I can't help but pass this info along to you all.  Please watch this video (<--- you'll need to click on those highlighted words to view the video) and meet one of the directors here with Back2Back Ministries Mexico:  Beth Guckenberger.  She has recently written and published a book called, Reckless Faith, which includes many true stories of ministry experiences here in Mexico.  Beth is an amazing story teller - just like my grandma jones - and this is a fantastic book for anyone regardless of your interest in the Mexican orphan child.  It's the kind of book that you'd buy for yourself to read but then immediately after finishing the book, insist that everyone you know borrow your copy.

Copies of this book can be purchased at any major bookstore across the U.S. - Family Christian Stores, BooksAmillion, Barnes & Noble, etc for $15.  Tonight my friend Alyssa told me you can purchase the book (an audio version) on itunes... crazy.  Ask her about the book- i'm pretty sure she's loving it. All proceeds from this book go directly back to support the ministry.  

I LOVE MY JOB!!! I have had the most amazing and encouraging week.  I absolutely love fighting on behalf of the orphan child.  Sometimes your heart breaks, other times your skin breaks, but there is always joy in what we do here and goodness i felt it this week.  I got to lead a group by myself in projects and grilling out for Casa Hogar Douglas one day.  A woman brought over 100 brand new PJ's without even knowing that one of the homes had recently asked for new PJs.  
To the right is a 16 year old girl named Milagros who lives in one of the squatters villages where back2back serves with a sweet woman named Meme.  On this day, we led a group of americans to work on the soup kitchen where Meme leads worship, a devotion and feeds several hundred people twice a week.  She was born extremely premature.  The doctors didn't think she was alive.  But she was and today is a living, walking, talking, signing miracle.  She can not hear but is healthy otherwise. Through financial support from an american family she is able to go to a sign language school here.   "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."  - Isaiah 40:29  She is so intelligent and proud to share with people what God has done in her life. 
We had a birthday party at Casa Hogar Imperio De Amor this week.  Mom check out that spongebob pinata!!  Today as SUCH an AWESOME day!!  I was soo encouraged and I had a great "spanish day" -- aka I was really thankful for so many great conversations in spanish today.  I love my job and I love what we get to do everyday. 
Whenever there is cake at a birthday party in mexico- you put the icing on your face to celebrate.  These two boys just kept laughing and laughing.  They are so full of joy and I loved eating my chocolate cup cake and laughing with them.
Beautiful children!  And these kids are so gosh darn sweet.  Don't you just want to hang out with them? So many of these children come from the absolute worst of home situations but God is doing a huge and obvious work in their hearts to restore their innocence.  Did I mention that I'm obsessed with my job?
On the left is me with baby Rene.  He fell asleep on the bus on the way back from Walmart.  An American group came down who wanted to purchase brand new shoes and toys for each kid at 2 of the orphanages we serve.  I have absolutely no words to try to describe shopping with 45 kids for brand new shoes and toys.  And i had baby Rene and two 7 year old girls!! It was insane.  And then we got to do again with another children's home later that afternoon.  I was brought to tears when children from the 2nd home just kept telling each of us over and over and over again, "Thank you!" in english.  They were so unbelievably thankful that someone made it possible for them to go to a store and pick out some new shoes-  probably the most genuine thank you's i've ever witnessed.  
Back2Back dedicated it's brand new medical clinic this past week.  We are now ready to have short term medical and dental teams serve with us.  The clinic is a beautiful 2 story building with state of the art examination, surgical, dental and emergency care rooms.  Our dream is to one day have a team of full time medical staff who live in the 2nd floor of the clinic to meet the everyday medical and dental needs of the orphans.  This week, a medical team was able to provide examinations for every child at each of the homes we serve.  This team also went out to one of the squatters villages where we serve and saw over 170 patients.
To the left is doctor Lisa who will be moving to India soon with her husband to lay the foundation for Back2Back India. While the medical team did their thing, I led a team of americans with Pastor Jose Angel to deliver food to 80 families in need.  We had the opportunity to talk with each family and pray for their specific needs.  One middle aged woman asked if we could pray for her brother who lives in the states and maybe send a letter to him for her (mexico has no postal system).  We returned later in the day to pick up her letter which was just a paper with his name and phone number in the states.  I was very confused and talked with her and tried to translate what she desired to tell her brother to one of the americans who would be making the phone call upon his return to the states.  After several minutes, one of the american men with me remembered that he had his phone in his pocket.  He handed it to the woman who then tried calling her brother who is in the states.  She hadnt spoken with him for almost 4 years and hadn't seen him for almost 7 years.  We were literally in the middle of nowhere mexico and this man's blackberry worked and the phone number was correct AND the brother answered the phone.  The sweet woman broke down immediately in tears and could hardly talk.  She kept telling her brother to call his mom because she is old and she missed him. It was such an emotional moment- even pastor Angel cried.
To the right is Miguel, a pre-medical student at the most prestigious university in all of Latin America.  Miguel grew up at Casa Hogar Douglas and is a student in Back2Back's Hope program.  He worked with the pharmacists all day to dispense drugs to the patients.  He's absolutely brilliant and the newspaper just informed us that is one of the top 5 students in his entire program at the Tec!  God is in the business of making all things new and I love to think about Miguel's hope for promising future. 

"In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world." -- Jesus, John 16:33

An American group member here with B2B recently asked me what I missed most from the states and without hesitation, I told him that I missed my little brother more than anything.  Owen... This one is for you.  I wish that I could have been there when you sent off your application to UF, or when you started your first day of your senior year, or that I could have taken a bunch of photos of you before homecoming and showed you my dance moves again (i'm sure you didn't miss them- I'm useless in this department as you know), or when the gators beat LSU and goodness gracious I wish I could go to even one of your cross country meets.  I'd be the annoying one with the cowbell- not only annoying you and the other runners but every other person for a mile around.  Why do people bring those bells to cross country meets?!?!?!  I still don't understand that one.   Actually, I'd probably be trash talking any runners in front of you and then I'd probably try to make you laugh as you ran by me b/c I hated my own cross country meets and any comedic relief would have been awesome aside from the time the girl with one leg beat me.  

Thinking about how much I miss Owen.... I started to think about all the kids in the orphanages where we serve who probably wish the same things about their own families.  Each child has a different story- they may or may not have parents.

• About one third of the children we serve have no parents- they are either dead or in jail and there are no distant relatives to take care of them.
• For another third of the kids, poverty forces parents to take their children to an orphanage b/c they simply can not feed their children or provide for them.  In this category I also place the kids whose parents work in rich people's weekend vacation homes.  Often, the owner employs the husband and wife and allow them to live on the property where they work.  The wife might cook and clean and the husband may be the night security, lawn guy and maintenance man.  But the owner might not allow children to live on the property so the children are forced to live elsewhere- often casa hogars (orphanages).  Thus I pretty much hate quintas (vacation home in spanish)-- not all are like this i know but i still dont like them.
• The other third often result from this scenario:  the man of the house leaves the woman and kids.  Mom is forced to find a new boyfriend or husband to provide for her and her children.  The new man doesn't want any "baggage" from her previous relationship which often includes the kids.  Either he beats the kids and out of protection the mom brings them to a casa hogar or he simply refuses to allow them to live in their home so they go to the casa hogar.  She then has more kids with the new guy and visits her older children periodically in the casa hogar because she of course, still loves her children very much.  She brings her new kids with her when she visits but her children who live in the casa hogar want to know why they can't go home with their mother.  Constant heartache.

And so I think about what it must feel like to be one of these kids and to miss their mom or dad or brother and not be able to see them.  I wish that I could just put the families back together and solve this problem.  If I could, I'd just give the kids back to their parents or maybe I could prevent parents from dying in the first place so they could be together.  But this just isn't possible- it doesnt work like that.  I think about what it must feel like everyday to love your kid but not be able to watch them take their first steps or watch them graduate kindergarten or score their first goal in a soccer game.  I think about what it must be like to live in a cardboard shack and not be able to make enough money to feed your own children.  What would it be like to spend your entire childhood wondering if something is wrong with you and maybe that's why you don't get to go home with mom.  That must be so difficult.  And there are 143.5 million orphans in our world today going through some of these very same emotions.  I don't hesitate for one second to tell you that I know that God knows what is going on here and that it absolutely breaks His heart.  In the Old Testament, there is a passage in Daniel 7 that describes Jesus as an enforcer of justice- the final judgement when Satan will be defeated once and for all and the Earth and God's people will be restored to their pure and perfect state.  One day, the Ancient of Days will repay everyone for all the evil they have done.  One day, God will right every single wrong that has ever happened since the beginning of time.  Justice will be had... FINALLY.  Knowing this is how I can sleep at night.  One day, all of these problems will be gone forever.  And in the mean time, I'm going to be loud about what isn't right and I'm going to love some kids.  God is bigger than you think and He will move.  He's moving right now- His purposes are greater than my own- and nothing gives me more joy than doing something that I know is important to the King of Kings.  Let us be moved into action to love with Him. 


"As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.  We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-  not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory strength that God gives.  It is a strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to tkae part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us."  -  Colossians 1:9-12

Nail Salon Day 1:  A couple of days ago, I spent the afternoon at Casa Hogar Imperio De Amor and got to paint the nails of a whole lot of little girls.  One of them was even so kind as to paint my nails as well.   Funniest part of the whole day was when little 5 year old Guillermo (a little boy) wanted his nails painted too.  He knew it was only for girls but he didn't care.  And then about half of the boys followed his lead and had one or two of their nails painted too.  Who could resist?  My nail polish was pinkish/orange with glitter.  Everybody wants to look that cool.  Don't lie- you wish i would come and paint yours too... i know it.  

AAAAAAAAHHH THE GATORS BEAT LSU!!! I JUST FOUND OUT!!! 

ORANGE AND BLUE LET'S GOOOO GATORS!!!!!

BEST DAY EVERRRRRRRRR -- thank you jesus that i can access the internet and espn.com to find that out!!! 

Go gators!  go cure cancer, go write the american novel... the University of Florida is in Gainesville... The GATOR NATION is EVERYWHERE!!!  yeah in monterrey mexico b/c i think i might sleep in my tebow jersey tonight i'm just THAT excited.  someone please tell me about the game, clearly i didnt get to watch it/or have time to check the outcome.  

I'M OKAY!!! I GOT VACCINATED!! No need to worry folks!  Today I got to experience a Mexican emergency room to get a tetnus shot following a little mishap while dancing barefoot at a wedding.  Several observations:

1.  Mexicans are the smart ones- they know that if it's an EMERGENCY you shouldnt have to wait 6 hours like you do in the states.... they saw me in 3 minutes

2.  I need to learn some spanish cause I had nooo idea what was going on today or what the doctor was saying

3.  I think mexican doctors are nicer than doctors in the states- the doctor today told me to go somewhere else to get my shots because his hospital was too expensive.... apparently some shady place down the road could have done the same thing for $4 american

4.  I apparently have an address here in Monterrey.... i live at 34 manzana.  ha!

I'm fine.  I wont get tetnus now for the next 5 to 10 years.  and the wedding was BEAUTIFUL!  Felicidades Rene y Katey!!!

The little boy to the right is writing a thank you letter to an american who had sent him some photos and a letter.  I thought it was just about the cutest thing ever.  He wrote once on the white paper to plan what he was going to say and then copied it to the thank you card.  It takes SO many generous people like all of you wealthy enough to have access to a computer and the internet to provide for these children.  God raises up laborers everyday from all over the states and here in Monterrey to love on these kids.  Thank you for sending me to be here so I can try to demonstrate God's extravagant love.  
Today has got to be one of most beautiful days of all time!  The mountains never cease to take my breath away.  Also, in case you were wondering about the weather- this is the first time in my life that I think I've experienced what "Fall" feels like.  It's the rainy season here and is cool most of the time.  I wear jeans ALL the time!  Who woulda thought?!? 

I've been in Monterrey for almost 6 weeks now and I've learned A TON about all sorts of things- but especially construction!  Today I got to work a blow torch and practice with the screw gone on top of a roof.   At one of the casa hogars where we serve, we are working to demolish a non functioning bathroom and replace everything.  Todd taught me how to solder copper piping today.  I'm a wizard with the copper pipe cutter. We hope to finish really soon because until we do- about 25 little girls.... ages 5 to about 7 i think, have to go to another building to use the bathroom.  

A couple of posts ago I told you all about one of the Casa Hogars that was getting kicked out of their house.   This is an opportunity for something better I think- a bigger property where the kids can have a place to play and grow.   2 Corinthians 5:1 says that "if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."  One day, in heaven, these beautiful children can reside in an eternal house far grander than we could ever imagine.  Let us pray that God prepares a new home for Casa Hogar Bethesda here on earth that resembles some of this future glory.  He has a plan.

The past week has been filled with all sorts of training:  group planning, project planning, market shopping for the groups, meetings.... I'm learning a lot about how Back2Back works from the inside out.   All the while though, wrestling daily with what my niche will be here. Lately, my heart has been really heavy and I feel frustrated in so many ways.  When I try to sit back and reflect upon my life here, all I can think about are all of the injustices that exist today in our world.  I want to do something and make a difference, right the wrongs- ALL of them. The needs are so great and so numerous that I often feel completely inadequate and helpless to make a difference even in small ways. I will never understand why things are the way they are.  Why do some children get sold into a life of slavery or prostitution and others grow up going to gymnastics and grandma's house?  Honestly, I sometimes get really upset with God for lavishing blessing after blessing upon me because from my perspective, it looks to me that He completely skipped over some people and then gave me and my friends all the blessings.  "Hey God why can't you share the wealth?"  And then it hits me- that's right.... it's MY job to share. God knows what he is doing- not some of the time but ALL of the time. 

On my own, with simply the strength of man I am relatively powerless to fight today's injustices.  But through HIM who created all things, nothing is impossible.  One day at a time, one task at a time, one child at at time -- it all fits into the bigger picture- HIS picture.  May God receive glory and honor

Prayer requests:  to not get comfortable