Graduation day and homeward bound

Graduation day…was on a Friday morning but the whole week was busy with preparations for it along with many extra chores. A number of cakes were ordered for last meetings together so Joyce was baking up a storm, and then made some cookies for the travel home. Our truck was in big demand to haul something almost daily. We hauled two mattresses: one for the hotel, one for a affianced couple preparing their new home. We hauled a new air-conditioner and washing machine for the hotel plus the hotel cook and her weekly groceries for the next incoming team. In between all the hauling, we were opening the coffee shop early mornings for our guest speaker of the week, packing to leave, cleaning up the space we lived in, washing clothes, and trying to attend as many meetings as possible. Our speaker was named Moses. He was 78, an eighth grade graduate with an honorary doctorate from a teachers’ university in China. He had traveled 98 countries of the world teaching and preaching, and was full of love and life and plenty of stories. He was such a joy to be around and gave some sound teachings along with encouraging prophetic words from the Lord for each student that was graduating from the Bible school. Friday, we had to have our suitcases and picnic stuff packed in the truck in preparation to leave from town after the graduation. We transported a few people into the graduation ceremony and left in good order. It was a terrific graduation service full of worship, prayer, and rejoicing. On our way out, John was stopped and hugged by a number of the fellows he had worked with. We left feeling blessed to have been a part of their lives for these short five months and with hopes to see many of them again.

Our trip home was full of experiences. We set out to travel 140 miles the first night to Oaxaca City. It took us six hours to reach there as we traveled round and round, up and down the mountains, usually at about 20mph. We were thankful to arrive and unwind. We had rooms booked in a 17th century building that had originally been a convent and then a prison. It had thick stone walls and a big inner courtyard but was beautifully remodeled to make a world class hotel. The people flowing in and out were very Caucasian looking but spoke Spanish as though it were their mother tongue. That was very confusing till we realized these were mostly people of the original Spaniard descent. We had been living and working mostly among the Indian people with their tribal dialects, some villages of which have been integrated with shipwrecked Haitian slaves several generations ago. There was a very sharp contrast and it gave us a bit of culture shock that first night. The surrounding area was cobblestone streets and quaint old buildings and cathedrals of Spanish architect. It would take a camera to adequately show the beauty of the setting. One of the Bible school students had family there and had traveled with us. Her family blessed us with a delicious seafood meal at their restaurant the next day before our leaving. So, we got a late start and a late ending to the second day.

At our second destination, we stayed in a hotel next to a Sirloin Stockade. We wanted someone to pinch us and make sure we were still in Mexico. The following morning, we wanted to pinch someone else for the highway robbery prices they charged for the morning buffet. It was an elaborate buffet, complete with a chef that would make fresh omelets to your liking, but help us, $15 a plate for breakfast?

The third day we had two exciting ventures. John had often prayed, asking the Lord to keep air in our tires until we reached home again. We heard a big explosive sound and slowly made our way to the side of the highway. We were moving at 80mph now, along good toll road highways that cut through mountains, bridging large gaps rather than winding around and around them, and they also bypass several large cities. We slowed down to pull off on the side and saw that our tire had blown off the outer tread but still was holding air. PTL!!! John was taking out the spare when another truck pulled up behind us. Out hopped three orange angels and took over the entire job while we watched in happy amazement. They were a highway assistance crew dressed in orange jumpsuits. With all the hundreds of miles for them to cover, how they came to be right there, at that exact time, seemed very amazing to us. He was so glad for the help. We happily shared our homemade cookies with them and exchanged big smiles and handshakes before we were on our way once again.

We made it to the border on Sunday afternoon and we saw overhead that there were long lines waiting to go across. It was 106 dgs and the air conditioner froze up while we were idling and waiting. We were looking for Bridge #2. A policeman pulled up alongside us on his motorcycle and reminded us to buckle up. We had just left the vehicle inspection office and in our getting separated from the Olsons, we had forgotten about buckling up. The police began to ask for John’s license when we explained our confusion and apologized for our lack in buckling. He forgave us, went into the intersection, and detained all traffic while he motioned us to do a U-turn and head back the way we came. Wow! That was a big surprise. So, we found the right direction but we crept along every block trying to find which one turned onto the second bridge. A man behind us honked at us. We motioned him to go ahead but he stopped alongside and asked if we needed help then preceded to lead us straight to the bridge we needed. Two more angels sent to aid us along our way. We felt truly guided by the Lord and made our crossing without complications to find the Olsons on the other side in Laredo…at a Wal-Mart parking lot. We pushed on to Austin, Texas for the night and arrived in Springfld, Mo. on Monday afternoon with grateful, happy hearts. Its always good to be on the field where God sends you, but there’s never anywhere to compare with home. Thank you dear supporters who prayed and payed for our safe return. We have plans to be home a couple months before heading south once again. Hope we see many of you in our short stay here. God bless you each and every one.