I'm finally in Mexico!

So many blessings on our way back to General Cepeda.   Yes, we did arrive about eight hours later than we had planned, i.e. 2 am early Friday morning.   This morning we were blessed to have the local pastor, Padre Humberto, publicly welcome us back and congratulate us on baby Rebekah during his closing remarks at mass!   It is amazing how these gestures make us feel at home.

We left Louisiana Wednesday at 9:30 am with another missionary family of eight, the Kiehls.   We had hotel reservations in Eagle Pass, Texas and where we also planned on rendezvousing with Jason, who was coming a slightly different route so he could surprise his mom for her birthday and visit with some of his benefactors.  Jason was also bringing down what we in FMC like to affectionately call Ol’ Blue, an old beat up suburban that has made its rounds in missionary fields and yet has miraculously been resurrected a number of times.  Jason had beaten us to the hotel by about two hours and blessed us by greeting us with a platter of freshly grilled venison burgers.  Ironically the last two hours of our drive was spent watching Bambi in our suburban’s DVD player.   For the record our suburban is called “the Beast.”

After a restful night’s sleep, a light continental breakfast, a quick dip in the pool for the kids, we were on the road to cross the border into Piedras Negras, Mexico, about five minutes from our hotel.   It was an extremely easy and uneventful crossing, and even though we did get a red light, the search of the Beast was minimal.   For those who do not know, when you cross the Mexican border, you get either a “random” green light or red light.   A green light means you just move ahead.  A red light however means you have to pull over where your vehicle could receive an extensive search that includes unpacking everything.   Praise God for easy red lights!   Jason and the Kiehls both got green lights.

When you travel into Mexico, there is a free zone that is about thirty miles in along the border.   In this thirty-mile strip you do not need a visa, to register your vehicle (what is called “importing your car”), or Mexican auto insurance.   But passed that point you need all the above.   Depending on where you cross, either at the border or just before this checkpoint, there is a government office, known as an “aduana” where you can get all the necessary paperwork.   This is the third time we have entered Mexico, albeit the first two times were from Laredo, Texas to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

One of the reasons why we took this new way is that shortly before this checkpoint there are two FMC missionary families from Mexico that are stationed in a town called Allende.   The first family is Tonio and Mari and their children, the second family is Gallo and Rita and their children.    

Tonio and Mari and Family

Gallo and Rita and Family

 Jason and the Kiehls know both them well and the Kiehls haven’t seen them in about two years.   When Tonio and Mari heard that we would be through, they insisted that we stop for a meal.   Many consider Mari’s homemade flour tortillas as simply the best… period.   In addition, we had received word that Tonio was in need of a new guitar for his ministry, which we were able to deliver thanks to the generosity of a benefactor in Lafayette.   Despite the fact that our Spanish is pretty weak, we were so impressed by the generosity, authenticity, and warmth of these two fellow missionary families.

After about an hour and a half visit we loaded back into the vehicles to head to the aduana to get our visas and import our vehicles.   We had no problem at all with Ol’ Blue and the Beast, but we ran into a problem with the van that the Kiehls were driving.   Mexico passed a law about a year ago that limited which U.S. vehicles could be imported.   Any passenger vehicle over 3.5 tons were not allowed (probably to cut back smuggling).   The two suburbans were fine, but the van that the Kiehls drove weighed in at 4.5 tons.  In order to request an exception we would have to drive back thirty miles to Piedras Negras and ask at the main boarder office.   After weighing our options on whether we should go ahead, we decided to stay together as a group.   Honestly, had we separated, yes we would have arrived to General Cepeda sooner, but we would not be at peace until we were all together.

Amazing though all of this we all remained upbeat and joyful.   Yes there were to practical things to figure out, but we were filled with hope and remained anxiety free.   And this was totally a gift from God, because when we went back to the main office, which was not easy to find, we were unable to get an exception.   After a well-deserved ice cream stop, we decided that we would return to Tonio and Mari’s house where we would repack our three vehicles so that everyone could fit into the two suburbans.   We would leave the van at their house and any luggage that didn’t fit we would have Gallo drive down a week later, as he plans on coming to the first short-term mission trip to help out.

Again we could not be more blessed by the generosity of our Mexican missionaries.   When we showed up and explained what had happened, without batting an eye, Tonio sincerely offered his personal white suburban with Mexican plates and keep the van at his house.   What an amazing witness and act of selfless service!   We had noticed that Tonio had just washed his vehicle that morning.   The tires still had that shiny wet look and there was still a puddle on the driveway.   Tonio just smiled and said that it must of known that God needed it to take a road trip.   I am inspired and humbled.   Am I detached enough from my material things to loan them out to those in need?   Do I see my possessions, talents, etc. as mine, or do I see them as the Lord’s to use according to His will and that I am just a temporary steward?

Our caravan of suburbans... Tonio's white one, the Beast, and Ol' Blue with a smattering of Gehl and Kiehl kids

By the time we repacked and got back on the road it was now almost dinnertime.   We had hoped to arrive at General by 6 pm, but God had other plans.   After stopping for dinner and a couple gas stops, we finally pulled up to the mission house at 2 am.

Not only did God use this opportunity to inspire us and to unite us to our Mexican brothers and sisters, but also the fact that we remained joyful throughout the whole ordeal, brought us closer to the Kiehls and Jason.   We would have been justified getting frustrated and irritable, but remained levelheaded and upbeat.

One of the challenges that our non-U.S. citizen FMC missionaries have is finding donors to partner with them.   As an American missionary family, we have friends and family in the States that simply have more resources at their disposal with which to be generous.   This proves to be a challenge for Tonio and Mari and Gallo and Rita.   We are so thankful for so many of you and your prayer and partnership.   Would you prayerfully consider supporting our Mexican missionaries?   Whether you can commit to a monthly gift or only a onetime donation, they will be truly blessed.  Here are their FMC links...  Tonio and Mari and Gallo and Rita.   Oh and while they were offering their suburban and helping us reload the vehicles, several dozen children were being dropped off at their house for a regularly scheduled evening of children’s ministry and catechesis.   Truly amazing people!

Finally on a much lighter note…  there is a little more dust down here in the Mexican desert.   The other night I laid Naomi down on our bed to get her changed into her PJs.   As soon as I put her down, I immediately became aware of how dirty she had become.  She left this amazing artwork.   Yes those are curls from her hair!

The true icon of Naomi's hair.

Prayer requests…

• Please keep our community leaders, Ben and Natalia Schumann, in your prayers.   They are currently in the States preparing to have their third child. 
• Next week begins our first week-long missions trip for the summer.   Please pray they the Lord prepares the hearts of those coming down, our hearts as we prepare to host them, and the hearts of those that we will be serving.