SERVING IN MEXICO Family Christian Ministries
The Not Forgotten Stand up for those who are weak and for those whose fathers have died. See to it that those who are poor and those who are beaten down are treated fairly. Save the weak and those who are in need. Save them from the power of sinful people. Psalm 82:3-4
OUR MINISTRY PARTNER • Family Christian Ministries partners with Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico and Cancun, Mexico. • Back2Back Ministries is an international Christian non-profit organization that is dedicated to being a voice for orphans. They exist to love and care for orphans and impoverished children, by meeting their spiritual, physical, educational, emotional and social needs that they might overcome their life circumstances and break free from the cycle of generational poverty. • B2B provides care for today and hope for tomorrow to abandoned, orphaned and impoverished children in Mexico, Nigeria, India and Haiti. The care for today is accomplished in part through ministry teams and partners, who visit year round and help provide basic necessities. Their staff stands back to back with the directors and national staff that serve daily in the children’s homes. They come alongside with physical, financial and human resources, encouragement, prayer, and training. They model Paul’s teaching “that we are delighted to share not only the gospel, but our lives as well.”
• B2B’s work is founded in this Biblical call to care for orphans. In numerous scriptural passages, the message is clear and consistent. Christians are called to defend and care for the orphan: Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
163,000,000 Orphans • • •
Each number has a name Each name has a story Each story matters to God
in the World
Holistic Orphan Care
Back2Back Ministries’ Child Development Plan
In an effort to continue to encourage orphaned children to reach sustainability, Back2Back developed a five-point orphan care approach that seeks to meet the needs of the whole child. Back2Back’s Child Development Plan centers around providing deep, holistic care to each child they serve. Simply providing for a child’s physical needs isn’t enough. By providing holistic care, rather than merely meeting immediate external needs, they can truly help orphaned children to experience complete restoration. With that in mind, the 5-Point Back2Back Child Development Plan was implemented, an approach to orphan care ministry that addresses five crucial areas of child development. Spiritual To B2B, providing care goes beyond simply meeting the physical needs of a child. It means helping each child understand the love and protection of their heavenly Father. Through opportunities for spiritual growth, such as discipleship and Bible study, they empower each child to not only discover their tremendous significance as an individual, but to also realize their unique purpose in the grand story that God is writing. B2B is centered on relationship by serving the “least of these”. They strongly desire and pray that each child and family they serve come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. As they focus on serving and building lasting relationships, they use that as a platform to share God’s love and His desire for us to know and be known by Him. However, they realize that faith is a personal choice that each individual must make for themselves. Regardless of their faith, they serve all children and do not require any child to adhere to Christian faith in order to receive their services. Physical B2B partners with children’s homes to improve the quality of care for the children. They help to meet basic needs, such as regular medical and dental care, nutritious meals, warm clothing, clean water and safe shelter. By providing practical assistance and resources, they ensure each child has an opportunity to truly thrive. Educational B2B believes that education is paramount. Without it, orphan children often end up in black market trades, such as drug-trafficking and prostitution. However, when children have access to education, they are significantly more likely to become self-sustaining individuals who give back to their community. To see this goal realized, they provide each child with the tools they need to succeed, assisting with tuition fees, tutoring children who are struggling academically, and even offering full college scholarships to children who participate in B2B’s Hope Education Program. Through an emphasis on education, they invest in the future of each child, enabling them to reach their academic goals so that they might ultimately break free from the cycle of poverty. Emotional Many of the children who they serve suffer from psychological issues as a result of past abuse and neglect. By living alongside them, B2B gains their trust and begin a dialogue of recovery. they address these issues, such as anxiety, depression and attachment disorders, by offering opportunities for children to seek healing through counseling. Their goal is that each child would be restored to emotional wholeness. Social B2B addresses the need for positive social interaction. they encourage each child to pursue personal growth by offering training in vital life skills, such as conflict resolution, family values, stewardship, work ethic, independent living skills and interpersonal communication. By mentoring children in these areas, they help them to flourish relationally.
Karely “My name is Karely and I am currently in high school and hope to one day finish my college degree. I live in the Hope House (Casa de Esperanza) as a student in Back2Back’s Hope Program in Monterrey, Mexico. My birthday is December 1, 1994.”
Leo
Selene
“My name is Leocadio but people call me Leo. I am studying graphic design in college. I live in the James House as a student in the Hope Program in Monterrey, Mexico.
“My name is Selene and I am in college. I live in the Hope House (Casa de Esperanza) as a student in the Hope Program in Monterrey, Mexico.
My birthday is June 16, 1993.”
My birthday is November 23, 1994.”
Give them a Home A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. Psalm 68:5-6
Back2Back’s Hope Education Program Through the Hope Education Program, Back2Back offers the orphaned children they serve an opportunity to pursue their educational goals. Students are mentored, provided with an education, and encouraged to pursue their dreams so that they can become self-sustaining individuals who give back to their community. Children who have access to education will become the leaders of tomorrow, forever shaping the direction of their country. B2B invests in the future of each child they serve, enabling them to reach their academic goals through scholarships, tutoring and educational support, that they might ultimately break the cycle of poverty and become sustainable adults who can give back to their community. As a result of B2B’s emphasis on education, they now have students with degrees in law, nursing, graphic design, culinary arts, education, architecture and business. Postgraduation, many of the children they serve return to their community to invest in and mentor children who are in the same vulnerable situation that they were once in, giving them the hope that they too can break free from the grip of poverty. Family Christian Ministries has invested deeply in the future of many of these children, enabling them to reach their academic goals by financially supporting the Hope Education Program. FCM provided funding for construction of the James House (orange trim) and Casa de Esperanza (green trim). Too, FCM has provided operational funding for these homes since the beginning.
Gifted by God Though Leo grew up in an orphanage, his artistic talent for drawing was evident to his caregivers. Now that Leo is enrolled in B2B's Hope Program, he is able to utilize and expand those talents. He brought out his portfolio of drawings to share with our team. Everyone was very impressed with his skill. Leo prefers to only work in pencil opting for black and white designs. Among my favorite of his works were the drawing of a puppy curled up and looking expectantly at the observer, the portrait of an elderly gentleman with leathered skin, and his close-up of the human eye.
Leo said that about ten Hope students were saving money they've earned so they themselves can go to Haiti on a mission trip. How powerful that experience will be when orphans minister to orphans. God is guiding this group of young people into lives focused on serving others.
Mission Trip Remembrances from Monterrey
It’s so wonderful that Family Christian Ministries gets to play a small role in the journey through our support of B2B's Hope Program and through our opportunities to encourage the Hope students. God is good. Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 82:3-4
Christ Followers I was impressed by the testimonial Mario gave regarding the heartache and anger he experienced when his mother left him and his sister at a very young age. He faced his father giving both of them up which Mario was told was in their best interest. It was so very heart wrenching to listen to him tell his story and fighting back his tears. In his teenage years, he learned that his sister knew where their mother was and that she had been in contact with their mom. This angered Mario even more and he wanted nothing to do with her. More time passed and he told us how God spoke to him. After several years he contacted his mother and requested to meet with her. As they met, she tried explaining the reasons why this happened but he wanted to put the past behind them. He continues to keep in contact with his mother and continues the healing process. Mario made me realize that I have a relationship that needs mending and I need to ask God to walk with me and turn it over to Him and STOP trying to do it my way. His testimony made me ask myself "How can I promote change if I don't totally trust God with my life?" Each day I want to start off asking God to keep me strong as I know Satan will do his very best to lead me away from God. This young man will never know what impact he had on my life. Like Mario, my broken relationship has left me with asking the same question, "Why?" I will continue to pray for Mario for his heart to be mended as he still struggles but he shows that he is still walking with God down that path of forgiveness. I am so thankful for God allowing me to come serve and for speaking to me through Mario, an orphan. God bless you, Mario!
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. Psalm 10:14
Prayer Warriors We went to visit one of the orphanages and were asked if anyone wanted to be a part of a prayer team. I knew that is what I wanted to do. We were told about some issues they had at that orphanage with the enemy trying to bring destruction to many lives and an old water tower that had been torn down because so many people felt an evil presence around it. We went to the top of the mountain to the church to pray and began to war against Satan for the lives of these kids. We prayed that the blood of Jesus would begin to flow down the mountain. Then we began to pray over each other and it was freeing. We went down and anointed all the beds and dorms and The Holy Spirit revealed different things to pray over certain beds or rooms. We finished up at the former place of the Water Tower and rebuked and broke off any authority the enemy had in the past and claimed the ground and property to the Lord. We sensed too many demonic strongholds and spirits and we sent them fleeing. We felt the presence of God begin to cover the orphanage. It was like that is what I went to do, like it was my purpose I put up all the fight I could and left exhausted. It was a beautiful picture of the Lord loving the least of these and us.
‌Trust me, everything is going to be all right. 2 Kings 25:24
Family Christian Ministries provided a bus for the Imperio de Amor Children’s Home
FCM provided a van for the Hope Program to help transport their students
FCM has covered operating expenses for over 7 years for the Manantial de Amor Children’s Home
FCM provided a major source of funding to build the La Tierra Prometida Children’s Home
Mission Trip Remembrances from Cancun
When a widow in distress is served by Christ-followers, it paints a beautiful picture. Gloria was one such widow. Our mission team met Gloria and her children our first night in Cancun. We threw a birthday party for another widow's children and Gloria's family was invited to the party. It was so good to connect with these families, meeting their children: Marisol, Paty, Ruth, Jeny, Carlos, Jose Luis, Vanessa, Ansoni, Paolo, Yasarja...So when a couple days later we went to work at Gloria's house, we reconnected with her children, deepening our already-established relationships. Vanessa, Carlos, Paolo, Ansoni and Ruth greeted us with warm smiles and even joined us in shoveling dirt into wheelbarrows. Our biggest task was to move the dirt in the front yard into the back yard in preparation of expanding their home. A couple of us decided we wanted to paint a "rug" on the bare cement floor in Gloria's kitchen to accompany her newly stained cupboards. We then went on to stain her bare cement counter tops as well. These simple acts wouldn't have been something Gloria would have even thought to do as she is in the survival mode of providing for her kids. It was so much fun to beautify her kitchen - something which surprised everyone - family and team members.
"Rosie has bouncy, curly hair. She lives in a neighborhood in Cancun where most families do not have a father present. Drugs are prevalent here and if the mothers are working, the children roam the streets unsupervised. Rosie decided to "do what she could do" opened her home to these families. Two days each week, she welcomes the kids to play games, color, work puzzles and share a meal. All of these things bring people to this place where they experience the love of Christ from the energy of this amazing woman. We had the privilege of preparing and serving a meal for Rosie and her neighbors. As we were dishing up the food, more and more people came. Over 80 people! Rosie told us this was more than double the number that came the week before. We were concerned about having enough food. But, we served everyone, and had enough for second servings. At the end, there were about 5 salchichas left in the pot. God is so good! As we were cleaning up, a little girl about 6 years old came over and gave us a hug and kiss and said "Gracias." Rosie is full of energy and overflowing with joy. You might think she could burst. But she pours all of this love and light into a community which would otherwise be overrun with darkness. If there is a choice, people will be drawn to the Light. Rosie is that choice, a light in her community. As we were leaving, I gave Rosie a hug and said goodbye. I expressed to her that I could feel God's Presence with her in this place. While our time with her was a short few hours, I was reminded that God wants us all to "do what we can do," and not let fear or feelings of inadequacy deter us. Even the seemingly smallest gesture, like serving a meal, is a grand contribution in God's economy. We are God's workmanship in Christ Jesus to do the good works God has prepared for us. Ephesians 2:10
I came to a country I had never been to, surrounded by people speaking a language I didn't speak. How could I possibly relate or be used by God here? But on one of the days of our trip a Spanish speaking pastor spoke and said "We may be from different areas and backgrounds. And we may all speak different languages but we have all been washed in the same blood of Jesus." Right then and there I was able to reconcile in my heart why I was there, what I was doing, and how God could use me to do it. Because He is the same God to the Spanish speaking impoverished mother that He is to me. On this trip, I have seen poverty that I have never seen before. And not in pictures, but up close with my hands. But I have also seen God's provision in a beautiful way that I didn't know existed. I have seen the orphan hurt and confused. But I have also seen the love of God covering the hurt and being the proficiency and sufficiency. I have seen homeless but not hopeless. I have seen extreme generosity flowing from extreme lack. And I have learned that the love of God is big enough to cover us all. The love of God is not American or Mexican or any other nationality. It does not speak English or Spanish or any other language. The love of God is universal.
Family Christian Ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Family Christian to meet the needs of orphans and widows in the communities it serves and around the world. Family Christian partners with their customers in a shared mission; reaching out to orphans and widows, showing them the love of our Heavenly Father. Through the Foundation, Family Christian customers participate in various in-store promotions. Family Christian Ministries serves orphans and widows in four primary ways: • adoption assistance programs • hands-on orphan and widow care work • quality of life improvements for orphans and widows • encourage the Church to fulfill God’s commitments to orphans and widows