I knew it would happen some day, but it happened today. As my class on Las Epistolas Paulinas (The Pauline Epistles) was letting out, after five weeks and the final session I will have with the students, one of the students asked me how old I am. I told her I am 63 years old, and she then informed me, “That’s why you remind me of my grandfather.”… Yes, the bloom of youth has wilted—and long ago!

What do I do here in Merida? Actually I am pretty busy. First, I need to get adjusted to the language, as all I do is in Spanish. People ask me where I learned Spanish, and I truthfully do not know. My high school Spanish classes were helpful, I am sure, and spending a school year in Mexico City while in college, although the classes were in English and all my friends there were Americans, was also helpful. But I just like the language and have gravitated towards people and places where it is used. My facility right now is certainly not perfect, but I am grateful that I seem to be able to be understood in both the classes I teach and the churches I preach in. And I know that each time I am forced to interact in the language I learn a little more. From time to time, like when I order at a fast-food eating place, people talk so fast that I can be completely lost. But I do pretty well talking about justification by faith and the like…And in the sermon I have used here several times this visit, my marvelous imitation of the honking of Canadian Geese crosses any and all language barriers…

So, every morning I rise and greet my friend who sits on the fence outside my window. Then after breakfast I venture forth to one of the two classes I am teaching—one on Monday and Tuesday, the other on Wednesday and Thursday. The first is on the Pauline Epistles, the second on preaching. The Epistles class lasts 4 hours, the other 5 hours, and they really do take a lot of preparation. Fortunately the Legters have a high-speed internet connection and a printer, so I can get information and print out worksheets, Bible manuscripts (I always use manuscripts rather than the Bibles themselves), and class notes. That helps much!

So the mornings Monday-Thursday are spent in the classroom teaching. Then there is the late lunch, from 1:30-2:30, and time for study and preparation. Late in the afternoon, as the sun is getting ready to set, I take about an hour for a cycle ride in the area. My usual route is 12 miles, most of it on a new highway that is being constructed but that is not yet open to traffic--except for the occasional tricitaxi (three wheel vehicle of choice in the Yucatan)which plies the same route. A perfect place to ride, one that reminds me of years ago when Nancy and I were living in Pasadena. Our home was about 3 miles from Fuller Seminary, where I worked, and they were building a new freeway directly on the route from about a block away from the house to a block from the seminary. What a delight it was to ride several feet above the mad traffic of Pasadena each day—looking down on the stopped cars while enjoying 6 lanes all to myself… That stopped a couple days before they opened the freeway—I got a ticket. There were several police cars parked by my exit and one of the officers motioned me
over and gave me a ticket for riding on a freeway. I was incredulous, and frustrated at this show of bureaucratic foolishness, so went to court. The judge asked me if I planned on riding on the freeway any more, to which I replied, of course not since it is now open for traffic. The ticket was upheld, the fine was $1 and the judge suspended it… I am glad the Mexican police do not concern themselves with cyclists on my empty road here.

Anyway, in the evenings I may study or visit friends here. Then the day repeats. On weekends I have been busy doing various things, including preaching in different churches.

All in all, the time here goes by very quickly, and the days seem to be filled with things that count. Which is what I like! Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..