WOW!

WOW! That's how I need to start this post, read on and you will understand why.

Other than this one picture, we are not posting more pictures with this post, and while we realize that this certainly makes the posts harder to read and interact with, in some cases we do not have a choice as the children that we are working with and writing about need to be protected. We ask for your understanding as we continue to try to share with you their lives and what the Lord is doing here in Cancún.

After spending sometime with Andrew's family on the west coast of Mexico for a wonderful week of vacation it was time to go back home to Cancun and jump into our summer teams. Summer is the busiest time for the Back2Back staff. I didn't know what to expect upon our return.

The first day in my schedule was Wednesday. Wednesdays are very special because it is usually the day that we go visit the kids at CAT (Shelter for kids in dangerous situations). CAT is a government program and for that reason they are not very open to the gospel.

This summer we started VBS in all our ministry sites and we had a hard time thinking about how we were going to do it at  CAT without being able to talk about God. The main idea for the VBS is that "Everything is Possible with God" (not easy to do without the word GOD). So Mau and Lizy, the captains from CAT, decided that it was time to have a conversation with director of the CAT about  this.

So Wednesday came and I didn't know what to expect. I had heard that some changes had been made but I wasn't sure what they were referring to.

I was in charge of the games and my heart jumped with excitement when I found out that the doors had been open for the name of God to be said with freedom! I had freedom to tell these kids about the wonderful plan that God had for their lives, freedom to tell them that no matter their circumstances they could trust in God!

And that wasn't the best part. We finish the VBS singing the songs that we learned that day, after I tell you what happened you will understand why I had to start this post with the word WOW.

These precious kids went from not knowing who God is to singing to Him the song called "OUR GOD." If you have never heard this song before please listen to it. It is amazing what God can do in one week!

My story is not over yet. So the next day we had a field trip with the kids and guess what one of them said in his conversation with someone else... "With God everything is possible!" They are getting to know their Heavenly Father!

I remember that our first month in Cancun I posted a prayer request about CAT. That the doors would be open to the Gospel, and they have been opened wide!

Thank you for partnering with us and making this possible.

The Real Impact of Child Sponsorship

Who hasn't heard or seen the promotions for sponsoring a child through global non-profit organizations?

We have two girls with one of them and I know tons of friends and family that sponsor kids through these programs.

So why am I writing about this?

Because of a little party we had this week at Casa Hogar San Jose.

During one of our visits to San Jose this week, Anna and I were able to read letters to the kids from their sponsors and help them decorate and write letters back to them.

The joy and excitement of the kids was transparently over the top.

It got me thinking about and studying their behavior and reactions to the letters, to the words written by their sponsors, and about everything that these kids are able to do because of the sacrifice that their sponsor is making every month.

There were two moments when it really struck me. The first was when Jorge (9), was hunched over the table completely zoned into reading the letter from his sponsor. The other was when Sandi (14) was reading a portion of her letter out loud an laughing with Jimena (12).

These two unique moments brought a clarity to my mind about the value of this precious communication and attention to these kids lives. The reality and strength of the bonds formed through personal letter writing and personal connection of having met their sponsors.

And that is where, I believe, the first of the two major differences lies with Back2Back's child sponsorship program. While the major organizations have a roughly 90/10 split of sponsors who have never met their children, Back2Back's is just the opposite.

The value of this personal connection is undeniable in the eyes of these kids. We are a unique and blessed ministry to be able to have so many children know their sponsors personally and be able to maintain that close relationship that was formed when their sponsors came on a short term trip with Back2Back and met them for the first time.

The second major difference, in my opinion, is the constant oversight of direct children's homes captains and a team of ministry personnel focused on how to utilize each dollar of sponsorship donation to the utmost for the benefit of the whole child through Back2Back's Child Development Model that is focused on the Physical, Spiritual, Emotional, Social and Educational aspects of their life.

Because of Back2Back's tireless commitment to transparency and devotion to learning more about how to go deep with each child, the sponsors know that their sacrifice is truly making a difference in every aspect of their sponsored child's life.

We just wanted to take the time to thank those who are Back2Back Child Sponsors and especially for those of the kids at Casa Hogar San Jose in Cancun. Your investment in these children is a daily reminder of our perfect Heavenly Father's love and provision for those that He holds most dear. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus and for being the difference for one of the 163,000,000 orphans in the world today.

Please enjoy this video of our letter writing party this week at Casa Hogar San Jose on the north side of Cancun:

Can't see the video? View it on our website here.