday :)

I love talking with people about their dreams. I love watching their eyes begin to sparkle and their mouths smile as a far off look comes over their face while they're telling you about what they hope for themselves or for others or for the world. I think that I like it so much because I see God in people in those moments--in their hopes and their passions and their desire to be a part of making whatever that dream is happen.

I believe very much in dreaming. My biggest life dream started in my US history class in high school when I learned about Jane Adams. She started a tenement house in Chicago in the 1920's that worked to give worth and dignity to the impoverished by providing affordable, decent housing. What started as buying a run down tenement house to fix it up and rent the rooms out at the same price but at a much higher quality led to the development of more tenement houses, community programs, and jobs for residents. I think this is beautiful and so a seed for a dream of doing something similar was planted in my heart.

God has been caring for this dream for years--growing my knowledge and skill set through social work classes at Taylor, practicum experiences, and personal relationships. While my dream hasn't been fully realized, God gave me a taste of this dream on my birthday. I got to spend the day painting a cuartaria (building of one-room apartments) where many of the kids from Rossy's community center in Bonfil live. To some, it may seem like a pretty crummy way to spend your birthday--getting covered in paint, dirt, and sweat far away from your family--but to me, it was the most beautiful gift. I love the way that God uses dreaming to call us to the place where we can best know and serve him so that he can continue the process of making us into who we were created to be. And today, I am thankful that God holds my dreams tenderly and that he stays committed even when I grow faint.

Playing with the Kids in the Park after a Long Day Painting

Our Expert Painters :)

My Birthday Buddie, Jiromi

Oti's Family

Oti is 38 years old. She lives and cares for her 7 youngest children, who are between 3-13 years old. Her husband died over 3 years ago, and she has been trying hard ever since to both take care of her kids and work to make money to provide for their basic needs.

Oti Serving Cake for a
 Birthday Celebration

Back2Back began working with Oti's family shortly after her husband died. At that time, none of her children were in school, and Oti was really struggling to provide for her family. Now her children are in school, and with the help of a tutor, are all getting straight A's. Two weeks ago, 5 of her kids were baptized. When Jeny, 13, was given her own Bible she immediately began reading it and making up tunes for singing the Psalms. Oti has visibly become more involved in helping her kids to grow and reach their dreams. We took the two oldest girls, Jeny and Marisol, to the beach this past Saturday along with some other teens that we work with and some teen volunteers so that they could get used to being around other kids their age (they're both behind in school and spend most of their time with younger kids). We played football, sang worship songs, and had snacks--it was very fun and so encouraging to see them laughing and making friends.

Oti's Kids Drawing Self-Portraits

I've been involved in working with Oti's family over the past few months by writing down the kids' life stories and creating individualized goals for each child. I'm also starting to do games and activities with them each month to help them better understand their feelings and how to cope with stress and hard things. This month we talked about anger. Among other games, we wrote down things that make us frustrated, upset, and angry and then threw wet paper towels at those things, which caused the words to drip away. It was fun to watch the kids get super into it, and I think they learned about good ways to express their anger.

I've loved watching these kids grow--hearing their hilarious jokes, singing Justin Bieber songs together, and having story time. God has great things in store for each one of them, and I feel so blessed to be a part of their stories.

Dalila's Family

Dalila is 31 years old. She got married when she was 14 years old, and her husband died about 8 years ago. Dalila and her husband had three lovely children who are now 15, 12, and 11 years old. While a lot of hard things have happened in Dalila's life, she is a strong woman who is dedicated to helping her children have a brighter future than her past. Even when there wasn't enough to eat for dinner, she would tell them how much she loved them and how she knew they would go to the university someday. She would tell them about her dreams for them--that they could do and be anything they wanted to be.

Dalila met Back2Back a few years ago while walking the streets looking for work. She accepted Christ into her heart last November and is now living in her "dream house". Her kids dream of being a psychologist, a veterinarian, and an architect. They are doing much better in school and are very happy.

Just last month a short-term missions group serving with Back2Back helped to pour the front patio of Dalila's dream house by hand. The whole family was very excited and grateful--especially Dalila's son, Jose Luis, who is anxious to practice and show off his skate boarding skills (a birthday gift).

I've been blessed with the opportunity of working with each of the kids to write down their life stories. I've also learned how to make Picadillo (yummy taco filling), am currently a beat-boxer in training (thank you Jose Luis), and have had the joy of watching Leydy become more self-confident. God is at work in this family, and I have been so encouraged to be a part of this work.
  

Dalila's Dream House

Leydy, Zury, and Jose Luis

  

Dalila's Family

Girls at San Jose Children's Home

I should really say "kids" as there are now two little brothers living with the 14 girls :) San Jose is a children's home run by four nuns who absolutely love the girls they care for. They provide for the kids through donations, selling yummy Mexican food, and through the help of child sponsors.

It's a happy home, and the kids living there are both creative and giggly. With the last family group who came to serve with us for a week, we were able to celebrate little princess Alondra. Alondra turned 3 year old this month. For her birthday, we celebrated with chocolate cake, balloons, and games, and she opened a present from her sponsors—a Cinderella princess gown. Things that seem to be so simple, a birthday party, are in reality so much bigger than they first appear.

After the party I helped her put on her princess dress, and we paraded around the Children’s Home showing off her new present. She looked absolutely precious. Along the way, we stopped for someone to take her picture. She asked to see the picture, and I wish that I will always remember the expression on her face when she first saw that photo. In that moment, she believed that she was beautiful. She believed that she was special. She believed that she was lovely. And she believed that she was a princess.

That’s why Back2Back is working in Mexico. That’s why I’m in Cancun for a year. And that’s why we spend hours working out program details, grocery shopping, painting bedrooms, and taking kids to doctor’s appointments—so these kids can believe that they are beautiful, indescribably valuable children of God. I’m so glad and humbled to be a part of this work.

What do you do with Back2Back, exactly?

Lately I've had a few people ask me "What does a normal day look like for you?" The only answer I could come up with was "I work with children". Not exactly satisfying or specific :) I struggle very much with generalizations and estimates. Maybe that's because I strive to value the uniqueness of each person, each day, and each situation or maybe that's because I'm a detail person, not a big picture girl.

For me, every day in Mexico is a new day. It may look similar or different from the previous, but God's presence unites them all. The best way I've come to categorize my work with Back2Back is by looking at each site we work with and then looking at how I'm involved in that site. So, over the next few weeks, I'll try to give a picture of each one.

Rossy's. A ministry lovingly called Mision Educarte, similar to a Christian outreach/community center. Rossy has a room on her property that she has used to host a children's program on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the past 20 years, and I've gotten to join her in teaching and serving these kids for the past few months. She leads a time of worship, a teaching time, a craft time, and then serves the children dinner. It's both dynamic and energetic. Anywhere from 30-70 kids come on any given night, and I have come to love each and every one of them. In the midst of situations saturated with poverty, these kids have hope. They are hungry to learn and to grow and to help others. They love each other, and they love Jesus. When you drive up to Rossy's, kids come running out to greet you--literally jumping into your car to hug you because they just can't wait for you to get out. I've been blessed in so many ways by these kids who have challenged me to tickle wars, shown me how to break-dance, trusted me with the name of the 13 year-old love of their life, and taught me how to give thanks for all things (even stolen tv's) because God's got it all under control. I always leave Rossy's tired and completely full of joy. It's undoubtedly my favorite part of the week. In the next year, we're hoping to expand Rossy's ministry by starting small groups that will be able to go deeper with the most consistent kids. We're also hoping to start an after school tutoring program. Prayer for these two goals would be very much appreciated as we seek God's direction regarding program details and funding sources.

Siblings Jocelyn and Jorgito: Rossy's Regulars

Work Day at Rossy's (Rossy's in the Center)

 

Bigger Perspective

Lately there have been quite a few changes in the way the Mexican government operates, especially concerning taxes. Because of this, Back2Back has had to change and re-think some of the ways that they do things. It’s been very hard, stressful, and overwhelming at times—feeling like these changes are thwarting our work here. Lately I’ve realized that I’ve had a very small view of all of these changes. Yes, they are making day-to-day activities very hard. Yes, they are limiting some of the ways Back2Back can work at this time. Yes, the details are complicated and many. Yes, it is all quite scary.

But this is only a shadow of something much bigger. If I choose to focus on this small piece of the story I will see only darkness, but if I open myself up to seeing the larger picture I think I’ll find light, hope, and glory. While these changes will cause pain and difficulty for many over the next few months, they are a step towards a more stable and efficient economy and Mexican nation. These pesky tax changes are a piece in God’s overall plan to bring restoration to the Mexican people by ridding the country of corruption and supporting a legalized economy. What I may quickly label as hurting the people I desire to serve may actually be a road to increased sustainability and a higher level of quality of living.

I pray that I would trust evermore in the wisdom and ability of God, who promises to never forsake his children but always work for their well-being and for the fulfillment of his good, beautiful, and glorious will. May he teach me to see past my shallow view of the current circumstances so that I might better know him through greater understanding of his plan, which is so much more than anything I can ask or imagine.

Kids at the Tres Reyes Community Center

Kids Served at a Free Medical Clinic in Bonfil