93: Mexico

From "the book," in honor of my impending trip to Mexico and the many memories collected from the many missions trips I went on there growing up.

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The sun was setting over the ocean as we all huddled around the campfire, salty, sandy, uncomfortable and content.

I had never felt such closeness with a group of people that I largely had not known before five days ago.

After the sun sunk into the Pacific, we headed through the darkness toward the car, attempting to knock as much of the gritty sand off our legs and feet as possible. A few people got into the truck. The rest of us hitched ourselves up into the truck’s bed. I headed towards the back and lowered myself to the floor, leaning against the truck, hidden from the breeze. A couple of the girls joined me. Joey and the guys sat on the side rims, holding on with both hands. The engine started, and we jerked forward. I bumped against the corrugated bed floor. Joey swayed on his perch.

One of the girls inside the cab began singing a song we had been learning in Spanish.

“Todos deben de saber--”

We all joined in.

“Todos deben de saber

 Todos deben de saber

Quien es Jesus.”

After repeating the chorus we launched into the verse in our obtrusive American accents, singing our hearts out about our Savior into the Mexican night, the starts twinkling overhead and the light of the moon and the truck’s headlights creating comforting shadows as we bumped over the dirt road.

We finished the Spanish lyrics and switched to English.

“Everybody ought to know

Everybody ought to know

Everybody ought to know

Who Jesus is.

He’s the lily of the valley.

He’s the bright and morning star.

He’s the fairest of ten thousand.

Everybody ought to know."

Lord God in heaven, I prayed. This is paradise. This is beautiful. This is redemption. This is pure.

I smiled. Not an outward smile, but a true happiness from deep in my soul radiating outward.

A happiness and peace and contentment I hadn't felt for a long time.

my nephew, fitting right in

Me, 2008