ruby

Teen Mission Trip

2011-05-11T22:28:00.001-05:00

A few weekends ago, a few staff members took the teens that live on our campus, on a mission trip to an orphanage about 1 ½ hours away in the desert. It’s hard to put 500 pictures and a weekend of memories into a short blog but I’ll do my best.

We loaded up 2 Back2Back vehicles with food, luggage, work supplies, and teens to try a new adventure. None of the teens were sure what to expect but we wanted them to experience what our work teams experience when they come to Back2Back.
The teens took turns helping prepare meals and clean up and actually they all were very willing to help!

The morning started with breakfast, quiet time, a small group time, and then prep to leave. We headed out Saturday to the nearby pueblo (small town) to do a work/outreach project. The clinic needed repair and we painted, did electrical work, and repaired doors, etc. There were lots of children hanging around watching. At lunch we handed out lunches we had packed to these same children and had lunch together. After a day of work, our teen girls had prepared a kind of Bible School for the local children. They had a Bible story of David and Goliath and an art project, and games. I loved watched our teens faces as they played and helped the children. There were so many smiles everywhere!
Meanwhile we also gave out sheets/towels and food to the women of the village. The day ended with us circling around and praying for the people who had come out. I watched as our teens lay hands on the children and prayed over everyone and my heart was full of joy!

That evening in debriefing almost everyone of our group said they hadn’t been sure about this trip and didn’t really want to come, but their minds had been changed and they loved it!

Sunday we visited a local church and went back to hang out a little more with our new friends at the Casa Hogar ?. I know I saw some tears as we pulled away to head back to Monterrey.

What an amazing opportunity for these teens who have groups coming to them and serving them, to go out and do the very same thing! God is moving in them and they are learning to serve Him. They are ready to go again!!

2011-04-14T21:34:00.002-05:00

Please pray for my friend, Melina. Melina was a part of our Hope Program but is no longer. I still keep in touch with her and meet up with her when I can. Today I visited her in the hospital. She is having eating issues and may have to have her gall bladder taken out. She is on an IV and can't get out of bed. After visiting, I felt very fortunate for the hospitals in the US and for the life I have been blessed with. I wanted to cry seeing her lay there in an old metal bed with a thin mattress. There are no TVs and the walls are bare. Pray for a quick recovery for her!!

2011-04-14T21:24:00.003-05:00

I wrote a week ago about visiting the childrens' home called 'El Retiro Juvenil'. They are doing some neat things like growing a garden to supply their vegetables and also 2 cows were donated by a group from the United States, to be used for food and for animal therapy...

2011-04-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

The hot weather is here to stay. It's been in the high 90's all week and this calls for pool time! I have been spending a lot of time with the little girls dorm at Casa Hogar Douglas. A few of us staff women went and got the girls on Friday afternoon to bring them to our pool! The water was cold but the girls did not want to get out...What a fun time - we all had smiles on our faces!!

Of course there was snack time, too!

New life changes...

2011-04-08T12:37:00.002-05:00

For those of you who didn't get my newsletter or haven't had time to open it and read it, I am inserting most of it here:

Dear friends,

These past few months have been another growing time in my life, as if every day isn’t! I
came back from Christmas vacation in the States ready to seek the Lord on what was next for
me. I started a Daniel fast for 21 days. It is a fast that Daniel did to set himself apart from
the others in the King’s palace and to give up the finer things the others had. It is a time to
put your focus on a specific thing. I kept hearing from God to trust Him that he had a plan,
but I didn’t need to know everything - that I needed to only take one step at a time. I knew I
was ready for a change and I felt that change was moving back to the States for a time.

Well right at that time our director announced that there was a baby that needed a home and
was adoptable. My heart skipped a beat and I felt that I needed to pursue that. I then started
a process of meetings and planning, and waiting and waiting and a roller-coaster ride that
ended in things not working out. It is a difficult process here and things are done differently
and it was out of my hands. I was heartbroken and I don’t know why I had to go through that
but some day I will know. I know that baby was covered in prayer for a long time and I hope
that his life will be changed because of it.

So, over a month later, I was back to where I started. Seeking God, I feel a peace about
returning home for a Sabbatical of 6 months as I figure out what’s next for me! It’s
never an easy change to leave relationships and my ‘family’ I’ve been with for 4 years!
Please pray with me for the transition, especially the teens who have felt a lot of
abandonment in their lives as I leave them. Pray for my future and that I will be
content to not have a ‘plan’. Pray for my many fears... how to make ends meet, finding
my place in the world again, leaving relationships, finding fulfillment...

It has been an amazing 4 years here and I have grown so much and I don’t regret any
moment of my time here!

I will be going back to Indiana at the end of July. I have no job or home at this point. For
my Indiana friends, please keep me in mind if you hear of anyone who has a room to rent or
needs a house-sitter...

The Lord is faithful and awesome in power! I am trusting in Him!!

Love,
Ruby

2011-04-08T12:22:00.006-05:00

Thursday was Maria Luisa's birthday. She turned 8 and lives at El Retiro Juvenil, a childrens' home we serve. Maria Luisa just came to the home and has never had a party for her birthday, but this year changed that. All the kids and caregivers got together and surprised her with a wonderful celebration. She was so excited and I loved being there and being a part of it!!

She opened her eyes to a decorated palapa and all the kids shouting!

There was a meal with meat, which is a treat for them all!

And the mordida 'cake in the face' tradition, which goes along with all birthdays

All the kids participated in games

And last, of course, the pinata!!!

2011-04-04T22:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I got to hike the "Cerro de la Silla" or the Saddleback Mountain that Monterrey is known for. It is a huge landmark and I've always wanted to do this hike. Tim, Kathy, and I went about 1500 ft. straight up and didn't go to the tip (the antennae). But that was enough for me. I am feeling sore today!
The mountain from the city

From the trail

We bought oranges along the trail!

At the platform where the city below looks so tiny

A little treehouse picnic!

2011-03-05T01:07:00.001-05:00

A few of my students chose to have lunch with me as a reward and so we decided to make use of the new treehouse! It was fun!

SMCA Spirit Week!

2011-02-28T22:40:00.002-05:00

We had our first ever Spirit Week and the kids loved it! It was a good break from their uniforms every day.
Monday was hat day!

Tuesday was jeans day!

Wednesday was crazy hair day!

Thursday was backwards day!

Friday was Pajama Day!

2011-02-17T21:30:00.002-05:00

Since Christmas I have decided to add yet another role to my week. A lot of the children at the childrens' homes are struggling in their schoolwork and reading and since that is my specialty, I decided to help. I went and tested letter sounds, words, and reading and then am creating games the kids can play to improve in those areas. We have already seen some improvements and they no longer need to be bribed with candy to play the games!

Valentine's day in Monterrey

2011-02-16T22:31:00.003-05:00

Mexico really makes a big deal about Valentine's Day but it's called the Day of Love and Friendship. Everyone gives each other candy and gifts. It's a lot of fun!
I got flowers from friends, Valentines from my kids at school, and candy from the teen girls!!

My students making their Valentine boxes:

Our Valentine party!

Rio 3

2011-02-13T21:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got the opportunity to go to the Rio3, a poor community, to help translate for a medical team! It was a wonderful day getting face to face with the people and getting to show them a little bit of Jesus. I was checking people in and filling out a form with name, age, symptoms, etc... We saw about 60 patients!
The check-in team:

The waiting line:

2011-02-12T23:49:00.004-05:00

In my 4 winters here, I have never seen snow on the mountain until the other day! It was a beautiful sight! My students were excited and when we spotted a few flurries, we had to stop and look out the window. One of my students said "Will we get to make snowballs?" Poor girl has never seen snow before. I seized the opportunity and we read some books about snow and wrote a story about snow.

2011-01-14T18:38:00.002-05:00

We've had a cold spell and everyone's been cooped up in our cold houses. We decided to bring the little girls from Casa Hogar Douglas, the childrens' home, over to make mini-pizzas and watch a movie. It was fun and they enjoyed it!

Bringing Christmas to the Rio!

2010-12-16T22:43:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday I got the privilege of helping share the joy of Christmas with people who have close to nothing. About 100 adults and 100 children came out to worship and hear a message. After that we had a skit, a meal, gifts, a pinata, and crafts. The gifts are thanks to donations from friends in the states.

My debut as Mary...

SMCA Outreach

2010-12-16T00:18:00.005-05:00

Every year we try to do an outreach where our school children do something for the community. The childrens' homes and Rios we work at are not in our own neighborhood. Yet even in our neighborhood we have very poor and very rich. This year we went out and handed out candy canes with the Christian story of the candy cane on it. It's a great time for us to get to know our neighbors and help them to see Americans in a good light, and to share the love of Jesus!!

New food I tried last night

2010-12-16T00:10:00.001-05:00

It's called 'poncho cachuro' and it is a burrito made of baked cheese on the outside, and inside is meat...you cut it and put it on tortillas with, of course, lime and salsa...Que Rico!! It was great!

Parties, parties, parties!

2010-12-13T19:37:00.002-05:00

Staff women's party

Single girls' Christmas celebration

Staff kids' party!

Joven Christmas party

2010-12-12T16:11:00.002-05:00

I love being able to be a part of the teen ministry here on campus. I have watched these kids grow for 4 years now and I have built relationships with a lot of them. We blessed them with a party, just for them, this Christmas. I loved watching them laugh and socialize with each other...

There were eating games like:
a relay to eat the Saltines and whistle afterwards..

'Chubby Bunny'

'Spoons'

'Jenga' with a twist..

and of course, food!

Thanks to all of you who support our ministry! Thanks to you, we could get them all Christmas presents!!!

2010-12-12T11:54:00.002-05:00

The Monterrey Rayados soccer team won the championship for the 4th time a few weeks ago!! I love the spirit this city has with soccer! I got stuck in a parade a few days later down in the city! There were hundreds of people wearing blue and white!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-05T01:00:00.005-05:00

Every Thanksgiving is a fun event here at Back2Back. Everyone on campus is invited, including staff and teens, and also pastors, other friends, and this year teens who have already graduated from our Hope Program. This year we had about 150 people and cooked 8 turkeys. We gathered under a big tent to celebrate and fellowship together. After we ate all the food that people brought, my students did a short skit, Beth and Antonio shared, and we had worship.

2010-10-24T13:21:00.003-05:00

Last night about 8 of our teens and 2 house parents and Jessica and I went to an event in the city to "pray for Mexico". People were supposed to wear white as a sign of peace. It was an amazing experience as about 25,000 people showed up for 4 hours of worship and prayer in the microplaza of the city. The governor was there and other people in politics. One of our favorite worship leaders, David Alfano, was there for a time of praising and adoration in between praying. Our God is big and a God of healing and he can bring this city under his Lordship!

the Hope Program

2010-10-17T22:49:00.003-05:00

I just love every one of these teens and their personalities! God has given me such a heart for them. I hope you will pray with me for their futures, their relationships with Jesus, and the impact they can have on the world.

Alondra

2010-10-17T22:33:00.005-05:00

One of the sweetest girls at Casa Hogar Douglas is Alondra. Whenever I am over there she is helping out the caregivers and everyone loves her! Well Alondra turned 15 this September and had her Quincinera. In Mexico the tradition is that the girl has padrinos to buy everything - like the cake, the dress, the shoes, the Bible, etc...I got the privilege of buying Alondra's shoes. To me this was a chance to love on her and spend time with her too. So one afternoon we went out shoe shopping. I don't know if she was ever told, "Okay pick whichever ones you like". She was very timid but knew exactly what she wanted. It was a great day and then to see them on her with the dress was fun! She looked beautiful!

3 days later

2010-09-23T15:55:00.001-05:00

here is the other bridge from our property to the main road

check out the huge deep hole

The days after...

2010-09-22T18:02:00.002-05:00

The road to our property

The bridge

Needless to say...my little Jetta won't be going out in this...

2010-09-21T12:25:00.001-05:00

So, it was an interesting night....it's rainy season and we have hurricanes coming through...It was raining all day yesterday and there are only 2 bridges to get from the main road to our property..well we went to the orphanage nearby -Casa Hogar Douglas - at about 5:00 to make dinner because it was one of the girls birthdays and that's what she wanted to do..the guys grilled the meat on our property because our grill has a roof..we drove the staff van since the waters were high...well the rain kept coming - hard...and when the meat was done at 7:00 the bridges were impassable...they couldn't bring the meat and so we had already cooked tortillas and guacamole but we didn't know what to feed 70+ kids...well that morning there had been a donation of 2 pans of shish-k-bobs and cake..the shish-k-bobs were little and didn't seem like much, but God is a God of miracles and all the kids ate and had seconds...well we couldn't get back and the rains kept coming...part of the problem is the ground is still soaked from the July hurricane...but we were all gonna have to sleep there, which is fine...we walked to the 7-11 down the road to get bottled water and the roads were covered..cars were parked all along stopped and I only had flip flops on and was in deep water. It was scary...We ended up walking to a staff members house that doesn't live on campus cause we needed dry clothes..I was soaked through...Why haven't I bought a rain coat and rain boots after living here for 3 years?? Anyway the rains finally stopped during the night and this morning the 1 bridge was passable but very fragile so the guys came to get us...when I mean fragile, I mean that the edges had fallen in the water and there was debris everywhere...Also, some of our staff was out on errands last night and some of our teens were coming back from school and they couldn't get back..some slept in their cars...it was crazy...thanks for your prayers all the time!!

Sunday morning at Casa Hogar Douglas

2010-09-12T14:28:00.003-05:00

Today I went over to Douglas to help out. The girls caregivers had the day off so I helped Caroline get the girls ready and up the hill to church and sat with them during church.

The girls were just chilling in their dorm waiting for church time.

Wendy is a 2- year old who's new to the orphanage, and of course, needs a lot of love!

SMCA School Pictures 2010

2010-09-11T00:12:00.003-05:00

Well school is in session and it was a great first week. We have a large group of kids this year and grades K through 11...!! Grades 7 -11 are taking classes through an on-line program this year and it seems to be going well so far. This was a way we could give them a more extensive education. Please pray for our school year as Jessica and I guide these children academically, spiritually, and more...

Brayden - Grade 3, Layton - Kindergarten, Sofia and Aidan - Grade 2

2010-09-05T22:45:00.002-05:00

So what have I been doing since I've been back in Mexico? I've been setting up my classroom for a new year. Each summer the classroom is put away and it becomes dorms for groups. So it's a big job to put it all together again. Here it is in the process of being done:

Summer in Indiana 2010 Highlights - Chicago with Friends

2010-09-03T00:11:00.001-05:00

Summer in Indiana 2010 Highlights - Mia

2010-09-03T00:07:00.002-05:00

I got to go to Mia's school and see her 4th grade classroom. She is growing up so much.

Summer in Indiana 2010 Highlights - Time with friends!!

2010-09-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

Sus and I

Brooke, Jada, Amber, and I

Tuff, Sarah, Nichole, and I

Kara and I

and many more that I didn't get photos with...

Summer in Indiana 2010 Highlights - A picnic fundraiser

2010-09-02T23:49:00.008-05:00

I am so blessed to have friends who love me and want to support what God is doing:

Summer in Indiana 2010 Highlights - my niece wins first place at Elkhart County Fair with her pig

2010-09-02T23:41:00.003-05:00

Mia and Wilbur

Showing the pig

Winning Reserve on Day 1

Grand Champion on Day 2

Outreach for the OLA caregivers

2010-07-16T03:54:00.008-05:00

The women wanted to bless all the caregivers at the OLA orphanage so they arranged for a pampering day and hired some women to do pedicures. We brought babysitters, Sarah, Sami, and 2 other girls, so that the caregivers would not have to work. The day before we prepped lunches and got gift bags together.

Thursday we got to the site early and set up tables.

There was no hot water for the pedicures so some of the workers had to chop wood and start a fire to boil water.

When we finally go going, we had about 7 caregivers who attended. Corrie spoke to them about how God sees them and how important their job is. In the end they got their nails done, had great fellowship, had a warm lunch, and hopefully felt loved!

What is life like for a missionary in Nigeria?...

2010-07-16T03:10:00.002-05:00

Water needs to be purified before you can drink it and it's a tedious process. Here you see Juliana mixing the flok out of the water.

When washing dishes there is no hot water. You wash in the tap water and then always rinse in a bowl of bleach water.

When brushing your teeth, you need to use bottled water not tap water.

The shower has only a limited amount of hot water, because of lack of power, so the showers need to be quick.

You are constantly thinking in your mind when the power was last on and when to run the generator to keep the refrigerator cold and yet not run it too much.

When the power comes on, be ready to throw in a load of laundry and then it might go out in the middle or before you can dry. Then you can't hang the clothes outside because of mango worms so you hang them all over the house.

Because of the weak power there are no microwaves, toasters, hair dryers, etc...

Food is very expensive and limited as to what you can buy. You do without the extras like good candy, snacks, peanut butter, brownie mixes, etc.. Everything is made from scratch.

Everything needs to be stored in big tupperware closed tubs because of the rats.

The internet is slow and not always available.

If the power is out, you don't have fans, so you deal with the heat. Windows are open and neighbors are close so you hear everything.

The wall around your house has a gate that is locked and so needs to be opened every time you go in or out.

Women need to wear long skirts outside the house so as not to offend the muslims.

***Lets not take for granted our way of life!!!!

Bath Time

2010-07-14T17:05:00.003-05:00

Mary, has stolen my heart! The other day we went over to OLA and it was time to bathe the children. When we walked in the babies (4) were laying in their cribs, without diapers, and soaking wet.

Corrie's mom, Eileen, is the bather and washed them all...

...and then handed them over to us to dry, lather with Vaseline...

and finally they have something on, which may not fit them and is an awful lot of clothing for a July day.

This would be a hard job on days we are not there and 1 caregiver has to do it all!

Top 10 most interesting scenes from Jos, Nigeria...

2010-07-12T16:33:00.004-05:00

10- Where we changed our money (reminded me of a scene from a movie - 'just come behind the curtain')

9- Love the pool table outside - at night they take the top part off

8-Muslim prayer time

7-a termite mound

6-making material using a print block and ink

5-the intersection (was actually used to give directions to Corrie - turn left at the intersection)

4-scaffolding (would you feel safe?)

3-their dryers

2-(found on the wall of a village schoolroom)

1-Car Wash! (notice all the car seats taken out)

Saturday

2010-07-10T16:21:00.004-05:00

Today we did an outreach with the Back2Back staff here, the OLA orphanage children, and Jessica and I. We had planned to go swimming but in the middle of July here it's rainy season and it was too chilly to swim. So we picked the kids up and headed out to the property to the Oasis Center. It is used to bring the men of the village together in a place that doesn't involve drinking, where they can watch soccer games, etc... Today we used the building to watch a movie with the kids, have lunch together, and then we hiked and played with water guns. I enjoyed getting to know them more. Some local Filani children wandered over and wanted to join in the fun, too. I am excited for all the people that Back2Back is touching and reaching out to and the children who are seeing God's love!

2010-07-09T16:32:00.004-05:00

Right now John is working on more staff housing on the small plot of land Back2Back has.

Today they poured cement for the footings - a little different style!

The day I've been waiting for!!

2010-07-08T15:20:00.003-05:00

Today we visited the orphanage OLA (Our Ladies of Apostles). Back2Back partners with this Catholic-run orphanage. Right now they have 9 kids but many are babies and today there was only 1 caregiver. Corrie and the kids, her mom, and Jessica and I went and helped with bath time and then got to play with them all! They are precious, precious children!! I spent the first minutes with Hope, an active 5ish year old, then held baby Mary for a long time, and then played nerf football with Daniel and Joe, the older boys...I fell in love with them all...

2010-07-07T15:32:00.004-05:00

Driving along the road you see many flocks of goats, cattle, or sheep being driven along by the Fulani people. They are nomads who made quick grass huts to sleep in and wander during the day. It makes me think so much of the shepherd in the Bible who has 100 but loses 1. "Does he not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?" - Luke 15...When I see these animals wandering among the rocks it is not easy to see them all. How would he have even realized he was missing one? But God sees every one of us and knows us and won't let us go.

2010-07-06T11:07:00.003-05:00

Sunday Jessica and I got to experience a Nigerian church which is where the Guckenbergers attend. Half of the population are Christians and half are Muslims in Nigeria, which surprised me by the number of Christians. It is respectful to have your head covered when you are in the church. The service was beautiful with all the women in their bright colors and babies on their backs, and the music and dancing!! Offering was offered up 3 times and there was special singing by a womens choir and a youth choir. The service is in Hausa, the tribal language, and the message was translated. One song they sang was translated "The holy spirit is alive in all nations!" I could feel it alive there!

Monday the pastor came to visit!

Africa!!!

2010-07-06T04:38:00.003-05:00

Well after arriving with a lot of jet lag and a bit of surreal-ness...I have gotten adjusted to being here and am taking it all in!!! I love every minute of it. The first thing I noticed about Jos' landscape is the red earth and the clustered rocks. I am enjoying visiting with the Guckenberger family (see the John and Corrie blog on my friends list). They were in Mexico for 4 years and I taught their children. Their life is definitely different here, even from Mexico. We have visited their church, the food market, and met other missionaries here. I have been challenged by their commissions from God and faith that he will provide. God you can be trusted to meet our needs!!!

It is the rainy season - Here I am playing in the rain with Gus, Sarah, and Sami

2010-06-19T15:19:00.002-05:00

This summer I have gotten the opportunity to love on the little boys at one of the Childrens' Homes - Casa Hogar Douglas. Our staff has been helping out as they look for a new caregiver. I have been able to be there at bath time and then bedtime. How precious to give them hugs and love on them for that time. With 14 in one room it can get pretty chaotic! Also, I was able to use the talents God has given me to paint on the walls some promises of God. It was so special to me when they got home from school and were reading them and asking about them.

Summer Outreach

2010-06-14T10:42:00.004-05:00

This week a group went to Casa Hogar Manatial de Amor and did an outreach with them. This is so neat to me because we are taking these orphan children and taking them out to share the love of Jesus with others. We walked into their neighborhood and brought lunches, clothing, and toys. The kids and the American group first invited people to come and then they played soccer for a while. After that we shared about God and then handed out the things. I loved it! My favorite part of the day was when I was folding tracts and a woman asked if she could help. So we sat together and talked about God. She knew a lot and seemed to have a relationship with him. We came from different worlds but we are the same inside. She even invited me to her house for dinner one day. I don't know if I'll ever see her again but I was blessed by Natalia.
Other new friends..

One of the girls from Manatial

watching the soccer game

clothes ready to be handed out

SMCA graduation 2010

2010-06-14T10:29:00.002-05:00

May 27 was our last day of school and this year we celebrated in a new way. We had a program for the parents and then were at a place like Chuck E. Cheese but bigger. The kids could play and have fun and celebrate. I loved being on the bumper cars with my class and just laughing with them. It was a great year with them!

2010-04-27T22:50:00.002-05:00

And you wonder why I can't leave this place!! Thank you God for the beauty you surprise us with!
This was my view tonight as I sat at the picnic table playing Spanish Scrabble with 2 of the teen girls:

This was in the rainy weeks!

fun with the Pikes

2010-04-25T17:50:00.004-05:00

I was blessed again to have a visit from a good friend, Jolynne Pike, and her daughter, Kailyn. I enjoyed showing them my life and the children we work with. They collected a ton of donations to bring down and enjoyed handing out toys to kids! They were an encouragement and a joy for me!

What's happening in Sierra Madre Christian Academy

2010-04-25T17:39:00.005-05:00

We have just finished a unit on the Rainforest. The students did a wonderful job with their final projects - a Rainforest Diorama!

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We had a fun time at the Zoo this month. We went in the morning and the animals were very playful and fun to watch!

Breakfast Pancakes at Casa Hogar Douglas!

2010-03-14T22:32:00.004-05:00

The other Saturday we got up early and headed off to Casa Hogar Douglas with a group to make a special breakfast for the kids. I went early with some staff to get started and mix up the pancakes and start the griddle. We made about 200 pancakes! It was a lot of fun to serve together and watch the kids get excited and ask for more!

2010-03-09T23:22:00.003-05:00

We have such an amazing group of teens living on our campus with all their different personalities! God has given me a heart for them all and it makes me so happy and full when they are growing in Christ. There has been a lot of that going on this year. God is moving on this campus and in their hearts. Many of them attended a youth conference about 6 weeks ago about learning to fly and being all that God has created them to be. This past weekend about 11 of them went to a conference on inner healing and more. On Sunday I went to the church to greet them at the end of the retreat. Each one of them spoke about what God had taught them and there weren't a lot of dry eyes in the place. They meet regularly on campus with Antonio and Priscila Garcia and some of the teens are actually mentoring younger ones. Praise Jesus for what he is doing in the next generation here!!

At the conferences!

2010-02-21T20:38:00.002-05:00

I have been struggling lately with feeling down and then that spirals in old struggles of my life coming back...Through it all I am having a hard time getting excited about anything. This morning I heard a great sermon about perseverance that helped put things in perspective again. In Hebrews 12: 1-3 it talks about running our race with perseverance and fixing our eyes on Jesus so we don't grow weary and lose heart. Pastor Greg defined perseverance as courage stretched out. When ministry is hard we are to think of Jesus and remember his example and reward. He persevered because of the joy he was looking forward to. My joy here is to some day stand before the Lord and hear him say 'well done', to see lives transformed here in Monterrey, and having the hope of being at the right hand of God.

Family Visit

2010-02-20T15:35:00.007-05:00

I am so thankful to have a family who loves Jesus and understands why I serve. This past week I was blessed to have my dad, mom, aunt Marie, and uncle Harold take time out of their lives to come down and spend time with me. It was the first time for Marie and Harold and second for my parents. They had to be flexible, and definitely were, as they stayed in a dorm, had new experience and new food, and dealt with cold. We got to visit some Childrens' Homes together and Saturday we went to a poverty area and did crafts with the kids, served a meal, and saw what life is like for those with less. They got to see my school and my life and I was so glad to have them here!

Having dinner on Valentine's Day!!

Cutting out hearts on the way to the Rio

Mom serving peaches to the children

Marie playing play-do with the children

Dad and Harold putting on a door

Mom, reading to my class

At Cola de Caballo waterfall

compassion

2010-02-06T11:18:00.006-05:00

Like my pastor always says "hurt people, hurt people'...Jesus used compassion to heal...Where there is no compassion, there will be no change. "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them..." Mark 6:34 (also Matt. 9:36, Matt.14;14, Mark 1:41) We see a lot of hurt people, especially the children. Actually everyone has a little bit of damage but I want to make sure I always respond with compassion. When I am loving on the children in my class or in an orphanage, I am building their future and also maybe building the house I may have to live in. When I am with the teens on our campus, I need to remember that you can't expect a hurt lion to jump through hoops but we can love them unconditionally. Lord I pray for walls to be broken down and for healing to occur. That they may climb into your arms and just let you hold them!

Time for a change...on my blog!

2010-01-27T23:26:00.002-05:00

Well I'm going on 3 years with this blog and my life in Mexico. Every year I write about what I'm doing and post lots of pictures about my life, but I haven't put a whole lot about what God is doing. I have been challenged lately to write more about my spiritual life. I was pondering why I haven't and at first I was afraid of looking like I am too spiritual. I was taught all my life to not think too highly of myself and I'm trying to break out of some of those thinking patterns. Maybe it was pride and wondering if what I have to say will be written well or make sense. But no matter what was then...God has been speaking to me that I need to do more. I want more opportunities to share about what he's doing in my life - my testimony is right now!
I am starting a study on Daniel and I am very excited. Daniel set himself apart from the rest of the men in Babylon and didn't give in to the influences of the world. I can't wait to learn!

2010-01-20T21:20:00.003-05:00

One of the highlights of my life is my niece, Mia! I was there the day she was born and we have had so many fun memories together. Until I moved to Mexico, I lived nearby. But she is always in my heart and my prayers. I am so proud of the girl she is. She is a friend to everyone and has a kind and considerate spirit. Being away from her is the hardest thing about being in Mexico. I love you Mia!!!!

2010-01-20T21:07:00.000-05:00

2010-01-20T20:49:00.003-05:00

A dear friend, Joanna Martino Beasley, planned a fundraiser for me on New Year's Eve. It was a wonderful time of being with friends, sharing my life, listening to music, and playing games. I spoke about the blessings of 2009 in Back2Back:
3 college grads from our Hope Program, 4 high school grads, spiritual growth of teens, each childrens' home had a new room or new project finished, a new church at Casa Hogar Douglas, and many financial blessings, protection
Also, the blessings of 2009 in my personal life: my support, new experiences, trip to Mexico City, the school, quality time with teens, improvements in Spanish, visitors, health, safety,and protection
I am thankful for the prayers of my supporters - I can feel them just when I need them.

Evelyn spoke about how Back2Back has changed her life

2010-01-20T19:31:00.007-05:00

Praise the Lord I had a wonderful visit to the US at Christmas! I was blessed to be able to take 2 of the girls in the teen program, and ones that I have gotten close to over the years. Evelyn and Jazmin were able to get a Visa for the States and traveled with me there and back. They spent a week with me and a week with the Merrills, who are like parents to them. They got to see snow and we tried to give them many new experiences. I feel like we were able to deepen our relationship and it was great to show them life in a different culture!

at the airport!

playing "Rock Band"

making a snow man with my niece, Mia

In Chicago with Heather!!

Mexico City

2009-12-17T00:22:00.020-05:00

We were blessed to be able to take the SMCA kids and families on a 5 day trip to Mexico City! Some of you prayed for our travels, safety, and the money to make this possible. Thanks for your prayers -it was a success and we had a wonderful time! The trip was packed full of exploring the city and learning more about Mexican history and culture. It was so fun for me to see the kids so excited about learning and experiencing some of the things that we had been learning about in the classroom.
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Day 1 was a day filled with travel. With 5 cars, 8 hours of driving, and 18 kids, we decided that it would be wise to break up the trip with some stops along the way. So we took a couple of hours to explore the city of San Luis Potosi.

We also saw some interesting sights on the car ride! These were snake skins for sale!

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On Day 2 we headed out of the city to the Teotihuacan Pyramids.

The Pyramid of the Sun.

On top of the Pyramid of the Sun.

Juan Porto is one of the teen home parents on our campus and he grew up in Mexico City. He kindly offered to be our tour guide and teach us about all of the sites that we would be visiting. Above is a picture of Juan explaining to us the history of Teotihuacan.

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On Day 3 we toured the Palace of Chapulepec, explored the Museum of Anthropolgy and ended the day hanging out at the Children's Museum. Below is a picture of Hope, Jessica, Chloe and I in the palace.

Above is all the kids with the palace in the background.

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On Day 4 we walked around downtown and visited the Federal Palace.

Inside of the Federal Palace.

Mexico City is built on top of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan. In the heart of downtown is el templo meyor. The is the site where the top of the largest pryamid is being excavated. It is incredible to think that while I was walking through the city, an entire ancient civilization was buried under my feet. Mexico City is also built on what used to be a large lake. Due to this, many old buildings have begun to sink. If you look closely at many of the buildings you will notice that they have a slight tilt to them.

Downtown we found many beautiful buildings! Above is a picture of the Theater and Architecture Museum.

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Throughout the trip we also ate some delicious... and unique... Mexican delicacies!

Jessica and I ate grasshoppers! The flavor was not too bad, they tasted mainly like salt and lime! However, the picture below will show you that it wasn't easy!

Here are all the flavors that you could order for the inside of your churro!!

The market where we did some shopping!

These are the Voladores de Papantla. They play music and spin around the pole.

Here is the historic symbol of Mexico City. You may have seen her in photos.

And just to prove that the trip had an educational focus, here is a picture of the kids writing in the travel journals that we kept throughout the trip. They used their journals for notes, sketches and reflections throughout the trip!

November!!!!!!!

2009-12-10T17:35:00.006-05:00

Wow! The whole month of November has slipped from me...Here are some snapshots from November...

SMCA field trip to the puppet museum

Fall Festival!

SMCA Thanksgiving luncheon

Back2Back community Thanksgiving

baby Velasco

2009-10-24T22:37:00.003-05:00

God has given me a talent that I am getting to use more here in Mexico. I have painted in several of the bedrooms of the staff kids here to give them some joy. Gabo and Kelly Velasco are going to have a baby any day and asked if I would help make the nursery special. So this is what they decided upon.

PureNRG

2009-10-22T14:16:00.002-05:00

Last week we had the privilege of having the music group PureNRG here at Back2Back. These teens are popular in the US and have 3 CD's of music for kids. PureNRG consists of Jordan, Carolyne, and Caroline.
They took time out of their schedules to take a mission trip here and they all loved it. They told me they wanted to come back every year!
One night we had a mini concert for all the children in every Casa Hogar we serve. We used a local church and everyone piled in!! Each Casa Hogar had a chance to 'perform' and they each sang a song and Douglas girls played their tambourines. It was such a fun day to have all the children there. Even though PureNRG sang in English, it didn't matter. The children's eyes were glued to them and they were so excited to be there.

Imperio de Amor performing

PureNRG performing

Carolyne and Caroline

All the girls loved Jordan!!!

Sunday mornings

2009-10-22T13:54:00.003-05:00

The girls at Douglas church are learning routines with the tambourine...It is so fun to watch them perform!!

Our school has a blog!

2009-10-22T13:49:00.001-05:00

Miss Jessica created a blog for the students to share writing. My class will occasionally put things on it too. Check it out:

http://www.smcakids.blogspot.com/

My birthday 2009

2009-10-15T23:41:00.004-05:00

Well, most of you know I don't like when my birthday comes cause it reminds me of my age...This year I felt truly blessed and happy! I love where God has chosen to put me right now in my life and I am thankful for all the friends I have here and back home. I had a great celebration and a few surprises...
At midnight, the night before, I had singers at my door again. It is a huge tradition to have mariachi bands play on the night of your birthday.

Sunday, was the day and at church the little girls from Casa Hogar Douglas kept coming up and saying "Feliz Cumpleanos"..It was so sweet that that was enough to make me happy!!
After church, Hope, Becca, and I spent the day having lunch, walking around the mall, and getting Starbucks - a very American afternoon..
I got home to find a package that had been delievered from my mom so then I talked to my family on the phone.

That night some of the teen girls came over to wish me a happy birthday and the staff women all surprised me and told me we were going somewhere. We went to a cute, new restaurant and had some snacks! It was a wonderful day!

But it wasn't over...the next day in school the kids had cards and a party for me. That night I was taken out to dinner by some of my guy friends!
Plus, amidst all this I had encouraging notes from friends back home!
Thanks to everyone for blessing me with your friendship and for loving me!!

Zacatecas, Mexico

2009-10-15T22:41:00.009-05:00

We had 2 days off school so Jessica and I decided to explore a little. We heard about a cute little town and so we made reservations and got a bus ticket and took off. Everyone travels by bus in Mexico. You can leave every hour for anywhere. It took 7 1/2 hours and 4 movies in Spanish to finally arrive! It was well worth the ride! It was such a cute city with history and neat architecture and little squares with fountains. You can pretty much walk anywhere. We shopped, ate at restaurants, took the gondola ride, toured a mine, and met a ton of people from many different countries. It was a wonderful break from teaching and a fun adventure.

My favorite candy shop!!!

The bakery we went to in the mornings for coffee and sweet bread.

Gabi!!

2009-10-15T22:32:00.002-05:00

Gabi is a hard worker! She is a waitress at an American-style restaurant. I helped her study the menu for her test and she works 6 days a week! I am so proud of her!!

Field Trip to the Mexico History Museum

2009-10-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

My class is studying Mexico history this year and I am learning a lot too! We got to go to the museum downtown and had one of our parents as a translator. No photos were allowed inside but it was a wonderful museum!

The students got to do a craft after their tour.

It was raining so we ate our lunches tailgate-style in the parking garage..

Happy Independence Day Mexico!

2009-09-19T18:18:00.009-05:00

September 15 was a big day here in Monterrey! The 16th is the Mexico Independence Day like our July 4th. It is tradicion that the night before on the 15th at 11:00pm, the governor comes out and addresses the people and everyone yells "Viva Mexico"and it's a big celebration.
We had a fun event for our children at Casa Hogar Douglas. We had dinner, games, and a 'Grito'. It was so fun to see all the kids dressed in costumes.
Everything was decorated!

Pastor Javier was our "president/governor"

I painted faces!

This is the soccer court which became the goat chasing event!

That night, we went downtown for the real event! It was amazing. People were everywhere and vendors were everywhere and there was music. Then they sung the national anthem, and then we yelled "Viva Mexico"! After that were amazing fireworks.

The next day, we reenacted the event with our classes!!

2009-09-14T23:35:00.002-05:00

Praise the Lord I have my car back! Thanks to all of you who were praying. I went to McAllen Sunday, by bus, with a friend and picked up my car. I had no problems at the border since I had done what they asked and waited a while to return. So I have my Visa for 6 months and in March I have to go back and renew again!

First Day of School!!

2009-09-07T22:30:00.001-05:00

The Charreada

2009-09-07T21:54:00.005-05:00

The other day I got to go to a unique Mexico event - a charreada and exibicion, which is a horse show with events like 4-H...It was a hot day but we found some shade!
This was the opening of the event...

A beautiful view...

Jessica, Hope, and I in our cowboy clothes

The mariachi's were there playing throughout

Next door they were showing horses.

2009-09-02T00:13:00.002-05:00

"...you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance..". - James 1:3
It's been a long day! Living in a foreign country has struggles of its own. When you have a car in Mexico you need to renew the car papers and your personal Visa every 6 months. Yesterday some of us girls drove to McAllen, Texas, a 3 hour drive, with the purpose to do this and get a few necessities. So we cancelled the papers yesterday and today came back across to the Mexico side to get new ones, only they wouldn't do it for me. The man looked through my passport and saw all my coming and going into Mexico and saw that I cancelled the day before. He told me he couldn't give me another one and that the law says you have to wait 72 hours to get a new one. He wouldn't budge. I have never had this happen in the past. So I decided to try the other bridge. We had many people praying and I felt peace. I walked in and the man looked at my passport and saw my last cancellation and said he wouldn't do it. I had to wait 72 hours. How frustrating! I don't have that many days to stay in Texas. School starts Monday and I need to prepare. Thank the Lord for my friends, the Couch's. They were in McAllen getting ready to come back also from their vacation and they said they would drive me and I could leave my car in McAllen. So I turned back around after crossing the bridge 3 times that day and headed back to the US. To top it off, the guys on the US side were going through my car and even pulled off the airbag cover...?? It's not a fun experience and you feel totally out of control and defenseless. I am back in Monterrey but my car is not. I will have to take the bus later to get it. I was only able to come because I had a Visa from flying back. It's complicated...

Ephesians 6:19

2009-08-31T10:11:00.001-05:00

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...

2009-08-29T00:06:00.004-05:00

Today I got to go to the graduation from Prepa, or High School, of one of my dear friends, Gabi. I am so proud of her! She went to graduation even though none of her friends did and there were only 3 from her class out of 30 that were there!! The graduation included college graduates too. Gabi got a special award for her grades and is now going to start college for journalism and work with television and movies. Gabi enjoys photography and I am praying that somehow we can get a camera for her to use for her photography class. Gabi lived at Casa Hogar Douglas before coming to Back2Back 2 years ago. I am so proud of the way she has grown the past years and become more interested in her walk with Christ! She has a special place in my heart!

2009-08-28T00:01:00.003-05:00

Here is a prayer request I have for this year! Please pray for me to use my time wisely and how the Lord wants. I have so many opportunities here and I want to do them all but I can't. My first priority is teaching all day Monday and Wednesday and half days Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Then, I love spending time with the teen girls on campus, but I want to do it in a way that is meaningful. I also have a heart for the orphans in the Casa Hogar Douglas, especially the girls in middle school. I have people asking me to teach English. I got asked to teach Sunday School. Plus I am in a Bible Study and I take Spanish classes. I want to be used in the best way and I thank you already for your prayers.

Beautiful girls

2009-08-27T23:50:00.002-05:00

Tonight I got the privilege of taking 3 sisters from Casa Hogar Douglas out to eat! They have a special friend in the US who gave me money to do something special for the birthday of Alondra. Alondra's favorite restaurant is Los Generales which is a buffet of Mexican food. The girls were dressed up as much as they could when I picked them up! They were so excited! I loved doing this for them because they are beautiful inside and out. They were so thankful and appreciative and fun to be with and they love and take care of each other! I thank God for this opportunity to bless them!
This is Alondra enjoying her ice cream!

Christy Ross went along too!!

Betty, me, Alondra, and Daniella

a new school year

2009-08-20T22:42:00.002-05:00

Well I am back at 'home' in Monterrey after 6 weeks at my other home. I felt so loved and blessed as I spent time visiting family and friends and hearing what was going on in their lives. I have the opportunity to have such great friends in the States who I can catch up with like I was never gone. I thank God for friends like those. And, I met some new friends who were an encouragement to me and will be in my prayers. My support-raising went well and I am over half way so I have to do the rest from here. I am excited to be back to start a new year and be where God wants me, doing his work.
The first thing when I got back I did a bug count in my apartment: 6 cockroaches, 1 huge spider...not too bad. So I have been cleaning and settling in and catching up with my 'family' here. The day after I got back, the children from Casa Hogar Douglas came over to swim so I got to see all my friends!! And of course, I have been spending time with the girls on campus. We did an ice cream run tonight! That always is popular. Next I will start getting my classroom ready. No chance of being bored or lonely right now!!

2009-07-18T14:28:00.004-05:00

Another thing we do McCollum week is have a huge picnic with all the childrens' homes on our campus. We cook and prepare all day and then have food, hang out time, and a church service.

McCollum week - 4th week of June

2009-07-18T14:21:00.004-05:00

One of Back2Back's friends, Steve McCollum, comes down every summer and does soccer camps with the childrens' homes. He also brings hundreds of soccer balls and other gear for them. This year there was a big game with his soccer team from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy versus our teens at Back2Back! We rented a soccer stadium down the road and cheered them on! It was a ton of fun...
Here are both teams

Here I am sporting my Mexico shirt!!

2009-07-18T14:13:00.003-05:00

I got to go to the graduation of the kids at Casa Hogar Douglas who graduated from elementary school. I am so proud of them!!

Here are some of my friends:

Jazmin's Birthday

2009-07-18T14:12:00.000-05:00

3rd week of groups

2009-07-18T14:09:00.003-05:00

During the 3rd week of groups I got to know more new friends and worked a lot at Casa Hogar Douglas. I learned how to put up a chain link fence and got 2 of the teen girls to work with us, too! It was hot - 100-105 degrees most days!

2nd Week of Summer '09

2009-07-18T13:50:00.003-05:00

I was privileged to get to go to a Casa Hogar in El Limon, 5 hours away, with a group from Ohio during our second week of June! We traveled by bus to stay there for the week. It is located southeast and is in the heart of sugar cane country and 45 minutes from the beach. It was my first time at this childrens' home but I had heard a lot about it and we have teens living on our campus who came from here so I was excited to get to experience it. The directors are an amazing, Christian couple and the children all love the Lord and work hard and worship hard!!
This is the main building

Here the children are putting on a talent show for us!

Game time!

Back2Back tries to help each childrens home to be self-sufficient by helping them have a business they can support themselves with. In El Limon money was donated for a soccer stadium that they can rent out to groups and make money off of..
Our projects included digging footers, cutting rebar (I learned how) and mixing cement for the footers for the stands...

We painted the whole inside of the stadium green.

First week of summer!!

2009-06-13T14:15:00.004-05:00

What an amazing week! I got to work side by side all week with a group from my home church and some of my close friends!! One of my roommates from before I moved here, Jeanna, was a leader of the group and it was her first time here! I loved being able to show her my life and why I love this place! Heather Merrill also led the group, and is a great friend who used to live here! I knew some of the families already and got to know new people. They were all so wonderful and hard workers and I loved watching God work in their lives and grow in them a heart for Mexico. We mixed cement, painted, dug holes,...in over 100 degree weather. We also got to play with the children and take them swimming. I was so blessed and encouraged by everyone and it was hard to see them go. As Paul says, I thank God every time I remember you....

Summer Theme - Shelter!

2009-06-05T00:44:00.005-05:00

Please pray for our staff as we prepare for our summer. The interns have arrived and our first 4 groups come Saturday. I am staying to work for the month of June and am looking forward to meeting new friends, working hard, being at the orphanages, and watching lives change through Jesus!
What is your definition of shelter?

Staff Retreat

2009-06-05T00:25:00.004-05:00

Before our summer busyness the staff got together for a retreat in the mountains. It was way up - half an hour of winding roads but the view was amazing. We slept in cabins and enjoyed the outdoors. Our meetings were about getting ready to serve all summer and preparing for our theme. I even got to overcome another fear and rope repelled down a 110 foot rock. The hardest part was getting started. Then I loved it! Part of it was along the rock and part of it was free hanging in the air. I am so blessed to get to have these experiences and being a part of such a team!

Womens Bible Study

2009-06-05T00:12:00.003-05:00

This winter and spring our womens bible study studied Beth Moore's "Living Beyond Yourself" about the fruits of the spirit. It was an amazing study that taught me so much!

SMCA Graduation 2009

2009-06-04T23:54:00.003-05:00

Last SMCA field trip!

2009-06-04T23:32:00.002-05:00

For our final day of school, we went to El Retiro Juvenil to spend a day at the ropes course. It was fun to watch the kids work together and overcome fears when they climbed and jumped the "Leap of Faith".

Quarantine!

2009-05-23T15:23:00.003-05:00

So during the swine flu we had a week and a half when we were not allowed to leave campus or have visitors. We made the best of it! We planned lots of activities for the teens who couldn't go to school or work and were bored. Plus we had lots of spur-of-the-moment things too.
Luckily, there were no cases of flu in all of Monterrey.

water balloon volleyball

cookout - rabbit!

soccer in the mud!

Volleyball tournament

My team won!!!!

Becoming a Mexican!!

2009-05-23T15:06:00.002-05:00

No, this is not a new way to wear makeup...this is what happens when you crash into someone during a soccer game...

Now that I am living in Mexico, I am trying new things. The girls on campus have started playing futbol (soccer) every week. It is a lot of fun, but I don't know much about it, so the guys are giving us tips

I am also trying to learn to salsa dance. I have never been much of a dancer, but it's a social thing here...I'm trying..

How many people can you fit in a car??

2009-04-19T22:43:00.002-05:00

In Mexico it's not important- they just pile them in! So when we went over to Casa Hogar Douglas to pick up kids to bring them to campus for a pool party, I had 10 people in my little Jetta! But it was so fun. We were all laughing and the kids loved the sun roof! We made memories!

Easter eggs!

2009-04-05T17:05:00.002-05:00

I invited the girls from the Ester house to my house to dye Easter eggs. They had never done it and were very curious about it all!! We had a lot of fun and laughs. They were so proud of their eggs that I heard they put them in their rooms, until someone told them they should be refrigerated.

El Retiro Juvenil

2009-04-03T18:17:00.003-05:00

El Retiro Juvenil or (ERJ) is a childrens' home 45 minutes south of Back2Back. They are a smaller home run by Martha and Carlos who are Christians and teach the children about God. They have been struggling financially this year when their usual monthly supporters stopped supporting them. We sent out a plea and another church sent money for food. We decided that instead of just buying food, we would cook it and make a meal for them. Last Friday night we took out an italian meal of baked spaghetti. It was very different for them but they liked it. It was funny to hear one of our staff men, Juan, explain how to dip the vegetables into the dip and then eat it. After dinner, we built a bonfire and had smores. The kids had so much fun and we did too!

Karime

2009-04-01T13:31:00.002-05:00

I have fallen in love with this precious little girl who lives at Casa Hogar Douglas. About 2 months ago, the day she got dropped off with her infant brother, Jesus, I happened to be with Douglas. We had a group from the States who were taking the kids on a field trip. I met her that day and she looked scared but yet talked a lot when she was one-on-one with a person. She will seek me out when I go there now and during church will sit with me and clap to the songs with me and hold my hand. She even fell asleep on me one night. Karime has a single mother who works during the week and comes to visit her kids on Sundays. I witnessed her mom's goodbye one night as Karime cried and said "No te vayas" which means "don't go". It broke my heart. This mother isn't necessarily a bad mom, since she wants her kids taken care of while she has to support herself, but this is a story too often told here in Mexico. Now that we have church at Douglas every Sunday, my prayer is that her mother will come early and sit in church with us and come to know Jesus. Praise the Lord that they get this opportunity when they may never have if she hadn't come to CHD.

2009-03-30T23:27:00.007-05:00

2 weeks ago I was blessed to have friends visit me..Aside from family, these were my first friends to visit. Julie and Tema are friends I have known since 4th grade in Pennsylvania. I felt special that their husbands would watch their children (they each have 4) and Tema would make the trip 7 months pregnant! We packed a ton of events into the 4 full days they were here, including 3 childrens' homes, the Rio (an area we do outreaches), the market, several of my favorite taco places, and they even got to see a scorpion and a tarantula!!! It was a refreshing and rejuvenating time for me to share my life with them.

Hanging out at my apartment

They brought presents for my class!!

We took the Ester house girls out for dinner so Tema and Julie could get to know my friends!!

Shoveling rocks and cement blocks at the Rio...the kids loved helping

Julie playing with kids

Taking care of the girls at Casa Hogar Douglas while their caregivers went to a funeral

Dinner at Douglas

Painting at Casa Hogar Del Norte

...and playing with the babies!!!