Christmas Cheer: Day 3

                                      

Day 3: 

We gathered all the goodies for the day and headed out to the Salvation Army home for the morning! Who knew a mountain of sugar cookies, icing, and sprinkles could make kids so happy:) This home is always more organized than the other homes we serve at. This home had a decorating tree station, a cookie station, and a craft station. The children alternated between all of the stations. Thus completing Christmas Cheer at Salvation Army:) While the kids were alternating stations, our team was hanging decorations all over the dining hall  to brighten it up:) The children at this home always amaze me with their obedience. Notice how in the first picture (above) they are not GRABBING cookies out of the plate but patiently waiting for one to be put on their plate? 

The afternoon was set aside to bring Christmas Cheer to Floreser!
 They had all the decorations out and they were eager for us to get there to help put them up. 
When we took out the new ornaments for them, they were thrilled because we decided to make their tree a pink/purple ornament tree! Every all girls home needs a pink/purple tree! 
We did all the decorating around the house, the tree, and our sugar cookies. Then, because we had more time, we attempted to do a gingerbread house with the girls. It went over very well actually. The girls took turns with the icing that was hard like cement;) They also took turns decorating different things. Rodo kept eating the candy that was supposed to go on the house so we were short a few items, but we made it work! 

This day was a busy day indeed. Bringing Christmas Cheer to 2 homes in 1 day is a lot. Our group never let up though and was always 100% when it came to the kids and every thing else they did when they were here. 

What a wonderful day! 

Christmas Cheer: Day 2

Day 2: 

We started our usual morning and then grabbed presents, cookies, garland, cleaning supplies and all the things we would need for this day and set off to Rancho de Los Ninos. 

Hard to put into words how amazing this day was! We started by cleaning their bathrooms and floors. They needed the attention to say the least. 

Then after lunch we got all the Christmas decorations out and that is when it all started... 
Victor's sweet smile the entire time we were hanging Christmas lights on the tree.
  
Jesus Tigre and Julian (our wheelchair bound boys) excited for the touch of all things Christmas

Ricky helping me put HIS ornament on the tree and sitting right next the the Christmas music the entire time. 

Carina and Carlitos eager to help put the ornaments on the tree. 

Carlitos with his super activeness putting 5 ornaments on 1 limb. 

The older boys helping us reach the top of the tree and helping us hang paper chain garland over the whole house. 

The feeling of this day was like a normal saturday with a BIG family! The typical teenager laying on the sofa just resting. The crazy hyper active children running around excited because new people are at his home, While getting put in time out a couple times. The middle son playing his video games. Then time for lunch. Everyone sits together around the table. Then back to whatever they were doing.. chores, video games, sleeping! 

Getting the Christmas music out and jammin to it in the main room while decorating the tree with EVERY child that lives there, was beyond words. We had dance parties, decorating cookie parties, and tons of fun. 

We were blessed to end our day going room to room praying over each bed. In a couple of the rooms were some of the kids taking naps and we prayed over them specifically! 

This day was an impactful, emotional, and beautiful day! 

Blessed that i get to say this is my life! 

Christmas Cheer: Day 1

I have so many pictures from the 3 days the Christmas Cheer group was here, i am going to have to break it down day by day:) 

Day 1: 

We focused on shopping around town for all the things we would need. Before the group had come, we asked each home if they had a tree, ornaments, and/or decorations for their house. We made a shopping list based off the things they didn't have and the things we thought they should have for Christmas:) 

We went to Wal-Mart and Mega for all the shopping goods. Found most of everything at Wal-Mart though. 

So, apparently here in Mazatlan if you don't buy your Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving it is all gone. And they don't restock their stores for Christmas. They just sell everything. The only place that still even had Christmas lights was Wal-Mart. And to top it off half of them didn't work. We were sure to test them in the store before we bought them and left. 

Then we came back to the team house and started baking away! Dana had pre- made all of the sugar cookie dough. She made enough for 200 cookies. They baked away and continued baking that night and every morning the group was here:) 

As Kelly is displaying, we really liked the sugar cookies they made! 

November Group

Our first night, we grilled pizza at Floreser. Rodo and the guys were in charge of the grill. The ladies were in charge of kitchen and the girls had a BLAST making their own pizzas:) It was a success! 

Our November Group!!!! Love that we take time to do our Quiet Times on the Beach. There is nothing in the world that is better than spending time with our Father while looking at His Creation:) 

We had the pleasure of having 2 of our staff here from the home office! Love you girls.  

Me, The Directors of Salvation Army, and Matt Metzger!

                                      

Working hard out at Salvation Army for 2 days! 

During the 2 days they were working out there, we gave the directors a break. Since moving here in July, they have not had any time off. It is the 2 of them taking care of 24 children. So, to help them reconnect and gain some glory strength, we took them to a hotel for the day/evening. Gave them some money to eat out, and told them to not worry about anything. Our group was there all day to help out with kids. That night, Gabo, Matt, and Chelsie stayed out at the home. Chelsie was brave to do the girls dorm all by herself:) Doing all the daily/early rides to school and everything. Then the group went back out there the next day to continue helping and giving a break to the caregivers. I can only imagine what a wonderful time they had and the energy after not having to put 24 children to bed. We were thankful for the opportunity to do this for them. God is good and knew that they needed this time together. 

I love this picture. We recently put up God's promises to the orphan child around both of the dorms at Salvation Army.  we walked in on the tour and saw this...  the promise above reads  "God promises to provide you with food and clothes"  and then you see all their after school clothes lined up under it. Makes my heart happy:) 

 This group had some hard work days. And because there was only 7 of them, there was even more work to do! The final touches of the wall out at Rancho are being done. The razor wire above is the only thing we have left to do. Here are the men sacrificing their hands, arms, and legs for the safety of the children out at Rancho de Los Ninos. 

                                       

For our field trip, we took Floreser to a beach near by and played lots of games. Swimming as far out as we could might not have been the safest, but it was fun:) We also got them burger king. The girls had probably not had their own whopper, chicken fingers, fries, and drink before:) It was a LOT of food. And the girls ate every bite of it! When it is a treat you don't let any of it go to waste right? 

                                      

Thanksgiving....

Our past 5 Thanksgivings have been in Monterrey. Serving over 200 people. 
It was so wonderful to have our small staff team get together and celebrate Thanksgiving this year in Mazatlan! 

Thanks to the October group, we were able to make Thanksgiving Treats like turkey cupcakes with candy corn tails, pumpkin pie, ranch dip, green bean casserole, pumpkin rolls, stuffing and much more! 
Thank you to all of you who chipped in to bless our staff when you came down in October:) 

We served Thanksgiving dinner in our backyard. Kelly had crafts for the kids and a Thanksgiving Story that they had to act out. I think Rodo was more into it than the kids:) 

This year we are thankful for so many things... here is a few things off the top of our heads: 

 Thankful for our Savior
 Each other (husband/wife)
 Back2Back
 MAZ staff
our families
 our friends that are still friends even though we are so far away from each other
 Supporters
 internet
facetime
 yummy recipes
people that bring us stuff from the states
 Our Monterrey family and the way they helped us survive our first 5 months of being in MAZ by ourselves

The list seriously could go on and on. 
We hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate really well:) We sure did! 

Another incredible Group

I am so sorry it has been a while since we have updated our blog. We have been busy bodies here in Mazatlan:) 

In October we had a group of 26 here from the church Riverview. Based in Michigan. 

This group blessed us so much. They brought our staff yummy states side treats. They served this week all the way from cutting hair out at the orphanages to digging trenches and building ramps out at the salvation army home! 

There were new faces, old faces, and friends on this group. Seeing 3 people from this group get baptized is a reminder that the ground that Back2Back is working in and on, is completely 100% the Lords. 

We had worship every night because their worship leader was here. We were also able to do extended worship, which is always one of my favorite nights. Praying and believing truths over peoples lives just gets me excited:) 

I only have pictures from the field trip we took with the salvation army home. 

But, i want to tell you a little story about the boy in the last picture! 

When Rodo and I came on our scout trip in October 2011, we were only here in Mazatlan for 3 days. In 3 days, we visited 6 different childrens homes and didn't have very much time in each of them. Just a basic tour and that was it. 

Well, the sweet boy in the picture above was living at the salvation army home when we were on our visit at the home for the first time. 
We got to play a little bit but not too much. 
When Rodo and I moved here in February, the boy was no longer living there. We had not seen him since that last October. 
Then he starts living at the salvation army home again in early october. My first time seeing him was the exact moment i took the picture:) 
When i got on the boat to take over to deer island, he was already paired up with his american for the day and was patiently waiting for us to take off. Then he saw me and started calling out my name... "REBECCA, REBECCA... DO YOU REMEMBER ME?????" i remembered his face right away and realized it had been 1 year since i had met/seen him. we got caught up and that smile of his never faded. 

Then it hit me.... All the time group members are asking me if their interaction with a child for a day is really worth it or if the child will even remember it. 

ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL... He not only remembered me, but MY NAME!!!!! I had less than a 2 hour interaction with him A YEAR AGO. and he remembered it. 

These kids are starving for affection in so many ways. YOU coming on a short-term mission trip is planting a seed of Jesus Christ in each of their lives. 

Thank you for those who have already come to serve here, Thank you to those who will be coming in the future, and Thank you to those who invest in the children in so many ways! 

It does not go unseen by our Father or the sweet children we are loving on. Be Encouraged and know that you are remembered and an important part of what we do:)