Mazatlán, aptly named the Pearl of the Pacific, rests on the west coast of Mexico almost directly across from the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. Grant Keys and his family have been serving with Back2Back in Mazatlán for just over three years, but the Keys family started surfing only 6 months ago. FloreSer, where… Read more
Adan is a 23-year-old college student who lives at Bethany Children’s Home in Monterrey, Mexico. Recently he served at Back2Back’s Cancun site with his sponsors Ric and Shari Sharrer and their mission team from Apex Community Church in Dayton, Ohio. Ric and Shari have sponsored Adan since 2012. Here, in his own words, Adan shares… Read more
The ping of dribbled basketballs, the deep thud of a kicked soccer ball, and a choir of laughter echo onto the dusty road in front of the Community Center at Tres Reyes. Behind the gates, orchestrated flurries of kids – sporting new, green jerseys – yell, “I’m open!” as anxious parents cheer from the sidelines…. Read more
Fednia came to Harvest Care Children’s Home confused and afraid. She was unexpectedly transferred from another children’s home and wasn’t told why. Being uprooted once again created another painful rip in her heart. She arrived at Harvest Care wounded and angry, with thick emotional walls around her small frame. For the first few months, Fednia… Read more
Fear can be a powerful author of our stories. It has the ability to immobilize each of us. Fear can overwhelm, overshadow, debilitate. It nestles quickly into the pores of our skin and wants to make itself at home. Twelve-year-old Elisa is not unfamiliar with co-existing with fear. She is a young girl coming from… Read more
Square blankets lie on the floor as carefully folded clothing is stacked in the center. The children gather the goods they possess and set them down carefully around the folded clothing and then slowly gather the corners of the blanket and tie a knot. Today is moving day. New, freshly painted bunk-beds await their sleeping… Read more
Gravel crunches against the backdrop of squeals of delight. Children run freely, laughing loudly. An open box, the “mobile library,” is being sorted through by eager hands and watchful eyes; books in English, French, and Creole are snagged quickly – Oh! The Places You Will Go and others of Dr. Seuss’ best picked up jovially… Read more
The sun beats down as squeals of delight pierce the air. Water splashes high as girls bravely leap up and cannonball into the cool relief of the clear pool of water. Kimberly grasps onto Olivia’s hand and they count, “uno, dos, tres. . .” as they jump high in the air and quickly submerge into… Read more
Like so many orphaned and vulnerable children around the world, Leo grew up as a “social orphan” – children who have at least one living parent but whose parent(s) either cannot, or will not, care for them. “I grew up with two brothers and one sister, and we were living good in a big house. We… Read more
STINT: a short-term, international staff position lasting from 3 months up to one year My adventure to becoming a STINT-er began in the summer of 2015 when the opportunity to intern for Back2Back Cancun, seemingly, fell into my lap. I had other plans of how to spend my summer, but through a beautiful orchestration of… Read more