The girls from FloreSer Children’s Home stood on the shore line, feet firmly planted in the sand. They shaded their eyes from the morning sun and gripped their boards. Each surfboard has become a trusted friend, a unique teacher over the last few years. Many of the girls have been taking surf lessons with children’s… Read more
by Sammy Mathews, Back2Back Field Staff The first time I heard about a simulation training called Life in Limbo, I’ll admit I wondered why our staff team was spending two hours out of a day on “experiential role play.” The goal was to help us experience what it’s like to be a child separated from… Read more
“If my story hadn’t taken me into a children’s home, and then the Hope Program, I wouldn’t be where I am today. At best, I would have graduated from junior high, lived with my aunt, and became a mother figure to my younger siblings,” Sofia* responded matter-of-factly. Thirteen years ago, at age 14, she moved… Read more
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Proverbs 1:5 Field story by Hope Garcia, Back2Back Staff in the Dominican Republic. “I want you to meet someone very important,” Megan, our guide for the day, said. As a missionary with seven years’ experience, we were visiting her with the… Read more
A Nigerian son, reading to his grandmother the Christmas story in English, having been taught to read in the village education center. A Nigerian girl who this year will study high school and dream of a future as a nurse. An Indian boy, who now sleeps through the night, feeling safe at the ministry campus. … Read more
“Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me.” Jeremiah 49:11 Field Story by Shannon Pannell What may have been a statistic before you arrived this week, I hope by now have faces and names. Their eyes may connect with yours, and even if you don’t have words,… Read more
Victor held one corner of the mattress underneath his arm, and Chuy balanced the other end on his lap, as his caregiver glided his wheelchair across the pristine floor. Both teens grinned as they hauled the mattress into the new bedroom. After months of watching construction workers and architects develop and build brand new homes,… Read more
We were on a prayer walk, visiting families in their homes who receive services at the Tres Reyes Community Center. At each stop, we’d be introduced to the members of the family and hear what they wanted us to lift in prayer. It was usually for provision, health needs, or broken relationships. The mother would… Read more
Four rows of teens sat on the floor, eyes focused on the teacher before them. Each boy and girl held a notebook and pencil in their lap. There are small posters on the walls around them designed to help during their studies. The room is new, but the teens are growing comfortable quickly. The solid… Read more
One of Back2Back Cancun’s tutors, Ersy, stood in front of the crowd at the graduation ceremony. “This next student,” he hesitated because of emotion, “will always have a special place in my heart. Melania*, come on up.” The crowd clapped enthusiastically as Melania made her way up front to accept her diploma. She gave Ersy… Read more