Prior to my first mission trip to Back2Back Mexico, I asked my friend to teach me a few phrases in Spanish to make sure that I could communicate with the children at the children’s homes. One phrase that I worked really hard on was “Me llamo es . . . ” (or “My name is… Read more
Last year, Casey Ochs attended the 7th grade at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Her world studies’ teacher, Steve McCollum, leads a mission trip to Back2Back’s Monterrey, Mexico base every year. During class, Casey saw a picture of a little girl that Steve had taken during an outreach to Rio III, a squatter’s village that Back2Back… Read more
The last night that I was in Monterrey, before communion Matt Massey shared some awesome insight to Jesus’ words at the Lord’s supper. He spoke about how a bridegroom builds a house in order to have His bride to be in marriage. “He is finishing a house to come get His bride,” Matt said. Since… Read more
Last week I was at one of our squatter village sites, walking with an unbelievably gifted professional photographer (check out his pictures), helping him capture some images that could translate their world into ours. I was struck by the poverty, which I have walked among for a decade now, but some days it can still… Read more
Back2Back summer interns gain practical hands-on ministry experience by serving at our sites in Monterrey, Mexico; Jos, Nigeria; or Hyderabad, India. Interns work alongside Back2Back staff members and assist behind-the-scenes to host summer mission trip groups. Interns help to facilitate daily work projects at local orphanages and outreaches to impoverished communities, contributing to our mission… Read more
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord. “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91: 1-2 Shelter is the theme of this year’s Back2Back devotional. Every group member, along with staff,… Read more
Last week I traveled with a group from Northstar Vineyard to Monterrey, Mexico for a week-long mission trip with Back2Back. It was my first time there and it was nothing short of incredible. On Sunday, our first day in Monterrey, we served at Casa Hogar Douglas (CHD), a local orphanage. Some of us started working… Read more
Ahhh, those familiar words…..Have you even thought about “Back to School” yet? The children in India returned to school in mid-June. Their “summer holiday” is during May when the temperatures reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit. You can imagine how hot a classroom is that doesn’t even have a ceiling fan, let alone A/C, because the school… Read more
It was the first day serving in Monterrey. It was our second trip as a family to Back2Back Mexico, but it was our first time there since we adopted our five-year old daughter, Yanni, from China three years ago. We worked on building projects at a children’s home. The orphanage basically consisted of three large… Read more
This week I have been thinking about shelter in unexpected forms. Take one of my boys, Homero, for example. When Homero was twelve years old, he came to live at Manantial de Amor, one of the children’s homes in Monterrey. He had gotten into a lot of trouble at various schools and even with the… Read more