Faith Promise Blog

On the first week of June, I had the opportunity to go serve on a mission trip with my church to Monterrey Mexico. During the week, I was also a small group leader for some middle school girls. I am still in the midst of a hard time and going to Mexico really opened my eyes. I have severe anxiety and depression, and am currently working on getting my medication right. It has been really rough having to try and try to get better but still feel the exact same way the whole time. I continued to tell my girls my story and God’s truth. However I couldn’t help but feel so unloved by God, so uncared for. I continued feeling tired and depressed throughout the week, but continued praying and sharing my story with the girls.

Then, I had the opportunity to go and serve at a children’s home there in Monterrey. There, I came across an 8 year old child that I had met the year before. He and I would play and play and play whatever he wanted. We would constantly switch gears and play another game about every 5 or 6 minutes. But God opened my eyes as I looked at this child. I knew he was so loved by God. Even during this tough time in his life. And I looked in his precious eyes and saw his smile, he was so happy and thankful. I got one of our people on our team to translate and tell him that God loves him and has a plan for his life. He just nodded and kind of put me off. He told me that he knows, but I didn’t believe him. I wanted him to see how much he is loved. If I knew this orphan was loved by God during his tough time, then the same should be for me.

The boy took me up to the playhouse and we sat on the top and looked up at the sky for a long time. I reflected as I laid there with him….A boy about my age reading to the kids in Spanish was truly amazing, our team was getting some construction work done for the home, the night before was worship, where I lifted my hands and felt his presence, and I could feel it again here with this child. Then, I felt the boy hug me tightly and I knew it was God telling me “I got you” and that’s why I know I have to go back.

– By Callie Holland, Age 14

Through all the large group discussions and small group discussions in Monterrey a theme continued to ring throughout, “be aware”. Aware of the needs around me, aware of what God is telling me, aware of the big picture in my life. It is easy in the states to be bogged down by “stuff”. Work, responsibilities, by life in general, all these things distract us from what God wants in our lives. When all that is taken away and you are in a foreign country doing what you know God wants you to do, all that “stuff” falls away. You realize that there are more important things than money, more important things than having a nice house, more important things than having a nice car. When all that “stuff” is not getting in your way you can see God’s priorities. 

 

This hit me as we were traveling to a children’s home and passed many houses full of people. We had travelled all the way to Mexico to stand in the gap for children who have been through tough experiences. Right across the street are people living that are not involved at all. Why not?  Do they not know what is going on in here?  Do they not see the healing that these kids are receiving by people each day?  Or are they just letting the “stuff” in their life get in the way?  As I began feeling good about myself and the “I see it, why can’t you” attitude was kicking in I wondered how much stuff is going on around me in the states that I am not at all involved in.  How many people are in need that I personally know and I miss the signs and warnings that they are in trouble. Am I really as aware as I think?

 

I am returning to my life, my responsibilities, my job, and all my stress with the knowledge that none of that matters. God’s priorities don’t line up with those of the world. I WILL be aware of what God is doing and of the needs around me.

– Dave Holland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Son: Peyton, Age 9

Peyton: “Mom, we should do missions every time we are on a break from school.”

Me: “I’m sure we can do a mission project on our breaks”

Peyton: “No Mom, I want to go back to Monterrey on fall break, Christmas break, spring break, and summer break.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daughter: McKenna, Age 12

My picture of the week was seeing the smiles on the children’s faces when we played and talked with them every day!!

Dad: Tim

A phrase repeated throughout the week…“Wow, it is so difficult with the language barrier…
So many times “barriers” stop us.

Language barrier didn’t stop us from time spent seeing progress on placing and connecting water, gas, and sewer lines.

Language barrier didn’t stop us from time spent seeing progress on painting a kitchen, bedroom, and outside walls.

Language barrier didn’t stop us from time spent seeing progress in tearing down a wall to make a doorway for new caregiver’s room.

Language barrier didn’t stop us from time spent seeing smiles, hearing laughter, and having purposeful playtime with the children.

Language barrier didn’t stop us from time spent seeing tears from caregivers as we prayed over each child, each bed, and each caregiver.

You see we feel a barrier sometimes when it comes to language, color, race, geography, or whatever else we use as an excuse.

Jesus reminds us in Luke 18:27 (NASB) that… “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

God did not remove barriers, but God made possible what we thought was impossible by accomplishing great things while in Monterrey, Mexico!!!!

 

 

 

Day 5 began early for as we had a full day of construction ahead of us. We had breakfast and share time from the previous day and then headed to El Higuito church the location that we did the clothing ministry earlier in the week.

Today we helped the church pour concrete behind the church so they have a place to teach the kids. To begin we had to pull 80lb sacks of mortar out for mixing. Ms. Lisa jumped right in to assist the guys. And Becky helped too. We had to clean off the grass so there would be an area to mix the concrete. And we had to shovel gravel into the area for the concrete to go over. Unfortunately our time was cut short as there was not enough gravel to cover the floor, we have more coming later today and will finish up the project then. Roger also helped Christian with the being able to share the plan of Salvation with others.  It was a great time doing work for the church.

We love and miss you all.

The Packett Small Group

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

 

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