back2back fall/winter magazine 2013

32
FALL/WINTER 2013 VOLUME 18 Care for today. Hope for tomorrow.

Upload: hall-design

Post on 02-Mar-2016

219 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

Back2Back is a Christian non-profit orphan care ministry.

TRANSCRIPT

FALL/WINTER 2013 VoLumE 18

Care for today.Hope for tomorrow.

by Todd Guckenberger, Executive Director of

Back2Back Ministries

In our family, we have a phrase, “If you can’t share it, you can’t have it.” We use it when our children (and their parents!) need to be reminded that selfishness is not an option for the Christ-follower. Things, time and ideas are ours to steward for a greater purpose than our pleasure. All we have is His. In the last couple of years, a conviction has been growing in me that we, in the orphan care movement, need to share as liberally as we can. As one organization has success in meeting childrens’ needs, it is a win and those ideas need to be cascaded to the rest of us. We cannot waste time competing against each other. The battle we are in is against the one whose constant attack is on the neglected, abandoned, abused, and fatherless. To that end, we are working to share resources and material with like-minded organizations around the world.

We regularly share files of our content with other non-profits with permission to use our resources fully. It took us too long to get here and we want other organizations to benefit from our learning curve. We have carved out weeks for other orphan care organizations to come and learn and collaborate with us at Back2Back mission sites. We have decided to be kingdom-minded. God has graciously led us to a vision of more depth, of working at the overwhelming challenge of meeting each child’s individual needs holistically through Back2Back’s 5-Point Child Development Plan. We are students of other ministries, asking questions and gathering the latest research. We pray that this culture of learning and sharing will lead to more

We have decided

to be kingdom-

minded. God has

graciously led us

to a vision of more

depth, of working at

the overwhelming

challenge of meeting

each child’s individual

needs holistically

through Back2Back’s

5-Point Child

Development Plan.

LETTER FRom ThE DIRECToRchildren being impacted around the world. Simply, this will take all of us, working together.

In all transparency, all this learning and asking and growing as we ask our big question these days, can create tension.

WhAT Is BEsT FoR AN oRPhAN ChILD?

Studies show that institutional care, such as orphanages, are not the best scenario for a child. These claims are based on research that indicate that children can miss critical brain development from lack of appropriate touch. The World Health Organization estimates between eight to ten million orphans live in orphanages. The rest exist on the street, in minor-head-of-households, in slavery, as domestic support, in child militia, etc. When looking at the alternatives of where an orphan can land, it can start to seem like orphanages are the best option but we simply can’t (and shouldn’t) build orphanages to house the remaining 153 million orphaned children.

As an organization, we have shifted to a belief that orphanages are one option in a spectrum of care. In some cases, an orphanage is the best solution for the situation of the day. In this issue, you will read about another alternative of care, a church-based Christian foster care system that we are currently piloting in Monterrey. We are working alongside the government and the church to de-institutionalize each facility by creating more family-style living and reducing the numbers of children in each dorm. We hope by adding an additional quality caregiver, we can create an environment that is more conducive to healthy emotional development. The less time the worker is focused on “managing,” the more time there is for parenting and individualized attention.

There is much to be done. As we continue to learn new methods, there will be more adjustment and growth. We will need more visitors lending a hand, more training classes, more donors to fund more workers and more energy for what is ahead. We invite you to join us. It will take all of us working together to serve the orphan child.

ouR VIsIoNWe desire for every orphan and impoverished child

to have the opportunity for success through “care for

today and hope for tomorrow”. Our goal is that each

child would experience restoration to a life of purpose

in which they can become fulfilled and

mature Christian adults.

ouR mIssIoNBack2Back Ministries is an international Christian

non-profit organization that is dedicated to being

a voice for orphans. We exist to love and care for

orphans and impoverished children, by meeting their

spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social

needs that they may overcome their life circumstances

and break free from the cycle of generational poverty.

19

We would like to thank Quality Printing for partnering with Back2Back by offering us high-quality printing. This partnership has been a

tremendous blessing to the ministry allowing us to expand our communications. Thank you to Quality Printing for this generous gift.

QuAlITy

lOGO

Here

17

13

9

21

3

mAy 2012 After the Back2Back staff attended that year’s Summit of the Orphan in the uS, a seed was planted that we should hold a Spanish version of the Summit of the Orphan in Mexico with the express purpose of inspiring and mobilizing the local church to engage in this movement.

FALL 2012 The Mexican government visited our Monterrey, Mexico campus to discuss the successes associated with Back2Back’s Hope education Program. They expressed a willingness to hear what ideas we had regarding serving the orphan child. We planted a seed in their minds about a faith-based foster care program, where the local church would identify families who could house orphans in their homes, not being incentivized with money, but by a calling.

WINTER 2013We sent staff to train with Costa rican based Casa Viva, a ministry dedicated to finding faith-based foster families for orphans. Back2Back staff learned their best practices and then brought their staff to Mexico to look at procedures and practices within the Mexican cultural context. Weekly meetings began with the government to explore foster care as a viable option.

LATE WINTER 2012/EARLy sPRING 2013The planning continued for the Cumbre, the Summit of the Orphan in Monterrey, Mexico, with staff reaching out to local pastors and community leaders. We were hoping for 250 participants.

mARCh 2013The legislative body in Nuevo leon reworks the law to permit for sanctioned foster families to exist, as this had not been a legal option before. The word ‘acogimiento’, or “foster care,” becomes part of the vernacular.

you ARE ouR WITNEssEs

by Beth Guckenberger, Back2Back Ministries, Co-Executive Director

you are our witnesses! We want to testify to how God is moving on behalf of the mexican orphan. We

believe that God has heard the Church crying out to him and his response has been thunderous. he is

mobilizing his body and it’s been remarkable to watch.

4

APRIL 2013 Over four hundred people gather for the Cumbre, the Summit of the Orphan event in Monterrey, Mexico. It was remarkable to watch the national attention that followed. Speakers traveled from multiple countries to inspire the Mexican church to engage in the life of an orphan.

mAy 2013 Follow-up training began with those who indicated an interest in learning more about how to have hands-on involvement in Monterrey orphanages. Many people have committed to entering into a mentoring relationship with an orphan locally. These small groups will meet several times a month and work through a curriculum provided for us by David C Cook. even more have joined in efforts to tutor children in foreign language, computer skills, math and reading, and help with ongoing academic challenges.

summER 2013 More than a dozen couples complete a joint training, hosted by Back2Back and authorized by the government, equipping them to be the country’s first foster families. Other Mexican states around the republic begin to reach out and ask about how they can initiate foster care in their states.

AuGusT 2013 The wife of the governor of Nuevo leon, Mexico and Todd Guckenberger, Back2Back executive Director, present certificates of completion to the first families who have completed foster care training.

FALL 2013Back2Back staff continue to train volunteers in tutoring, mentoring and discipleship. More

families have expressed an interest in serving as foster care parents. More churches are engaging in the program, as momentum continues to build.

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 glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen ephesians 3:20

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 glory in the church

and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

Ephesians 3:20

hE sETs

by Hannah Fay, Back2Back Monterrey, Mexico

LoNELy IN

FAmILIEs

ThE

6

Isabella arrived at the children’s home unsure

of what to expect. She listened attentively as her

caregivers, two Back2Back staff members, welcomed

her to the dorm. As they showed her where she would

be sleeping, they watched as her eyes grew wider

and wider until she suddenly blurted out, “Are you

serious? That is my bed...I get my own bed!”

Astonished, they stared as the

ten year-old girl leapt into bed and

settled down under the blankets. “Is

it ok if I go to bed right now?,” she

asked. Over the next several days,

Isa’s caregivers discovered that

she had no identifying paperwork

and that consequently she had

never been permitted to attend

school. Isa could not even write

her own name. Her caregivers,

who successfully advocated her

placement in the third grade, are

actively preparing her for the start

of her first ever school year.

Isa represents one of 163 million

“fatherless” and “lonely” depicted

in Psalm 68 for whom Back2Back

Ministries seeks to provide care for

today and hope for tomorrow. Isa came to us from an

at-risk community where the majority of her time was

spent on the streets. On the spectrum of orphan care

this environment places her at the highest risk for not

having her developmental needs met. The day Isa

moved into an orphanage, she consequently moved

up the spectrum of care. She now has a better chance

of having her needs provided for; however, she will

still be at-risk of not having her needs met due to the

harmful effects of institutionalization on children.

For children like Isa, who live in a Back2Back

supported children’s home, we coordinate activities

and volunteer programs to mitigate the negative

effects of being raised in an institutional setting.

using Back2Back’s 5-Point Child Development Plan,

we provide holistic care, addressing each individual

child’s spiritual, physical, educational, emotional, and

social needs. The programs serve as a tool to combat

the statistics that point to the devastating effects

of institutionalization on a child’s development.

Simultaneously, Back2Back is committed to

restructuring the children’s homes in order to provide

better quality care. Tangibly speaking, this means

lower child-to-worker ratios, quality and committed

caregivers, continuing education for direct service

providers, apartment-style living within the children’s

homes, ending the harmful practice of graduating

dorms due to age and adding a team of specialists

including social workers and psychologists in each

home. These short-term solutions

will enact long-term change in

the process of moving up the

spectrum of care. By implementing

these changes, children like Isa

will understand how to create

healthy bonds of attachment

with their caregiver that they will

then be able to transfer back to

their family of origin should they

reunify or with foster or adoptive

parents. For those who find

themselves in institutions without

the intervention of a foster family,

staff will rely on the specialist team

at each institution, who will work

with the biological family and child

protective services to create a plan

for either reunification with the

biological family or placement in

an adoptive family. Our ultimate goal is for each child

to be in a family setting whenever possible.

For the orphan child in the state of Nuevo leon,

where our ministry site in Monterrey, Mexico is located,

the only option prior to 2013 was institutional care or

in some rare cases adoption. Back2Back is proud to

announce a partnership with the government’s child

protective services and the start of the very first foster

care system in Monterrey thus expanding the number

of options available on the spectrum of care within

this community. Currently, there are nine families who

have completed the training course. They stand ready

to intercept the child on her way from her home to the

institution, in an effort to provide a better standard

of care and meet the individual needs of the orphan

child in the context of a family. We stand firm on

God’s promise in Psalm 68 that He will put the lonely

in families. We are hopeful, as we are now able to offer

better alternative care solutions for Isa and the many

children in our care just like her.

A FAThER To

ThE FAThERLEss,

A DEFENDER oF

WIDoWs,

Is GoD IN

hIs hoLy DWELLING.

GoD sETs ThE

LoNELy IN FAmILIEs.

PsALm 68:5-6a

Playing soccer on a team helps a child develop an understanding of teamwork, fosters camaraderie, and

creates a feeling you are a part of something larger than yourself, rather than an outcast.

As the Hope education Program in Monterrey, Mexico was growing, we realized that we were making sure the children’s physical needs were met and their educational needs were being addressed. We were teaching them spiritual lessons about Jesus and hiring psychologists and asking questions about their emotional needs, but there was one area left gaping: their social development.

Social development teaches us how to interact with each other, how to behave in a classroom, or in public, and how to express ourselves socially. These skills are critical for securing a job and for managing interactions with the larger society.

Feeling a little insecure is a normal part of most of our childhood and teen years. How we feel on our first day of school, the first day on a new team, the first time we had to speak in front of our classroom, our first conversation with a cute girl, all require us to demonstrate to the world, and ourselves, if we have what it takes to overcome our fears and be successful.

As children, we “practice” interacting socially with others, and with society every day. Our world naturally expands as we join sports teams, perform at recitals and plays, meet extended family and travel on vacation. These experiences were stolen from the children we serve. For reasons they couldn’t control, their world was made small and in some cases, a child will live, attend school, and socialize on the same campus. Although they’re in a safe environment, their social development is stunted. Those struggles regarding how to navigate the larger world will follow them into adulthood, reinforcing their fears that they are different, fears that they have nothing to offer.

To this end, with the heart of serving children in practical ways that will contribute to their long-term success, we encourage participation in extra-curricular activities such as art, drama, and sports teams. We want the children we serve to have the opportunity to try new things and receive coaching to develop skills that they will one day use in their professional lives. For example, playing soccer on a team helps a child gain an understanding of teamwork, fosters camaraderie, and creates a feeling you are a part of something larger than yourself, rather than an outcast.

A ChILD’s soCIALDEVELoPmENT

social development

teaches us how to

interact with each other,

how to behave in a

classroom, or in public,

and how to express

ourselves socially. These

skills are critical for

securing a job and for

managing interactions

with the larger society.

7

by Todd Guckenberger, Executive Director of Back2Back Ministries

The children we serve need to have opportunities to interact with others in a faith community. By participating in a student worship band for church, or serving on mission trips to other parts of the world, the children understand they have something to offer and it matters! God has given us each talents to serve Him. They can learn from others and teach others according to their own growth. By serving and studying, they understand who they are in Christ in a deeper way.

We actively invite mission teams to come and interact with the children we serve. Some participants voice concern over people coming in and out of their lives. Are we doing more harm than good? The truth is, when the children interact with a group member, their expectation is that the relationship will only last for a day or week at the most. This is a completely different experience of ‘leaving’ than what they experienced with their biological families. When you share time

with the children, you model healthy conversation, serving alongside each other, and healthy affection. you teach, without even realizing it, how to smile and greet someone, how to share, how to work, how to listen, how to pay attention, how to exchange and how to problem solve. These are critical lessons for all of us, but especially for the orphan child.

At Back2Back, our goal is to see each child we work with develop a personal relationship with Jesus, become independent and sustainable and be interdependent in his or her community. Please pray with us as we work to flesh out this part of the 5-Point Child Development Plan. It can make the difference for a child who needs to interview for a job or assimilate with his in-law family or find his way into a local church. We believe intentional opportunities will cultivate these skills. Thank you for all the ways you have supported the staff and children as we have worked to this end!

8

our goal is to

see each child

we work with

develop a personal

relationship with

Jesus, become

independent and

sustainable and be

interdependent

in his or her

community.

mI NomBRE Es shANNEN BRoWN

It began as nothing more than a fleeting idea, a whim, really. Connect a professional photographer and filmmaker with Back2Back and something decent was bound to happen, right? A visual storyteller teamed with an organization driven by the ultimate Storyteller. little did we know that that whim would lead to an extended project during the oppressive Mexican July heat.

The initial series of meetings between photographer/filmmaker and Back2Back led to a plan to create a film, a short-film documentary that would focus on one child as a representative of the 163,000,000 orphaned children in the world. Among the details required was the need for a subject, of course, who would be able to withstand the scrutiny and emotional grind of being the focus of such a film. Co-executive Director, Beth Guckenberger, was as sure as she was quick to mention Shannen, a nineteen-year-old young woman in Monterrey, unusually mature and compelling, someone who not only was “typical” of the 163,000,000 she’d represent but also unique among the 163,000,000 in that she had consciously chosen to take advantage of the holistic care that organizations like Back2Back offered - propelling her to a high school diploma and beyond.

“I am very grateful and very happy for the opportunity that He’s given me to do something, to be someone, to have a story,” says Shannen.

One-hundred sixty-three million. let that sink in if you can. It is more than twice the estimated number of children that live in the united States. 1 If the 163 million orphaned children gathered to form a country of their own it would rank 8th in total population among all the nations on the planet, just behind Bangladesh and well ahead of russia. 2 No matter how we try, 163,000,000 is a number that is hard to grasp. In terms of creating a narrative, understanding the meta-story of 163 million orphans, is extremely difficult. As a result, orphan awareness is often relegated to statistics

by rob Hall, Back2Back Advocate

(like those above), faceless and nameless children making up subsets of other subsets, but, in the end, the result is often a malaise from “the rest of us” in the face of overwhelming odds to make any difference at all. However, when we know one, when we put a particular face, a particular name to the story, our hearts begin to change: malaise is replaced by optimism, inaction by urgency, disconnection by relationship. Knowing the story of a child makes all the difference. If you understand that, you understand the heart of 1/163,000,000 - the film compels its viewers to see the life of an orphaned child and be stirred instead of merely knowing the numbers related to the orphan crisis and remaining unmoved.

oRPhAN suNDAy & BEyoNDSunday, November 3rd is Orphan Sunday, a

world-wide event spearheaded by the Christian Alliance for Orphans meant to highlight the plight of orphaned children around the globe. 1/163,000,000 will debut as part of a special event to be held at the concert venue, The underground in Cincinnati, Ohio at 4pm on November 3rd. We’re excited to tell Shannen’s story in this short-film documentary and Back2Back will use the event to raise awareness about orphan care.

However, what was anticipated as the end-point of our journey with Shannen may only be the beginning. Shannen’s story has been compelling to capture and Shannen has been amazingly determined to allow us to tell it. As a result, plans are being made, investors are being sought, and writers, artists, associate producers and directors are being assembled to create a full-length documentary to tell Shannen’s story more completely. By doing so, one face, one name, one child, can tell the story of the 163,000,000 others - each of whom have a unique and compelling story to which they are inviting us to become a part.

I Am oNE oF 163,000,000. I LIVE IN moNTERREy, mExICo.

1 According to American Community Survey five-year estimates the U.S. is home to 74 million people children.2 The 2012 World Atlas estimates the population of Bangladesh at 164,425,000 and Russia at 141,927,000.

mI NomBRE Es shANNEN BRoWN

10

“I am very

GRATEFuL and very ThANkFuLfor the oPPoRTuNITy

the hE has given me

to Do somEThNG,

to BE somEoNE, to hAVE A sToRy.”

TREs REyEs

ouR hoPE Is ThAT By suPPoRTING ThE CommuNITy ThRouGh

ThE TREs REyEs CommuNITy CENTER, WE WILL sTRENGThEN

FAmILIEs AND uLTImATELy shARE ThE hoPE oF JEsus ChRIsT.

CommuNITy

11

CENTERDEVELoPmENT

CANCuN

TREs REyEsby Andrew Conrad, Back2Back Cancun

12

After months of searching for land to develop into a community center in the impoverished community

of Tres reyes near Cancún, Mexico, we recently finalized the purchase of just under an acre of land. The lot is

situated on the main village road with a bus line to provide easy access to the entire community. It is already

level and cleared of trees; additionally, there is a well, electricity, an existing building and a security wall lines the

perimeter, enabling us to begin using the property for community outreach immediately, even as we continue

to develop the land.

Gloria, a widow with five children, is just one of the many families who will immediately benefit from the Tres

reyes Community Center. She is an incredible example of perseverance and faith. even after walking through

the tragedy of losing her husband with multiple young children, she refused to give up. Gloria works part-time

cleaning homes to help support her family, but she still struggles to make ends meet. Back2Back has come

alongside her family, providing support through tutoring, child sponsorship and resources. Gloria’s family is still

together because she has remained positive and refused to give up on her family.

Back2Back has come alongside Gloria to support her, as this is often the best means of preventative orphan

care. Mission groups helped Gloria build her home, and we will soon install electricity and running water for

the first time. Once Tres reyes is completed, Gloria will be able to utilize the center for additional support, such

as educational training and medical and dental care, services that would be otherwise difficult for her to attain

given her limited resources. Her children will have the opportunity to grow academically through tutoring, join

sports teams to develop socially and receive balanced meals through the feeding program. Gloria’s family and

the countless others in similar situations inspire us to forge ahead with the Tres reyes project.

We are excited to partner with local churches and other non-profit organizations

in Cancún for the Tres reyes Community Center project, as we work with a local

engineer and architect to plan the construction and programming in the building.

Our plan is to use the first floor as an all-purpose room for events such as concerts,

parties, large classes, and feeding programs. There will be a kitchen on the first floor

that will allow us to prepare meals for large groups, serving them either inside or

outside with serving lines in both places. We will have a small computer lab on the

first floor. Classrooms, offices for family and individual counseling will be situated on

the second floor, as well as a medical clinic and dental clinic. A soccer field, all-sports

court, and a large palapa for outdoor events and activities will be located on the lot.

The community center will offer counseling opportunities, tutoring for children,

continuing educational resources, medical and dental care, feeding programs,

sports leagues and possibly day care. Our goal is to offer resources to a struggling

community that they might not otherwise be able to access. Our hope is that by

supporting the community in this practical way, we will strengthen families within

the community and ultimately share the hope of Jesus Christ.

We still have approximately $10,000 uSD left to raise for the land, before we can

begin fundraising for construction of the community center. We are excited for all

that God can use this property for in this community. Please pray with us that God would provide the funding

to complete this project and that He would use this new facility to continue to expand His Kingdom in this

community.

GLoRIA,

A WIDoW WITh

FIVE ChILDREN,

Is JusT oNE

oF ThE mANy

FAmILIEs Who

WILL ImmEDIATELy

BENEFIT FRom

ThE TREs REyEs

CommuNITy

CENTER.

When my wife, kelly, and I were house parents in the hope Education Program in monterrey,

mexico, we were intentional to invite the teenage students in our hope Program home to

participate in ministry. I naturally thought of the hope Program students this past spring, as

we began preparing for Mazatlan’s first big summer. Interns play a crucial role in helping the

busy summer season run smoothly, and an internship with Back2Back is a terrific opportunity

for personal and spiritual growth. This summer, we were privileged to have two hope

Education Program students from monterrey serve alongside us at Back2Back’s mazatlan,

mexico site. This was an incredible opportunity for students, who regularly have mission

groups serving them, to use their unique talents to reach out to orphaned children in need!

God is moving in them, as they discover the joy of service.13

FuLL CIRCLEhoPE sTuDENTs sERVE As INTERNs

AT ChILDREN’s homEs

by Gabo Velasco, Back2Back Mazatlan, Mexico

This was an incredible

opportunity for students, who regularly have

mission groups serving them, to use their unique talents to reach

out to orphaned children in need!

14

mEET LEoleo Hernandez, a student in Back2Back’s Hope education Program in Monterrey,

Mexico, has experienced God working in his life in a very real and personal way over the past year. Despite challenges in his life, leo has also proven himself to be goal-oriented and a hard worker. After receiving a positive recommendation from leo’s current Hope Program house parent, we invited him to participate in Back2Back’s summer internship program, serving alongside our full-time staff and volunteer groups here in Mazatlan, Mexico. During the process of preparing for his internship, leo frequently sent me messages about how excited he was about this opportunity.

While leo and I had many conversations over the summer, one of the most significant took place soon after he arrived in Mazatlan. leo grew up in Manantial de Amor, a children’s home in Monterrey. The Salvation Army Children’s Home, one of the homes we serve here in Mazatlan, reminded him of the children’s home where he grew up. early in the summer, our team had the opportunity to provide respite care for the twenty-four children at Salvation Army. One night, while we were rushing around trying to get twenty-four children to bed, I quickly asked leo to lead night time devotions. He looked at me, hesitated, and asked what he should share about. In the chaos, I didn’t give him much direction.

After getting all of the little girls to their dorm, helping the kitchen crew clean-up and completing other chores, I paused to check on the boys’ dorm. leo was sitting in a chair, with a circle of children gathered around him. They alternated between listening closely and interrupting, asking questions and chiming in as he shared with them that he also grew up in a children’s home. He has been in their place, and he knows how they feel. They shared some of the things they face at school and with their friends, and leo was able to use what God has taught him to comfort them and speak truth into their lives that night.

every time leo visited the Salvation Army Children’s Home this summer, the kids came running at him, full-speed, with hugs and excitement. He was their super-star and hero this summer. Before he returned to Monterrey, leo and I had a conversation about what God says about us as His children. I asked him if he was allowing God’s words and promises to take root in his heart. leo replied that he needed to think about it more before answering. But, there was no need for a verbal answer- I watched him living God’s truths out every day.

mEET shIRLEyShirley, another Hope education Program student, was one of the girls who had lived

in our Hope Program home when Kelly and I were house parents in Monterrey, Mexico. I remember the day when she came to live with us. She was shy and reserved, trying to soak everything in. little did I know that once she felt comfortable with us it would take an army to keep her quiet, in a good way, of course.

As a house parent to Shirley, God allowed me to see incredible leadership potential in her. I remember our endless talks about what she was going to study at college over midnight snacks. We loved hearing the girls share from their heart. It was a privilege to have a chance to speak life into them and share God’s heart with them. Kelly and I consistently affirmed them, telling them that we believed in them and what God could do through their lives. All these conversations and memories came to mind this summer, when Shirley came to Mazatlan to serve with us as an intern. In that moment, I was overcome with anticipation and excitement for one of our girls to serve alongside us as an intern. She had worked as hard as any other intern to come, not really knowing what to expect, but expecting God to work in her and through her.

It has been an emotional experience for Kelly and I to see Shirley growing in her faith, seeing her believe in who God says she is. On her last day in Mazatlan, we prayed for Shirley with all the other interns. I was full of joy, as she was beginning to better understand what God says about her and everything that she has to offer to His

Kingdom. Seeing Shirley grow in her faith as she steps into new opportunities has given

me tremendous joy. I thank God for the privilege of being a part of her life.

There is a children’s book

by shel silverstein called,

ThE GIVING TREE. In this story, GENERosITy

is shown over and over

as an APPLE TREE

GIVEs, and GIVEs, and

GIVEs oF ITsELF to the

LITTLE Boy IT LoVEs.

2515

There is a children’s book by Shel Silverstein called, The Giving Tree. In this story, generosity is shown as over

and over as an apple tree gives, and gives, and gives of itself to the little boy it loves.

lucia and I were teaching our little students at Del Norte Children’s Home about true generosity through this

story. When we had finished our lesson, we passed out red construction paper apples for the kids to decorate

with ways they could be generous to others.

I have no idea what suddenly came upon 8-year-old Juan in this moment. He went from a laughing, good-

natured boy to an obstinate soul in literally one second. Juan stood up with a hardened frown on his face

and announced that he thought the activity was stupid and he just wasn’t going to do it. We talked with him

nicely and then firmly and still he didn’t budge. One of our rules at the library is that if you come to class, you

must participate in all the activities, not just the ones you favor. Jaun was reminded about this rule, but his

countenance and opposition did not change.

Juan spent the next twenty minutes under the teacher’s desk ripping his paper apple to shreds. lucia and I

ignored his behavior and attended to the other students. I have to admit, I was not feeling very generous toward

Juan in this moment. This was not the first time Juan had been a challenge to me. There had been several other

days when I asked him to leave the library because of his behavior. He usually left while laughing mockingly at

me, no sense of remorse for the chaos he had caused.

As the students finished the activity and began perusing books, I felt a slight tug on my shirt. I turned to see

Juan with The Giving Tree in his hand. “Can we read this together?” he asked, once again a happy boy. Speechless,

the anger shocked out of me, I nodded a “yes.” We sat on the floor and opened the cover. Page after page we

read together the story of the Christ-like tree. I turned the last page, closed the

cover, and much to my surprise, Juan asked for another paper apple. I watched

quietly, as with a tinge of embarrassment Juan wrote on his apple, “I love you.

Forgive me for what I have done.”

Never in my life did I expect to see those words written out on Juan’s apple.

After months of giving, coaching, disciplining, loving, and teaching these children,

we were finally seeing some return and from the least likely of all. Juan stood up

and took his apple over to lucia to ask her forgiveness as well. I overheard lucia

telling him that he didn’t need to ask forgiveness for himself, but for his behavior.

“love,” she said, “God has made you a very wonderful boy and He wants your

behavior to reflect that.” Juan turned toward her and asked, “Why do you call me

‘love’?” lucia, swooped him up in a big bear hug and said, “Because you are loved!”

Despite the day-in and day-out trials, God’s love is seeping into these little

hearts. He is slowly removing abused hearts of stone, and replacing them with

hearts of flesh. This day, for the first time, we saw that Juan’s heart was beginning

to warm and the first layer of stone was cracking off.

by Hope Garcia, Back2Back Monterrey, Mexico

I overheard Lucia

telling Juan that

he didn’t need to

ask forgiveness for

himself, but for his

behavior. she said,

“God has made you

a very wonderful

boy and he wants

your behavior to

reflect that.”

16

hAITI

GERVENs, A NINE-yEAR oLD Boy

FRom PoRT-Au-PRINCE Is

ThE FIRsT hAITIAN ChILD To

BENEFIT FRom A BACk2BACk

ChILD sPoNsoRshIP.

mEET kRIsTA: ouR FIRsT ChILD sPoNsoR IN hAITI

Through Back2Back’s Child Sponsorship Program, Krista, a student at Ohio university, is contributing toward holistic orphan care for Gervens, by assisting us in meeting his spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social needs. Krista is passionate about serving children in Haiti and jumped at the opportunity to join a recent mission trip to work alongside staff in Port-au-Prince. Krista shares more about what prompted her to sponsor Gervens, after he captured her heart on a recent mission trip.

TELL us hoW you mET GERVENsMy story begins with a 9-year old boy named Gervens. The day

after we arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, our group was introduced to Gervens and a staff member mentioned that the little boy was legally blind. My heart immediately dropped. This little, skinny-as-can-be boy was dealt an extremely tough life, and yet he stood there with a smile on his face and no sign of struggles at all. I felt this overwhelming sensation to go to him and introduce myself. I sat down next to him on a chair and in broken and terrible Creole, I told him my name was Krista. He grabbed my hand and held it in his, and something indescribable occurred. I felt the deepest love for this little boy and a connection that cannot be explained and I knew this was only the beginning of our friendship.

hoW hAs sPoNsoRshIP ImPACTED youR LIFE?I’m now sponsoring Gervens through the Back2Back Child Sponsorship Program and I continue to share his story with anyone who asks. I cannot wait to return to Haiti, a place that feels a lot like home to me. Although I can’t express what occurred during my first day in Haiti, I know it was God’s attempt to call me to help Gervens, a little boy who I loved from the moment I met

him. The absolute blessing of being able to sponsor Gervens means the world to me. I am so thankful I am able to have an impact on a little boy who has impacted me more than he will ever know.

Do you hAVE ANy PLANs To RETuRN To hAITI?This sponsorship is just my foot in the door into what I know I will accomplish in Haiti. I cannot wait to return in March to see Gervens and he will continue to be in my life for as long as possible.

WhAT ARE youR DREAms AND hoPEs FoR GERVENs’ FuTuRE?

Gervens’ absolutely blew me away with how he uses his other senses to compensate for his lack in sight. I know that he will have no problem living up to his full potential and I will be praying for him along the way as he grows and continues to amaze and inspire those who are blessed to meet him. He wants to be a preacher when he is older and I know he will because he is one determined boy. I am so excited to see who he becomes.

oFFICIAL BACk2BACk hAITI mINIsTRy sITE LAuNCh: oCToBER 14 We are excited to announce the October 14th launch of a new Back2Back ministry site in Port-au-Prince, Haiti! Back2Back staff, Brent and Anna Fudge, are serving alongside Jesus in Haiti Ministries to provide holistic orphan care to children like Gervens.

FIRsT ChILD sPoNsoR IN hAITI

18

Nine-year old Gervens lost his sight as a young child, due to a common illness. handicapped people in haiti are

often marginalized. There, children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to being abused or tormented by other

children. In an effort to protect him, Gervens’ parents kept him shut in a room in their home.

In 2010, our ministry partners, Jesus in haiti ministries, were hosting a Vacation Bible school nearby. Gervens

heard the music and escaped, scrambling outside in hopes of joining the festivities. Almost immediately, a group of

children began beating him. Tom Osbeck, the Director of JIHM, heard the scuffle and rushed to Gervens’ defense.

he quickly learned of Gervens’ situation. Gervens’ parents confessed that they were desperate to protect their son,

but lacked any other options. Tom invited them to allow Gervens to live at his orphanage, where he is now receiving

individualized care and thriving. Two weeks after Gervens left his home and moved into JIhm, the 2010 earthquake

hit. It completely devastated Gervens home and the room that he had once been locked in crumbled to the ground.

Gervens certainly would not have survived had he still been living there.

INDIA

In 2011, a shared desire by an educator and Back2Back to help impoverished girls from poor rural areas resulted in a children’s hostel

we call Peace Home. Located on the school grounds, the facility consisted of only three rooms but provided twenty-two young girls with

the start of a foundation geared to provide for their spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social development.

In the two years that followed, the girls’ educational success was remarkable as their grades were as high as many of the other children

who had been attending the school for several years. In a culture where measures of performance remain very important, nearly half of

our girls were scoring in the mid to upper 90% range and achieving a “rank” (placement) in the top ten of their class. Moreover, in the

State of Andhra Pradesh, where this hostel is located, the literacy rate among girls is less than 50%, making this truly a cause to celebrate!

What was missing, however, was the depth of care that is at the very core of what Back2Back is about. We knew that their emotional

and social development was not being addressed and candidly, difficulty finding loving and qualified caregivers was also limiting our

success in caring for them physically.

by Casey Foreman, Back2Back India

19

Following multiple conversations with our partner and with intense prayer, we mutually agreed to assume responsibility for the

oversight of this hostel. We have taken dramatic steps forward in advancing our mission and meeting our passion to care for these girls

holistically in a way that truly does provide care for today and hope for tomorrow. We are excited about this bold step and are taking

steps necessary to ensure we remain true to our commitment to partner with in-country nationals and preserve the cultural richness

of the girls’ heritage.

Leveraging the resources of another children’s ministry we’ve come to know well, our first selected caregiver for this home recently

began an 8-module training series to deepen her knowledge on caring for children holistically. A second caregiver will be sought and

trained and we will continue the program of high-quality education that includes tutoring sessions daily, while being sure the girls get to

be children too. We are seeking a suitable home that will allow the girls the space to sleep on a bed and have space for their belongings,

which will help increase their sense of security. We are excited to provide deep holistic care to the girls at the Peace Home, by focusing

on their spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social needs.

20

We arrived in Nigeria one year ago. We were intentional to seek God’s wisdom as we utilized Back2Back’s 5-Point Child Development Plan to offer individualized care to the orphaned children at Destiny home, many of whom had suffered traumatic pasts.

PhysICALThe physical surroundings of Destiny Home called out for change immediately. The girls’ and boys’ bathroom was

the same room, just one stall designated for the girls and one for the boys. One stall didn’t work, so the pretense that the room performed its function crumbled.

In our first months at Destiny, it was clear how to prioritize the funding and the manpower. With help from u.S. teams, we repaired and remodeled two bathrooms, painted school rooms, inspected and tested electrical wiring, repaired piping and restored the water supply, and built an industrial size clothesline.

The tidy condition of the children’s bedrooms was completely out of sync with the condition of the bathrooms right down the hall. There are eight or ten sets of bunks, occupied by fourteen boys or girls. During the day, all beds are made, floors are cleaned and clothing is neatly folded on the child’s shelf.

Today, the new bathrooms are clean. The children love the facilities. The day after the hot water heaters were installed, there was a commotion outside the girls’ bathroom; 3-year old Simi had locked herself in and refused to come out of the shower!

EDuCATIoNALThe children’s education demands our attention. In the years before they came to Destiny, the schools in their villages

could not maintain normalcy in the tense and unpredictable environment. As a result, some of the children had never attended school.

19

by leah Smart, Back2Back Nigeria

Nigeria

21

Destiny has three teachers and three classrooms, each full of children with a broad range of abilities, too much for any one teacher to manage the needs of each child. Thanks to generous donors, some children have had the opportunity to move to outside schools. Those who remain are able to receive more one-on-one attention at Destiny. Join us in praying the plan works!

Fwobos is twelve years old, but he cannot read. He was relegated to the kindergarten class. even though he is small for his age, the chairs just aren’t big enough. He wants to learn, but he grows bored and frustrated in the young class, and mostly causes trouble. This year, he will receive additional help and hopefully move up to an older class.

sPIRITuAL The Destiny staff witness the children’s needs being met, sometimes just in time. The

workers teach them it is God who provides for their needs every day. Discipleship is crucial to help them grow in their faith and face the challenges of making their way in this country and in this world. each week, our staff holds Bible Studies for the Destiny staff, offering them an opportunity to deepen their understanding of God’s love and power in their lives.

EmoTIoNALThe Back2Back 5-Point Child Development Plan helps us step back and remember the

obvious needs are not the whole picture and we must attend to each child’s emotional needs. We know the current scenario, where one matron is living with the children full-time, is not ideal. Destiny Home needs a bigger facility to accommodate more full-time workers, so the children receive more caregiver attention, and the caregivers are able to have down time. This part of the plan is on our wish list.

Back2Back Nigeria wants to hire a social worker or psychologist. We recognize the need for help with the children’s emotional needs after the compounding trauma of violence, abandonment, and living in an institutional setting.

soCIALAll children have innate social needs. Wherever we can, we are striving to expose the

children to field trips, visitors, and most importantly, other children. High school students often come to play with the children, bringing games and crafts. This year we will use activities called, “Play with a Purpose” to inject interactive learning opportunities into the children’s routine. The games teach lessons in cooperation, trust and empathy.

In Nigeria, Back2Back’s 5-Point Child Development Plan accomplishes two fundamental purposes: helping us stay focused on what the children really need and broadening the scope of our focus beyond our initial instincts.

22

education opens doors of opportunity to people around the world. However, in developing

countries like Nigeria the positive effects of education are often mitigated due to cultural factors.

Due to political corruption and a lack of infrastructure to support industry, free enterprise is

limited and there is very little job growth. As a result, highly-educated individuals find themselves

unable to even find jobs in their field. Many Nigerians have dreams of pursuing their careers in

other countries, but in most cases leaving Nigeria is not a feasible option.

To this end, it became evident that it is not enough to simply provide an education to the youth

we serve in the Kisayhip Village of Nigeria. The youth needed the opportunity to learn a life skill

or develop a trade as a means to support themselves and contribute to their community. We

offered our older youth an opportunity to do just that. Seven youth are currently studying a trade

of their choice. Additionally, they’ve been connected with trusted community business owners

for hands-on training and mentorship.

Vocational training truly is vital to sustainability in regions like the Kisayhip Village. We are

hopeful for the opportunities that our vocational program will offer to youth like Patience, Naomi,

and Marcus, who are learning tailoring; Ijah who is studying electrical work; Blessing who is

learning catering and baking; Joe who is learning to be a mechanic; and Samuel who is studying

carpentry.

PATIENCE Is

EAGER To

EsTABLIsh A

CAREER As A

TAILoR ThRouGh

ouR NEW

VoCATIoNAL

PRoGRAm.

23

by Jason Munafo, Back2Back Nigeria

susTAINABILITy ThRouGhVoCATIoNAL TRAINING

Jason Munafo and Patience,

one of the seven students

receiving vocational

training in the Kisayhip

Village in Nigeria.

It was late into the night. On a normal camp night, students would have been settling in with their hearts full and their minds spinning about what God was doing in them and around them. Tonight was different. Some students were struggling. They had been abandoned by their parents when they were young, abused by caretakers, and had bounced between the homes of extended family and foster care homes for the past seven years. They didn’t sign up for the One21 Summer experience; they were sent there. They didn’t come to connect to God; they came to stay out of juvenile detention.

It was no surprise that on this night they had stolen money from other students as a survival tactic. It’s not the first time students have acted in desperation and it won’t be the last. What these girls didn’t realize, though, was they had been caught by some of the most loving, gracious, bondage breaking agents of reconciliation they would ever meet. . . One21 youth workers. In the coming hours, a host of One21 leaders would support, counsel, coach, and cry with these hurting girls. The result, three young ladies returned what was stolen, asked the girls in their dorm for forgiveness, and left camp believing in a Jesus of grace, mercy, love, and justice.

As these three girls left the camp at the end of the week, they hugged and thanked the youth workers who had invested in them. This was just a small part of a powerful summer experience with One21, yet it reminded me of one of the most overlooked but influential roles in

by Chris Cox, Director of One21 Ministries

Kingdom work: the youth worker. In thirteen years of ministry work, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside countless youth pastors, interns, volunteers, college students, and student leaders. I’m in awe of their sacrifice, love, commitment, and pursuit of the emerging generation. The late nights, crazy games, worship sets, small group times, retreats, camps, mission trips, confessions, baptisms, and counseling sessions these workers guide students through seems daunting. But for them, it isn’t a task – it is an adventure.

This summer, youth workers led hundreds of students on trips to Back2Back sites and One21 camps. Their commitment to the kingdom of God is fueling the work of the church in the lives of youth. From the One21 Summer experience to a week at Back2Back’s site in Monterrey, Mexico, youth workers are the catalyst for change in many students’ lives. youth ministry isn’t a job for them; it is a mission in and of itself. I’m blessed to partner with these leaders who deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Jesus. At One21 we constantly talk about “resourcing emerging generations to live like Jesus”. There is no better resource to give a student than to offer them a leader who will invest in them. For many of the students we serve, a youth pastor, intern, or youth worker will step into space abandoned by a mother or father. As One21 continues to pursue this vision, we are honored to stand alongside such great men and women serving in the church.

24

youTh WoRkERsBEING ThE DIFFERENCE FoR oNE

This summer, youth workers led hundreds of students on trips to

Back2Back sites and One21 camps. Their commitment to the kingdom

of God is fueling the work of the church in the lives of youth.

WE’LL DO IT!by Beth Guckenberger, Back2Back Ministries, Co-Executive Director

ThIs summER WAs oNE FoR ThE RECoRD Books!

RECoRD hEAT, RECoRD NumBERs, &

RECoRD ExTENuATING CIRCumsTANCEs.

IT WAs ThE PERFECT summER FoR us To hAVE ouR

hANDs IN ThE AIR IN A PosTuRE oF “PICk mE!”

2013 ThEmE summER mIssIoN TRIP hIGhLIGhTs

WE’LL DO IT!by Beth Guckenberger, Back2Back Ministries, Co-Executive Director While serving with us throughout the year, our mission trip guests explore a spiritual theme

through a daily devotional study guide. This year, we are inviting our guests to join us in exploring our theme, We’ll Do It!, based on Jeremiah 42:6 (Message) Whether we like it or not, we’ll do it. We’ll obey whatever our God tells us. Yes, count on us. We’ll do it.

This summer at all of our ministry sites was one for the record books! record heat, record numbers, and record extenuating circumstances. It was the perfect summer for us to have our hands in the air in a posture of “Pick me!”

At the summer’s end, as always, the staff teams circle up and share their highlights. These highlights include the number of children now in sponsorship relationships and the groups who are committed and passionate about a specific home or project.

As we talked, we found ourselves thankful to eyewitness more Hope education Program graduations and Hope education Program students who sacrificed their summer to serve alongside of us at our various ministry sites. We thank Jesus for the interns whose lives will be forever marked by the summer they spent pouring out for Him. It was a joy to be in their stories!

We had more local volunteers than ever before and we are hoping our culture of hospitality and service becomes contagious in their families and churches. There are teams who took trips across the ocean to serve alongside the staff in India and they continue to allow themselves to be stretched in serving a record number of Indian children.

We enjoyed evenings of worship and prayer with each other and the teams who joined us and the we’ll-do-it attitude was evident as all of us faced spiritual healing, new beginnings and old wounds. The you-can-count-on-us spirit was clear during work projects when bodies were wearing out, and on field trips where we were hot and lost. It was there when boilers broke and donors stepped in and workers grew tired and staff filled gaps. Students, staff, guests and even the children offered themselves one to another and ultimately, to the lord. Hands still raised, even now, we are all different. We lean better on each other. We trust more, waiting a bit more patiently for the lord’s hand to move. We listen more closely. We have our feet pointed in the right direction and there is an army beside us. Thank you for joining us this year as we say, “yes.” This story is still unfolding!

Download the Back2Back devotional at www.back2back.org/2013/05/well-do-it

mAzATLAN, mExICoAndy SchmidtMission Trip Participant

This summer, several other occupational and physical therapists and I had the privilege of helping the kids in a special needs children’s home in Mazatlan. Our goal was to evaluate the children and develop treatment plans for them so that the Back2Back staff and children’s home workers would be able to better help them improve. When we got there, we were all surprised at the fact that even though the children were not in the best physical condition or setting, they were always cheerful and excited. Whenever we saw them, they were smiling at us and never seemed down. It was very motivating for me to see the children here who had nothing, but were living examples of the command to “be joyful always.”

hyDERABAD, INDIALisa Taulbee Mission Trip Participant

I recently went to India with Back2Back to meet the little girl I sponsor through Back2Back’s Child Sponsorship Program. Meeting Shireesha was such a sweet experience that I will cherish forever. Not only was meeting my sponsored child an incredible moment, but the whole trip, from beginning to end, was unforgettable. The people, the culture, the children, the children’s homes, the food, the music, the colors, the clothing...It was all around one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. God’s presence was overwhelmingly evident in the work we were doing there. Our team was blessed to love on these children and to show them hope, but what the children don’t realize is that they filled our hearts with love and hope as well. God is so good. I can’t wait to go back.

moNTERREy, mExICoAndrew Smiley Mission Trip Participant

We had an amazing week witnessing God working in and through the lives of our team. We would definitely do it over again! Our extended worship time at Back2Back’s campus highlighted our trip. I was so glad, as a youth pastor, that our experiences with the children and with poverty were the catalysts for our team to experience God working in their lives. Thankfully, the experiences God gave us at the children’s homes and at rio3 softened our hearts so we could worship God and hear from Him in a fresh way. We were humbled to be used by God to serve Him that week.

reflections

27

reflections

hAITIAimee LogemanMission Trip Participant I am convinced that God loves a surprise, especially when it means shocking those who believe they can predict Him. Before my journey to Haiti, which marked my seventh mission trip, I envisioned the manual labor, cute kids, and group closeness that existed in previous trips. However, I felt a resistance to Haiti and even some bitterness that the college group from my church was not returning to our Back2Back site from last year. On the third day of the trip, I met several 12-year-old boys. As I watched my friends entertain the little ones, I conversed with these young men who treated their time with me as if I were a queen. We laughed together as we taught each other how to count in our native tongues and spent hours taking pictures of ourselves. In a divine and unpredictably beautiful way, my interactions with these boys bonded my heart to Haiti.

CANCuN, mExICoJill McGrawMission Trip Participant

I would like to share with you, through our team’s experiences, a theme that was evident to all of us who had the privilege of serving in Cancun in July was: the one matters.

“It’s time for VBS!”, calls rossy, a partner with Back2Back, as she walks through the streets of her impoverished community. Children run out from their homes to follow this vibrant woman who radiates Jesus. The picture we see in this is Jesus walking through the streets and children flocking to Him, following him, desiring to be near Him...because the one matters.

While at church, a community center in Bonfil, we had an amazing time of prayer where a Back2Back intern received a miracle and her foot was healed in the powerful name of Jesus as the team prayed over her...because the one matters.

We watched as women who are widowed worked incredibly hard to provide for their children, sacrificing on their behalf. It touched our hearts...because the one matters.

We saw the generosity of a beautiful woman of God who has so little materially in the world’s eyes give away her personal belongings, not because she had to but because she got to, because she knows in God’s eyes that she has all of her riches of Christ Jesus...because the one matters.

At Casa Hagar San Jose, a children’s home for girls, we worked hard that day, but the “picture of the day” came while doing face painting for the children. We observed how tenderly one of the girls held the face of a team member while so carefully applying the paint on her face and we see love...because the one matters.

All for the one who matters!

28

you ARE NEVER Too youNG To sERVE

If you’ve ever served alongside your children, then you’ve witnessed the enthusiasm that children feel when they know they’re helping others. last summer, Back2Back had the opportunity to spark that same passion for service while growing orphan care awareness in the minds and hearts of 1.3 million children.

Back2Back Ministries teamed-up with Standard Publishing, a top publisher of Vacation Bible School curriculums, to offer a new service-oriented Vacation Bible School curriculum for 2013. Through God’s Backyard Bible Camp and the Mission Project Pack students engaged in interactive service opportunities in their own backyard that directly benefited the orphans Back2Back serves in Mexico. The curriculum included a series of videos featuring Beth Guckenberger, in which she shares the memorable story of Joel, an orphan who lives in a children’s home in Monterrey. you might remember this powerful story from Beth’s book, Tales of the Not Forgotten, in which Joel asks God for the impossible – a steak dinner for the orphanage – and He faithfully and miraculously delivers. The hallmark of this particular Vacation Bible School was the interactive service element; this experiential tool empowered kids to raise money to meet the critical needs of orphans, such as food for a month, shoes or school supplies. Children poured out their hearts to raise funds for the children we serve. We were encouraged by the passion of thousands of Vacation Bible School kids, who hosted lemonade stands, did extra chores, emptied their piggy banks, and sacrificed at great lengths all in the name of orphan care.

Tens of thousands of churches throughout the u.S. and Canada participated. 1.3 million children attended the VBS and heard from Beth each day, as she shared the powerful story of how God showed up in Joel’s life. Of those churches, 334 purchased the Mission Project Pack, extending an opportunity to their kids to raise funds for the children we serve and be a part of the orphan care solution.

Stories are streaming in from churches whose kids discovered the thrill of serving others. At Bethlehem Assembly of God in Valley Stream, New york, a 6 year old boy, arrived at the last session of VBS with a large bag full of change. He said, “I’ve been saving up all my money for the past two years to go to Disney World, but I want to give it all to the orphans in Mexico.” Children’s pastors used this curriculum as an opportunity to reinforce an important message: you are never too young to serve. Our prayer and hope is these children will understand God’s heart for the orphan child.

A quick glance at the numbers is encouraging. In total, 334 churches participated in the Mission Project Pack. An incredibly diverse sampling of churches participated, diverse in size, denomination and geographical region – from a small Mennonite church in South Dakota to a Baptist mega-church in Dallas to a large Korean-American church in New Jersey, representing 39 u.S. States, 4 Canadian provinces and 1.3 million kids. Despite the differences in background, the common denominator is clear and encouraging: churches committed to stand for the orphan child and kids who will forever know that they can make an impact on the world and be a part of something larger than themselves. Thank you to the countless churches, who came alongside us to accomplish that vision. We are humbled by your generosity.

Back2Back is thrilled to, once again, have the opportunity to partner with Standard Publishing to offer service-oriented curriculum for children for summer 2014: Jungle Safari Vacation Bible School. learn more at www.vacationbibleschool.com

over 334

churches

participated

in 2013 Vacation

Bible school

God’s Backyard

Bible Camp

representing

39 u.s. states,

4 Canadian

provinces and

1.3 million kids.

hoW 1.3 mILLIoN ChILDREN CAmE ToGEThER To sERVE ThE oRPhAN

29

by Claire rogers, Back2Back, U.S. Office

sATuRDAys 10 Am EsTsIRIus xm 131

REAL LIfe

Real Life with Beth and Rob

WITh BETh & RoB

The Sirius/XM Radio show that Dr. Rob Hall and I have been hosting for the last year and a half on Saturdays, channel 131, has afforded us the opportunity to have conversations with thought leaders and authors, missionaries and orphan care advocates from around the world. These shows are all archived on www.reallifewithbethandrob.com, as well as itunes and we wanted to highlight some of our most popular episodes for you.

We have spoken with well-known authors, like Josh McDowell, Bob Goff, Ken Blanchard, Paul Young, Anne Lamott, Gary Thomas, Mark Schultz, Audio Adrenaline, Jen Hatmaker, Phil Cooke, Leslie Parrot, Todd Henry, and David Kinnaman. We have asked them questions about their faith, and the issues God has placed on their hearts to share with the church.

A few episodes even highlight Back2Back and address real time events at our specific sites, introducing our listeners to the ministry and inviting them to engage in child sponsorship and orphan care advocacy.

We have asked leaders in poverty and orphan care to share their best practices. These have included the authors of When Helping Hurts, Global Orphan Crisis and We Are Not Heroes, as well as the host of the Poverty Cure series. We have spoken with staff from International Justice Mission, Orphan Justice, Destiny’s Rescue, Christian Alliance for Orphans and Lifesong for Orphans. We are gathering momentum, as we share our experiences with listeners.

It is our hope that these conversations will inspire you to share ideas with friends and family throughout your day. We invite you, our extended family, to listen as we dialogue with some of today’s top leaders.

To listen to past shows visit www.reallifewithbethandrob.com or download on itunes - search podcasts for “real life with beth and rob”

by Beth Guckenberger, Back2Back Ministries, Co-Executive Director

f

Back2Back ministriesP.o. Box 70 mason, oh 45040

Orphan Sunday is an internationally recognized day, calling the church to respond. God has written dozens of promises for orphans, promises to come to them, hear them and lift them up, to be their helper, make them a home and maintain their cause. He promises to defend them and is inviting us, His church to fulfill those promises for the orphan today. like-minded advocates all over the world will be gathering to pray, give and learn about how they can get involved in this movement. Join together within the faith communities where you serve. On November 3, lead them in conversations of orphan advocacy and intercession. For Orphan Sunday resources, www.orphansunday.org and www.back2back.org/orphansunday

orphanSunday11.3.13

f #orphansunday