This is a note I wrote on Facebook upon my return reflecting on the relief trip:

During the last week in Monterrey the Riv team and I spent most our week with our jaws agape at the destruction caused by Hurricane Alex. People who had little now had even less. Homes that where hardly sufficient were now non-existent.

In the midst of the hurt God’s sovereignty though cut through the despair like a knife. I heard one of the Back to Back Staffers explaining that the people “asked God for help” so God sent a giant (referring to Jerred whom is a giant in his own right, but his size is quickly eclipsed by the size of his heart, something the kiddos capitalized on).

Day in and day out prayers big and small were answered. Don’t get me wrong, I’m left scratching my head, awestruck at how things can just be left like they were / are. But, it was shown to me over and over, that God is in ultimate control, and He listens when His people pray. All week long we begged and pleaded with Christians back home to pray that Tropical Storm Bonnie would just go somewhere else, and show them more mercy than Alex showed Monterrey. Well, the photo below shows exactly how that prayer was answered. God please send TS Bonnie somewhere else: God’s response “no.” God please show these people mercy: God’s answer “yes.” TS Bonnie was supposed to start dumping rain on Monterrey at 11 on Thursday. The Back 2 Back campus hardly got a drizzle, but we watched some nasty clouds roll right over head to the next mountain over and open up the flood gates, it came down in sheets as you can see in this photo. That mountain, I was told, got 10 inches of rain, while our mountain was practically in the sun.

Thank you for praying for our safety. Thank you for praying for the kids. Thank you for praying for our friends @ Back 2 Back who are offering care for today and hope for tomorrow.

My buddy Kevin made this video after we got back, giving a quick overview of some of the work we did in Monterrey. The brick home we are cleaning out was completely flooded and full of mud. The family’s appliances (a rarity in this shanty town) were ruined. I make a quick cameo at the very end of the video, Kevin had incited all of the kids to start calling me “la nina” (the girl).

Riv6 Mexico Trip, July 2010. from Kevin Judy on Vimeo.