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ChTrip to Mexico 2001. 000
By Jim Viers.00
It doesn't seem possible but the time has come again for my yearly pilgrimage to Old Mexico. For around thirty years I have been visiting with my brothers and sisters in Christ in this country that I have come to know and love as my "Segundo hogar" - my second home.
My religious roots reach back to the Grundy Church of Christ from which a close friend of mine, Clinton Looney, had felt the need to obey the marching orders to the church as commanded by our Lord. "He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'" (Mark 16:15 - 16)
Having blazed the gospel trail in the Bahio of Mexico, Clinton encouraged me to take an active part in working with the Mexican preachers in that area. Feeling the Lord's leading in this direction I accepted the challenge. To say the least, this was a giant step forward for this mountain boy to have taken. I knew "si," "no," and "buenos noches." And that was the extant of my Spanish vocabulary. Well - once committed, my Spanish began to grow. Phrases such as, "Tiene ustead un bano" - "do you have and bathroom," and "yo tengo hambre" - "I am hungry" begin quickly to become a part of my vocabulary. It is amazing how soon one can learn to speak a foreign language when necessity sets in.
But I would be less than honest to claim a mastery of the language. I guess I speak what could be called "Pigeon Spanish," [my term]. I have explained to my Mexican friends that I have a real problem with my Spanish and English vocabulary. In Mexico when I speak Spanish they don't understand and when I speak English, many in the United States don't understand.
It gets quite comical at times. One of the missionaries from the states commented, "Jim and the preachers understand each other, but I don't know how." I guess the answer might be the long association we have had with each other. I speak my special homemade Spanish to the folks there and the preachers interpret my Spanish so the people can understand what I am saying. Hope you are still with me.
Tain't my fault I was born in Buchanan county. Anyhow I have learned enough of the language to get around.
Another reality that has set in over the years is to fly with AeroMexico and leave the driving to others. In younger years I accepted the challenge of driving in Mexico with great gusto. I couldn't wait to cross the border and begin to drive like I was a home grown Mexicano. They were not going to bluff me. I could hold my own with the best of them. What am I talking about? Well - they've got this unwritten law of first come, first serve. If you get your fender in front of the other fellow you got the right away. This automatically sets everybody up for the mad dash. Never in my life did I ever hear so much horn honking. I discovered right quick that we waste a lot of space on our highways. The Mexican driver learned long ago to make a two lane into a four lane road. And they don't need machinary to make the extra roads. What a thrill - four abreast on a two lane road. If you haven't played "chicken" with a tractor trailer coming your way in the middle of the highway, doing 65 miles an hour or better, you just haven't lived yet.
On one occasion, while traveling in a Ford Van, I was blocked by the train at a railroad crossing. The locals, in Volkswagens crowded all around me getting ready for the mad dash to be first in crossing the tracts. My experience told me that that on the otherside, everybody was doing the same thing. I was ready for the challenge. As soon as the trained cleared the crossing some thirty some vehicles from both sides the track press forward to occupy the two lanes at one time. But I would not be denied. With the larger vehicle I vaulted forward paying no heed to the glaring of the horns as I pushed through to victory.
Somehow over the years my zest for such escapades has vanished. I now take the course of the lazy man and leave the driving to the younger folks. Somehow the ole' nerves seem unable to take the thrill of competing with the Mexican driver.
Whoever said that preaching the gospel is dull has never been to Mexico.
The good Lord willing we will be reporting on our two month trip to Mexico in the upcoming weeks. I hope you stay tuned.
E-mail - jviers@hillbillypreacher.net. Icq _ 18455044