January 15, 2006

Glenn returned to the states today after 10 days of adventure and 2600 miles in a car. I was very glad to have his company along the way, but his vision and imagination for what might be was the reason I invited him to come along.

Glenn is a unique guy. He is involved in many different business and charitable endeavors. He was my mentor at the NCAFC because he had successfully managed a large free clinic for many years and was involved in starting both the NCAFC and the National Association of Free Clinics. He now reps for a free clinic patient management software company and sells specialty advertising at www.outoftheboxTs.com. He has also been involved with missions in Peru and recently in La. He created a new nonprofit called the starfish fund to raise money for our mission, so I knew that if he was exposed to the people of Chiapas, the work of Pablo and the Hebron Foundation and the tremendous need here that he would become passionate about this project and add it to his list of projects.

Well I was right! He is totally committed now and plans to bring a group of church and free clinic folks down to work on the clinic in July. We spent much of the week planning the things the group will do, taking hundreds of pictures and discussing strategies for “telling the story” to supporters back home. We still have to raise funds for the clinic.

The take away for you the reader is that if you come to Chiapas, you will be changed! As my good friend and fellow mission traveler David Bradley says “Come have the hardest vacation you will every love!”

I left Glenn at the airport and headed back to Chiapas to pick up Pablo at the Presbytery meeting (they last 3 days down here.) Along the way it began to sink in that I was now all along in a foreign country, albeit with people I love and trust. I know that I am where God wants me to be and with His help, I can serve the people of Chiapas by showing His love through our works and words. But many challenges lay ahead….Five months without my family and learning a new language to name just two.

We enjoyed another village meal then loaded up one pastor for the drive to Ocosingo. Along the way we passed another pastor at a major intersection waiting for a taxi or bus. We pulled over and offered him a ride, not knowing that he was with his wife and son. Well that was ok, we had room, but then the big surprise. The pastor’s wife had a live turkey with her! She put the turkey in a black plastic bag with just its long neck sticking out and they all three climbed into the backseat already occupied by one pastor.

I was laughing the whole time and wishing Glenn was with me to take a picture of that turkey in a bag because who will believe it otherwise. That turkey never made a sound for the 45 kms that we shared a vehicle. Maybe the pastor’s wife had a death grip on it, but it was quite as mouse.