I’m there

Very weak Dumb and Dumber rip off there.  I feel pretty tired like Lloyd and Harry did after getting to Aspen.  Thankfully I don’t have someone stuck to me by frozen pee.  See, no matter what there’s always something to be thankful for.

Just for review, here are all the movies and audio books that I listened to on this trip.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six (actually only half as my MP3 player is not a big Tom Clancy fan)

All the Chronicles of Narnia

Talledega Nights, Blades of Glory, Jonah (commentary by Larry and Mr Lunt), The Simpsons Movie, Dumb and Dumber, Tommy Boy, Monty Pythons Holy Grail (commentary by John Cleese, et al), and I’m sure there are some I forgot.

KM’s traveled today: not sure, I’ll have to check later.  About 750 though, making the total trip about 4500.  Perhaps I’ll do some proper math later.

Anyways, I’ve made it to Tlaxiaco and am starting to get settled into the base.  Met Dan, Grant and Gord from the leadership team and Nick and Ross (I hope I got that right) who are interning.  Tomorrow Michelle and the kids get here.  I can’t wait, I need them back.

The drive today was longer than I hoped but not too bad.  From Veracruz to about 50km’s from Tlaxiaco the road was very good.  Only hit two military check points and they were very nice.  No bribe stories today.  Again I forgot to eat more than breakfast.  I just was so focused on making it to the base.  That and I am just a tad (in this example I have decided that “tad” means “hugely”) not ready to order food on my own.

The last 50km’s were actually quite stressful.  Very windy road, decent shape but the speed bumps (or topes) were huge and deadly to my van.  The poor thing.  Then I got stuck behind a bull dozer on a trailer that literally took up 55% of the road.  It was a small road so it was very difficult to pass it.  I did it, but I think it took a few years off my life.  Which is not a thing I’m worried about as my last physical showed I am in great health.  But by the time I got to the base the stress and hunger and fatigue hit a point where I couldn’t see straight and could barely walk.  And I am all over the place on the best of days.  I’d love to know what Dan and Kelly’s (his wife) first thoughts were as I slurred out “It’s very nice to finally meet you”

But I’m here.  I’m a little overwhelmed that it is finally starting.  And frankly I had to ask myself what I was doing, do I really want this?  I eventually answered that question with “it doesn’t matter.  It’s what God wants”  Ugh, I hate having to answer that.  God always holds the trump in the Rook game of life.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s for the best.

So I figure there are a lot of hard days ahead with dealing with culture shock for myself and the family, getting into the school swing of things, stressing about the house in Airdrie and what to do with it, getting our “home” here set up, any type of spiritual battles that need to be dealt with here, etc.  I don’t want to bum people out, it’s just my expectations.  But God has never walked away from us in this whole adventure (if you don’t believe me, read the last two days of posts) and I don’t expect Him to do it now.  So while there may not be a lot of humour and good times in these next days, I do know there will be growth and maturing.

/RD