Mexico Mission Trip 2019

 

This was my third year on the mission trip to Monterrey , Mexico. This trip was a great experience, as always, for a number of reasons. First of which is that I got to meet  a lot of cool people that were very supportive and usually always had a good attitude. Whether they were interns or people that went through a mission trip, they were all super happy to be there helping out with anything they needed to help with. Moving on over to the kids that we got to see at the orphanage, I had a great time connecting and playing with them after I got done working. All of them were super grateful to see us and they always had smiles on their faces, which made me feel really good. It was a pleasure to see Alexa again, which is the little girl my mom and I sponsor.  Alexa always has fun playing with my mom and me while we are there. A couple of the amazing things I experienced were the lessons and cool new things I learned while I was there. I’ll only tell you a couple of things because there were so many. The most  important thing was that God is always with me wherever I go, even if it’s across the world. I also learned from a couple of the stories, that God can change your entire life from just one small decision, and it’s no fairy tale, it has happened to multiple people at the mission site. Lastly, I wanted to say that one of the things that stood out was the time I had with God.  The most special time I spent with God this week was at the extended worship.  Extended worship was a longer worship time with beautiful music and stations where you can express yourself and get rid of some negative things. God really touched my heart that night and it was special to me. Thank you for reading, God bless you.

written by Colby Mayberry

Mission Trip Jitters

Monterrey, Mexico was the first mission trip that my son and I had ever been on. I was nervous about taking him because he’s 12 and I honestly had no idea what to expect or if he would be miserable. As soon as we arrived, all of my anxieties were gone. He and I instantly saw the love for orphaned children that the Back2Back ministry staff had, and we were thankful we had chosen this mission. We absolutely loved playing with the children, working on projects at the orphanage and connecting with our small groups every day.

Logan connected with several orphaned children and came home feeling thankful and blessed for all that he has. My favorite part of the trip was praying over all of the children’s beds and their caregivers at the orphanage. We made some awesome new friends who encouraged us every day to continue seeking God, spreading His word, and being the hands and feet of Jesus. What an incredible week!

By: Denise Rowe

 

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Can we go to Mexico this year?

This was my fourth trip to Monterrey, Mexico. I always enjoy going but it seems before every trip I expect the same things. I always expect the long plane ride, the sleepy bus rides, and seeing the same kids, but why do I think that?

Every year all of that comes true but none of that is what makes the mission trip special or different from the other times. In all the mission trips the best part is always the new friends you make, the kids who you hang out with no matter if you knew them before, or if they are new to you, and the new group members that come on the trip with you.

I love to go to Monterrey, Mexico every year,  but not because of the long plane rides, the sleepy bus rides, the fact that the same kids are there. NO, I never go there for that! It is always for the new friends, the kids you get to hang out with whether you already knew them or not, the new group members that come, but really I ALWAYS learn something as well. About me. About others. About the trip itself. So yeah that is why every year I WILL ask “Can we go to Mexico this year?”.

By: Daisy Kercher, Age 11

Honored By Douglas

While on the 2018 Monterrey, Mexico mission trip, I served by reading to the orphans in Douglas. I have advanced my reading in Spanish and I learned how to communicate with the orphans after taking three years of Spanish.

Betty, the leader of Douglas, complimented the way I read to the orphans. She told me that the older kids do not like reading that much, but I encouraged them by reading to the younger kids. (Randy read to the older kids too.  Even though the books were silly kids’ books, they seemed to like it.  Also, they wanted to try to take the books and show Betty they could read them too.)  I received a Douglas shirt after she said that I was important to her and (the orphans at) Douglas.

Before I received the shirt, I was at small group learning about God’s mercy and grace. I was told that grace is getting more than what we deserve. Even though Betty told me why I got the shirt, I saw being the only person who got the shirt FAR more than what I deserved.

By: Randy Kercher, age 15 (Mom added in a little)

 

Who You Are

There’s an old question that people ponder:  “What would a person do in a crisis situation?”  It’s felt that how people respond in a crisis reveals who they truly are.  I’m not sure I love that old question, but I’ve learned of a different question during this mission trip to Monterrey:

What would a Christian do without all the day-to-day busyness?

On this mission trip, I saw a lot of Christians unplug from their normal lives, focus on Jesus, and serve orphans, caregivers, and local volunteers.  God blessed the dedicated time.  I was blown away by the people serving on the trip with me.   We worked hard fixing up the orphanage in very hot conditions.  We loved those orphans with love and patience.  We connected with caregivers and volunteers despite the language barrier.  We prayed powerful, honest prayers for the caregivers and orphans.  We had small groups and “daily debriefings” where we opened up about what we loved each day and what we were struggling with in our normal lives.  When we had personal problems (and we did), we worked through them.

And it amazed me to see it in our children.  At home, I typically can’t get my kids to truly work hard outside the house for a full hour.  At the orphanage in Monterrey, I saw our kids work hard in the blazing sun with sweat dripping off them.  I saw our kids play for hours with orphans who haven’t yet learned to share, have patience, and take turns.  The kids understood why we needed to work so hard and love so selflessly, and they did.  God blessed and empowered our kids to serve amazingly.

And I saw God’s love and grace.  Orphans receiving and feeling genuine love, support, and attention from us.  Caregivers feeling appreciation and recognition that their work was truly God’s work.  And we missionaries being loved back from the orphanage.  Through this experience, God gave us insight into our daily lives and healing for our daily struggles.

This is what Christian life looked like in Monterrey this year… with a week devoted to following Jesus and to serving at an orphanage.  God blessed us like crazy.  I am so glad that my family went.  I’m so thankful to see my kids love selflessly and work hard in Jesus’ name.  This trip was absolutely priceless to me.  I saw the God-blessed best from a great group of people, who now are more like extended family.

By: Andy Kercher

“It is OK. Something better will come up.”

So, there is a rule when you go on a trip with Back2Back Ministries, “do not talk about past trips.”  It is an important rule because they don’t want people who are first timers to feel left out.  It is a rule that we all try to follow.  However, it does become a joke sometimes for us when we accidentally bring up or compare past trips.

This is the forth trip my family and I have made.  It is something that has become a part of us.  None of us can imagine a June without visiting the team and orphans in Monterrey, Mexico.  Every year is different in it’s own way and life changing.  That is how I always describe my trips “Life Changing.”  I truly mean it too.  However, there are always a few consistent things we can look forward too.  At least, so I thought.

There are a couple of treats for us to look forward to when we go.  The pool after a hard days work, Kathy’s cooking for dinner, water balloon fights, Mexican soda, and El Pollo Loco.  My kids talk about El Pollo Loco all year long.  For those of you who don’t know, it is an amazing fast food restaurant in Mexico.  I would try to describe, but I just can’t.  It took my son about an hour to realize it was not on the schedule when we got there.  “It is OK.  Something better will come up.”  This is what we kept telling ourselves and something better did come up.  We got to go to the church the kids in the orphanage we serve in attend and got to spend extra time with the orphans who don’t get to go “home” on the weekends. We also got to meet a little girl that thinks stickers are the best birthday present ever.

After three years, we have created some true bonds.  This is something we look forward to every year. Some are with the kids and some are with people who work at Back2Back Ministries.  These missionaries are true inspirations.  One of the men my husband waits all year to see is Jose. He takes care of teenage boys.  He teaches them how to cope with stress through art.  Jose is an amazing artist and we look forward to visiting his home every year because his studio is there.  He sells his beautiful artwork and uses the money to go on trips to Israel.  Not only that, my husband and  Jose can talk for hours about anything and everything.  Guess what, we did not go to his house this year.  Instead we went on a field trip with the teenage boys Jose cares for and Jose was not even there.  My husband was heartbroken.  “It is OK.  Something better will come up.”  It did.  Our field trip with the boys involved a four mile hike and a lot of adventure.  My husband started a belly flop contest with American and Mexican children and for a time language meant nothing.  The teenagers who are not cute and cuddly got to be the center of attention for once.

         However, I did not want my husband to have a broken heart. So I begged the staff for help. God made just enough time for Jose to come see us with some of his paintings right before we left Mexico.  I think the group bought almost all of them.  We also made a special request for next year.  And my husband did get to talk with Jose for a little while.  Also, we did not miss El Pollo Loco completely.  This is what it ended up looking like: a take out picnic with good friends.

So, the much needed lesson I really needed to learn:  It’s not all about me.  It is not about my expectations.  Even though I had the best intentions for my kids and my husband.  I could not see the whole picture until God choose to reveal it to me.  Even when we are doing what God asks we still need to be patient.  Our expectations may not be nearly good enough.  God always has the best plan.  So, keep telling yourself, “It is OK. Something better will come up.”

By: Robin Kercher

A Time of Reflection – By: Tami Mayberry

After returning to the US last evening, following time spent in Monterrey Mexico this past week, I am already feeling the pressure of all of the things on my rigid “to do” list.  I even jotted on my list that I need to blog about my trip.  After starting to feel some tension building, I decided to go outside without my list and do what is truly important.  That is spend time with God.  There, I opened my daily devotional book.  After the first couple lines, I read “Cease striving and know that I am God”.  A few lines further it says, “Let go, relax, be still and know that I am God”.  It is truly amazing how He tells us just what we need to hear at just the right time.

This past week, His presence felt so strong to me.  I felt it as an individual and as a team with the rest of the group.  He led us to serve and touch the hearts of children and caregivers at the children’s homes.  Not only that, He showed us how to love on each other as a church family.  In turn, this overflowing presence of God reflected through us and it seemed evident to the B2B staff.  They were all very grateful.  More importantly, the children and caregivers seemed to feel God’s love and presence through us.  Whether we were praying for them or with them; working on projects around campus; playing games and doing crafts with the children; or having meals together, we were surrounded by the Holy Spirit and our hearts full with love.

Today, after returning home to the states, I pray that each of us continue to radiate God’s presence.  I pray that we put Him first and put our “to do” lists a distance behind Him, our families, loved ones and those in need.  I pray that we find ways to serve and love on others around us just as we did on our mission trip.  I pray this, not only for our team, but, for everyone.  I pray this in the name of our wonderful and loving Father, Amen.

By Tami Mayberry

A recap from my time in Monterrey, Mexico!

On the 2018 Mexico mission trip, I had a great time.  It was full of hard work but, we got to have fun too.  This was my second year going with the Faith Promise group.  I met new people in our group and in other mission groups.  My picture of the week was going to Casa Hogar Douglas. I got to play with kids I met last year and also got to meet new kids this year.  Also, while I was at Douglas, I got to help the caregivers by breaking a hole in their wall so, they can make a closet out of an unused shower.  Overall, this trip brought me closer to God thru small groups, time debriefing and time spent in worship.

By: Colby Mayberry, Age: 13

“I am a daughter of the Almighty King!”

When I came to Monterrey, I didn’t really know what to think. I had come three years before, and I thought it was just another trip. But it wasn’t even close to that. Not in any way. In Mexico, I’ve learned a lot about myself, others, and God. I have had issues with self-worth, depression, and severe anxiety. But here, as I work alongside of a wonderful team of people I have gotten to know and pray with, I know that God is moving in my heart. I know he is telling me I am worthy and beautiful. Today I woke up with my normal everyday thoughts of negativity. I felt horrible about my life and others. But during my quiet time, God really spoke to me. And for me, as a thirteen year old girl, I had never really felt that feeling before. It was like a wave of love and compassion. He told me something I would never forget. That I am made in His reflection. That I am made perfectly imperfect. And He loves me, just like He loved His son. That even my thoughts and actions don’t define who I am. I am the daughter of the almighty king. When it came time for small group, my leader read out of the pamphlet, and sure enough, it reflected what God had told me. The plank in my eye is keeping me from seeing the true beauty inside of me, and that when I tell my best friend that she is beautiful, and to never say she is ugly, I have not thought about that for myself. That I have not yet fixed that same issue for my own. How am I to tell her that she is beautiful, before I accept that I am beautiful first? A lesson I have really started to learn here is that you must love yourself before you can love others. Another lesson I have learned is humbleness. When we went to a children’s home called Douglas, the child we sponsored had found a handful of beads. We laid them down on the table and named the colors one by one and laughed together. He took the beads everywhere we went. When he played, when he ate, even when we held hands. I thought to myself, I would take those little beads for granted. But this orphan boy thinks these beads are amazing. He told me to come as I walked with him. He put the beads in my hand, and tipped my hand into the Ziploc in my backpack. He said in English “For you, friend.” I began to tear up and told him, “No. You keep.” But he refused. I couldn’t believe he gave his beads to me. He looked up and smiled at me, as he ran and told me to come again. What’s so precious about that moment, is that he could give the beads to me, even though he loved them so much. Out of the little he had, he gave what he loved most. It really reminded me of when God gave up Jesus. To have me. Maybe I am what God tells me I am. Maybe I can walk around with a smile because I am worthy. I now feel an overwhelming load of confidence and happiness. I couldn’t have asked for more out of this trip.

By: Callie Holland

Monterrey Mexico – Day One

Today was our first full day in Monterrey and it was exceptional.  It amazes me each year how God stitches together a different team every year that fulfills each need everywhere we serve.  Maybe the amazing part is that I still am amazed.  This year we have the smallest team I have been a part of in Monterrey and many of us were strangers but God put together the right people for the job.  Today we were able to visit Casa De Hogar Douglas Childrens home.  We spent some time playing with the students who did not go home for the weekend.  We were also given a two projects to begin.  The first was to disassemble a shed that will be reassembled in a different place later in the week.  Two of our young men jumped up and wanted to lead this project.  As awesome as this was it was over shadowed by the two tween boys in our group that really wanted to be a part of this as well.  Not only were they eager to help but they were able to spend quality time with our two young men who are strong Christians and a role model for these boys.  The second task we were asked to do was to fix a sewage problem, clean it out and tie it back in.  Though this did not sound like something fun, as I looked around I saw a couple of us smiling and laughing that “this is us.”  Luckily, there was some miscommunication and all we had to do was dig up a sewer line so they can install a grease trap.  I was able to see some people who are not the “outdoor” type people standing in hole and digging with all they had.  The rest of our group was able to spend some additional quality time with the kids.  After we left the orphanage, the children came to the Back 2 Back campus and swam in the pool.  Since swimming is not something I do well I watched many of our group members play with the kids in the pool.  I spent some time with one of these men afterward and told him how awesome he does in those situations and he commented on how he wished he could have helped with the projects.  It hit me again that this team is put together for a reason with special tools meant for the job.  This man’s wife had mentioned in passing at the children’s home that she was not doing enough but she spent the day reading and playing with a woman who is mentally challenged that lives at the home.  This activity was extremely impactful to this woman and was a day she will remember.  It reiterated to me that we all have different skills and God puts us in a place to use these skills.  We don’t all need to be preachers, singers, small group leaders, or band members.  Do not underestimate or demean your gift because it was given to you for a reason.  God’s Kingdom was impacted by every member of our team today.