The Flipside

  This previous week was beyond what I can describe.  In comparison it was an oasis in the desert, it was a drink of water on a hot day, it was like discovering a little piece of heaven on earth.  There were definitely times that were not fun about it, but I discovered something while I was there.  This will probably be a long post and I will go in layers- from what we did, to what I saw, to how God shifted my life a little bit.

Monterrey is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges. 

First- What was Mexico like?
Honestly, it was a lot like here, they had Chili's, and Walmart, Sam's, and my favorite grocery store- H.E.B (it stands for Here Everything is Better... and it is.) The people are friendly and open- even if you can't speak a whole lot of Spanish.  It was hot during the day, but cooled off a bit at night.  Buildings are usually made out of concrete blocks and sealed to keep coolness in.  Very Few places actually have air conditioning, so we sweated a LOT!  BUT it is also a third world country. There is a big difference between the haves and the have nots.  There is a huge sex trade traffic running in and out of Mexico. The poor live in what they call squaters' villages.  Their homes are made out of whatever they can find, from concrete blocks (for a nice house) to cardboard. These villages are all over the outskirts of the city.  They are the marginalized members of society and where the forefront of the care for orphans lie.

Second- What was Back2Back like?

This was the girls bedroom at one of the homes. 

This ministry was refreshing to my soul.  There is a a community of believers who live on a compound just outside the city of Monterrey.  They have identified childrens' homes throughout the city and the surrounding area who are already DOING the work of orphan care.  Rather than coming in and starting their own home, they have worked to support those who are already doing it.  They do building projects throughout the summer and during the year to provide playgrounds, bathrooms, storage rooms, libraries, computer rooms, and anything that children's home needs. That was the first avenue of their ministry 13 years ago.  They about 8 or 9 years ago they began to grow again- see in Mexico public education ends at 8th grade.  After that the kids are put out on the streets and required to fend for themselves.  To break this cycle and change family lines Back2Back opened a home on their compound to offer a high school and college education to the children in the homes they work.  For those who work in the field know that this is practically unheard of in the orphan care world, it is expensive and requires huge risk on an investment standpoint, BUT it changes lives.  Back2Back believes wholeheartedly in going a mile deep, not a mile wide.  They are growing, but going deeper into the communities they serve.  After that college program was established and running, Back2Back grew again, this time to work in the squaters' villages.  See, those villages are where the orphans come from.  That is also where the majority of girls who are sold into the sex trade originate.  To make another change in family lines, Back2Back knew they needed to start at the forefront of the issue, with the family.  So they located three villages around Monterrey where they could partner with a local pastor to empower him to do the ministry God already called him to.  This allows him to be the front-runner in the community and with the support of Back2Back he is able to provide meals for the members of the community, he is able to build his church and work in the community to minister to those families.

Thirdly- What did I do?

This was our Ragamuffin team! 

That is a great question- A friend of mine, Katie, and I were able to fly down the day before we were supposed to meet up with the ministry.  We took a cab into downtown and stayed at a hotel in the city.  During the afternoon we were able to walk around, see some museums, see some of the city and eat some delicious mexican food. The next day we arrived to the airport and met up with the rest of our team.  See, we were put into the ragamuffin team of small pairs and a small group from all across the country.  Throughout the week we drew closer together as we served together.  So the first day was really spent just settling into the site and meeting people.  The next three days after that we spent at different childrens' homes working on construction projects they had assigned for our group.  We did yard work, a lot of cleaning, organizing storage rooms, painting, and building.  I learned how to make concrete by hand on the sidewalk, and machete  weeds to clear a path.  The picture that stuck out to me the most was picking up broken tile from the garbage area at one of the children's homes.  See, they wanted to clear the way for a concrete pad to put the garbage cans on- one that could be cleaned easily and would look neater than the heap they had.  In order to do that, these broken pieces of tile had to be cleared out.  As I worked under the hot sun I kept thinking that that job was a lot like ministry- it is working in the midst of the world's garbage, picking up the pieces that no one wants to pave way for something better- it is tiresome, stinky, but needed and valuable.  Eventually we finished all those tasks and were able to do some projects with the kids.  In the squaters' village we were able to provide a meal to the community.  (I got the job of cooking the 300 hotdogs for everyone. I wish I had taken a picture of this grill I used.  It was on the roof of the church and the base was made out of the concrete blocks with a piece of metal roofing.  On top of that the fire was built and then using some more concrete blocks a rack was put over the fire.  In 100 degree heat I spent a couple of hours cooking hot dogs for the women and children in the village.  The last full day we were in Mexico we took some kids from two of the homes and went to Plaza Sesamo- a Seaseme Street Waterpark. We were paired up with a kid and spent the day learning about them and playing.  It was a lot of fun!

Fourthly- How did God shift me?
Do you ever get this sense that something is not quite right- like there is something more that you are missing, but you don't know quite what it is?  That has been me the past several months, probably the past year or so. I keep getting this whiff of something else and I can't quite ever figure out what it is that I am missing.  That desire has been steadily growing in my heart until I had to act on it- I had to seek that something. Here's what I knew for certain-

Betty, the girl I got to spend the day with!

1. God has given me a heart for the orphan child.
2. He is constantly preparing me for the next step- He is slow and patient with me moving me from one thing to the next, each step preparing me for the one after that.  I love taking the time to look back and see how God has worked and brought me to where I am today.  He has a PLAN!

So knowing those two things I began seeking- and that led to this trip.  I went to Mexico to learn about the ministry, and hopefully to connect to the staff there.  Sure enough, that is exactly what happened.  I fell in love with the ministry.  What they are doing is exactly my heart.  And throughout the week word spread that Katie and I were from a children's home in the states.  Houseparents came up to us to talk.  We were able to go to breakfast with some of the supervisors of their college program and talk about our work.  It was a great connection.  And paved the way for the next step.
As I am back at home, I am encouraged to continue working with my kids now, to pray for them, to love on them, and to walk life with them, but I am also seeking the next step.  The connection with this home in Mexico was strong- I am hoping to get back down there later on this year.  The staff we had breakfast with that morning is looking to come visit Boys and Girls Country as well.  I am also praying about going down there for a month next summer as an intern.  It would provide a closer look at the ministry and further a relationship with that organization.
In some ways it seems as though these are big changes all at once.  But in reality they are the fruit of months of prayer and the work of God in my heart.  Please be praying for me as I continue to grow and change over the course of this journey.

Sunrise on the mountain range.  Each morning I got up early and had coffee while watching this amazing sunrise!