Around the world, in the evenings, families sit down to similar dinner scenes. Safe adults return from work, children return from school and sports activities, and before showers and goodnight routines, a meal is shared at a table. For the last 20 years, Back2Back has partnered with children’s homes in Monterrey, Mexico, providing holistic care… Read more
Shalom – A Staff Team Retreat Staff retreats are one way Back2Back staff take time to intentionally gather for community, to grow spiritually, and to refresh themselves physically, emotionally, and socially. A retreat was planned for the Haiti staff in the fall of 2019, but due to in-country turmoil, it had to be postponed. Recently, Staff… Read more
Carmeline stood with her feet at the edge of the water. She listened to it move on its own and felt the sunshine on her face. It was her first time at a beach, and she was beginning to feel restored physically and spiritually. She took a deep breath and returned to her coworkers, the… Read more
Lupe* is in her final months as a college student, studying physical therapy, so she can realize her dream of stepping into the gaps to help others. She finishes her studying for the night and closes the text book. She stretches her arms and legs as she organizes things in her room and prepares to… Read more
On March 16th, I told the Back2Back International Directors and US Department leaders, “First things first – we must decide what is most important now, so we can sustain meeting those needs the longest.” We decided meeting practical needs, staying connected to children, and keeping everyone healthy and safe would become Back2Back’s “first things first.” Internationally, we reduced… Read more
Presence Matters. It was my Mom who first taught this to me, she said and modeled it (and still does) throughout my life. I inscribed one of my books to her with that phrase, and believe it to be never more relevant than during 2020. As children throughout the world looked to the adults in their… Read more
“I wish I could go to the park,” one of the children at the children’s home whispered as he prepared for bed. “Yeah, I wish we could go on a field trip together,” another child mentions. “What did we say we were going to do, when we wish for things?” chimes in Ene Oklo, Back2Back… Read more
Wifi, and Computers, and a Printer, Oh my! Mexico’s education system is still largely virtual in response to the pandemic still affecting much of the world. For students in Mexico, public school systems broadcast their classrooms and daily lessons over the T.V. Many of the children watched their televisions in the children’s homes, doing all… Read more
What They’re Learning in Their Time Apart Staff have learned a significant amount of information about the children they serve in India the last several months. While some work stateside and patiently waiting to return to India, they meet virtually with all the children who call the Back2Back campus home, as well as with the… Read more
Recent lockdowns in response to the pandemic were an unwelcome change for most of the world. As people adjusted to working from home and teaching school from kitchen tables, there were a few families in Monterrey who benefitted from the requirement of sheltering-in-place. Many of the children who live at partnering children’s homes were already… Read more