Things I Learned on My Mexican Adventure

Every 90 days, we have to get our passports stamped. Every 6 months we're required to leave the country to maintain our tourist visas. On Wednesday, we took a trip to Mexico for that purpose. Here is the tale of our journey (ha..that sounds so deceivingly routine).

1. Don't travel with a child who has been sick in the last, oh, week or so. Jackson had an intestinal illness earlier in the week (that is an extremely polite way of saying that there was stuff coming out of him that should not have been). We truly thought he was over it. Wrong. Just as we crossed the border into Mexico, he got sick. All over his bus seat, his clothes. Me.

2. Bus "bathrooms" are fun. Imagine an airplane bathroom on crack. On the plus side, you get to really strengthen your muscles as you try to maintain your balance and not bang into the walls. You also learn rather quickly NOT to open the window, no matter how foul the smell is in there, because passersby on the highway do NOT want to see you in there. And bring your own tp.

3. The Mexican taxi-drivers were extremely helpful. Seriously. Not only did our driver take us directly from the bus station to the hospital (this was after Jackson became sick AT the bus station, and I tried in vain to direct people around the pile on the floor), he brought all 5 of us and our luggage inside and told the doctor what we needed.

4. Contrary to popular belief, needles for shots do NOT have to be sanitary. They can be dropped on the floor right in front of you and still be used! Cool! Also, anti-vomiting shots do not always work. 

5. Being in a hotel room in a border town in Mexico with a still-sick child really pumps up your prayer life. 

6. Relaxing at the hotel pool is pretty fabulous.

7. It's always good to make sure the room service people actually swipe your card before they tell you it's not working, causing you to spend $20 on an international phonecall to your bank only to find out the charge was never even attempted. Whew.

8. It's not that fun to lose your return bus ticket. It IS pretty fun when the driver tells you not to worry about it.

9. Make sure you get your passport stamped at the right border when crossing back in. It would pretty much cause you to wail and gnash your teeth to forget that. 

All humor aside, we came back from our trip with very thankful hearts. Over and over, we saw how God protected and provided for us. From being able to exchange money right at the border (money we'd need as soon as we got to Mexico, for the hospital), to being allowed on the bus with no ticket and no pesos left in our possession to purchase a new one, to not missing the passport stamping at the border, to our only debit card working (our other one got messed up the day before we left home), to the people in Mexico being very warm and friendly, and most of all, to our precious Jackson being healed and well again. We were amazed how God provided the clinic with a very good doctor. As I sat by my very sick boy and prayed for him, asking God to wake others to pray for us, He answered, and my mom (who had no idea what was going on) woke up several times that night praying for us. He also showed His care for us in a real way when I stood at the bus station, scared for Jack, tears rolling down my face, and a sweet lady came and felt his forehead, comforted me and told us where the hospital was.

God is so good, and we praise Him.

And this is one adventure we won't soon forget!