Eleven Years Ago Today...

Eleven years ago today our first daughter Chloe was born. It is one of those days that seems like it will remain forever burned onto the hard drive of my mind. I think it was most surreal day of our entire lives. We witnessed the miracle of life, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and she was all ours! Our daughter, a mixture of all that is Julie and all that is me - all Cooper!

She is still ALL Cooper. She loves to eat ice cream, smoothies, and iced coffee drinks - that's what she gets from me (haha). And in more ways than I can count she is more and more like her mommy every day! We love watching the young woman that God is forming out of Chloe. Chloe has an incredible heart for people, and she also has an amazing sensitivity to the things of the Spirit. Chloe is a peacemaker and a shepherd. She is a caretaker, she is sensitive, she is adventurous, and she is very smart. Chloe has a great sense of humor. She loves to have fun, to explore, to be on-the-go, and to ask "what are we going TO DO today?" (that she definitely gets from her mom!) She loves to design, and to dream up new ways to organize and re-decorate her room. Unfortunately for her she has to share her space with three other sisters.

What will Chloe do with her life? She sometimes likes the idea of being a mother, but is resolved that she doesn't really want to get married - but would rather live with mom and dad forever. And at eleven, Dad is perfectly happy with that answer. I'll remind her in about 4 or 5 years!

Chloe likes the idea of being an interior decorator. She thinks she wants to do something that doesn't require use of math, science, history or English...haha. Even though she says she doesn't really like school, God has given Chloe some natural abilities to present herself, to speak of what she has learned, and to do so in a way that draws other people in. What does God want to do with that? Only time will tell! What I do know is that God has given Chloe an incredible heart, and that He no doubt has plans to use her to care for and to influence others in a way that will leave them changed for the Kingdom of God. We can't wait to watch it all unfold before our very eyes. Thank you God, for the gift of Chloe - and for the gift it is to be her parents.

Limping for the Lord

So last week I mentioned my wrist being injured, and said that I'd get back to writing something about it. To be honest I don't even know what I did to it. I had been working one day, and the next day I noticed it was super tender. Day after day it got worse instead of better. All I could really think about was the concrete pour coming up, and realizing that I was going to be little to no help with my wrist the way it was.

Well, the concrete pour came and went. The truth is, I was not as much help to the overall project as I would have hoped to be. But the deeper truth is that I think God wanted to teach me something in it.

In Genesis 32 there is a famous story of Jacob wrestling with God (or an angel). It says that he (the angel) touched Jacob's hip leaving it wrenched (v. 25), and later it says that Jacob was left with a limp (v. 31).

It says that Jacob saw God face to face, yet his life was spared (v. 30). Jacob left the interaction with God with a blessing, with a new name. He was still walking - but now with a limp.

I'm not debating the theology of any of this. It says that Jacob saw God face to face, yet his life was spared (v. 30). He left the situation still walking - but now with a limp. God touched Jacob with a sword, and it forever impacted his life. Jacob left the situation blessed. Jacob left with a new name. And the Israelites stopped eating the tendon attached to the socket of the hip because of where Jacob was touched by the sword of God (v. 32). Random? No, not really. For GENERATIONS the people would remember Jacob's interaction with God. It not only impacted His life, but the lives of many, many Israelites to come.

I'm no Jacob. I don't have a great story about wrestling with an angel, or him touching me with his sword - none of that. What I do have is the impression that sometimes God wants to leave us with "a limp", in order that we would stop walking in our own strength, or in our own flesh. Sometimes He wants to bring a blessing, but He needs us limping in order to do so.

My wrist only hurt for a week or so, and now it appears to be back to normal. I wasn't left with a limp. And generations will not adjust their diet habbits because of what happened to me. But God used it, nonetheless. He used it to get my attention. He used it to turn my eyes, and my trust from myself to Him. I needed the reminder that it wasn't about my own strength, or what I could do - but about what God wanted to do when I trust Him, when I walk in His Spirit. And guess what? I left the interaction more blessed because of my weak wrist - because of my limp.

How about you? Limped recently?

A Victory!

So...to be honest I was too busy to take pictures...but thanks to Julie Mowery, future Back2Back Cancun staff along with her husband, Erick and son, Nick....I am able to give you a few visuals from the day.

We were few workers, but we came ready to give it our all. I honestly have to testify to that fact that God made everything run so smoothly! What sticks out to me the most? Well, first let's just mention that I was already injured. I don't know what I had done, but I had to wrap my wrist in a bandage, and had little to no use of my left arm/wrist/hand for the most of an entire week (more to come on that in a future blog).

God showed up in all of His glory. Even though we were in the midst of "jungle", God kept the temperature down, the breezes coming, and the cloud cover protecting us nearly 95% of the time we were working.

God impressed upon the neighbors to help in different ways. One neighbor lent us their water pump, another some barrels and buckets to move our water in, and yet another a Jacuzzi. Yes, you read right, an empty Jacuzzi shell where we pumped water into from a well in the ground to have a constant supply.

God sent in reinforcements, and I think whenever we needed them most. The neighbor who lent us the Jacuzzi, also jumped in and helped, even though he had just gotten home from working where he works the whole night through. Then in a later moment, a car comes tearing around the corner, and quickly veers over the the side of the road in front of where we were working. For a moment I thought it was just curious neighbors coming to watch the gringos working...but it was more reinforcements - this time the pastor of Enrique the mason, and his son. As it turns out they have been doing outreach in the neighborhood where we are working on this house - and there may be some opportunities for us to stand back to back with them in their ministry as well. I just love watching God connect the dots.

So, as with any concrete pour, the most glorious moment is when you actually shut off the mixer. It's just this amazing silence signifying that the work is done. To me it is the sound of victory. Like a battle is over. And this concrete pour, this project, the partnership with this family, this day....was a victory indeed!

The glorious bucket brigade!

Nick and Erick Mowery - future staff, already in training, haha!

The mixer, the bags of cement, and the famous Jaccuzi!

Kasey, Sandy & Ken Calwell - bravely joined us for the pour

Audra and Patrick, new friends, and joyful volunteers

The finished roof - hopefully with a good enough slope for grandma!

A Place To Die

The day arrived, it was time for the roof pour on Noehmi and family's new house. We would be mixing in a rented mixer, and pouring with two visiting families, our friends Patrick and Audra, and our new master mason friend, Enrique. It would not be an easy day, but I had faith that God would show up in the ways He always does.

Our our way out to where we'd be working we stopped by to introduce the visiting mission team to Noehmi and her family, to drop off some groceries, and to pray with the family before we served them for the day.

Noehmi was home with her sister, her grandmother, and with her baby. They were making tamales to sell to help provide for themselves. We shared with them where we were headed for the day, and I even had a chance to share with grandma a few digital pictures of their house on my camera. They had not yet seen any of the progress, and the grandmother's face says it all. She looked like a child on Christmas day.

"Be sure you do a good job," grandma told us. "I want to be sure the roof has a good slope on it, so it doesn't leak," she said with a grin,"I'm going to die in that house."

Wow, what pressure. As I translated what she had just said we were all speechless, realizing that grandma already had the perspective that THIS would be her last house, the last place she'd ever live. This house will be the house she lives in when she dies. What an assignment we had ahead of us today.

Carrying a Spirit of Joy

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:39

In the book of Acts God was bringing about revival in Jerusalem. There were healings and conversions taking place, and it was a place of great joy! Then all of a sudden an angel of the Lord instructed Philip to go to the desert. In the desert Philip came across an Ethiopian eunuch. As it appears God led Philip there for the sole purpose of meeting this one man. He shared with him the good news of Jesus, and before you know it says they come upon some water and the eunuch is already asking about being baptized. They went down to the water together, the enuch is baptized, and then whoosh, Philip is taken away. It says the eunuch did not see him again, but that he “went on his way rejoicing”!

Wherever God takes us, for a season, or for a day...would we be open to the encounters he has for us, would we be obedient to share the good news of Jesus with others, and would we be about carrying with us this spirit of joy. The same spirit that Philip brought with him from Jerusalem, and that now was posessed by the eunuch! Let us be challenged to take it with us wherever we go!

Friends & Volunteers

There are moments when it can feel like we just aren't quite enough hands around here at Back2Back Cancun. That's why we're thankful that God is allowing us to meet some incredible people along the way. A few weeks ago we met a couple by the name of Patrick and Audra, from Mississipi. They are waiting to begin grad school in the fall, and just followed a prompting from God to come to Cancun for a few months to serve in whatever capacity they can, and we are so glad to have meet them!

As we anticipated the arrival of a couple of families that we hoped to pour Noehmi's roof with, we knew that we needed to do a couple of intense hours of work to lift pre-poured beams, and block to the top of the house in order to have it prepped for the pour. Patrick and Audra very willingly agreed to help, and I also recruited our teenage buddy, David, from the Casa Hogar Esperanza. So the three of them, myself, Mau, and Enrique the mason headed out to Tres Reyes to sweat for a few hours. It was hot, and there was plenty of heavy lifting involved, but praise God for the perfect team of laborers to get the job done!

Audra and Patrick, ready and willing to lend a hand!

David, hmmmmm...maybe supervising at this particular moment?

Marrying Friends

Another huge highlight, and really THE reason our family traveled back to Monterrey last month was to marry two very dear friends of ours, Becca and Rodolfo. We first met Rololfo when he was graduating from secundaria (middle school) about 1o years ago, and Becca has basically been a daughter to us since 2004 when she began to nanny for our family during the summers. It was a surreal for me to officiate their ceremony, since Julie and I have watched them going from being friends, to seeing the sparks fly, to know watching them begin their married life together. We could not be more excited for two people. We know they both love Jesus, they both love each other, and that God has great, great plans for the two of them as they continue to seek His will for their lives.

Corinna, Caleb and Chloe excited to be a part of Becca's Big Day!

Congratulations Sr. y Sra. Arguello, we love you both very much!

Family Reunion

There is nothing quite like a family reunion. Getting together with those who haven't seen for a long time, sharing food, talking about the good 'ole times...it does that heart good doesn't it?

A few weeks ago (well, it's been almost 6 now, guess I'm behind on the blogging!) our whole family returned to Monterrey for the wedding of Becca and Rodolfo. Being back in Monterrey for nearly a week was quite the whirlwind of emotions. Seeing our friends, spending time in our community, getting to worship with our church - there were plenty of highlights to say the least. But one of our favorite moments was spent right in our old house, right around our huge table, with our boys.

We sent the alert out, and invited even those who have moved out to come back and join us for a dinner. It just so happened that it was Saul's birthday, and it was the perfect way to be able to celebrate - everyone together. It was a good dose of medicine to greet each one with a huge hug, to catch up, to laugh together, to hear them make fun of one another. To me, the entire night was nothing short of gift, and it wasn't even my birthday! Thank you God, for the gift of spiritual sons, and thanks for the gift it was to spend time with them. Thanks for the gift of family - you are the giver all things good!

Just miles from the ocean

So a couple of weeks ago we finally took our first-ever field trip to the beach with children who we work with. Six children from Casa Hogar San Jose, along with 7 of Oti's children came to the beach with a visiting family missions team from Ohio. We packed a big picnic lunch, we buddied up to be sure that everyone had a life guard, and we loaded up in vans to enjoy a day in the sand and the sea.

I've got to be honest...for our first ever field trip to the beach I think it was pretty successful! No one got burned, no one got lost...and in the end I think everyone had a great time.

I loved watching each person from the team connect with the child they were spending the afternoon with - some burying each other in the sand, some building castles, and other playing in the water.

One thing that really hit me was that 5 of Oti's children had never been to the beach. They were born and raised right here in Cancun. They literally live just miles from some of the most beautiful waters in the world - and they had never even seen the ocean. Their faces were priceless as they arrived, as they walked in the sand...and as they set their eyes on the Caribbean Sea. I can't say they were not filled with a healthy fear of the ocean, and it's gargantuan waves - but I know it was a day they will never forget.

Oti's 7 oldest children during our trip to the beach

Let the work begin!

So, when we began to investigate further the situation of the land that Noehmi's father was buying much to our surprise we discovered that he had actually already constructed the foundation for a house. Having that knowledge we looked at our options and decided to continue on top of that foundation so that the family could have a block structure rather than just something out of sticks and thatch.

We hired a mason that someone from the government had met, and he began to lay the block that would be the walls of the house. As it turns out, that week we had some families here visiting over their Spring break, and we were able to have them join us in our first official work day on Noehmi's house!

The house is located in a part of town called Tres Reyes, or Three Kings. Families can buy plots of land that are 10 meters across, by about 30 meters deep. It is on the far west outskirts of what is still Cancun. It has no running water, no electricity, no sewage, nothing. Nonetheless, families who are buying land there are excited because it is a fresh start for them, it's something they can actually own and can take complete ownership of.

When we arrived to begin working the mason was already there. As soon as we got out of the van we could hear Christian music. None other than Ray Botlz classics in Spanish. Thank you, for giving to the Lord, in Spanish. Enrique, our mason we had hired without really knowing him, is a believer. He came to know the Lord just about a year ago now. We marveled once again how God continues to connect the dots.

So as Enrique continued with his mission to lay block, and our team also joined in. Our mission: To find rocks from around the area to fill in center of the house, and to move an entire truckload of yellow dirt into the house, under what will one day be the floor of the house.

I have to admit, that the faces of the team wanted to say, "This looks impossible!" and "We'll never finish!" But by the grace of God, one rock at a time, and one shovel full at a time, we did it! I encouraged a few members of the team to write down prayers and scriptures during their water breaks, and to take time to place those pieces of paper within the block walls of the home as we worked - an in a sense to be dedicating the home to the Lord throughout our day.

What a great day to come together in service to the Lord, in service to this family during their time of great need, and to see God accomplish something that perhaps seemed impossible for our little time of 9. We look forward to where this relationship with Noehmi's family will lead - and we look forward to watching the progress on this new home for them. Our prayer is that it will truly be a blessing to them!

Poorest of the Poor

So a few weeks ago we were introduced to a family. The social worker from the DIF (child and family services) here in Cancun said she wanted us to meet a family, and wondered if there was anything we could do for them, as they were in a very rough situation.

15 year-old Noehmi, is lower functioning, perhaps mildly mentally challenged. A few months back Noehmi had a baby, and has been receiving some services through the teenage mom program that we've been serving back to back with here. Noehmi lives with her younger sister, who is in sixth grade, and her 17 year old brother who is no longer in school. These three teenagers live with their elderly grandparents.

The grandfather is not in good health. Their mother has passed away. And their father, who had always supported the entire family has recently been sentenced to prison. The father's old employer leant a room to the family to stay in.

When the social worker took us out to see the family we met them in this tiny back room of a house with a tin roof that was caving in over their heads. "Every time it rains all of our things get drenched," they explained.

They family had been making payments on a plot of land - but the income from Grandma selling tamales, and the 17 year old washing car windows at intersections had been barely enough to feed the family, let alone have anything left to make payments on their land, or to build a home.

"So do you think there is something Back2Back can do for this family," the question was posed by the social worker?

For one moment we sat in silence, and I felt overwhelmed, helpless, wondering what I could do to really make any difference. It all seemed so urgent. Yet for a moment I felt like I had no resources at my fingertips, no solutions to offer. And then God brought something to my mind.

Several weeks back a friend of ours on Back2Back staff in Monterrey shared that someone had given her some money and asked her to use it when she came across a situation of the "Poorest of the Poor". Our friend had shared with us that she praying about where to use the money in Monterrey, but felt that God might equally want to use the money in Cancun, and that we to should be praying and should let her know if we came up with a need.

This was it, this money was given for Noehmi's family - I was convinced! I contacted our friend, the money was still available. The social worker contacted the land owner of a plot of land the family had making payments on, and permission was given to begin working on construction of a new home for the family - somewhere they could call their own.

I could not have been more excited for the way God put the pieces together, and for the way were are going to have a chance to bless this family in a very, very real way.

Noehmi with her daughter, Miriam

Noehmi's sister, Blanca, making tamales with their grandmother

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