50 Fun Things!

Last year I had an idea for how I wanted to celebrate turning 50.  Some people dread turning older and at times I’ve struggled with similar feelings.  But this year I wanted to embrace all that God had planned for me and celebrate the big & small things and recognize them as a series of gifts.  

So in January 2015 I began tracking the journey of 50 fun things.  I decided to take pictures cause let’s face it…..I forget things and I didn’t want to forget these moments.  Some things were big, some things were small, some things were planned, and some things were spontaneous. This is my journey and the pictures I took.  

#1 – Birthday dinner with Erick at Casa Rolandi in the Hotel Zone.  It’s one of our favorite restaurants in Cancun.  We know the Chef, Daniele Muller and his wife Yema both volunteer with Back2Back Ministries.  The chocolate molten lava cake which they call (Fondant) is amazing and one of my most favorite desserts!

Playa Delfines

#3 – I love adventures so Erick and Sarah Nace agreed to go with me to Puerto Morelos, which is a small fishing village south of Cancun.  We went in search of a book store that had both English & Spanish books.  I’ve been collecting books for the library at the Judy Morand Center of Hope in Tres Reyes. I actually found a book:  Ella Decidio ser Hippy a llos 50…She decided to be a Hippy at 50, which was so funny!  Puerto Morelos is a great place to explore.  It has fun little stores, great food, and a board walk.  On the beach that day they were having sand castle competitions.  The sand sculptures were amazing.

#4 – Birthday gifts. For those who know me, know that I love scented soap.  It’s probably because most of my time here in Mexico I feel like I am sweaty and smelly.  I typically don’t wear any perfume because I don’t want to attract anymore bug bites then I already do.  Thank you to my husband & friends who made me feel special.

Spontaneous staff lunch

#6 – I like to walk it helps relieve stress and often brings clarity.  I think that is because I use the time to worship, pray, and listen.  Sometimes I listen to podcasts to gain insight from Pastors and leadership principles.  Sometimes I turn everything off so it’s just me & God walking.  Quite often when I’m walking I will be “struck” by the beauty around me.  This was one of those days where I just had to stop and take a picture because the flowers were so beautiful.

#7 – Making my first paella ever!  I think it’s fun to try new recipes, explore new flavors, and try new things so I made paella.  Some people only put seafood into their paella but when I had it for the first time in Grand Rapids, MI the restaurant used chicken, chorizo, and shrimp.  I didn’t have any shrimp but the dish was bursting with smoky goodness from the paprika and the most expensive spice I’ve ever bought….saffron, spicy chorizo, and chicken full of flavor.

#8 – True confessions….a vitamin B12 shot may not exactly be fun.  However, it does provide the energy to do fun things.  So I included this picture to remind me to take care of myself in order to enjoy those moments God gives me.

#9 – Taking time to paint.  Before I moved onto the mission field I was a professional harpist and  I also liked to paint.  I sometimes can get so busy with the urgent things that need to get done that I don’t take time for creative pursuits.  So on this day I set aside time to paint.  Painting is one of those things that calms me.  I call this my blue period. 

#10 – Some friends from Michigan decided to leave the snow behind and visit me in sunny Mexico.  It was great to join them for a day to rest, relax, and laugh a lot.

#11 – My husband is truly a saint because he will watch food movies with me!  We watched “Thousand Foot Journey a drama that incorporates cooking into the story line…..love it! 

Coffee in my favorite mug!

#13 – I seriously love these children, they are from a community called Bonfil.  We had an educational field trip for them to experience Japan. They learned some Japanese words, facts about Japan, as well as learned how to make sushi.  We had tons of fun!

I'm so glad we still have fun together!

#15 – We returned to Puerto Morelos but this time we decided to find a nice spot on the beach and just relax.  I was so excited when I saw a Mariachi Band walking down the beach carrying their various instruments.  I was so surprised when I saw the man with the harp.  They came close to where we were seated and played for tips.  This was a fun surprise!

My favorite sushi

#17 – We were gearing up for a busy Spring schedule with mission teams so I decided to take advantage of a free day the week-end before and stayed in my PJ’s and read all day long!  

#18 – Loved, loved, loved having our children – Eliza & Nick, plus Eliza’s future husband Nate visit.  They were able to go to the community center in Tres Reyes and help with reading time.

#19 – Jeny’s quince años (15^th birthday party) we started working with Jeny’s family when she was 11.   She is one of Oti’s eight children, and at that time she had never gone to school and couldn't read or write.  The night of her party I reflected on how much she has changed and grown. I’m so thankful for the investment of Fabiola (her tutor) and Eloisa (Back2Back staff) who are making significant deposits into mentoring and coaching Jeny.

Flowers from my honey...just because

#21 – Marquesitas, street vendors, and Las Palapas in downtown Cancun.  Marquesitas are made with a thin waffle cone outer shell with your choice of toppings inside.  This one had Nutella, lechera (sweetened condensed milk) , and cheese...oh so good!

Water Spa!

 

#23 – Art day at the community center in Tres Reyes – we learned about the artist Kandinsky.  The children love to paint!

Playing relay games in Tres Reyes

#25 – We were in Nashville for Christian Alliance For Orphans Convention – We were downtown and saw a long line at a restaurant and thought it must be good so we joined the crowd and ate at Hot Hatty B’s Chicken.  It was a spontaneous fun night and to top it off right around the corner from Hatty B’s was a gluten free pastry shop!  Yum! 

Getting to see Eliza & Nick in Indiana

Eliza's graduation from IWU

#28 – Discovering Isla Blanca for the first time!  It’s an isolated beach and not overly crowded.  This happened to be on Mother’s Day and Erick, knowing that it would be a hard day because we weren’t with our children, told me that we could go wherever I wanted.  So we went exploring and found this wonderful spot, plus we found the best guacamole from a little shack on the beach!

2015 Staff retreat lunch

#30 – Before the summer teams arrived we had an excursion with staff & volunteers to Xcaret for the day.  We had a great time together but we were missing Elo, Samuel, and Mariana.

#31 – Summer Interns arrived and after a few days of training we had a fun day and took them snorkeling.  We took a water taxi to Isla Mujeres.  It was the best snorkeling I’ve experienced since moving to Mexico. We saw rainbow fish, eels, star fish, and so many more that I didn’t know the names.

Ellie, Anna, Jess, Abby, Vanessa, Me, Milan

#32 My first 4D movie experience! We watched Jurassic World.  The movie was just o.k. but the effects made it super fun!

Tina Lemmon & Me

#33 – Seeing part of a dream become a reality!  With the help of Sherri Filson and Daniel Zigler we created a wall mural for the community center in Tres Reyes.  Nada Es Imposible Con Dios…Nothing is Impossible With God.  This is the first day we started painting.

The finished wall

Face painting in La Jungla

Father/Daughter team

Shirley DiRuiter, Me, Sherri Filson

#36 – Shirley DiRuiter & Sherri Filson started meeting with me in the fall of 2014 to begin helping with the design plans for the community center in Tres Reyes & The Judy Morand Center of Hope.  We would Skype once a week.  I was so thankful for all the hours they both spent to help talk me through the process, to pray for me when I was overwhelmed, and to give sound advice.  This picture is when they both actually got to come to Cancun to walk through the final stages of planning.

#37 – We went back to Isla Blanca for a few hours of rest.  The sound of the ocean is so calming.

 

#38 – Erick & I broke away from a work day in Tres Reyes to walk to a local tienda and buy a Kick.  It’s the only soft drink I will drink and only get them once in a while.  It has ginsing & extra caffeine, and that day I needed a little Kick to keep me going! 

#39 – Erick & I went to Guatemala to meet with another ministry to learn more from them and how they do community development.  It was a great trip and we learned a lot.  One afternoon we were able to visit Antigua.  It’s a charming town full of history.  We stopped at a convent/monastery:  Santo Domingo.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.

#40 – We got together with friends from college when we were in Indiana.  It was so much fun to be together again.

#41 – my happy place: Isla Blanca - can't get enough of the beautiful colors I find in this place!

#42 A – The Back2Back Cancun Staff at the Judy Morand Center of Hope

#42 B - Dinner celebration at Casa Rolandi’s with the Morand family & their close friends following the dedication of the Judy Morand Center of Hope in Tres Reyes.
 

#43 – While we were in Antiqua we went to this little coffee shop and I had the best cup of coffee #Chemex

#44 – In search of flamingos.  We had heard from some people that a flock of flamingos were gathered and so we were off to see if we could catch a glimpse of them.  We never did see the flamingos but we had a wonderful time walking together on the beach!

#45 – Back in Grand Rapids, MI for meetings and we stopped at one of our favorite breakfast places – Wolfgang’s

#46 – Garrett’s popcorn in Chicago!

Mom & Dad in Michigan

 

Beautiful Fall colors in the Midwest

Our permanent resident cards!

#50 – In search of a bell....this time we found what we were looking for!  We wanted to buy a bell to go in the arch of the entry way at the community center in Tres Reyes.  So we went on a road trip to Valladolid, MX which is a couple hours away.  We found the bell at an outdoor antique store that felt like we were in the middle of the jungle.  There we so many treasures we found that day but I was so excited we found the perfect bell and had so much fun in the process.

So there it is....my 50 fun things. I'm so glad I have these pictures to cherish the memories from this past year. I definitely had many fun times.  John 10:10 reminds me that Jesus came for us to have abundant life....to rejoice and be glad (Phil 4:4) for the mercies that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). Blessings to you in 2016!

Power of words + encouragement

We have parenting classes once a month in Bonfil (urban community) where the parents learn various skills.  Recently, I attended one of the classes and the topic was about modeling the behavior you want to see from your children.  Through a DVD curriculum, they watched parents demonstrate positive interactions and negative interactions, and the impact that negative responses can have on their children.  They were so engaged and asked really good questions.  It was obvious they wanted to learn more.  For most of these Mom’s they’ve never taken any kind of parenting class before, or read any parenting books.  For many of them this is new information and a new way to think. All they know is what was modeled for them, for good and for bad. One principle they learned was about how, if they wanted their children to demonstrate respect, the parent also needed to show respect in the words they used, and how they used them. I was reminded of the verse in Proverbs 18:21 –

‘Words kill, words give life: they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.” I love that the parents in Bonfil learned this truth and will hopefully put it into practice.

I also love seeing words of life being spoken to the children we serve through the mission teams that come.  It’s always a beautiful thing to see mission team members speaking words of encouragement to the children, encouraging them to try new things, to overcome fear….whispering to them that they matter, that they are seen & heard.  Here are some pictures I am so fortunate to see & experience.

Connecting Through Art: Two Stories - One Theme

“Will you color my heart?”  It was a simple question a little girl asked me to translate for one of our mission team guests.  The little girl was sitting with her new friend on the cement basketball court after playing relay games.  We gave the children sidewalk chalk to let them draw.  The little girl had drawn a heart and she wanted the student from Taylor University to color it in. I was taking pictures and didn’t hear the girl at first, but then I heard her say it again…. "Will you color my heart?"  Once the college student knew what the little girl wanted she immediately began coloring the little girl’s heart.  I couldn’t help but think that even though the little girl was asking for something tangible, something she could see….the college student was actually making deposits into this little girl.  These two girls were connecting their hearts through art. We are still building trust with the community in Tres Reyes and over time these little “deposits” will make a difference. 

The children in Tres Reyes love to paint!  When given the chance to paint or play…they often choose to paint.  I think it’s because they don’t have the opportunity or supplies.  And since Cancun is a relatively young city they do not have any art museums. So little by little we are bringing art to them.  Recently we had a painting lesson with the children from Tres Reyes.  We introduced them to the painter Wasilly Kandinsky who was an Abstract, Expressionist painter.  Expressionists use color to express their emotions.  Many of the children we work with have experienced trauma and do not know how to express their emotions in a healthy way.  The thing about art and music is that it can be a beautiful way to express yourself.   We had a variety of different projects going on this day, and at one point I noticed how quiet it was.  The children were so engaged in painting and were concentrating so much. 

But one girl caught my attention. She was working so diligently on her painting, and would stop and look at the example, then look back to what she was painting.  She was still working when the other children had finished and we were cleaning up.  She wanted her painting to be perfect. This young girl was connecting to her own heart through art. 

We're thankful for the opportunities we have to pour into these children and families. It is God's desire to heal all of our hearts, but  especially the fatherless and the vulnerable. Pray with us for God to heal hearts...in Tres Reyes, Bonfil, Cuna Maya.....

Life Lessons

Last week we had a medical and construction team here. This year because of all the work that is being done on the community center, the construction team had three very very busy days all of which included mixing, moving and pouring cement. If you haven't done it, it can be pretty tiring. Our construction team was fairly small, so we were all constantly on the move, shoveling and moving buckets of sand and gravel, then filling and moving buckets of cement. Then doing it all over again....all day.


About half way into the third day, one of the 14 year old boys we work with in Tres Reyes (Tony) got my attention and asked if he could help us. Given how exhausted we all were, and knowing we still had 3-4 more hours of cement work, his offer was appreciated by all of us. So I invited him to help. About an hour or so later he told me his friend Louis, also 14, wanted to help. I welcomed him as well. They both jumped in and worked hard for over three hours. Their contribution was significant and helped us finish the huge cement pour in the large palapa.

Rewind to the previous day..... Tony and his two sisters were scheduled to meet with the tutor for a few hours. They've been meeting for over a year now, helping the kids get caught up and stay on track with their grades. We've told the kids how critical it is that they show up and be on time for their tutoring sessions. We also explained to them that we pay the tutor to be there with them. On this day of tutoring, all three kids, including Tony, left the tutoring session early....a couple hours early. They said they had  other things to do. Needless to say it frustrated the tutor.

Back to the cement work..... After Tony and Louis finished  their work with us, I pulled them aside with one of our other staff who has been working more closely with the family, and  told them how much their work helped and that I was proud of them for working so hard. I told them I wanted to pay them for their hard work. But I also needed to help Tony connect his hard work and earnings with what he (and his sisters) had done to the tutor the previous day. I told him that I wanted to pay him 100 pesos, but because we had to pay the tutor, even though he left early, I couldn't pay him as much. I could only pay him 50 pesos. His friend also got paid 70 pesos. As I explained this to Tony, my prayer was that  he could understand, at least to some degree, how his actions were costly, not only to the tutor and Back2Back, but also to himself.


My children often received "teachable moment" lessons from me as they grew up. Some stuck. Some probably didn't. I pray that the reality of how actions have consequences will give Tony something he needs as he grows and matures.

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)

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.

Singing the Psalms...

Julie, Jeny, Erick & Adela - 2011

Jeny 2011

This is Jeny in 2011.  Back2Back had just started working with her and her family. In order to help her Mom - who was a widow - keep her children.  At the time we thought of it as “orphan prevention” but it’s really Family Preservation.  Family Preservation helps families stay together.  Oti, Jeny’s Mom, needed help, to provide and care for her 8 children.  At the time we started working with Oti, she was desperate and ready to take some of her children to an orphanage (a Casa Hogar or what we call a Children’s Home). I love this picture of Jeny because it captures her personality so well.  She always has a smile and is full of love.  In 2011 she was 10 years old and never attended school.  Back2Back saw the need to help her get into school and hired a tutor to come every day after school to help her with her homework.  This was important because her mother cannot read or write and we wanted to make sure she was getting the help she needed.

Jeny 2014

This is Jeny now, 3 years later.  She loves to read, she’s excelling in school, and she still has a smile that lights up her face.  Recently, Sarah, who is part of our staff, gave Jeny a Bible. Jeny was so excited to start reading it.  Sarah asked Jeny if she had a favorite book of the Bible and Jeny wasn’t sure.  Sarah said…"the Psalms are songs they used to sing in Bible times"…knowing that Jeny has often said she wants to be a singer when she grows up.  So Jeny asked Sarah, “do you know what the tune is to this Psalm?"  Sarah answered…."No." Jeny didn’t miss a beat. She said….”I know.” And started singing the Psalm. Making up an upbeat melody.  How precious that must have been to Jesus, to hear Jeny singing a Psalm! 

2014 Mother's Day Card from Jeny

This is the Mother’s Day Card Jeny made for me this year.  She had no idea how much I needed that card.  It was the first Mother’s Day in 21 years I wasn’t able to be with either of my children (Eliza & Nick).  She wrote I love you Julie." Just what I needed to hear!  Please continue to pray for Jeny.  I know God has great things in store and I can’t wait to see the rest of her story.