Listening, Learning & Writing

Listening, Learning & Writing

One of the many classes and seminars
at the CAFO conference in Dallas

It started in Dallas at the Christian Alliance for Orphans international conference, and ended at our Back2Back site in Monterrey, MX. After two full weeks of seminars, meetings, and interviews, we returned to Indiana with information-overload and ready to process all we'd learned. So now, we are spending time assimilating information, recalling what we learned on the field about family strengthening, and researching best practices about alternative forms of care for at-risk children.
Research is one of Julie's sweet spots. She loves digging and learning what works and what doesn't. I am more of the process person. So I'm developing the processes for how we will roll out training, and how we will determine the readiness of each site for training. Specifically, we are digging deep into foster care programs, Back2Back's Hope Program, transition care for helping young people transition to independent living, and family strengthening (we call it Strong Families).

We are highly motivated to bring best practices and processes to each of the Back2Back sites, but before that happens, we need to do more listening, learning, and writing. 

The big news with Eliza and Nate is that Nate started nursing school. He is in an accelerated program and believes he's found his passion. Nick's big news is that he got a 4.0 his first semester at IUPUI, and in the fall will transfer to Indiana University in Bloomington. He has a job and a house secured in Bloomington and is excited to start a new semester in September. 

Prayer Opportunities

We just celebrated 31 years together!

Nick recently registered for
classes at Indiana University
Bloomington. He's excited!

• Please continue to pray for Julie's health. While she's stronger, she continues to struggle with consistent good health. 
• Pray for Nate as he pursues nursing.
• Pray for Nick's transition to IU Bloomington.
• Pray for Julie and I as we move down this path of identifying the best ways to help the children and families we serve and how to roll out global training.
• Pray for our newest site in the Dominican Republic, that God will direct Back2Back to the right partners and and clear vision for how best to make an impact in this country. 

Humbled & Grateful.
erick & julie

Viva Italia!!

I’m passionate about learning!  I’m also passionate about art, music, and food. So when all of these things are combined….it makes for a wonderful time (at least in my opinion). 

Recently we had an event at the Back2Back group house for the children of Bonfil.  It was an art & culture night where they learned about Italy, ate Italian food, and saw paintings & sculptures by Michelangelo.  

Before everything started, I was in the kitchen with a few of the girls from Bonfil and I had to get into the fridge for something.  When I opened the door the girls stopped what they were doing and looked inside. Both of them had the same expression on their faces and stood there and said….Wow!  They were amazed by all the food that was in the fridge. Sometimes I forget all the things I have….like food in the fridge because it’s normal for me, but seeing their reaction I was reminded it’s not normal for them. 

One of the main reasons we wanted to have a night of art & culture was to expand their world beyond where they live.  Many of these kids don’t see much outside of their immediate community.  So we started the night by giving the children a passport with their picture in it, and they were given a stamp in their passport to get into the event.  

For dinner we ate baked ziti with salad and rolls while Italian music played in the background. This type of dinner was a new experience for these children, so it was fun to explain what parmesan cheese was and how to use it on the pasta.  After dinner our tutor in Bonfil (Itamar) talked about Italy and focused on some fun facts about the country and where it is located.  She then taught us about Michelangelo and some of his famous paintings & sculptures.  We saw a picture of the Sistine Chapel, Pieta, and David. 

Fun facts about Italy                                                                        Baked ziti....yum!

To top off the night we made copies of The Creation of Adam, where the hand of God is reaching out to touch Adam’s finger.  We taped the copies to the tables….flipped the tables upside down, and asked the children to climb under and start coloring.  We did this to help them understand how hard it might have been for Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling.  At one point I couldn't stand it any longer, I just had to see what the children were doing and why they were so quiet.  So I crawled under one of the tables and joined Danny & Ana.  They both were so engaged in what they were doing I just loved watching them.  

Danny                                                                   Danny & Julie                                                        Ana on the far right

Under the table I had “a moment” where God’s Presence was so obvious and completely overwhelming.  He loves these children so much!  They are His masterpiece.  I began to think about what it takes to create a masterpiece.  Typically, it doesn’t happen quickly. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and 6 years to paint the altar.  I thought of words that could describe what it takes to make a masterpiece.  Words like passion, perseverance, patience, process, and beauty.   The process of change and transformed lives takes time.  That night I looked at Ana and Danny realizing that it may take years to see what God is doing in their lives, but along the way I can see pieces of His masterpiece coming together to create something beautiful.  

Ana with Kristin Lakes (Renovia team from Indianapolis, IN)

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!

Nutrition for Oti's family

They all love apples (Adela)

We've been thinking a lot about nutrition lately and how much the foods we eat effect our health, how we feel, and even how we think.  As literate Americans, nutrition and healthy eating habits are often discussed. And sometimes we make significant diet changes to combat or prevent sickness and other negative effects. Changing our diet a little or a lot, while not easy, is very feasible. 

Last weekend I was holding Rodrigo (Oti's 2 yr. old) during VBS. He's a happy boy, but I couldn't help but notice his rotting teeth.

Separating the fruits from the veggies

 When we offered him a piece of fruit he said no. But as soon as the birthday cake came out, he was all over it. We've spoken to all of the kids and Oti as well, about eating less sugar (Coke, cookies, candy, juice), but eating more fruits and vegetables. But it occurred to us that Oti has lived in survival mode at least since we've known her, and she doesn't think of food as anything more than something to fill the belly. How it effects her long-term health and that of her children is the furthest thing from her mind. But one of the goals of Back2Back is to educate the people we serve about healthy habits.   

Eggplant?

So Julie had this idea of taking about 20 fruits and veggies to Oti's house and having our first nutrition lesson. We asked her and the kids some basic questions about the fruits and veggies. "What is your favorite fruit/veggie?" "What are some red fruits/veggies?" "What are some green fruits/veggies?" Then we asked the kids to separate the fruits from the veggies. It was so fun and eye-opening for us to see how limited their "food vocabulary" was. Oti had no idea what an eggplant was. She asked us how you cook spinach. It was fun and sad at the same time. But we definitely know where we can invest some of our time. Next up...cooking class with Oti. BUT, teaching Oti how to make new recipes with new food is a challenge because she can't read. It's not as easy as giving her a recipe. This may also partly explain why she sticks with the same food choices. So we'll have to be creative with the cooking class. Any ideas are welcome. Picture recipes included.

Children Loving Children



Oti



Before we moved to Mexico, while we were raising support, we were invited to speak at Whiteford Wesleyan Church in East Michigan.  The morning we spoke, Bernice Heidelberg, the Director of Growing Tree Preschool at Whiteford, approached me about having their pre-school children do a mission project, which would include learning more about our work with orphans, more about Mexico, and possibly raising some money to send to some of the children we work with. I told her we would love to be part of that and asked her to contact me after we moved down.

Fast-forward 2 months.....

The Old Tables

I received an email from Bernice and she told me that after speaking with the board of directors and staff of Growing Tree, and most importantly with the children, they were excited about this new partnership. She told me that the kids were excited to get to know Oti's family and raise money to help them. So we sent them pictures and information about each of the 8 kids.

Fast-forward 5 months.....

We were preparing to host a team who would do some work on Oti's house. During the previous 5 months, Bernice's kids were raising money to give to Oti. We didn't know how much or whthe plans we made for projects at Oti's house didn't include any money from the Whiteford children. BUT, on the day we were heading out with the team (just last week) I received word that the money had just come in and had been transferred down to our director; so it was available. I was excited but wasn't sure how or when we'd use it. As it turned out when we got to Oti's house two things we hadn't planned to do that day - because we didn't have the money - rose to the top of the project list.

 

The New Table

With the money from the Growing Tree pre-school kids, we were able to buy wood and build Oti a new and much needed table where she prepares meals for her family. Additionally, as we were getting ready to head home at the end of the workday, I was told that Oti had no groceries and that her kids hadn't eaten, and probably wouldn't eat that day. So I said, "Hey, I still have money left from the Whiteford kids, let's use that to buy groceries." So we sent out a few people to the local store and bought some necessities for Oti's family.

God's timing and God's people, reaching out to those in need, thousands of miles away. Kids in East Michigan helping kids in Southern Mexico. Now THAT is a cool story of how God uses children to love children. Thanks Whiteford  Wesleyan and Growing Tree Preschool!!

"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

Oti's youngest four children....

Yazmin

Recently, due to sickness, Oti was unable to sell fruit and candy on the street, which means she didn't have money to buy food for her family. So last week we took some groceries to her. During this visit, we also played some games with the kids and washed all the girls' hair. Oti had told us that she was a little sad this Christmas, so we wanted to do what we could to love on the family and just have fun with them. Now let me introduce you to Letitia (Lety), Yazmin, Adela, and Rodrigo.

Lety



Lety (5) and Yazmin (6) are so sweet but tend to stay under the radar more than some of their sisters. Recently I had the privilege of holding Lety while praying with the family a couple weeks ago. My heart was broken with the thought that she has no dad. But thankfully she has a heavenly Father who knows her best and loves her most.

Adela

Adela (4) has a ton of personality. She is usually one of the first to greet us when we arrive at the house. She is also the one who, sadly, is missing some of her teeth, we think due to malnutrition and poor hygiene. But we often find Adela running around and wanting attention. She is adorable and very photogenic. Rodrigo (1)...let's just say that he has to work pretty hard to get attention with all his older sisters around. But, Jenny and Marisol often step in for Oti to tend to Rodrigo's needs. When we first met Oti a little over a year ago, she was ready to give up Rodrigo because she couldn't adequately care for him. We were thankful when she decided not to give him up, and thankful to God that the family remains intact.

I wanted to leave you with a few more pictues of the four youngest. Now that you've met all of Oti's family, you have a little deeper understanding of the needs and of our love for them. God has clearly placed them in our path so we can help them. More importantly, you now know how to pray for them. They continue to struggle to make ends meet. Over the spring and summer, as teams come down, we will be working on Oti's house a lot. We will be putting in a bathroom with running water, a shower, a kitchen sink, and an area for Oti to start her laundry business. Our goal is to help her get to a place where she can support her family on her own, and not have to leave her young children to do it. Some of the things we hope she can someday afford include: basic necessities, school supplies, and a tutor. 

Sadly, we just got word last night that Ricardo was picked up by the police. Apparently he is too young to sell and/or wash  windows on street corners.As of this morning, I haven't heard whether he's been released or what may happen next. But we're praying for him. He is extremely vulnerable. If you have any interest in Sheltering (sponsoring) any of Oti's kids, please let me know or contact our home office in Mason, OH -- (513) 754-0300.

Thank you for your support.

Meet Marisol and Paty*

Marisol

Marisol is 9 years old. We've struggled getting to know Marisol very well because she's seems aloof and unhappy. She's less outgoing than most of Oti's other kids. Marisol is in first grade with her three other sisters, and less enthusiastic about school than her older sister Jenifer. Marisol told us that she likes helping her mom and her favorite color is purple.

Just last week when we were visiting Oti with a team we were so excited to see Marisol smile. I sat down with her and colored. I colored a flower and put her name on it. Then I wrote "Dios te ama." (God loves you.) She smiled. Someone gave her a dress as a gift and when she came out to show it to us I hugged her and told her how beautiful she was. I hope and pray that these words of truth and expressions of love will continue to soften her heart and help her realize how special and valuable she is because she was created in God's image.





Paty

Patricia (Paty)  is 8 and also in first grade. One of the cutest thing about Paty is that her hair always seems to be messed up. Some of Paty's favorite things include playing and the color red. She also told us she likes school, but we know she's struggling. We discovered that she has tried to get Jenifer to do her homework for her. And, unfortunately, Jenifer is sometimes eager to do it.

So we pray that Paty sticks with school. That she has some successes so that her confidence goes up. It would be very easy for her to give up....and really, who could blame her. But we are doing all we can, providing a tutor, school supplies and other resources, to help her succeed. Because we know that children who do not receive an education often end up in black market trades, such as drug trafficking and prostitution. Teenage pregnancy is another frequent outcome. BUT when children have access to education, they are significantly more likely to become self-sustaining individuals who can then give back to their communities and lead more productive lives.

*(These are two of Oti's eight kids. The previous two blog posts introduced Oti and her two oldest children.) 



ORPHAN PREVENTION: Oti and her 8 kids

Oti's Family

Wow! We've been here about six weeks, and already our hearts have experienced so many emotions. Being called to love and care for the orphans and impoverished here in Mexico is both heartbreaking and rewarding. 

Here in Cancun we work with two children's homes - San Jose & Esperanza. We also partner with a government organization (DIF-CAT), where the kids - from babies to teenagers - were removed from bad/abusive home situations. As I was holding a baby there today, it broke my heart to think about what she has already been through and how sad it is that her primary care-giver is a gov't nurse. Nonetheless, this is a safe place for these kids to stay when they have no where else to go. The children's homes and the DIF-CAT are reactive responses to kids who desparately need someone to take care of them. For various reasons the parent(s) have decided that they can't or won't take care of their children.

We are also working proactively with impoverished families, with mothers who desparately want to keep their children. Think of it as orphan-prevention. (We believe, and research would support it, that the best place for a child to be is with his/her family. Ideally mom, dad and siblings.) So for the next several blog posts, we want to introduce you to Oti, who is trying to keep her family together. We will show you pictures of Oti's kids and give a little info about each. It is our hope that many of you will pray for this family and each child as you get to know them.

 Oti is a 36 yr old single mother of eight children, ages 1-15 yrs. Her husband died of AIDS about a year ago.Until last year when Back2Back (B2B) started working with them, none of the kids had gone to school, because they couldn't afford the school supplies, uniforms, etc. Needless to say, they are very far behind, but Oti loves her kids and wants to keep them together...under her roof. Despite a poor housing situation, little food, and health issues, including a protruding hernia (not sure if that's the official term), Oti isn't willing to give up.



This is where Oti would launder clothes. We're hoping
to be to able to provide a new washer and dryer for her.

Currently Oti and Ricardo, her oldest son, make a little money by selling fruit and candy on the street. But Oti has a dream. She wants to make money by starting a laundering service.We this family weekly, pray for them often and have purchased school clothes, supplies and are paying a tutor to help her kids. We've done work on her house; provided food and other needs as well.

Today Jenny the oldest daughter (11) showed me her 1st grade homework. I hugged her and told her how proud I was of her. She smiled BIG and hugged me back.

We hope the story of Oti and her kids will give you a glimpse into the lives of some of the people God called us to serve. Thanks for ALL your support. We couldn't be here helping without your involvement in our ministry.