The blog has been updated with all of the stories and pictures from Mexico. Enjoy reading and drop me a line or click on comment to leave a message on the blog itself!
If you want to start from the preparations for the trip-go back to May archives, otherwise, click below for the first day of the trip.
The Day Has Finally Come
-John
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Journal Entries Complete!
Journal Entries Menu
Tuesday, June 08, 2004-"Sharp and Pointy"
Saturday, June 12, 2004-"The Big Day"
Saturday, June 12, 2004-"In Texas"
Sunday, June 13, 2004-"Border Crossing"
Sunday, June 13, 2004-"Garden of Eden with Geckos & Tacos"
Monday, June 14, 2004-"Machine Guns and Fried Fish"
Monday, June 14, 2004-Taxis,Shoe Shopping and Tito Puente"
Tuesday, June 15, 2004-"Blue Herons and Strawberry Anesthia"
Tuesday, June 15, 2004-"Last Patient for the Day"
Wednesday, June 16, 2004-"Bad Fish and Dirty Syringes"
Wednesday, June 16, 2004-"Sponge Bob,Sting, and Cashews"
Thursday, June 17, 2004-"Debriefing"
Thursday, June 17, 2004-"At the Beach"
Friday, June 18, 2004-"Back in Texas"
Saturday, June 19, 2004-"Really Home Now"
Monday, June 28, 2004-"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"
Saturday, June 19, 2004
Really home now..
June 19th entry
Lovely slow breakfast-thanks for leaving the Pop-Tarts and string cheese out for us Christine!
Caught a plane out of Austin for Cincinnati. Got patted down by the security guy, the cause was a 5 peso coin in my wallet. Finished "Watership Down" and finally started on "Wind in the Willows".
Not sure exactly how to explain all that I learned and what happened inside of me throughout the whole trip-still working on that-look for a future entry.
Touched down at 8:30 pm Indiana time-promptly went to McDonalds for a Big Mac...
Friday, June 18, 2004
Back in Texas...
June 18th entry
Left around 6 am for Texas and spent about 16 hours on the road total before we rolled into New Braunfels.
Got held up at the border again with the vehicles, waited an hour in the heat. After exchanging our money,(Hey, theres not so much back this time!), we went to the Golden Corral Steakhouse. It's like a Ryan's Steakhouse in Indiana. Ate and ate, then ate some more. It was a wave of relief to be back in the states. Really enjoyed our host home letting us have the place all to ourselves. Finally got to watch Sponge Bob in english.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
At the beach...
June 17th pm entry
Finally made it to the Gulf of Mexico. We rented some cabanas, put on our bathing suits and relaxed until about 5 pm. I went swimming for a little while and then came back and sat under the shade and read my book for a couple of hours. Shopping at the beach is alot of fun, because you can do it without leaving your chair if you like, the vendors come to you. Or you can go to the mini mall of palm tree huts and shop there. Heres a picture of Laura in a new coverup she bought on the beach. We also bought alot of pottery and a great deal of jewelry(none for me).The vendors also brought by corn on the cob, candy, fruit, and other goodies. We left around 5 pm.
Later that night we went out for dinner to Burger King and Baskin Robbins. Not very exciting, but it was nice to taste something familiar. What's so interesting about Mexico and the United States is how they are both becoming so similar. There are a lot of signs and places in Mexico with english names and labels, but much of the States has many names in Spanish. Even in Elkhart this is very common. The two countries are connected closer every day.
Debriefing
June 17th entry am entry
Yesterday was the last day of clinics. Today was a free day-that means shopping and the beach. We started out with breakfast and what is called "debriefing". That is where you try to make sense of all that has happened to you and get a chance to share with the rest of the group how the trip has affected you.
My group was adults doing a medical clinic, the other two groups were teenagers and adults working at a local church and orphanage to do painting and other work projects. The teenagers were very touched by the whole thing and a lot of them were crying at what they had seen and heard. It's not that I am hard, it's just that since this is my third trip here, I'm not in such shock over what I have seen. Instead, I am more firmly convinced everytime I come here of the things God had showed me in the past. But one thing did make me cry.
The dentist María got up and spoke to the group through one of the translators. She said that she had always did all that she could to help her people, but it amazed her to see foreigners (extranjeros) travelling so far and spending so much money to show love to her people, and on behalf of the people of Mexico, she thanked us. That got to me.
Here's a picture of María and her son Hernan who came on the trip with us:
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Spoong Bob, Sting, and Honey Roasted Cashews..
June 16th pm entry
The way home from the clinic seemed to take forever. We were stopped once by a group of what appeared to be Brahma cattle blocking the road, and then a very agitated skunk who walked slowly tail up in the air like a flag in front of the van. I was starting to feel a little better coming into town and then when I got back to the hotel and waves of nausea hit again.
They were going for tacos again. It just was not even possible to eat another taco. It was so late, none of the other restaraunts were open. I was not only tired, I was sick, hungry and cranky and had just been overloaded with everything around me. I think I managed not to say anything rude to anybody before I got to my room.
I read once in my favorite book about traveling in Mexico, "The People's Guide to Mexico", that sometimes gringos get overwhelmed by being in a different culture and just need to be comforted with familiar things. So I took a hot shower, watched Sponge Bob on Nickelodian(pronounced Spoonge Bob in Mexico). Then I found a radio station playing American music, The Police to be exact, and dipped into my stash of junk food from the states. I highly recommend Honey Roasted Cashews and "Every Breath You Take" as a cure for a good snit. I know there are spiritual people that may read this with all sorts of more edifying ways of getting out of a bad emotional state, but at that point I could not have prayed if I tried.
The next morning I felt like a new man...Thank you Lord.
Bad Fish and Dirty Syringes...
June 16th AM entry
Crawled out of bed at around 6:00 am this morning. Grabbed some prayer and devotions wherever I could. Breakfast was awesome again-they made enchiladas suizas-thats enchiladas with chicken and swiss cheese in a delicate green sauce. I also had some hot cakes that really made me feel like I was back in the states. Great coffee and orange juice, and I am ready to get out to the clinic.
I started with registering about 35 people and then we stopped for the time being, depending on how well we did, we may or may not have taken more. It turned out with the severity of their needs that is all we could look after for this day.
I then assisted with getting the dental trays. After that I learned how to sterilize instruments, which is the closest to a cushy job in the clinic, except you have to scrub blood off of dental instruments and be very careful to keep things clean and sterile. The tweezers had little grooves in them that blood collected in. I had to scrub them with a wire brush.
When we had enough instruments clean and trays ready for the next few patients, I gave someone else a break from assisting the dentists.
We finally went to lunch around 2 pm. It was over 90 degrees and 100% humidity. The pastor's wife set down in front of us a fish casserole that tasted of sardines with red chiles. From the first taste, I could tell this was going to be the meal that made me sick-not that I am a pessimist, but something did not taste right and I knew had no other choice but to eat it.
Two hours later back in the clinic, I was finally forced to become intimate with the toilet that I had made a concerted effort not to have more than a passing aquaintance with. I don't know what it is about remote areas of Mexico, but they all seem to see the toilet seat itself as some sort of superflous luxury. It didn't last long, and I took some Immodium AD and pepto bismol and got back to work.I had drank plenty of water, and two gatorades, but this had got the best of me and I was actually sick...Had a high temperature and according to Laura became grouchy. We were there a long time cleaning up until about 7:30 p.m., the service had already started, but our guide and driver Pete let us go home instead of making us go to the service.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
The Last Patient for the Day..
June 15th-pm entry
It was after 5 pm and we had seen approximately 35-40 patients all day-some of them getting both cleanings and fillings-so it was like more than that. All we could think about was food, and bed, not even in that order. I had brought snacks, but it wasn't enough. There was no sweat left in me, it was hot and I felt like I could not go any further.
The other team had arrived from Tampico and was preparing to hold an open air crusade in the village square-we were just trying to finish up the last patients and go home.
A young man in his 20's showed up and explained that he had to be at work by 5 am tommarow and would not have a chance to come tommarow morning and would not make it before we had too many patients. When María looked at his teeth it became obvious something had to be done. She set about to cleaning his teeth and I helped her out. While she was doing it one of the women who was important in the church came up to María and started speaking to her about this young man in Spanish. The "pillar" in the church told María that this young man was possibly not even saved and did not come to church regularly and that she should not be working on his teeth. No matter where you go religion always wants to make blessings a result of works and not of grace.
María explained to this lady that this man's relationship to the church and spiritual condition did not enter into whether she would help him or not, and she was going to take care of his teeth anyway. The woman looked hurt and turned and walked away. María had been up since 5:30 am like the rest of us, and did not take breaks like the rest of us-only lunch. It was after 6 pm and she was still doing great work and not slowing down. This guy's teeth were horrid! He had to rinse often because of the huge amound of blood and food particles. But María did not berate him, but was kind and loving and ministered to him.
There are a lot of heroes in the world, but María is my idea of a hero. Someone who sacrifices to put the needs of others before their own, and does it with no complaining or fanfare. She may not be a Benito Juarez or Emiliano Zapata-but she is still a hero of Mexico in my book.
We finally finished and headed home, we managed to talk our driver and guide Pete into taking us to Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner, which was very good. No honey for the biscuits-but awesome strawberry preserves. Fell into an exhausted sleep, at around midnight again....
Pan Dulce, Blue Herons and Strawberry Flavored Topical Anisthetic...
June 15th AM entry
Today started out very slowly. Still exhausted from yesterday I managed to actually pull my sorry butt out of bed by 5:30 am to have devotions and pray-and fell asleep promptly in the middle-but did manage to wake back up and have some productive time.
Breakfast at Don Eduardo's again-this is the high point of the day as far as eating goes for me.
Rode again with Ron out to the village. Stopped off in another village to spend some time with the neighboring pastors and invite them to come. We drank some great coffee and ate sweet bread with a pastor and his family, talked about all sort of different things-just passed an hour in pleasant conversation. Alot of missionary work, at least in Mexico is spent drinking coffee, and making friends. I have read in books about doing in business in Mexico that "Relationships are the social oil that makes everything work smoothly", and that is even more true for missionary work also. Ron explained that before any clinics or crusades can take place there is so much legwork that needs to be done, and you have to sell people in the village on the idea, and then remind them and promote it to other churches. Nothing happens overnight or haphazardly when it comes to setting up these kind of events.
When we arrived at the clinic, things were already set up and just beginning. I set up registration and trained one of the ladies from Texas on how to do it-Her name is Vicky. Then I assisted the dentists. Since everything is mobile, you have to hold a flashlight into the patient's mouth so the dentist can see what they are doing. Then get the dentist gauze, or water, or hold up the spit bucket so the patient can rinse out their mouth. Because so few of them have brushed very often, there is a lot of blood in the spit, it was not a pretty site.
I watched extractions, cleanings and fillings, I watched María inject people with Novacane. When I got tired I would sit down and one of the other people would take over. Laura was trained in doing teeth cleanings and by the end of the day was a pro at it. She was very impressive. She said that sometimes the teeth were completely covered with plaque.***Click here to see her cleaning teeth***. The cleaning apparatus had a suction device that also filled with bloody waste water too that had to be emptied. By the end of the day, I became the one to empty all of the "Bio Hazard" liquid waste into the proper receptacle-at least I did not throw up.
At one point in the day, I took a break and Ron drove me down to the part of the village that is connected to a salt water tributary on the gulf. There was a salty cool breeze that chilled my sweaty body. I saw blue herons everywhere and could see the fish swimming in the water.
Two of the main industries in this village is producing sea salt by letting in the water to a flood plain and then letting it evaporate and collecting the sea salt and there is also a fishery where they collect a lot of shrimp.The flood plain is on the left and the building on the right is the fishery in the picture.
We went to lunch in two shifts. It was not as wonderful today as the first day, but I was hungry and ate it. We had ground beef and potatoes, rice, and napolitos(heart of cactus-very good-like tangy green beans) and some of the wonderful chilled and washed mexican plums that tasted like mangos.
After lunch I was trained on preparing trays for the dentists to use on each patient. You had to be sterile, and be very clean. You had to put a bib, a mirror, a probe, tweezers, 2 vials of novacaine and a sterile needle, a syringe, gauze and a bottle of Strawberry Flavored Topical Antisthetic-that was the kid's favorite flavor-we had mint-but not used as much.
Taxis, Zapatos Chulos y Tito Puente..
Arriving back at the hotel after meeting the Mexican Army, we had some free time. María the Dentist and one of the women from Texas named Vicki decided to take a bus into town and do some shopping. I realized this may be our only time to get any real quality shopping other than at the beach so we,(Laura and I) took off with them-we had to be back by 5 pm to go to the night service.
I love doing this sort of thing because you put yourself in the situation where you could get lost or have a real adventure. We got to the Plaza and it was beautiful-like all the other Plazas in Mexico.
María and Vicki were looking for shoes and baby's clothes and I was looking for a silver turqouise ring-because the stone broke in one my Mom gave me. We found some really nice rings and they cost less than 40 dollars. After that the adventure wained, I became the bored tag-along on a shoe hunt. Shoe shopping with three women rarely becomes exciting, no matter what country you are in. Prices not so hot either. They stayed at it so long we had to take a taxi back-which was kind of fun, and we made it back just in time.
The service that night was held at a stucco church called Agua Viva (Living Water)in a poor neighboorhood down by the beach (that is Pastor Dave from Indiana in the picture). They had lovely mango trees, a friendly pastor who looked and acted a lot like Tito Puente-¡El Rey de Salsa!. There was a real feeling of fellowship between the people from the US and the Mexicans. We all had a lovely service.
I got to give a testimony in Spanish, and it went really well. María said that she understood all of it. This was a real high point of the trip for me, that my Spanish is getting to the point where it is useful and people understand me.
Even though the service was great, it wasn't until 10 pm we got out of there, and did not get dinner until after 11 pm. I got to bed after midnight, totally exhausted...
Monday, June 14, 2004
Soldiers in Hummers and Fried Fish ...
June 14th AM entry
Got up at 5:30 am to get ready for the first trip to set up the clinic. We loaded up in vans and headed for Don Eduardo's restaraunt for an outstanding breakfast. We had eggs, chilquiles, black beans, and hot cakes with maple syrup(Mexicans do outstanding hot cakes, and they are very popular here). There was also the heavy clotted cream and salsa-the green was like fire, but the red was more my cup of tea. Lots of hot coffee and plenty of orange juice.
Steve Muscarella did the devotion and talked about how many people perish without getting a chance to understand the gospel. We then prayed and dismissed with 3 groups going to three different locations.
I rode with Ron Walicki, who is the senior missionary there and has been our friend for sometime. We had an excellent talk and I learned a lot of things about ministering in Mexico. It is true that relationships play a larger part in evangelism, and people may be convinced of the gospel easy enough but true conversion and understanding takes a little longer than it seems to in the United States. Once we turned off the highway, were on a rocky dirt road that seemed to go on forever. Crops and cattle and vaqueros(Mexican Cowboys) greeted us with a nod. I did think the cowboys seemed a little stand-offish compared to other parts of Mexico, but I did not think about that until later on in the day.
Finally arriving at the clinic in Emborranco,Tamaulipas , we began to set up. People were starting to gather around, and I met the pastor Hermano Pompoyo. We soon found out that we did not have the medical instruments to do anything, no cleanings, no fillings, nothing-they were in another trailer back in a van in Tampico-more than an hour and a half away from here, it was already near noon when we realized this and there was no way we could make it back in time to do any work. It was heart breaking, but we had to close up the clinic and tell them we would be back in the morning.
Before we left, the pastor insisted we come to his house because they had already prepared the meal for the day. His house is larger than most people's in town, had mangos and key lime trees along with a small plum like fruit called Cidallias that tasted like a cross between a mango and a tomato-very good. The kitchen was a shack outside of the house with a wood stove for all of the cooking.
His wife made us fresh fried fish that tasted like Tilappia with rice beans and a wonderful home made salsa that was very subtle. with fresh corn tortillas. She was a chubby women with long brown hair and a silver tooth, even though she is Mexican, her way and manner were the same as many Assembly of God pastor's wives I have met. "Full-Gospel" culture seems to translate very easily...
After lunch I rode back with Ron in his GMC and the others piled into the van and we started back to the hotel in Tampico. As we rounded a corner I could see two olive drab hummers in the distance-it was the Mexican Army, and probabally about twenty men with .30 caliber HK assault rifles waved us to pull over.
They all appeared about 18-20 years old, except for the commanding officer who looked about my age or older. Ron and I were told to get out of the vehicle and they searched our stuff. Our van arrived shortly after and they stopped them also. I wasn't really scared, I had been through these things before-besides we had nothing with us that was contraband. Finally , the dentist Maria spoke to the officer in charge and he believed her.
Ron told me later that this was not a high crime area and he rarely had seen them out there. Maria told me she was sure someone had called them about us specifically because a large group of gringos in nice vehicles in a remote area is very suspicious. I wondered now if the cowboys may have had a cellphone in their saddlebags...
Next Mexico Entry: Taxis, Zapatos Chulos y Tito Puente
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Green trees, Mangos, Geckos, and Tacos with limes...
Made it over the border and am in Tampico. There is an internet connection in the lobby for 10 pesos, heck of a deal.
I was concerned that I would be seeing only scrubbrush and cactus, but with the rain, the state of Tamaulipas is like an incredible lush garden that has never been tended(think Secret Garden). It was an incredible trip that was incredibly green and lush and like candy to the eyes. Mountains in the distance shrouded by dark clouds and mists with a base of green sprawling farmland in every direction overwhelmed us as we drove.
Two culinary events for the day, had a cantalope ice cream bar and a candy made from goat milk and pecans, then finally had the best tacos with lime and cilantro and onions over them. Have a gecko in our room and a mango tree in the back. There is a kidney shaped pool with a waterfall and air conditioning in the room. There was also a gecko in the air conditioner, but he is not bothering anyone....
Tommarow we start the clinics.
Next Mexico Entry: Soldiers in Hummers and Fried
At the border about to go into Mexico..
After this we would be given the run-around by the border beauracrats as they watched Soccer in between telling us to go to other windows for more stamps of our documents. Very very hot...
Next Mexico Entry:Green trees, Mangos, Geckos, and Tacos with limes
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Arrived in Texas..
Finally made it Texas. We were put up in a very nice host home with a lady named Kristy that used to live in Mishawaka. She insisted that when we come back we use her house, even though she would not be here. Her daughter let us sleep in her bed, and her little boy was delightful.
We met one of our drivers, Jaime. He used to work for immigration, but quit that to attend the school of the ministry at Tree of life and to work for the church.
Just from these two people we met I continue to be struck by the quiet dignity of people I meet in the world. Both of them have alot of other things going on in their worlds and either putting up a couple of strangers when you have alot of other things going on in your life, or changing your life's direction to emphasize service to God and people over money and status, they both are in their own way quiet heroes to make the world a better place.
Next Mexico Post: At the Border
The Day Has Finally Come...
Well, the big day is here. I am finally packed, only stayed up until 11:15 to do it. I am sucking on a coffee(1 equal and 1 sugar in the raw packet),trying to shake the no-caffeine morning headache, staring bleary-eyed at the screen, trying to type something, anything...
I love that point in any endeavor when you stop preparing. Nothing else can be done, whether you are ready or not, you finally relax even if you are in the face of certain doom, because you just cannot do anything more.
I feel prepared enough, now I just want to have fun.
We leave the house at 9 to get to the airport at 10, leave South Bend at 11:59 and arrive in Austin,TX around 5 pm. Leave for Tampico the next morning on a 12 hour drive. Now the utter and complete boredom starts until we finally get there.
Next Mexico Post: Arrived in Texas
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
No Sharp Pointy Things...
I hate packing to go through security since 9/11. This from a man who collects pocket knives and carries 2 most of the time. No multi-tools, no swiss army knives, no japenese steel spyderco, it's enough to make a guy feel naked, and of course the 12" KBar Marine combat knife is sulking in the bottom of my footlocker along with the flare gun-sorry guys.
This is the more redneck side of my personality. I am putting one knife-my $13.95 4 blade victorinox swiss army knife in my checked bag along with a pair of needle nose pliers, that is the extent of tools. But when I am in Mexico, it stays in my "utility" bag in the backpack.
Here's a list of other things that I refuse to leave the country without:
-duct tape(small pocket pack)
-parachute cord(25')
-AA Maglite
-Wire Ties
-whistle
-compass (I have *NO* sense of direction)
-matches
-lighter
-55 Gallon Black Garbage Bags
-Ziplock freezer bags
-Red Bandana
-dental floss
-Cherry Almond Clif Bars(the best flavor)
-Werthers Hard Candies
-Immodium AD
Survival is not just about being prepared, it's also about buying cool stuff and being smug. But in the end it feels more like just dragging alot of useless crap around.
Next Mexican Entry: The Day Has Finally Come
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Audio Blogging
This is something brand new that blogger has set up where I can leave messages over the phone and they are transferred over to the blog as a Windows Media File. I may use this in Mexico depending on how much time I have.
Click on the icon to hear my smooth manly voice....
Getting Anxious...
Have been preparing and buying things, but mostly I am just anxious. I know you can't expect a trip to change your life, but the first time I made this trip it did just that. I returned from the first trip to Mexico a changed man, touched by the people and the compassion of the Lord. That trip was the real catalyst for my desire to continue learning Spanish.
The second trip was just as significant, maybe not as relaxing(pesky teenagers...)-just kidding, but they were a lot of work to take care of. It seemed everytime I turned around Mexican Machos were flirting, or trying to kiss, or trying to date the gringitas I was responsible for, and they were pretty much oblivious to it.
I'm looking for something to happen on this trip that will renew my vision and motivation for ministry to others. I want more insight into what I am going to do with the knowledge of Spanish and culture, because that is still not real clear whether I will try to find a ministry position or a job where my spanish is useful.
I am not expecting everything to be better after this trip, it may be worse, it is a lot of money to put out and work to miss. But it feels like we are supposed to do it. I do know that anytime you can go away from the daily grind and routine to do something outside of what you are used to that is a good thing.
Next Mexican Entry:No Sharp Pointy Things
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
What is the message for Mexico?
When we attended a pre-mission meeting we were told to get a testimony together. I'm trying to put something together that will be simple. It's sort of hard, because I don't really have a "glorious salvation". I was more saved from religious bondage and guilt than smoking, drinking or drug use.
I guess if I would sum up what I want to share with the people in Mexico, it would be something like this:
All my life I tried really hard to be a Christian. I tried to do good things, but I kept on sinning and doing things I should not. I always felt guilty and depressed because of my sins. But one day I read in the bible where it said that I was saved by faith in the blood of Jesus, and not by my good deeds. I read that Jesus died on the cross to cleanse me of all my sins, even those I might do tommarow. I asked Jesus to cleanse me and believed by faith that he had. I was not perfect after that, and I still made mistakes, but I had peace and joy. After that, I do not have to try to be good, now I have a desire to do good things because he helps me, and if I make a mistake I know he will forgive me. He said he would never leave me or forsake me, and I believe it.
Now I just have to translate this into Spanish, and I will have something to say.
Next Mexico Entry: Getting Anxious for the Trip
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Peaceable Kingdom?
Shortly after this picture was taken, Grandpa rubbed the cat's belly and the cat chomped on his hand. They have been avoiding each other the rest of the evening....
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