Mision Educarte - Rossy's - Bonfil

Some of the children in Bonfil - they were so eager to help paint

There are two girls who live in Bonfil we’ve gotten to know better this summer.  They make us smile every time we are with them because of their sweet yet spunky personalities.  We know that God has a great plan for their lives!  Recently, we discovered that neither of them can read, and struggle with the abc’s and numbers.  We know that they are not alone in their educational struggles and want to provide after school tutors every day who can help the children of Bonfil.  We are trying to be more intentional with the educational programming at Mision Educarte.  For years, the kids in the neighborhood have heard about Jesus through Rossy’s classes.  Every Wednesday & Saturday she has a Bible class with a craft and feeds the children.  For 19 years she’s done this alone.  We started working with Rossy in January 2013 to provide her with additional resources, bring teams, provide a hot meal, and help her with the Bible classes.  Because we believe in going deep with our ministry partners, we have been evaluating the children and the program to determine their biggest needs and how we can help.  Our desire is that the children will love God with all their heart, soul and mind, but we also want to help make a difference in their educational, physical, emotional, and social needs. 

This summer we took one mission team (Horizon Church College Group) to go and paint the community of apartments – called a cuartaria - where many of the children live.  The one room apartments are about 12 x 15 feet.  Most apartments share one community bathroom and only have a small electric stove for cooking.  The mission team was able to repaint the entire lower level of this cuarteria.  The kids and some of their Mom’s helped with the painting. We also had VBS every Tuesday night with the help of many local volunteers.

Praise & worship time

Samuel is one of our faithful volunteers who helped with VBS

Small group time

Pasta verde....yum!

Beltway Baptist Church helping prepare to serve the kids dinner.

Word for the Year.......MORE

In 2007, our family was asked to help start a new church plant in Caledonia, MI. In October of that year, along with about 50 other individuals, we launched Journey Church. At the first service of the 2008, our pastor, asked the congregation to identify a "Word for the Year." A word that God was giving us that would define a goal, a new direction, or just an area that God was laying on our hearts. That first year my word was "Waiting." I was waiting, although not very patiently, to see if God  was going to call our family to the mission field. (In case you didn't know, He did.)

Ever since that first year of identifying God's Word for the Year for me, Julie and I, along with Journey Church, have continued this practice. We have found it very helpful and signficant. So this year, when Julie and I began talking about our Word for the Year, she quickly identified "Joy" as her word. For me, it took awhile, but just this past week, God gave me the word "Appetite." My prayer and ongoing pursuit is to have an appetite ONLY for God. Not for what He can do for me. Not for comfort. Not for anything this world has to offer.

In-Depth Parenting classes by a
licensed therapist and volunteer

Yesterday, Julie and I were listening to the "Word for the Year" message online, and our pastor spoke of the word God gave him for Journey Church for 2014. That got Julie and I thinking - is there a Word for the Year for our site? Our staff team? Our ministry partners? And you know what, we believe the same word that our pastor chose for Journey is a great one for our site - "MORE."

More depth with the children and families we serve
More miracles
More kids excelling in school
More lives transformed
More restoration of families

More progress with the Tres Reyes Community Center
More volunteers

Kids at Rossy's  reading the Action Bible

More Staff
More teams
More team members, whose lives are deeply
impacted when they care for the Fatherless and Widows
More wisdom and discernment
More of an appetite for God

Now to Him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory. (Ephesians 3:20)

Pray with us that God will give us Immeasrably More, all for His glory and honor.

A Tribute to Our Child Sponsors

Chris and Lori Peters with Gloria's family

It's always encouraging to see the children we serve 

get to spend time with the people who sponsor them.  

Earlier this month we had a team from Dayton, Ohio,

Apex Community Church, come to serve.  A couple on their team sponsor 4 children from the same family.

While they were here they were able to celebrate birthdays with Vanesa and Candy. It was precious to see them laughing with the children and making special memories with them. 

We took them to Peter Piper Pizza and the children loved the pizza and games. I'm sure this celebration won't soon be forgotten they children or their sponsors.

We want to thank all of our child sponsors for your faithful support of the families and children we serve. Through your prayers and financial support, you make it possible for us to meet many of their spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social needs. And if you've never been down here, we would love to have you serve with us and hang out with "your" child.

Thanks for your partnership. God bless you all!

If you have't been to the Back2Back Child Sponsor Facebook page, click HERE to see pictures and much more of these awesome families and children.

Heading Into Hump Week

We've all heard Wednesday referred to as "hump-day" as we get past the middle of the week and look toward the weekend. Well, I'm taking some liberty and calling this "hump-week" for us. We've had three teams come to serve in June and four left in June and July. And while we're not necessarily looking forward to the end of the summer teams, we're kind of at the half-way point, which seems like a good time to let you know what's been happening so far.


With our first week and first team, a group of amazing women from Stoney Creek Community Church, we also welcomed (or didn't welcome) hurricane season - the first week of June. We had 6 straight days of rain. For some, this may not seem significant, but for us it means flooded streets, schools closed, businesses closed, houses leaking, and ministry partners suffering. The team was awesome and didn't let the rain hinder their work. Thanks Stoney Creek!  

While the first team was working in the rain, I was working with a realtor and our partner, pastor Sergio, to finalize details to purchase land in Tres Reyes, for the community center we plan to build there. We have now made a down-payment on the land, have $50,000 committed, but still need $40,000 more by July 15 to purchase the land. It is an amazing piece of property - .75 acres and exactly what we need. 

Land in Tres Reyes

Horizon College Group

As most of you know, our primary ministry is to orphans and impoverished families. That is where we spend the bulk of our time - in the trenches so to speak - living and serving with our ministry partners. BUT, an incredibly important part of our ministry is hosting teams to help us do the work. And during weeks 2 and 3 we had a team of college students and then a team of high school students from Horizon Church, led by Amy Rudge, come down to serve with us. Horizon is very involved in our ministry and a great partner. In the first week, we had 5 college students commit their lives to Christ! In the second week we saw 6 high school students get baptized as a public display of dedicating their lives to Christ.
 We also saw the miraculous and relentless pursuit of God to soften one student's  heart as she made a first-time commitment to Jesus Christ!!

So we can't wait to see what God will do in and through the remaining 4 teams coming down to serve: Trinity Baptist, Apex, Kentwood Community Church, and Journey. Please pray with us that God will have HIS way in these teams and in the lives of our ministry partners. Thank you for all your support!

Weeds or Seeds

When we lived in Michigan we loved to plant a vegetable garden every Spring.

We worked hard at putting good things into the soil to help the plants get the nutrients they needed to grow, to be strong and healthy.  We were strategic in where we placed the garden to get the maximum sun.  Over time, we realized that different plants had different needs.  Some plants needed more sun, some needed more water, some needed extra attention to grow. 

I would start off every growing season with this beautifully tilled garden without any weeds.  However, despite all of my planning and efforts, weeds still grew. And if I wasn't diligent at removing them by the root they would take over the garden.

God reminded me that many of the same principles I learned about gardening also applied with people. Because the children and widows we serve have different needs, we use our 5 Point Child Development Plan to assess and then address their Spiritual, Physical, Educational, Emotional, Social needs.  It's also helpful for me to remember that people, just like plants, grow at different rates. So much depends on the soil, and conditions surrounding the plants (people). 

We were at Rossy's in Bonfil on Saturday, and she was singing this song in Spanish with the children.                                                                                                                                                      

Through You, I can do anything

I can do all things

For it's You who gives me strength

Nothing is impossible....

I believe, I believe in You!

She let the song play over and over and by the end of the day the kids were singing it without any  music.

  

I love to see them singing, and even though they might not fully understand the words...the truth that we believe....the seed that was planted...tells them that nothing is impossible for God!

Nada es imposible!

Earlier this week I took Jeny to hear Nick Vijuicic speak.  Nick Vijuicic is a man that was born without arms and legs. He shared his story about how his faith in God gives him purpose. While Nick was speaking - planting seeds in Jeny - I was praying that her faith in God would grow.  That she would learn to trust Him, and love Him with all of her heart, soul, and mind.  I don't know all of Jeny's emotional needs, but God does, and I can trust that He will use the words spoken that night to grow the seeds of perseverance, courage,  and gratefulness in her heart.

I have to be faithful in prayer....praying that the weeds won't choke out the seeds God is planting in the hearts and minds of the widows and children we serve.  I have a page in my journal with the word "Weeds" and on the other side "Seeds."  I'm a visual person and it helps having the actual weed words written out.....anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, insecurity, pride, selfishness, critical spirit, lack of trust, lying, cheating, etc. So that I can be intentional in praying against those weeds in my life and the lives of those we serve.  

Teacher appreciation!

Fabiola at the Back2Back Christmas party

We would like to introduce you to Fabiola she is the tutor for Oti's girls.  She is such an answer to prayer.  She works with the girls for 2 hours, 5 days a week.  She is doing a great job with them and we continue to see improvement in their school work.  Like many other children they sometimes lack motivation, but overall they keep trying and learning which is what we hope for.  All of the girls show artistic interest and talent.  They love to color, paint, and do crafts.  

Horizon Women's group with Oti's family

They also love story time.  Recently, we read the book:  If You Give A Pig A Pancake.  Afterwards, we did some crafts and then ate pancakes made to look like a pig face.  We all had lots of fun! We did the same story, craft, and pancakes at Casa Hogar San Jose.

Jeny wrote:  I am Erick 

Our Mobile Education Resource Center (MERC) continues to grow with items from our Amazon wish list. People have been buying items and bringing them down when they come to serve or sending it to the home office for other teams to bring down. 

Jimena with her pig pancake....aren't they cure!

Pig mask craft

If you would like to contribute to our MERC resources here is our 
Amazon wish list: www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/GCO1EZ9ZOLSA/ref=topnav_lists_1   You can send the items to our home office:

Back2Back Ministries - Cancun Site (MERC)
P.O. Box 70
Mason, OH 45040

Gracias!

Meet Rossy

Rossy

 Last Saturday morning we received a text from Rossy, a new friend who we are partnering with, asking us if we could come to her place that afternoon to pray for some kids and their mothers who had been abused by their fathers/husbands and boyfriends.


We met Rossy several months ago through a local church, and found out about her ministry to the poor children and singles moms in a neighborhood called Bonfil. Rossy has worked in this area for about 8 years after God gave her a vision for His light shining in this place.  Rossy is a talented jewelry artist and sells the jewelry to help support this ministry. Every Wednesday & Saturday, 30-60 kids come to what we've affectionately named "Rossy's Place," to sing, hear a story about Jesus, do a craft, and eat a meal. For some of these kids, it's the only meal they will get that day.


So on Saturday, when we went to Rossy's place to help with the kids and then pray, we met Ruby, whose husband had just left her and their three young children the night before. Ruby shared her story with us and we prayed over her. We then asked Rossy to take us for a walk in the neighborhood where the kids and many broken and dysfunctional families live. During this walk our goal was to become familiar with the neighborhood, see where these kids and families live, and pray for them. As we walked through the neighborhood, we saw what looked like apartment complexes. These "apartments" where many of these families live are a single room. They hang hammocks at night for sleeping and remove them during the day. The kitchen and bathroom are in a separate building and are shared by the complex. We also saw where a local drug dealer lived, where Ruby lived, and where many of the kids live who Rossy serves. We found out that the water is only on for one hour a day in Bonfil, so if families don't get their water during that hour, they won't get any until the next day, unless they borrow or buy more.

Our desire is to come alongside Rossy to help her love the kids and reach the families. Our prayers are that God would restore broken families, give us opportunities to introduce Jesus to the kids and parents, and give us wisdom about how Back2Back's can most effectively partner with Rossy in Bonfil.

Christmas with the Families

It's 80 degrees outside, the sun is shining and I'm wearing shorts. BUT....Christmas is here, even in warm Mexico. And although I'd rather have snow for Christmas than an 80 degree day, we have been celebrating with music, decorations and Christmas parties.

Mummy-Me game

Joseph

We invited Oti's family: Ricardo, Jeny, Marisol, Paty, Yasmin, Leti, Adela, and Rodrigo; Gloria's family: Carlos, Ansoni, Paola, Vanessa, and Baby Ruth; Dalila's family: Leydi, Jose Luis, and Zuri.; to our group house for a Christmas party. As I drove down the street toward Oti's house to pick them up, some of her kids were waiting at the end of the street. And when they saw me coming, they ran home to tell the others. They were excited. Oti was dressed in a new skirt and blouse that we bought her. She had taken more time than usual getting ready and looked very pretty. It was nice to see her "glowing." At the party, we served the families dinner, played games with them, decorated gi-normous gingerbread cookies, shared the True story of Christmas, and opened gifts. 

At the end of the night, we took Oti's family upstairs and celebrated Christmas with them. 
They each opened 1-2 gifts that we bought them (thank you sponsors). It was so fun to see the joy on their faces. This will probably be the only Christmas they celebrate, so it was special. I drove them home and got many hugs and kisses, all of which I eagerly accepted.

Thanks for the gifts!

Appreciation Dinner

Two days later, we hosted another party at the group home for our volunteers, four of whom received certificates for completing the volunteer training: Jorge, Dara, Andrea, and Samantha; our tutors: Fabiola and Sandy, and our foster family, the Lopez'. We had dinner for them, played more games, and gave them gifts of appreciation for all the time and energy they patiently devote to those we serve. We are so grateful for, what we call, our "extended staff."

Our "certified volunteers"

On a Mowery family note, this past Saturday we picked our daughter Eliza up at the airport. She will be with us for two weeks, while she's taking break from school. It's so nice to have all of us under one roof. We look forward to some good family time together. 

We hope your family has an incredible Christmas and is reminded often during this busy and over-commercialized season, just how blessed we are to have a Savior who chose to crash into our world as a baby....to save us. An "unspeakable gift," and yet we are to shout it from the mountain-tops. Felilz Navidad!