The drive takes about four hours on the toll road, and goes mile after mile through desolate, flat Yucatecan scenery. The whole of the Yucatan is a limestone slab, which gives little soil for growing things. As a result there are not many tall trees, but there are lots of thick low bushes, that fill the earth.
When we arrived in Cancun we found ourselves behind a trailer carrying two llamas, a very small pony, and a brown bear..then we dropped Bito and Jean off at the church where he was teaching, and made our way to Cecilia's house, a young woman who had lived with us as an exchange while we were in Clarkston, many years ago.
She is an architect, her husband a landscape designer, and they have two children. It was great to see them all, their wonderful home and to share a meal in an Italian restaurant right on the beach. While Ivars at Lake Union has a lot going for it, eating under a tent within feet of the lapping Caribbean, with the temperature in the 80’s as we ate dinner, does have something going for it!
The next morning Nancy and I had breakfast with Rafael Sanchez and his wife, Valya. Rafael is a Mexican and Valya a Ukrainian, and they met thanks to invitations each had received to share in the ministry of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Seattle. The world is becoming smaller… Rafael teaches music at several venues while Valya works in a travel agency, but the big news was that their first baby is due any day. Sharing in their world, their joy and their life was great.
Next we picked Bito and Jean up and headed back to Merida. The drive seemed a bit longer partly as the air conditioning in the car had decided to die, but also as we took a detour to Ek-Balam, a recently developed and unique Mayan archeological site. When the Spaniards first came to this part of the world they established a headquarters at Valladolid, near Ek-Balam, but they moved to Merida within a couple years because it was much closer to the sea and their lifeline—their ships.
While the Spaniards were in Valladolid the priest-ruler of Ek-Balam, not wanting to see his sacred sites profaned, enlisted his subjects in the task of burying them. This was not easy as the sites were large pyramids, but the project was successful and the Spaniards never knew they were there. Soon the jungle grew over the buried pyramid-temples and as generations went on their existence was lost to memory Only recently discovered and uncovered, the sites offer an unparalleled picture of life at the turn of the first millennium—the period when Ek-Balam was built.
Particularly interesting are the statues and decorations which, being buried, have withstood the ravages of time very well. The Mayan road leading into the complex is clearly visible, the temples are there, and the art is amazing. The visit was unexpected, and well worth the time.
Back in Merida there are classes to give, churches to visit, and people to interact with. One evening finds Nancy and me at a small village church where I have been invited to give a message about love for Valentine’s Day. Another finds us at the large downtown Presbyterian Church, either attending or delivering the sermon I have been invited to preach. My classes take many hours of preparation, but that itself is a joy…
In short, while being away from family (i.e. granddaughter) is not fun, Nancy and I are at the right place and doing the right thing. It is varied and interesting for us, and prayerfully helpful for the people we are and can be with. The words of Proverbs 3 are certainly true, 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. I would translate that also as make your paths an adventure. And we are thankful for the path we are on.
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