2020 has brought highs and lows as children and teens all over the world have navigated new learning strategies, more discretionary time, and an unstable internet. At the beginning of 2020, the Hope Program consisted of seven girls and three boys; over the course of the year, it welcomed an additional teen girl from the… Read more
In this different kind of year, we’re all working hard to stay connected to each other, the Back2Back family, and the Lord. We’re grateful for the trauma training we’ve had over the years and the truth that connection and presence brings healing. There’s plenty of healing needed, so this holiday, as we make travel plans and… Read more
A Blessing in Disguise Connection has been something we’ve all craved at some point in 2020. Across the world, staff have diligently worked to provide connection for vulnerable children and families as various mandated lockdowns have been followed. In one part of Cancun, the story is the same – families have followed procedures set forth… Read more
“The world has placed a lot of limits on the children we serve,” shared a Back2Back Captain in Nigeria. “Our goal is to help them break those limits.” Staff expose the children they serve to as much as possible, offering them a small view into what they can do, when they set their minds to it. “We… Read more
Around the world, in the evenings, families sit down to similar dinner scenes. Safe adults return from work, children return from school and sports activities, and before showers and goodnight routines, a meal is shared at a table. For the last 20 years, Back2Back has partnered with children’s homes in Monterrey, Mexico, providing holistic care… Read more
Shalom – A Staff Team Retreat Staff retreats are one way Back2Back staff take time to intentionally gather for community, to grow spiritually, and to refresh themselves physically, emotionally, and socially. A retreat was planned for the Haiti staff in the fall of 2019, but due to in-country turmoil, it had to be postponed. Recently, Staff… Read more
Carmeline stood with her feet at the edge of the water. She listened to it move on its own and felt the sunshine on her face. It was her first time at a beach, and she was beginning to feel restored physically and spiritually. She took a deep breath and returned to her coworkers, the… Read more
Lupe* is in her final months as a college student, studying physical therapy, so she can realize her dream of stepping into the gaps to help others. She finishes her studying for the night and closes the text book. She stretches her arms and legs as she organizes things in her room and prepares to… Read more
On March 16th, I told the Back2Back International Directors and US Department leaders, “First things first – we must decide what is most important now, so we can sustain meeting those needs the longest.” We decided meeting practical needs, staying connected to children, and keeping everyone healthy and safe would become Back2Back’s “first things first.” Internationally, we reduced… Read more
Presence Matters. It was my Mom who first taught this to me, she said and modeled it (and still does) throughout my life. I inscribed one of my books to her with that phrase, and believe it to be never more relevant than during 2020. As children throughout the world looked to the adults in their… Read more