A Daily Log (of traveling thru Mexico)

Sorry that there are no pics. I was gonna upload some, but internet is slow.

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TUE, Nov. 5, ‘13

Today, our last day (of 2013) in the USA, was spent with missionary friends we had spent time with in MX in other years. These reunions with ones who have become like family to us were so special and sweet - definitely a great way to spend the last day, of 2013, that we had in the USA!

WED, Nov. 6, ‘13

Normally at border crossings, an hour to process all the necessary paperwork and get everything checked out is a pretty good time for us. There have been occasions that it’s taken less or more than that, depending on how busy it is at the time, the officials’ attitudes, etc. However, never in our past experience has it been as easy to get into MX as it was this morning! We never even got out of the bus, never filled out visa forms, never used our passports, or anything else we were expecting to do - things that are normal for entering most foreign countries. At the main building, one of the officials motioned our bus to the side, checked out our bus registration and Dad’s license, asked where we were going, then directed us on to the military check-point. Two of the soldiers there asked where we were going, one of them walked thru the bus, checked out things at face value but never opened cupboards or extra doors, then, they motioned us on – never asking for anything else. About half an hr. down the road, there was another check-point where the official, once again, asked for the bus registration, Dad’s driver’s license, and where we were going, but nothing else! We, very much, felt God’s guiding hand and protection with us. We don’t know if we’ll run into trouble at the Mexcio/Belize border for not having our passports stamped, but there really was nothing else we could do, and God has promised to direct our path as we follow Him.

We had a little police incident in Tampico. They tried fining us for driving thru downtown with a commercial vehicle, even after we showed them all the proper paperwork proving that our bus is a private vehicle. We’ve run into police problems in times past for things that don’t make sense. A lot of them are out looking for bribes; it’s a very typical problem that many ppl we know have run into, as well.

We also saw our first mountains today. 

THURS, Nov. 7, ‘13

We stopped around 10, this morning, for a brunch of biscuits, sausages, and eggs. Problem: we found out our oven isn’t working; bring in the creative juices and you get fried biscuits! I think food in his stomach helped mostly cure the headache Dad had.

It was raining till noon, so today was nice and cool as opposed to the stuffy heat we’ve been in since we got to TX. We reached the east coast a lil’ before noon and have been catching glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean/Gulf of Mexico. Pools of water and semi-flooded fields are not unusual to see as a result of the rain combined with being at sea level. At the same time, we have also been driving thru small mountainous areas with some curves and ups-and-downs.

We stopped early, mid-afternoon-ish, at a large Pemex station. Dad decided to call it a day and start out early tomorrow morning. (The government owns “Pemex”, which are basically the only gas stations available in MX; most of these stations also have water, air, service ppl to pump your gas for you, and a place for large vehicles to park overnight.)

FRI, Nov. 8, ‘13

Because of stopping so early yesterday, Dad was up and ready to take off at 3:30 this morn. Our muffler came loose about an hour later, but thankfully it didn’t break off completely before he stopped, so we didn’t lose the part. Around quarter after 6 we got stuck in a traffic jam… and sat there for 4 hrs! They were working on the bridge crossing a big river and only let one lane, out of the four, thru at a time.

A lil’ before noon, it started raining again, giving us breezy and cool traveling weather – something we are always grateful for. As we’ve been traveling we’ve seen a lot of actual flooding in nearby fields and streets. We’ve been going thru mostly low-lands and flat terrain since yesterday.  

Very early afternoon, we ran into some backed-up traffic (because of work on a bridge again!), which forced us into a city, so Dad started looking for a mechanics place to get our muffler fixed. He found a small shop that got it all welded back on within an hour.

Because of the unforeseen expense, we needed more money exchanged, so after finishing up at the mechanic’s, Dad and I headed off to find a bank we’d been given directions to. Two banks, 2 “techy” places, and about 10 blocks of walking later, we finally found an advanced electronics/techy place that exchanged our dollars for pesos. That done, we bought some MX sweet bread (pastries) and some bananas (especially for Mom) cuz you just really can’t visit MX without getting some of those!

We only have one more day of driving left till we reach the MX/Belize border, Lord willing!

SAT, Nov. 9, ‘13

We had another day of breezy, cool weather, and lots of rain. The closer to Belize we get, the more serious flooding we see. Today we saw several small huts submerged in water almost to their roofs.

While at a gas station early this afternoon, Dad noticed that one of the tires was getting pretty low in air pressure. After checking it out farther, he found a leak, so he and Lewis had the ‘fun’ job of changing a tire. The process is a bit more involved than changing a normal car tire! Thankfully, this Pemex station was fairly new and even had a bunch of showers, which we made good use of :)  

We found some Mayan ruins in a town located right on the road we were on, so we stopped for several hours and had fun getting soaked in the occasional light showers while climbing all over the large structures (in ways that would never be permitted in the States!)

We could have gone on to the border tonight, but Dad opted to pull over before dark and then head out in the morning.

SUN, Nov. 10, ‘13

We’re in Belize! We got stamped out of MX by 8 this morning; they said we were supposed to have an entry stamp from when we got in, but didn’t give us much trouble about it. Customs into Belize went great. They speak English here, so the communication thing is a lot easier. They also wondered why we didn’t get stamped into MX, but since we had the exit stamp, there wasn’t anything they could do about it. We went thru the normal procedure: getting our passports stamped (they also took our pics), getting a visa for the bus, getting it fumigated then searched (they almost took our hotdogs but let us keep them after all), and finally, getting insured for the month that we plan to be here.

This stage of the journey is over, yet on we go! 

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I had almost forgotten how normal it is to see all the trash on the sides of the roads; how normal it is to drive on toll roads that are like our two-lane state roads back home; how normal it is to drive thru lots of  ‘cities’ that smell, look, and sound like Mexico; how normal it is to go thru mini-towns with all kinds of roadside stands and mini-stores with lots of fresh fruits and honey from bees that roam thru the orange groves; how normal it is to see houses painted all kinds of colors; how normal it is to have ppl standing in the middle of the street trying to sell their wares or jumping on the hood of your vehicle to clean your windshield; how normal it is to see all the palm trees and lush green along the coastal areas; how normal it is to see ppl with food stands on the side of ‘highways; and so much more! but all this has definitely brought back a lot of memories and given new ones to add to the collection :)       

   

{Psalms 91:11} For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

{Proverbs 3:6} In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

{Psalms 37:23} The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.

On the Road Again

We are in TX right now - will be in McAllen tomorrow to visit some missionary friends who used to live in Mexico. If all goes well, we'll cross the border into Mexico on Wednesday!
I'm using wi-fi at a rest-stop right now, so I don't have time to write an extended blog about the tons of fun we had with our family in ND and Ft. Worth, but the pictures should give you a small glimpse into why I didn't have time to sit down and write till now!
I don't know if we'll have internet access again till January! at least prob. not more than just quick email check-ups.
We should be in Belize next week sometime. We're praying that the bus doesn't break down in Mexico, or it'll go longer.
Thanks for all your support and prayers. 

Me, Joanne, Kezia (best friends since childhood!)

Fun with Aunt Julie

Riding (or trying to ride) the "Pocket Rocket"

Family and friends

Can't go to ND without walking the train tracks!

Julie and I went along to work with JoenGina and Kezia

Dylan and Kara - Cutie pies!

Dad :D

We celebrated an early Thanksgiving

at Joe n Gina's house

Joe n Gina Miller - Goofies!

Sister love <3 - Julie, Me, Gina, Rachel

On to TX

A shot of an original Bontrager homestead in Kansas

Justin loved playing with his uncle, Billy

Alexis absolutely loved riding in the bus :D

I love my niece!

Proud papa, Marty, and lil' Annie Jo

We visited the Nature Center in Ft. Worth and saw the prairie dog town that was there

lil' stinker!

Picnic at the N. Center with some of MartynDeborah's friends from church

Justin and Anthony looking for fossil rocks

Going for a walk to work off the delicious sub-sandwiches

Marty n Deborah Bontrager

Till next time!

And...We're Off!

Right now I’m on our bus, bouncing along at 60 mph, listening to Andrew Peterson’s song “Many Roads”, and trying to type up an update to publish for all of you once we get to North Dakota. Do you know how hard it is to type while bouncing along in our bus at 60 mph? It’s a good thing that I’ve got 18 hrs. to do this!

On Thurs., Julie, Lewis, and I did one last concert with the Shepardsville Team (the local band we play with). We said most of our good-byes then, to our awesome, fun-loving, supportive friends; tho, several from the bunch stopped in, at different times on Fri. and Sat., to help out a little and/or say one final good-bye. They will all be greatly missed!!

            

 

Some of you might be wondering what it’s like to pack and prepare for 4 months of travels. Well, you can compare it to two things:

1. packing and preparing for a week-long camping trip, multiplied by 18, on a much larger scale – like taking a box of clothes instead of a backpack, and taking way more canned foods than anyone could consume in 1 week! 

2. moving, but only temporarily, on a much smaller scale – like sorting cupboards and drawers, deciding what’s important and what’s not, etc. 


In any case, there is always a big mess that needs to be made before things can be efficiently packed into the bus and organized for our long journey. 
Billy and Ansy have been in ND for a week already. Jay & Rachel were in Indiana for a wedding last Sat.; so, the boys caught a ride down there and left to spend an extra week with their nephews (who are also their best friends) and big sisters and company. 
Before they left, they had their   

boxes all packed and ready to go, sitting in the hallway waiting to be loaded. The rest of us were busy making a maze on our kitchen floor, then transferring everything to the bus. Seth Derby helped out after work on Fri. – that is, when he and Lewis weren’t bumping into eachother! 

We had most everything, except our personal boxes, packed in by early evening yesterday (Sat.). Heather Case brought pizza over for us and helped get the floor and dishes all cleaned up. You should have seen the pile of dirt! and the stack of dishes that comes from not having time to wash them since breakfast! She was a trooper

After taking several hrs. off to relax and get a breather, we each  scooted off to finish packing our personal boxes and belongings. I got to bed before midnight, but some of the others only got a few hrs. of sleep before wake-up call at 5:30 this morning. After showers and making a check list to make sure we didn’t forget anything, we got to work: loading up  our boxes, filling water jugs, making sure nothing was left plugged into outlets, straightening up rooms, etc. 

Joe and his girlfriend, Bethany, got there in time to help – did I mention that they’re coming with us to ND? Yup! But it’s supposed to be a surprise for the others, so don’t tell anyone :D They’ll take the train home when we leave for the next leg of our journey. 
Our take-off time had been set at 7 AM on Sunday, October 27, 2013. At 7:10 we were pulling out of our drive-way after praying for God’s protection and blessing over everything as we travel.
Thank-you, everyone, for your continued prayers and support! Stay tuned for more :D 

Pray for Us

Here is a picture of the bunch who'll be heading away from our home in Michigan, in that big brown bus behind us, to journey to distant lands and places...well, it's actually just to Central America, but we will be logging over 3,000 miles in traveling alone! 

Our plans are to travel through Mexico and into Belize, where we will be spending our first month(ish), not quite sure doing what, but helping wherever the need is at locations Dad visited a year ago. From Belize, we will go to to Guatemala for a few weeks over the Christmas season to help a native pastor and his church ministries/outreaches in a city we have only spent a few days at prior to this. (I'll let you know what the actual name of the city is when I remember!) From January on, most of our time will be spent in Chichi (pronounced chee-chee), which is actually a shortened version of the actual name, Chichicastenango (try getting your tongue around that word :). We are also hoping to spend some time in the village that has become very near and dear to our hearts, Chijoj/Canilla' (pronounced chee-ho'h (long 'o')/cah-nee-ya'h. (Chijoj is a village within walking distance from the town Canilla') Four winters in a row were spent, as a family of 10, living in this village and town, and the place has become like a second home to us. 

Before we leave the States, however, we will first take a 'slight' detour to visit our two married sisters and their families in North Dakota; from there, we'll start for Texas and the Mexican border. We'll make a few stops in TX to visit friends we haven't seen in a while, including our two married brothers and their families. Needless to say, we are super excited to be able to see almost our whole family before leaving! With 11 kids it's no small feat to see the "big sibs" and their little munchkins in such a short span of time :) 

We leave on October 27th. Ahh!! so much to do! We haven't really started packing yet; what am I doing on here?? There's work to be done :) 

Please keep us in your prayers these following weeks and months. Pray that we will be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ wherever we are. Pray for wisdom, open doors, and God's favor and grace in our journeys.

And check back for updates! I'm hoping to get some pictures up of the packing process - maybe next week sometime. 

What is Revival?

Revival. If we’re praying for it we should know what it is, right? This is what I've been learning recently ~Revival is Falling in Love with God, Again~

From a physical standpoint, when a person stops breathing, if someone does the whole CPR thing on them and if that person starts breathing again, then s/he has been revived. Or, when a person’s heart stops beating, if the med. staff does the whole chest compression/medicine injection thing, and if that person’s heart starts beating again, then s/he been ‘revived.’ To seriously be revived there are two conditions that must be met. The first condition is that you must have a need to be revived. The second condition should maybe actually be the first – you must have been, at one point in time, alive and active in order to be revived.

When it comes to the spiritual standpoint of revival these two conditions must also be met. As a Christian, you must have been, at one point in time, alive and active in your walk with Christ. This doesn’t just mean faithfully praying, reading your Bible, and whatever else we put into the criteria of being a Christian. Although these things are VERY important, they don’t define what a walk with Christ is all about. In Revelation 2:4 the church at Ephesus was praised for their good works, patience, and discernment, BUT they were criticized (to the point of losing their identity in their part with Christ) of leaving their first Love.

Our walk with Christ is a journey of falling in love with Love Himself. It’s a journey of learning to love Him with complete abandonment – the way He first loved us! This true, life-giving love is so deep that the more we understand it, the more we find that we can never completely comprehend it, that there is always so much more to learn about it, about Him. First John 4:7-8 says this: “My loved ones, let us have love for one another, because love is of God, and everyone who has love is a child of God and has knowledge of God. He who has no love has no knowledge of God, because God is love.” See? When you start to understand love, you start to understand God. As you get to know God, as you walk in close, intimate communion with Him, you can’t help yourself from falling in love with Him! His patience (oh, how patient He is!), His forgiveness (not just 70 x 7 but 70 times 70 x 7, and more!), and everything else that defines true love (see 1 Corinthians 13 especially verses 4-8).

If you are in need of revival then there have been those times in your life that you were walking in joy and peace with your Father. Somehow, somewhere along the way that abundant life sorta died out or cooled down. When you’ve reached the point of needing revival, you’ve reached the point of needing life again – real life. Maybe you need spiritual CPR – a breath of life to start living again; or, maybe your heart has stopped completely and you need a serious injection of the Spirit of God to get you off the bed, out of recovery, and living again.

When revival comes it brings with it a fresh life and a fresh perspective. You can look back and see how close you came to dying and were given life again. It brings with it a fire in our bones that will only burn brighter and fiercer as we let the Holy Spirit take control – if we neglect it, the flame will once again die down.

So many of our families, churches, and communities need revival. They are people who have had life but are dying and need a refreshing breath. Some are lying on beds with failing hearts, not knowing what to grab on to or who to ask for help in receiving the Spirit’s life that is so freely given to those who ask, so promisingly found for those who seek. As Christians we do have an immense responsibility to reach the lost souls with the message of Christ, but we must also be there for our fellow brothers and sisters. The weak need support, the newborns need food, the hurting need healing… Revival is for the Body of Christ!

When healing replaces the hurt, when the weak have become strong in the strength of Christ, and when we operate as a body, then, the natural outcome will be going to the street corners and dark interiors with the hope of Christ. God has given us each separate gifts (Romans 12) and when we work together, we work to our fullest potential. The reason the word picture we get of a revival sweeping across a nation as ‘crowds of sinners kneeling at the foot of the cross’ is this: when revival comes to the hearts and lives of Christians and as we walk this journey of Love with the Lifegiver, as we fall in Love with God, we find what true love is all about.

It’s about giving (and giving!), it’s about reaching out, it’s about binding the wounds of the broken, it’s about letting go and forgiving, it’s about putting others’ needs above our own, it’s about abandoning all else in a mission of living a life of love with God as our boss, and having joy and peace and contentment as our reward on earth; and living in the knowledge of spending eternity gazing into the face of, living in the presence of - Love.