Faces of Mazatlan

Just of sampling of some of the fabulous faces of the children here in Mazatlan. They are why we are here.

Rancho de Los Ninos

Rancho de Los Ninos is a childrens home here in Mazatlan that serves primarily special needs children. Right now they have 17 boys and 1 girl (grandchild of a worker) living at Rancho. Yes, just one girl! She is pictured below with my sweet Sofia :) We have already built a strong connection with this home and our staff is already planning some great projects to help strengthen and improve the facilities here. We have been so impressed by the directors and workers at this home and their deep love for the children. Their needs are many but there is really a spirit of peace and contentment in this home. We are excited to support them and help them address the many needs of the children here.

Salvation Army

A few photos from one of the casa hogares we will be working with here in Mazatlan: Salvation Army. Directors David & Marianela(pictured below with JJ), have great hearts and have created an atmosphere of love and respect in this home.  You can feel it when you spend time there and with the children. You can tell they feel loved and a part of a family. We are blessed to be able to come alongside these directors and children and be a part of the work God is already doing there. As JJ mentioned in a previous post, this home was the site of our first official Back2Back group. What a special place it is!! Come see it for yourself :)

Our First Group

This week we had the privilege of having a few friends visit us from Cincinnati.  Amy and Amy, who have been to our Monterrey site a number of times, were visiting some relatives here in Mazatlan and connected with us for our first unofficial group day and staff outing since Rodo and Becca Arguello joined our Mazatlan team on Monday.  We decided to head to the Salvation Army home and make a big spaghetti and meatball dinner with and for the kids.  It was a great afternoon and evening where most of the kids at the home joined the Amys in the kitchen to help with chopping and preparing veggies, making the cakes with Becca, and hand rolling all the meatballs.

The directors at this home, David and Marianela Sanchez, love Jesus and love the kids God has placed with them.  You can see the impact their relationship is having on the lives of the kids there.  Rodo and I had a time to walk around their property and to ask them about their needs and the things they would like to change/add/update about their facility so that they can better care for their kids.  God has placed it on my heart that He wants to use Back2Back here in Mazatlan to help bring to fruition the dreams that the directors of the orphanages have for their homes and their kids.  I shared with them that I have been praying that God would do something so much bigger than me, our staff team or Back2Back as an organization.  I want to be a part of something that will demonstrate the power and love of our Heavenly Father and that will bring HIM glory.  You could see that they had such dreams but weren't used to people asking about how they could help to fulfill them.

Pray with us that God would show up in a way that is way bigger than all of us could even imagine.

Amy B and Amy T getting ready to serve the first plate

Azucena, Jan, and Vicente chopping veggies with JJ

Claudia with only about a third of the meatballs they prepared

Vicente, Roberto, Juan, Pavel, and Jonathan enjoying their meal

Thanks as always for your prayers and support.

Cast the nets

I saw a man at the beach this morning, fishing in the ocean. He was up to his waist in the water and as each wave would break he would throw out his net. I watched him for quite some time...casting the net, casting the net, casting the net.  I never saw him actually catch anything but there he stood with the waves crashing into him, faithfully throwing a net the size of a bed sheet into the ocean over and over again. I was struck by the simpilicity of his task and wondered what he must be thinking. Miles of beach stretched out on each side, ocean as far as you can see and he was the only one out fishing. Does he get discouraged? Does he think, "what's the point?" Is he constantly looking around and thinking "that spot looks better" or "maybe I could catch more over there?" I must admit, I would probably be thinking those things. As I watched him and wondered I sensed the Lord saying "fish where you are set". Just as this man was doing, faithfully fishing in the spot where he was set.

Today this is my prayer for our ministry, for Back2Back Mazatlan, that we will fish where we are set. With a new site and lots of unknowns it is easy to get distracted by all the possibilities. It is easy to be constantly looking around thinking "what about over there? or maybe there? should we rent that house? buy that property? are there more childrens homes? maybe that neighborhood would be better?" It is even easier to be thinking "we need bigger nets, better nets, more fisherman etc." But the Lord has laid this scene heavily on my heart, that we would fish where we are set, with what we have... just like that man at the beach. That we would use the nets and fishermen He has already provided. That we would get off the safety of the beach and into the surf and faithfully cast the nets, cast the nets, cast the nets. That while the 163 million orphans in the world can feel like an ocean to us, He has called us to go after these, here in Mazatlan, where He has set us.

Lord, lead our ministry to the place you have already set for us here in Mazatlan. Give us the courage and the faith to get into the surf and cast your nets and cast your nets and cast your nets until you tell us to move! May all the glory go to You, Amen!!

Holding on with Both Hands

Matthew 11:12  From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.

I would like everyone to think I'm a pioneer.  It sounds great to say that we are forging a new path and breaking new ground here in Mazatlan but God has made it it abundantly clear in the last week and a half since our arrival that He has been advancing His Kingdom here in Mazatlan for years and years and He has brought us here to be a part of the work already taking place.  I am praising Him for how connected we already are to a couple local churches and to the children's homes here in Mazatlan.

We went to Iglesia Vida Nueva (New Life Church) this morning and Pastor Carlos called me up (without warning, of course) to share about Back2Back and what we are there to do.  What a blessing it was to be able to share our heart for the orphan child and how we desire to see the church live out it's mission to be a blessing to the world by taking care of the orphan population. Carlos went on to share about Joshua and claiming the promise land and fulfilling the role that God has given us.  He must've referenced Back2Back a half dozen times as he encouraged the congregation to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need.

A college grad, Pancho, from this church that I had met on my previous 2 visits to Mazatlan was there to greet us today.  We hugged each other and it felt like he had been waiting for us to get there for a really long time.  (I know the feeling) We talked for a while after the service about he wants to significantly participate with Back2Back and our work in the children's homes.  I could easily see him coming on staff with us. 

Mandy and I ran into Pastor Brian the other day.  He is from the States and is the pastor of a  well established Assembly of God church here in Mazatlan.  His youngest kiddos attend the same school as Sofia and Nico. I had met Brian on a previous trip to Mazatlan.  We talked briefly about all that God was doing in and through their church body in the Mazatlan area.  We also talked about how we might partner together to serve and care for the local orphan kids.

So, even though Back2Back and the Lail Family are new to Mazatlan, God is NOT.  He has long been advancing His Kingdom here and we are trying to grab a hold of it with all we have.  May God move swiftly to rescue those kids who have suffered greatly and may He be glorified in all we do!!!

Ya llegamos!! We are here!!

Well, 2600 miles and 6 days later we landed in Mazatlan, Mexico!! We have officially been here 1 week and it has been a whirlwind of activity enrolling the kids in school, getting phone service, cell phones, internet, water service and multiple trips to the immigration office to sort out our visas!! Just the visas and school alone have occupied probably 5 of the 7 days and we aren't done yet. But its all part of getting settled. We should have internet in the house next week and that will help us settle into some more regular communication.  We are a bit worn out but super blessed and looking forward to getting past the details of moving in and onto the ministry God has already started here in Mazatlan. Photos and more updates to come!!