Almost in Mexico

It’s 4:08 in the morning as I type while we drive south through Texas on the next leg of the trip to Belize. We have been so encouraged by the amount of people checking this online journal. It’s crazy but I think we have been averaging about 150 hits per day and so we thank you coming back to check it. We have been trying hard to find time to post more consistently, but it’s been a busy couple of days of ministry. I have a hunch that once we cross the line into Mexico in a few hours unsecured wireless networks may be few and far between. The wisdom I’ve tried to teach my parents over the past few years applies to this situation: “no news is good news”. With that being said here is a quick summary of our last two days:

- We finished the fence that we started in the last post. Surrounding 8 acres of land, the 5 string barb wire fence stands proud and almost straight.

- We cleaned the vans. This is quite the accomplishment, you should have seen how full the vans were of garbage. It was at the point where our feet didn’t rest on the ground anymore when we drove because of all the partly full pop bottles.

- We were able to attend Herman’s baptism. This was super special as we were able to witness and encourage Herman in this important step. The church was packed for the celebration which gave us a great opportunity to talk to many people. We had become good friends with 3 of the baptism candidates (Herman and two others we met and spent time with over the past couple of days)

- We were able to spend more time with the youth, playing some more volleyball and being together in the park. The further blisters on the sunburn were worth it.

- We experienced a real Sonic drive in restaurant. Classic, fun and good tasting, we feel everyone should take in this truly American phenomena.

I have been blessed so much by the group of guys that I travel with. We have grown very tight and I already know that saying goodbye is going to be really hard. This rest of this entry is devoted to describing the blessing these men have been to me. I wish everyone would have the privilege to experience the community we are experiencing.

Matt: He’s driving right now, he’s usually the first one to volunteer to do the driving shifts that others don’t want to do. He’s also the one that is in the most pain with his ankle (He sprained it really bad just before we left on this trip), but nobody has heard him ever complain. He’s also an artist when it comes to working with kids.
Scott Penner: He’s sitting shotgun right now, keeping Matt awake. Scott cares very deeply about life. He thinks things through before he speaks, and so when he does speak, wisdom flows from him. We all have been learning a ton from him and his thoughtful explorations in the discussions we have as we drive.
Herman: He’s sleeping in the bucket seat next to me. Herman has been one of the masterminds behind this trip, his thoughtful and wise direction through the states have kept us on track. Herman’s natural ability to make people feel valued has blessed each vehicle he rides in. His passion for Texas has rubbed off on all of us along with his southern drawl!
Aaron: Aaron’s mad volleyball skills and witty humor have made him a pro at getting into the youth group. It’s great to see an 18 year old man, deciding to give up everything to do missions. The world is at his finger tips and he decides to go on a missions road trip to Belize and back.
Lyndon: Although he may be the oldest on the trip he has done a great job at empowering us young folk to lead and make decisions. His humble and honest discussions challenge us all to explore God and life to a deeper level. He always seems to have a life story pertaining to every question we ask him.
Scott D: His servant leadership gives him a great skill with which he humbly leads the group on our travels. I have been blessed by his genuine passion and concern to see God’s name glorified through the parts of the trip for which he is responsible. Scott is great at being one step ahead of the game. He is known for his rigid sleeping schedule in order to keep the vans driving 24 hours a day safely.
Henry: Henry loves people. It’s been a privilege to see him interact and come alive as we interact with a group from the church or other random people. He is a joy to have on the volleyball court and really fun to watch as he interacts with kids.
Tony: He’s the one with the best trucker voice over the radio. Tony also is our resident mechanic who keeps our vans running smooth with his wisdom. He’s also the only one to get pulled over by the cops but his genuine character helped him get off with only a warning.
David: David is the “national” who helps us get into the culture. In Seminole he fit in like a hand to a glove by speaking low German and knowing the culture inside and out. His philosophy-thinking mind keeps us discussing theology.
Johannes: By far the most versatile part of our trip, Johannes can speak the native language of every country we are in. His unique gifting at soccer and his love for a good time constantly draws people into his presence wherever he is.
Andrew: He is the resident specialist at any type of muscle car or truck. This passion is great for keeping conversations going with any random person as they look under the hood of a vehicle. With that being said I’ve also been blessed by the way he loves people more than vehicles. The stories at the end of the day don’t just consist of the great vehicles we saw in our travels but of the people who he has been impacted by.

Some other people we feel are a part of our trip that don’t often get recognized (interestingly they come from the same family in Seminole):
Isaac Wall: Isaac is always ready to give. He gives great hospitality to those who stayed at his home in Seminole while also giving patience to those who had trouble waking up in the morning. Our group described him as genuine, always welcoming and ready to accept people.
Susie Wall: Susie always seemed to be in a friendly mood ready to give a happy “how y’all doing!” any part of the day. She did a great job at keeping us busy by planning events and making us all feel valued. We believe that she put just as much effort into getting things ready for us as we did fulfilling them. The Wall family will continue to be in a special place in all of our hearts.

I know that this is a long post and so for those who check this blog at work, I apologize for getting you fired. But I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to learn from these people and to be blessed by each one. We’re not even half done our trip yet and so many adventures are yet to come…God Bless!