Mexico, Part 1

Mexico. We were going to Mexico and it included at 7.5 hour bus ride. Are you kidding me!? Who would actually pick a bus in a foreign county as their choice of transportation!? Not to mention we were leaving at 1:00 IN THE MORNING! Who are these people?

 

Honestly, it was as a uncomfortable as you think. But not as bad as I was thinking and on the bright side Kaylee and I only had to ride it once. The other 16 people who were on our team got to experience the excitement twice.

 

I was imagining a 1950's school bus, remodeled, with benches around the sides and two poles for those who were unlucky enough to stand. I pictured women with woolen, brown shawls wrapped around them and 3 bags of groceries falling off their lap. Babies crying and men with cigars and worn out coyboy hats. I'm pretty sure I envisioned a few chickens squawking all around the bus too!

 

Maybe I watched MASH one too many times!

 

Here was the reality: a really nice Greyhound type bus. Heat. Cushioned seats that recline and bless them, a bathroom. There were a lot of people, but no crying babies, no cigars, and no squawking chickens. Just soft talk and snoring.

 

I'm WAY ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning (a very good place to start, that's from the Sound of Music just in case you needed to know.)

 

 

 

Kaylee and I arrived about the same time as the rest of the group. We left later because she was singing in a wedding the day we were leaving.

 

When the van turned on a pothole filled gravel/dirt road to take us to the apartments we were going to live in for the next 6 days, I got the exact same feeling from when we turned on the road to Morning Star when we met the kids. My body tensed and the pit in my stomach grew to size of the Grand Canyon. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut tight!

I think it took about 26 hours, but I finally realized we weren't in Peru anymore, Toto. This was Mexico. Masquerading as Peru in my mind. The smells, the sounds, it was all the same. Flashbacks were turning as fast as a strobe light! Oh the drama of it all!

 

I think my brain was un-twisting. I guess it could have been the altitude or two airplane rides we just experienced. You know, the cabin air inside the airplane really can't be that good for you. But mostly it felt like my brain was un-twisting. I'm pretty sure I felt it flip-flop over to the other side.

 

Finally, by Tuesday I was good. The fog had lifted. The fog in my brain. I can't really tell you why my brain was un-twisting, but I've narrowed it down to three reasons:

 

1. The last time I was on a mission trip was about 7 years ago. I couldn't believe it either. Perhaps my brain was remembering what is like to go on a mission trip.

2. The last time I flew out of the country, we picked up 3 little brown Mowgli children. My brain could have possibly been freaking out and then realizing it wasn't the same trip.

3. Amazingly enough, the selfishness inside me has risen to a new high. Especially since we got the kiddos. Weird, huh? Even though having kids really reveals how self-centered any person can be, I took it to a new level. Instead of conquering that self-centeredness, I let it conquer me. My brain sort of shut down in different areas. All of a sudden my world was taken over by 3 little bosses. My inner self started grasping at everything it could that wasn't being ripped away by tiny hands. I grabbed any chance I could to be "me", because suddenly I felt like I wasn't "me" anymore and I couldn't figure out how I was supposed to be now. I lost myself.

 

I think the un-twisting was a combination of all three choices. My brain was finding itself again. Going to Mexico was probably the first mission trip I went on to truly serve others, to help them further their ministry.

 

 

The week was great. I loved being with our team and with the people in Mexico and the city we where we were serving.

 

 

I'll give you an overview of what we did next time.

 

 

 

PS: I've started the Beth Moore James study. She discusses joy in the 3rd session. Oh wow!

I'll get around to that soon! Maybe when I finish One Thousand Gifts.