Then we got in Line

09-06-10 4pm.

Francisco's key chain

Wow, today has lots to tell already. We are in Mexico, on highway 53, we think. Many blessings today and interesting encounters. We left the hotel 8ish. It was a clean, comfortable place which served a good breakfast so we didn’t have to mess with that. We got to the Brokers called Transmitgrantes America. They are the ones who process our paperwork. They look at the load and tell us how to package everything for the border, and write up an audit for immigration of what we have. Anything expensive that we didn’t declare, they can confiscate. We found that the brokers would take until noon to fill out the paperwork, so we waited. Nick met a man named Jacob Hershberger from Costa Rica bringing a load of milk tanks down. Turns out he was the father-in-law of a friend of theirs. He drives a white Freightliner.

Jacob's truck

                                                                           

We prayed for his toothache, backache and sore throat. We will probably see him enroute. Its nice to have a friend on the way.

Also while waiting we met a man named Francisco who was selling keychains for a ministry. He was delivered from drugs, gangs, etc. and was inviting others on the street to come to the same deliverance ministry called Outcry in the Barrio. We prayed with him and bought key chains of course.

Installing the hasp--so glad to have it

Next we left for Los Indios where the border is. People from California drive to this border. It is great we were near it.

The border was very uneventful on the USA side. I can’t call it the American side, cause we are in the United States of Mexico and still in America. When we got close to the Mexico side, we had to wait in a line for about a half an hour for officials to go over our papers and look at our trailers. One potential glitch came up. They needed hasps on all of the trailer doors so they could put seals on the locks. The side door just had a key lock. It seemed likely that we would have to punch a hole in the side of the trailer in order to put a chain or lock around the door.

Clint rummaged around and found a hasp that Seth Dunn had given him.

Hallelujah. He was able to mount the hasp across the door to make it look like that was the lock. The agent was satisfied even though it was evident that it was kind of a token effort. At least proprieties were satisfied. Clint gave him the $20 that he needed to do his part and we were on our way. Almost.

Next we got in line so that they could look at our papers and X-ray our van and trailer. We had to hand the papers way up to the guys because it was the truck port of entry.

Next we got in line to just wait in line. Then our line went and our convoy made a complete loop around immigration only to get in line to pay $3.00, only they wanted $14 when we got there.


Then we got in line to get our tires sprayed against germs and bugs, etc.

Funny thing is we had to pay $8 for the privilege and they only did the tires on one side. It was a guy with a garden-typed sprayer, a mask and a white suit.

Then we got in line after making another loop around to park outside of immigration. We got out.

Then we got in line to go to show our passports and get a form.

Then we got in line to get our now filled out forms stamped.

Then we got in line to pay $23 each and get a new form to add to the other.

Then we got in line with our new form to go to the same person for the 3rd time and get our passports stamped and our immigration paper back.

Clint stood in a very short line to get some money exchanged.

After the line marathon, we were off we got to the border at 12:30 and left at 3:50.

Other than bordem, which is inconsequential, it went very smooth. Not long after the border, we hit a large flooded area across the road. It was apparent that it had been deeper, possibly impassable. We are glad that we didn’t try to come here yesterday. Now we are in an increasingly fierce deluge of rain. We are trying to figure the best way to travel to avoid the tropical storm headed this way. Yesterday we were not sure if the border would close because of it.

It is about 5pm.

Oh oh, then we got in line. There was another stop miles from the border. We waited in line to talk to some soldiers and show them our papers, then they said we were in the wrong line even though the first guy said to go there and we circled around the building to get in another line. This was a military group with camouflaged sheds with guys with big rifles sitting in them. Even though it seems a little intimidating, it is still comforting to see their presence in light of the murders lately. I think we’re done. We are happy to be about 4 hours from the border. This part of Mexico is beautiful. Just like the parts you see painted in the Mexican restaurants. I love the colorful buildings. The rain is behind, but there is evidence that it has been fierce here lately.

Blurry but green, It is beautiful

I forgot a good joke that Judith Streng came up with. One of the foods she made for us was a green slaw with orange slices and amonds. She had toasted them and they got a little overdone. She said they were not almonds because she had burnt the “L” out of them.

Now in Ciudad de Victoria. In for the night after a good dinner.11pm