By Julie Mowery, Back2Back Cancun, Mexico Co-Director
“Will you color my heart?”
It was a simple question a little girl asked me to translate for one of our mission team guests. After finishing relay games, the little girl sat down with her new friend on the cement basketball court and began to color with sidewalk chalk. The little girl drew a heart and asked 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 ask again, “Will you color my heart?”
Once the college student understood the little girl’s request, she began coloring the heart. 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. As we build trust with the community of Tres Reyes, outside Cancun, Mexico, these small relational deposits make a tremendous difference.
The children in Tres Reyes love to paint. When given the chance to paint or play, they often choose to paint because they don’t normally have supplies. The children also have limited exposure to the arts, as there are no art museums in the city. Little by little, we are bringing art to the children – providing opportunities for them to cultivate a passion for the arts.
Recently, we orchestrated painting lessons for the children from Tres Reyes. We introduced them to Wasilly Kandinsky who was an Abstract Expressionist painter. Expressionists use color to express their emotions. Many of the children we serve have experienced trauma and do not know how to express their emotions in a healthy way. Art and music can be a beautiful way to express yourself. On that day, we had a variety of projects, and at one point I noticed how quiet it was. There was complete silence as the children engaged in painting, pouring out their feelings on paper.
One particular girl caught my attention. She worked diligently on her painting, occasionally stopping to reference the example, before looking back at her paper. She was still working when the other children were cleaning up. This young girl was connecting to her own heart through art.
We are thankful for the opportunity to invest in the children and families in Cancun, Mexico. It is God’s desire to heal all of our hearts, but especially the hearts of the fatherless and the vulnerable. Pray with us for God to heal hearts in Tres Reyes, Bonfil and Cuna Maya in Cancun.
Julie Mowery and her husband, Erick, serve as the Co-Directors of Back2Back’s site in Cancun, Mexico. Julie is passionate about family preservation and orphan prevention in Cancun and the surrounding communities. Julie is passionate about education, literacy and the arts. She enjoys creating lesson plans and activities to make learning fun.