Last weekend I had an awesome experience of taking some of the teens to a Christian concert. We have a fund for teen activities with money donated and also a few of the staff members donated money. This was their first time going to a concert and they loved it! There were 3 singers: Marcela Gandara, Lilly Goodman, and Alex Campos who sing worship music. It was all in Spanish but I loved looking around at an arena full of Christians. We work outside the city and don't realize how many Christians there are, so it gave me chills to hear everyone singing along and worshipping together!

Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I love that here in Mexico it's called 'Dia de Amor y Amistad' which includes friendship on this day! Thanks for your friendship, support, and love!!!

Hope's Birthday

For Hope's birthday a group of us had dinner together in the LDM and then hung out. It was also Tere's party, too.

Of course the guys sang!


In school, we celebrated, too!

an awesome field trip!

To go along with our 'Community Helpers' unit, we got to go to a place called Kidzania. There is nothing like it in the US. It is a little city for kids. The kids get a check when they come in and they have to go to a bank to cash it. Then they use the cash to go places and when they run out, they can work at a job and get more. It was amazing!

These girls were making a special Mexican desert like a twinkie.

They could get a 'license' and drive around

The kids could put on a fire outfit, get on a little fire truck and drive over to a place where they had a fake fire to put out with real water.

Jake and Mark were in McDonalds making a real cheeseburger which they got to eat.

SMCA chefs

My class has been studying jobs and when we talked about chefs and bakers, we all went to my house and baked brownies! I made the hats out of paper and tissue paper...

I had a day off school recently and a few of us went to the Casa Hogar Del Norte. They have 7 babies there and not enough help to hold these babies. They are so precious and don't want to be put down. I could seriously do that every day. My heart was breaking for these helpless children of God. Yet he loves each one of them and has a plan for their lives.

Well again I had to do decision-making. It was time again to decide about the following school year. It's always so early but, if necessary, they need to start looking for someone else to start fundraising. I spent a lot of time last weekend praying and seeking God and then I had my evaluation/yearly meeting with my directors this week. I have decided to stay another year. Any reasons for not staying, were all about me and that is not what God is here for - to make ME happy. I am here to serve him and i was losing the Big picture. We are called to give glory to God and are here for his kingdom and will. (God is more interested in our holiness than in our immediate, temporal happiness) I was reading a lot about Paul and his struggles. I think God's calling for me is to live a life out of the ordinary and disciple girls and love on children. I like getting up each morning and doing what I do and going to the orphanages and holding babies that never get held, and hanging out with teen girls that never had anyone love them. I don't know what my next step is after this next year, so I plan to use this next year to figure that out also. I feel like God will make it clear when it's time to go or I will feel burnt out or tired and I don't yet. I did not let fundraising be any part of the decision because I know God is bigger than that. It wasn't an easy decision but I am at peace with it now. Time really flies here. I can't believe it's already been a year and a half! I love you all and am thankful to have you alongside of me through the months...Thanks for your support, encouragement, love, and friendship!

Goodbye to great friends!

We lost a great family this January, but to God's work. John, Corrie, Gus, Sarah, and Sami Guckenberger left Back2Back Monterrey to move to Jos, Nigeria to work at our new Back2Back site. They are amazing people and it was sad to see them go but God is going to work through them there and they are needed there.

Holiday 2008

My second week was spent in Indiana with friends and Ohio at a wedding on New Year's Eve!! What a fun way to bring in the new year. I enjoyed time with friends hanging out, drinking coffee, watching movies, playing 'Rock Band' , and just enjoying their presence.

Just being goofy with friends!


Jerica's new 'son' Newton

The wedding of Katie, who taught with me last year in Monterrey

Some amazing women!!

These are 5 of the 6 of us who went to high school together and still keep in touch...They are all such great friends to me and always make time to see me when I am home. They support me and encourage me and I am proud of each one of them for the lives they are living and how they are serving God.

The Holidays in the States

This year I got to go back to PA and see family I haven't seen for awhile...Sheila and her family came out, too and it was great to have everyone together. Hardest part about being in the States: the cold! ha


Karen and her new husband, Alan.

The Walter side of the family.

Mia, my niece, got a new 4-Wheeler

Christmas party and program with SMCA

Christmas at Bethesda Childrens Home

Last week a few of us went over to Bethesda to do crafts and read stories before bedtime. It was so cute as they all came in with pajamas and wet hair from their baths... They were so excited but gradually most of them fell asleep in our laps.

Christmas with friends

Dogs, dogs, dogs

My friends, Jeanna and Jerica, in Indiana, would be happy to know that I have become a dog lover. There are dogs everywhere in Mexico and most of them are wild and roaming the streets. I have my favorites and there are always new ones showing up. Our director, Todd, hates them and doesn't want any on our campus and has been known to pay people to 'remove them'. So, for Christmas this year, I made him a "Dogs of Back2Back Calendar".


My favorite dog, I named Patch

The dog who snuck in the gates and became a pet for a few days until he was caught

Jewelry making

Cathy Huffer and I decided to have an evening of jewelry making for the teen girls on campus. The ones who came made a few bracelets and came up with some creative designs!

Junior was one of the first teens to enter our Hope Program and now he just graduated from college! He got a graphic arts degree. We are so proud of him!!