It was Sunday. I arrived at Casa Hogar Douglas, a children’s home we serve, around 9:30 AM to prepare for church. When I got there, I discovered that the home had been without electric for twenty-four hours. All of the food in their refrigerators was spoiled and because their water well works on an electric… Read more
This summer, I was often asked by mission trip guests, “What does a typical day look like in a Teen Home of the Hope Program?” Wow, the best answer is actually… “There is no typical day – each one is a new adventure!” As you can imagine, it’s semi-controlled chaos in a teen home on… Read more
The last week of July we had our first Vacation Bible School for the kids that attend the church at Casa Hogar Douglas (Douglas Children’s Home). Each morning, the children had a time of worship, teaching by age group, and crafts. All of the kids had a great time, as they learned more about God… Read more
Our foster daughters through the Hope Program were not allowed to date during their first year living in our house. Of course, they all quickly agreed to this rule back in August 2008 and then fought for their “right to date” all year long. These beautiful girls, who range in age from thirteen to eighteen,… Read more
School is starting up again for the children in the homes we serve here in Monterrey. With the start of school, comes back to school shopping and new school supply lists. For a director of a children’s home, this can be a difficult time financially. Not only are they trying to make ends meet as… Read more
Many times when we take a group of Americans to serve at Rio III, an impoverished community in Monterrey, Mexico, I tell them that we are bringing Light to the Darkness. As soon as we get off the bus, we can see the darkness that is associated with sin. If we only look at the… Read more
I know what people are thinking. Starbucks? What a waste of money. Ok, not everyone. Those who love cold coffee drinks would argue that it’s worth it. The truth is a trip to Starbucks is not something that I make a habit of. An opportunity to connect with one of our Hope Program students, however,… Read more
I am sitting here waiting for midnight to roll around so that our boys come in. On one hand I am tired and want to go to bed, on the other….. it is finally quiet. After eight weeks at an aerobic pace, there are no visitors on our campus, only the 100 of us that… Read more
Last Saturday, when the final week of summer short-term groups arrived, someone handed me a bank envelope of $800 and said it was a gift to the ministry to be used however it was needed. I immediately pressed, “Would you like this spent on a teen in our program? At one of the Rio squatters’… 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