Our Back2Back Linares site in Mexico is undergoing a makeover. It has been home to Possibilities House, a residential children’s home for up to 12 kids and their caregivers over the last nine years. Staff at the home have welcomed families, witnessed first generation graduations, facilitated space and care for healing, and in this new season, they are growing! The land the children call home is Back2Back’s ninth site in Linares. Ground recently broke on-site for new construction and building, and the growing staff team is investing intentionally to open doors for new programming. The Strong Fa ..read more

written by Hope Garcia, Back2Back D.R. Co-Director For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 61:11 It was early morning in the beginning of 2023, and my husband and I were praying and lamenting together for the DR site. “Another year has passed, and it feels like other ministries are flourishing, and we are still tilling the same ground.” It was a heavy feeling, but how much of it was truth and how much was just a lie the enemy wanted us to believe?   Our fr ..read more

It was 2010, and Matt and Julie Cooper, long-time friends and staff members, joined us in Cancun to explore the possibility of a new site. We had some appointments to see children’s homes and were all praying God would make it clear where He wanted our next investment. We visited an all-girl’s children’s home and realized all four of us in one office might be intimidating, so we split up; Matt and Todd sat with the director while Julie and I went to the playground to be with the children.  Four-year-old twins, Sara* and Christina* sidled beside me and began braiding my hair. They were mak ..read more

Haiti and her people continue to persevere despite ongoing turmoil across the country. Back2Back staff eagerly pursue special activities or moments to hold space for the children and families they serve. Morale can get low as changes are processed, and staff want to remind them there is still joy to be found.  One partnering children’s home in the area has relocated multiple times in response to nearby insecurities. This has been an emotionally charged time, impacting moods and focus with each move; the home’s director wanted to bolster their felt-safety and encourage joy seeking. &n ..read more

Dirt paths wind from nearby villages to an area surrounded by black rocks- a God-crafted jungle gym. Within those rocks sits an educational oasis providing comfort, access, safe adults, snacks, and support. Inside those walls a young girl’s future was reclaimed, restored, and renamed. “I was not good at many things,” she shared evenly. “I struggled to read, to speak English; really, I had no hope for my own future.” Amara* is the fourth child of nine and grew up in a village near the Education Center. The center, founded in 2011, provides holistic care to children through educational tutoring ..read more

Alan* is just one of many students attending a Back2Back-run, trauma-informed school on-site in Mexico. He was timid and withdrawn when he started attending due to a speech impediment. His interactions had been strictly with his family, as they were the only ones who understood him when he tried to talk. He kept to himself and gave answers as short as possible, often resorting to hand motions and nodding to communicate his needs. His education suffered, as he lacked the confidence to ask for help. As soon as Alan’s teachers understood the reason behind his behavior, they focused on building hi ..read more

Many students who attend one of Back2Back’s trauma-informed schools begin their educational careers speaking little to no English. Many of the rural villages from where the children and families live only speak one language and government-run schools do not use conversational English in their curriculum.   Zoya* is a young girl in the first grade. She and her family live in a nearby village, and this is her first experience in an English-medium school (one in which English is part of curriculum). She arrives at school each day eager to learn, despite her struggles with reading and wr ..read more

In a neighborhood about five miles from the Back2Back Cincinnati site, 25 children call an apartment building with a rundown playground home. Those children recently took part in social, emotional, and educational activities with Back2Back staff over the summer. Staff took effective and often used strategies, implemented them with the children there, and left an imprint.  Two days a week, staff showed up providing play with a purpose activities, reading groups, social and emotional connection groups, and a meal. Trauma-informed staff made space and time for vulnerable children, reminding ..read more

Back2Back’s Transition to Independence Program was designed to help students move from living in family-style care to living on their own. They are taught how to budget, how to grocery shop, how to cook for themselves, and managing their day-to-day schedules. Young adults take brave steps out on their own, and they’re never left without a safety net in place through the adults who come alongside them. Recently, a 22-year old young woman, who has lived much of her adolescence at a Back2Back-run children’s home alongside her brother and peers, began exploring independent living. Before making th ..read more

Cricket made its way to India in the 18th century by European merchant sailors, and has since become a beloved sport country-wide. Recently, a group of boys in the Strong Families program expressed interest in playing in a more organized manner. The community center where families attend lacks acreage and space; there are areas nearby available, but players are required to wear proper equipment and the boys didn’t have any.  “When the children started to really express interest in playing more regularly, I wanted to help make it happen; I wanted to honor them using their voices and asking ..read more