A 'Smile', It Doesn't Tell It All...Or Perhaps It Does

Karen with the Kindergarten class

A 'Smile', does not always tell it all. We took this picture of the kids at Casa Hogar so we can remember their names. It was a tough class, even though small, to keep their attention. Before we left for the day I asked if anyone le gustan un abrazo? That is, would anyone like a hug. Except for one little guy who was having an especially tough day they jumped at the idea. Not that most kids would not do the same. With these children I definitely sensed a great need for a hug...an embrace! Then I looked over at their caregiver...a lady our age who daily is part of their lives. And I cry.......Why you ask? Because she looked so exhausted. So very, very exhausted. And I cry again. Oh she needs a hug and more. And I pray...oh Lord, please grant the care-givers of these children your grace. We are there only an hour or two. This is their life. Rewarding yes, but VERY exhausting. They need more full-time care-givers. And more part-time help as well. Will you please pray with me? And Jesus said, "For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

I then take a second look at this picture...the resilience of children, unaware of the struggle of life. Might we as adults find the joy that abounds from the depths of their little beings. Oh we can learn a lot.  

Kutless says it so well is their song 'SMILE'

"Though everything's the same inside there's something real
A faith which causes me to change. (But what's different now)
A spark is gleaming in my eye like diamond stars that fill the sky
I think a smile says it all
A smile says it all  

I see what a smile can say about me
I know that words are not always what speak
Sometimes it's not what I say
That the world around me seems to understand" 

Kutless

Perhaps we can say less and just smile more...

 

Travel Warning...Mexico, Dangerous... 'It May Capture Your Heart'.

I wrote this while driving through Mexico...the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco...

Thursday October 23 through the 30th - The first full week in Mexico...so much has been experienced! Leaving Guaymas we back tracked to the town of San Carlos. A great decision as the town and area are quite beautful. An ocean front community with gorgeous rocks to behold both in and out of the water. A place to consider staying on our return trip is an RV park called 'Tononaka'.

Tom & Rick at Milepost 21K

We continued through the southern end of the state of Sonora. If there is a least desirable part of this drive, this would be it. Passing into Sinaloa we drove about 40 miles off the 'cuota' to the Spanish colonial town of Alamo. Here we were able to find a RV Park called 'Dolisa' in order to set up our tents. A walk through town brought us to the town square where we watched as they were celebrating the life of a family member. An excellent dinner was followed by a nights partial sleep. This was the Mexico I so remembered from San Luis. That is...loud music, dogs (many of them) and roosters filling the evening with more sound than many concerts. Fortunately no night has even approached this. Even so we awoke with sufficient sleep to continue our drive south.

Mountains around San Carlos

Oh, one other note of interest from this day...some road construction left us on an interesting detour through a fairly large city. Trying to be careful of children playing, traffic lights and road signs, I suddenly looked back to the flashing of red and blue lights. Now the Police in this country often drive around with their lights on, so it does not always mean that you're being 'pulled over'. But as they continued to follow directly behind us, I decided it best to make the customary pull to the right. Out this point the heart typically begins to race and the question of 'what did I do' flash through the mind. And again, must I remind you...this is Mexico. Perhaps some of you are thinking 'bribes, how long might I be in prison and will my family ever find me'? There was none of that...no, he simply asked to see our paperwork and gently waved us on. Have I said that we've sensed no threat of insecurity? Thank you Lord!

The beauty of Nayarit

Mazatlan would not be considered a favorite place of mine, but thankfully we took an exit that led to the extreme north end of town, leaving us again in an RV Park. This time right on the beach. A swim in the ocean, a run for Miko, a tasty dinner and conversation with a Mexican young man, another swim in the RV Park pool and a 'quiet' nights sleep left us very ready for the drive towards Chapala.

One of the key reasons for driving this first time through Mexico was to experience the vast areas of this land. Neither Tom nor I were ready for the amazing beauty that awaited us as we journeyed the southern part of Sinaloa, the entire state of Nayarit and into Jalisco. So luscious, mountainous, with trees, vegetation, green and flowers that left us in awe. Yes, the Creator has left His mark wonderfully on this land called Mexico. 

Can you say, 'One peso'?

Three very unique 'God moments' occurred on this day. Only five minutes on the path through Mazatlan we began to hear what had the sound of possibly a broken metal 'something'. After two stops to view the bottom side of this 1996 Explorer the sound ended. Perhaps a rock from the paving of a road that we traveled across for several miles the day before. Next, while driving through Nayarit's largest city of Tepic and after unsuccessfully looking for a banco or cajero (money exchange), we were about to return to the cuota when the right front brake let out with such a screech that we wondered if our 'self labored brake job' was falling apart. Again we stopped two times, after which the sound disappeared. God wasn't finished with the leason of faith. As I mentioned we were in need of obtaining more Pesos. This was brought to even a greater reality when the 'cuotas' were saying, "US dollars not accepted"! As we past through one cuota I asked the attendant how many more until Guadalajara. "Two more", she said. And to think that we wouldn't even be in this predicament had we not had to use 925 pesos to pay for our first fuel stop as their visa card reader wasn't functioning. And now the final cuota, with cost ranging from 25p to 195p, what would this one hold. I counted up 104 pesos as Tom drove closer to the sign that would be the bearer of good or bad news. And 'Vanna' the answer please...wait for it...wait for it...our God is amazing! The cuota was...103 pesos! You've never seen two gringos more happy to have one peso in their possession as we were at that moment. Now I ask, does God have a sense of humor or what. Yes, a mighty day of faith lessons were etched into our lives.

Sunrise over Lago de Chapala

But God wasn't finished with bringing more amazement into our lives as we settled onto Hotel Perico. A lovely place of respite off the libramiento with a swimming pool, a ball field and a beautiful view of Lago de Chapala. We would make contacts with a few of my fathers friends and arrange for the following days spreading of his ashes. Sunday morning, as suggested by Cinthia...(a very close friend, who often would walk their dogs together, discussing and arguing about many of lifes questions) we met in the large park adjacent to the lake. Comments were shared by friends, myself and then we spread his ashes. Why, you ask? For no other reason than Ephesians chapter six which says, "Honor your father and mother". For some reason this has become a way to honor my father, a man of whom we were much like 'oil and water'. A man who as a father did not have many a reason to 'honor'. But, that passage does not say if they have been those of honor. Rather, we are to honor them. So what began as spreading ashes in his 'favorite' place in the States, Manhattan Beach, to Silliman Pass (a boys most precious beginning into creation), to the Red Oak, Iowa cemetery, on the plot of his kid brother Ron, this journey is now complete. Kind of anticlimactic now, but I will always know that I accomplished what I sensed as the 'appropriate' thing to do. And now, it is done.

Mexico Highway 70/90

On Monday October 27th we made our journey onto Mexico 70 and 90 toward our destination of Puerto Vallarta. Again, the drive, which included familiar pines of Oregon, was beyond expectation. Simply beautiful! But do beware if you ever pass this way, the road is very mountainous with many curves. Would I drive this route again? You bet I would!

Monday eve would have us surprisingly in the amazing home of my dive buddy Cesar. Simply lovely hospitality! From PV we have set up for the past three nights to the north in our own 'palapa' with the sounds of the ocean waves crashing a hundred yards from our door. Here we have had the privilege to work on a women's retreat center. Simply an amazing work in itself. Might The Father bless this work and the lives that will forever be changed because of it.

Looking over the valley at Mascota

Father please let me always remember 'Ten Shekel Shirts' song Ocean which says,

Something about the ocean
Makes me rise up and praise
Something about the heavens
Makes me stand in awe again
Something about the sunrise
Reminds me of Your faithfulness
Something about the ocean
And I'm lost in love again 

 

P.S. I'm not ignorant of the problems that the country of Mexico is experiencing. The recent news of the students in the Acapulco area is just one more indication of the need for change. I have no intent to make light of the this need. Rather, my hope is to make known the beauty of the Mexican country, people and culture. Regardless where we lay our head at night our world has an unfortunate chaotic side. The bummer sticker says, "Visualize World Peace". I believe that peace can only be visualized by the the message of the cross. When we come to understand what occurred at Calvary, it is then that the true reality of peace on the hearts of men and women will be shown.