“I don’t want to go to church this morning,” Emmanuel* looked at Wadson Delvar, Back2Back staff, with a small frown on his face. “Why do you not want to go?” Wadson challenged him. “It is too hot, and there are never enough seats,” Emmanuel said matter-of-factly. Wadson thought for a moment how to respond. The… Read more
If you’ve ever traveled with Back2Back Ministries, you know the daily practice of sharing your “picture of the day.” It’s one way team participants are challenged to remember a significant moment that impacted them. My first trip with Back2Back was in 2015. Debriefing each night was intensely emotional; I was rarely able to fully explain… Read more
The food was brought to the table and served onto the plates. Abdul* and Dev’s* eyes grew large with delight. Nine-year old Abdul breathed deeply the rising steam coming from the spicy, butter chicken on his plate and smiled. “Soooooo good, sister,” he whispered happily. The Indian restaurant near the Back2Back India Hope Campus was… Read more
“Come here, Bako*, let’s say our ABC’s together,” Israel, director of a partnering children’s home, called to the small boy. Bako walked over and sat with Israel. They said their ABC’s together and then worked on his first grade homework. Israel smiled at the young boy’s progress. Bako arrived at Rukuba Children’s Home at the… Read more
“We have a gift for each of you as we end our time!” Janice Hickman looked out at the girls sitting around her. “It’s a special gift; it’s the coolest gift! It’s unique and precious. Who wants to see it?!” The girls smiled excitedly and, one by one, followed one of the Haiti summer interns… Read more
The girls glanced at the calendar nearly every day, internally counting down the days. They kept hearing announcements over the radio, and their anticipation continued to grow. Finally, the week had come – “Despertar Mazatlán,” (Mazatlán Awaken) was about to begin! The girls were looking forward to three full days of events including a surf… Read more
“I am totally different now than when I first came to live with you guys,” Alejandro* looked at his Hope House Parents, David and Vero. The three were sitting together, reminiscing of Alejandro’s time in the Hope Program, as he prepared to graduate and move onto the next chapter of his story. Alejandro came to… Read more
Azubike Kalu, Back2Back staff, looked down at the big brown eyes standing before him. “Chuy*! Sorry, Golibe*! Or . . . Mongo*? How are you this morning? Did you sleep well?” A small smile stretched across the four-year old boy’s face, but he never answered Azubike’s question. This morning was the first morning for a… Read more
“You can drop me off here!” Stanley* looked at Lauren Neal, Lighthouse Children’s Home staff, with a huge smile. Lauren watched him walk to the house just ahead, ensuring his safe arrival. Stanley’s confidence and excitement at arriving to his new foster home allows Lauren and the Back2Back staff to feel assurance this is the… Read more
Abeo*, one of the Nigerian Hope Students, listened intently as the list of names was called out. He waited nervously to hear his own. Recently, Abeo’s school had been selected to nominate three participants for a local math competition. He was hopeful he would be picked. He felt his stomach drop as the third name… Read more