Kevin

Kevin when i first met him 2 years ago, age 1

Kevin today at age 3

This post perhaps wont make much sense to anyone.... I'm currently still trying to process through my thoughts and emotions and frustrations and joys and concerns for a little boy named Kevin who lives at one of my favorite children's homes to visit here in Monterrey.  Lately (this whole past month), my heart has just been completely broken over him.  I want so badly to take him home with me.   One of the high lights of my summer was seeing him eat dinner with a fork while sitting on my lap- all BY HIMSELF.  For those of you that know kevin or have seen him at lunch time, you'd know how big of a deal this is and how starkly different that is from his typical lunch time tantrum.   Kevin has special needs and is soon to be tested to determine what kind of autism, if any, he has.  This kid doesn't do too well when his daily routine is interrupted - for example, when we have an american group present to take this home on a field trip or have them on our property for a pool party.  I found him many days this summer, screaming and crying near the little palapa while everyone else was in the pool, frustrated and confused but not at all wanting to go near or in the pool because he's scared of it, simultaneously with a confused american unsuccessfully trying to pick him up and make him happy.   Somehow, he seemed to end up on my lap on those afternoons.  We'd talk and he'd just sit back in my lap and watch the other kids in the pool.    And these days.... when i go to his children's home, he's almost always in my arms- just hugging me.  I'll be honest- I really just want to take him home with me, seriously I've considered attempting to make that legal.  Whenever I leave that children's home, I cry - still, and i live here and can go there whenever i want but I lose it.  I find myself frustrated and broken, crying to God and begging him to tell me why little babies have to grow up parentless and abandoned.  

So would you join me in praying for Kevin and the millions of little babies that grow up in similar situations.... just lost and broken- that they would come to know the love that their heavenly father has for them.  And I'm pretty sure that God's heart hurts more than mine ever will for kids like Kevin.  

May we be His hands and feet to this lost and hurting world so that they could see our good works and give glory to God in heaven

Vamos Tigres!

Now that our intense 8 week summer is over, I've had some margin to go to some professional soccer games with Jhonatan (cowboy hat) who is a staff kid here at B2B.  There are 2 professional soccer teams here in Monterrey- the Tigres and the Rayados.   I'm not allowed to like the Rayados according to Jhonatan and in about a week- they play each other in what is called "the classico."  They aren't Florida Gator games.... but at least I get to wear a jersey and sit in game day traffic.  

My STINT Final Exam

Below are rare photos of me working.  Many people ask me, "so what do you do in Mexico at the children's homes?"  And it's difficult to communicate sometimes.  We do so many different things but many days- I do construction and I LOOOOVE it.  The photos below are from the last work day of our Back2Back summer and what I now refer to as my "Back2Back STINT Final Exam."  It was perhaps the best day of my entire summer work wise.  Somehow I got lucky when Greg divided up the work projects amongst the staff and interns and ended up with the task of prepping and pouring a small sidewalk with a team of about 10 americans who thought I knew what I was doing.... hahahha.  I sure fooled them!  They kept asking questions like, "so how long have you been doing this for?"  And I'd answer with, "oh today is my first time- fun huh?"  It was AWESOME.  

This is the inside of one of our 5 trailers which used to intimidate the junk outta me when i first moved to Monterrey.  On this work day, it felt like we used every single tool in the trailer to prep the area and build the frame for the pour

After we dug out the area, built the frame and put the rebar grid together, we started mixing the concrete, i had to direct wheelbarrows to dump one row at a time, and scrape out the concrete

then i'd move the concrete around so the slope was appropriate which was a move I've seen the masons do on concrete pours- seemed good

Then we'd smooth the concrete out- Chris (a sweet child from the Villa de Juarez home who came up to me and wanted to help) mostly played but he was awesome and SO proud of his work when we finished

me and Christopher with the finished sidewalk that I was pretty confident I did NOT know how to do- can you tell I'm proud?

So after a year here, I think I got an A.  I even knew the names of the tools in the trailer- crazy!  And I just kept laughing to myself the entire time about how if they could have come up with a final exam for me on purpose- that this sure would have been a good one.  

But as I was thinking back on this task that I had before me, which I didn't think I was capable of or fully equipped for - it reminded me of many times in my walk with the Lord.  Often, I feel like I've been dropped into situations that maybe I wasn't ready for - or at least that's what I thought - but then I realize that - "yeah... I just did that.  How crazy was that?!  Wow!  Didn't know I had that in me!"  God doesn't put us into situations in our lives and ministries just to show us what we don't know.  He puts us in these situations because He's equipped us or will equip us in the moment to complete the task at hand for His name's sake.  We just have to trust God to move in us and through us and He'll do the rest.  

I'll be in Florida in a week so if you have some construction needs - I'm for hire.  yeah umm... JUST KIDDING

Interns... I love them!

Imagine having a core of friends who are your age, LOVE your job, understand your heart for the orphan child, have more energy that you do and push you when you're tired, and make you laugh even when you're half asleep at your morning meetings.  For me Back2Back's summer interns were exactly this and more.  Many of our interns sacrifice summer jobs or summer classes and internships to live and work alongside of Back2Back's full time staff for a month or two in the summer.  They work behind the scenes, prepping and cleaning and running errands or grilling out dinner for 350 people all day.  Looking back on the insanely busy and awesome months of June and July, I'm amazed at how much God blessed me through our interns.  I sobbed my eyes out on the day they left.  It felt like a funeral.  They were without a doubt the high light of my summer and they have left me feeling so encouraged and just much more obsessed with my job and God's calling on my life and live and serve here.  

Andrea and Amanda - absolutely beautiful women of God

Sammy, Meg and Quin at Super Salads.  "I miss them!"

 

My sweet little sister Meg Weaver whose shampoo is organic

OMQ!!!!!!!!!!!!  I loooooooooooove you <-- 10 year old boy

Taco's Fede for Andrea's Birthday, June Interns

BEATING!  Plip.   Sammy, Quin, Meg

Fist in the air!   July Interns minus Mike

Hey Todd!! Do that thing you do! - Lisa Grote

"hey you want to dance with me?!?!  I need a kid" - Quin and Sammy

I miss you all and I'm looking forward to the day when you each return to go to the garage with me and eat half baked brownies, sweat on Gema buses, and of course.... jam out in the donation room.  Speaking of which - THANK YOU THANK YOU for working so hard on Saturdays to make my life so so so so so much easier.  Clearly yall are the best ever - don't forget it.  You are extremely appreciated around here.