Last night presidents Bush and Calderon drove by. The Ahinas, Kathi, Judy and I were having dinner at a taqueria along the main boulevard of Merida, Avenida Montejo, when we looked out the window and saw several police cars leading several large black limousines with small flags of the United States and Mexico flying from the front corners. They were on their way from dinner in the campo (agricultural areas) to their hotel just off the Avenida. They did not stop to say hello, but we were engrossed in conversation and would probably have been rude hosts anyway.
When Nancy and I were in Albania, Donald Rumsfeld visited. Living right next to the embassy, for several days prior to and during his visit we noticed lots of large men dressed in slacks and sport coats standing on the street corners. I had to go to the hotel he was staying in during his visit, and the same men were there—and more of them. Being a very staunch supporter of the United States, the visit was a happy occasion and Mr. Rumsfeld was clearly an honored and welcomed guest.
It is hard to say how Mr. Bush was greeted. The press played up demonstrations and protests, but they were in fact negligible. People say that the protesters were not from the area, but were sent in by outside groups. Whether they represented the feelings of many I do not know, but my guess is that most of them were “regulars” who show up and make their presence known anywhere the president goes. Mexicans are very positive towards America, and towards Americans in particular. They are sensitive about not being seen or treated like an appendage to the United States, which makes sense—both historically and currently. They want and deserve to be treated as an equal and as a good neighbor and are insulted by the fence we are constructing along the border. But the number of Mexicans living in the United States and the economic assets they pour into Mexico, plus the money tourists and business add to the economy, are realities that most Mexicans recognize and appreciate.
For some Meridians the presidents’ visit was a slight inconvenience, as police and soldiers blocked off certain roads at certain times, and as from time to time checkpoints were set up. But for most it was just an interesting event, or a non-event. When I went to the airport to greet Kathi and Judy I noticed a line of cars stopped by the runway fence, a vantage point from which to see Air Force 1. Other than that views of the presidents were rare and life went on as usual. I hope they had a good meeting, and that something positive came out of it.
I have attached a couple of photos to this blog. One is of the land around the seminary, the front lawn of the Legters’ home. It is typical Yucatecan in being flat, with low trees or shrubs. The landscape has no hills, there are almost no rises of any kind to be seen. This makes cycling easy, but the 95+ temperature and the constant winds make up for the lack. There are no rivers or streams at all in the area, as the whole peninsula is a limestone slab and water flows beneath the surface in tunnels it has carved over the centuries. From time to time the rock which has been undermined will cave in and create a cenote, that is a natural well or pool. In such a case the water in the cenote is not on the surface, but at the level of the stream that created it—meaning the water level of the “well” is a ways down…
The other photo is of the car I usually drive—a loan from the Legters. Albania was a country or Mercedes, Mexico has traditionally been a country of the VW “bug”. Long after new bugs stopped being sold in the United States, they continued to be produced in Mexico and Brazil, and sold in large quantities in Mexico. I understand they were even subsidized by the government. In any case those days have now passed, and a greater variety of cars and many larger ones now fill the roads. But the trusty bug is everywhere—reminding me of my first car, a 1965 VW bug that I bought in Texas and drove in Mexico… Ahhhh the memories… And good ones.
Isn’t it wonderful that God has given humans the capacity to remember? Sometimes there are things we would like to forget, and sometimes there are things we should forget or need to forget. But memories also give us the capacity to relive the good times of life, and they challenge us to build on both the good times and the hard times to move into the future. The Bible consistently urges the people of God to remember. It reminds them to remember the past and its failures, and not repeat them. But even more it reminds them to remember the faithfulness of God—how he rescued and led and provided. Perhaps intentionally remembering would be a good thing to do every day. Perhaps it would be good to spend a few moments reflecting on the past and on the blessings of God, and on the hard times and the lessons in them. The Judeo-Christian faith is one of history. It is about God’s movement in history, and his moving history towards a climax. Perhaps it would be good to spend some time each day putting our unique place in history into focus—and particularly our history with God and his history and call to us. Numbers 15:40 says it this way, So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

In the next couple days I think we should go on a trip to a hacienda…How’s that for an idea??