So the adventure continues tomorrow, but I am happy to say that we made it safely!  That is the short version of the story.  Here is the long! It took us until 1130ish local time to arrive in Hermosillo. Our adventure included a phone call to Mario for the shuttle. It took his driver, Arturo, about an hour and a half to find us in the Tucson airport parking lot. So don't worry Harry, it all worked out!  There was a moment where Garry and I felt like we were in the Amazing Race running around trying to find him but with no better teams to follow!

Once we departed from Tucson, Arturo informed us that he thought the alternator on the van was not working. We learned twenty minutes later on the side of the freeway that he was right. He arranged for a battery to be brought to us as a tempory fix. So for a hour an a half more the men explored the vast wilderness/desert about ten yards across the ditch to the first barb wire fence. While the ladies stayed warm inside the van while reading and playing games on phones and iPads. It got amazingly cool as the sun went down behind the distant mountains!

Once our battery arrived we were quickly on the road again. We arrived at the border well after dark and Patrick had the opportunity to play the 'push the customs button to see if we are going to check you out' game. The light was green and that was it, no delay at the border it seemed!!  We stopped for fuel and then Arturo said we would have one more spot to stop at customs because of how some of the hwys entered Mexico from different angles. So why not let Patrick play the game again?!?  Well this time we lost and we had to bring all our bags out for them to check. In reality it did not take long and no one had to even produce a passport or ID to enter the country. We forgive you Patrick!!

Our next stop was to switch to a new shuttle, because of the alternator issues, and a new driver who would take us the rest of the way. Running behind schedule we were all hungry so Arturo recommended a taco place to eat on the hwy. We had our first authentic Mexican tacos!!  What a treat with hilarious service and cheap prices. Ask Bev about our waiter!  Here is where we first experienced the language barrier.

The rest of our trip was uneventful and we arrived to meet Greg Neufeld in a parking lot and be led to the church where we will be staying. Besides Greg we met Jack and Lucy Vogt who had a wonderful spread of food waiting for us. What a treat to be welcomed and what a relief for the missionaries here to know we made it okay. They had been a little stressed wondering if we were stranded at night on the side of a Mexican Hwy.  So thank you to everyone who prayed for travelling mercies. Your prayers were answered on our behalf. We are all pretty tired and everyone has headed to bed looking forward to what God will bring our way tomorrow!  Orientation around 8 or 9 AM Mexican time!

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Teach us Lord to wait!

Dwight