Until Every Child is Known and Loved

by Todd Guckenberger January 25, 2018

Letter from the Director

It’s been a year of blessings! In 2017, Back2Back, along with its Board, strategically decided to dive deep in four major programs across all sites. God has given Back2Back expertise and blessing in the Hope Education, Strong Families, Foster Care, and Transition Programs. Each site is focused on seeing children toward sustainability, a dependency on Jesus, and a healthy interdependence in their local community. Dave Ramsey has a formula he defines as the best route toward success: Intensity / Time (God) = Momentum.  Below are some of our 2017 momentum highlights.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

  • Purchased a six acre plot of land and began development of the future Back2Back site.
  • Provided weekend retreats for each children’s home, where the staff invested in the children spiritually.
  • Worked with two new children’s homes adding improvements like appliances and solar power.

Hyderabad, India

  • Completed the mission team house on the Back2Back Suzuki Samuel campus. The campus now impacts not only the children who live in the family-style homes, but children in the local community through the Strong Families Program.
  • Worked tirelessly on reading comprehension – this is an important skill as the children develop cognitive thinking abilities.
  • Offered extracurricular activities, allowing the children to engage in their local communities.

Cancun, Mexico

  • Served more than 200 children in the Strong Families Program.
  • Began an online high school program in Tres Reyes for students who would not have otherwise attended high school.
  • Added a facility to grow the Strong Families Program in the general area of Cancun. The center will resource families in tutoring, therapy, spiritual development, music/art/robotics classes, and parenting classes.

Mazatlan, Mexico

  • Almost completed the first two houses at Rancho de los Ninos. The homes will provide necessary care for each child with disabilities.
  • Provided corrective surgeries and medical attention necessary for each of the children at Rancho to be successful.
  • Served the growing Hope Education Program, seeing students mature.

Monterrey, Mexico

  • Strengthened the Back2Back Foster Care Program. Each child in the care of a family has a specific care plan.
  • Worked strategically to restructure and realign the partnerships with the local children’s homes. This has been fruitful and lays the groundwork for better standards of care.
  • Led training and resourcing for both Back2Back staff and other individuals in the local community in Trauma Competent Care.
  • Graduated more Hope Education students and work through this transition into adulthood.

Jos, Nigeria

  • Cared for teens in the Hope Education Program within a healthy family, which included family outings and life-on-life discipleship.
  • Growing understanding of each child’s family situation and any possible future relationship as Back2Back’s professional team visits families of origin alongside the children.

Dominican Republic

  • Developed deeper relationships in the Dominican and two staff will launch in-country, January 2018.

Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Taken the initiative to work locally in Cincinnati, Ohio with vulnerable children and families. Back2Back will spend the first part of 2018 further developing partnerships.

One21

  • Hosted the 6th “One21 Retiro” for the teens in Monterrey.
  • Hosted more than 750 students and leaders from the Cincinnati area, as dozens of students confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior.
  • Growing interest in a larger partnership between BLOC Ministries and Back2Back Cincinnati.

Global Partnerships

  • Shared Trauma Competent Care Training with 54 countries, having 1848 participants trained, representing 740 agencies, totaling 131,569 children impacted.
  • Developed e-learning curriculum, which allows staff to learn and develop in their role specifically in Trauma Competent Care.

We are so grateful to partner with Jesus in this work. We trusted Him during 2017 and saw His provision and protection. Join us as we journey into 2018 with the expectation and heart for more of the same!

Todd Guckenberger
Executive Director, Back2Back Ministries

 

Help launch Back2Back into 2018 with a gift to the Care Fund.