Arriving in Mexico

For most travelers the first glimpse of a new land is an international airport. And in this regard our trip to Mexico was not an exception. But, I can say that our arrival in Mexico City was exceptional.

From JFK to Mexico City and finally Monterrey. That was our route. We arrived at Benito Jaurez International Airport thinking only of boarding another plane as quickly as possible to get our final destination.

After passing through customs, an airport official greeted us, but she was wearing a convention badge. We exchanged hugs and kisses, so thrilled to meet one of our sisters. She led us through customs, not leaving us one second. We met with one final airline official to approve our visa and then the dear sister led us through a door. To my complete surprise there stood about forty witnesses in full customary Charros applauding, smiling and waving! They were saying "Welcome to Mexico!" Tears just naturally came. This was just a layover and yet here they were welcoming us to Mexico. I was asking myself "Where else can you find a love like this?" It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. A time where words fail you. So we just hugged and kissed and took pictures. And when I looked up with tears in my eyes, a sister looked at me and said "We love you."

Then two brothers, one young brother and one older brother introduced themselves and asked us for a picture. They explained that Charros were the customary dress in Mexico City. Before the trip would end we would learn so much the native garb of Mexico.

We took one last group picture of everyone present. We had been there only about five minutes and I didn't want to leave them. As I headed to our gate led by two young sisters who had the responsibility to lead us through the airport, I looked back one more time to see the brothers and sisters in their charros purchasing refreshments before welcoming the next group of friends. Again, my eyes blurred.

En Route to Mexico

At the moment when I was first told we were selected as delegates for the international convention in Monterrey, Mexico, there is no way I could of imagined what awaited us. We know that as Jehovah's people we have love among ourselves and a true international brotherhood, but experiencing it on such a large scale reinforces it in a way that's awe inspiring.

This story of my first international convention does not began at the moment we entered the convention stadium, no it begins much sooner than that.

Friday, December 8th, 5:30 AM found Kimberly and I in a hotel shuttle on our way to JFK international. We arrived at the Aeromexico terminal and waited as passengers began queuing up. Dangling around our necks hung cards provided by the travel agency which identified us as delegates and gave us information regarding our bus assignments and hotel reservations. They also served to identify who who be our traveling companions during this most beautiful journey.

Within minutes sisters arrived with their tell-tale Costamar lanyards . We exchanged names and greetings and it was evident that we all shared the same excitement. (Interestingly, delegates were trickled into the country, so airport workers had grown accustomed to seeing Witnesses passing through on their way to Mexico. So they asked us what conventions we were assigned to and other questions which reflected their knowledge of the assembly.)

After all the necessary checks, removal of shoes, and three ounce toiletries that come with flying in our era, we made it to our gate to wait for our flight. We used this time to put faces to names, sing the new Kingdom Melodies, take pictures and exchange gifts. It was a foretaste of how the next four days would be.

Next Arriving In Mexico City

Leaving New York

"From the Battery to the Gallery, its the kind of thing you only see, in scented glossy magazines"

-John Mayer, City Love

"$40.00 round trip to New York." These words uttered just a little over three years ago, were thrilling to my impoverished ears. One of my favorite pastimes - travel had to be temporarily thrust to the side. But, saving forty odd dollars seemed very possible and not only would such a small price take me away, but it would take me away to my favorite city - New York. I would work out the other details later and stay with a friend.

In these three years later I've returned to New York many times, but I've never used any other mode of transportation. This occasion was no exception. No, not even before traveling abroad.

So, I love New York. But as I road on the subways, buses and ambled through the streets of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan this past weekend, I stopped and pondered why. I came to the conclusion that it (A) it captured my imagination at a young, impressionable age and (B) it's (presently) the home of Bethel and (C) its international sampler. The Cliff Notes of the earth's cultures if you will.

When we first received word that we were selected as delegates for the international convention, I of course hoped that New York would be a 'gateway city' and I knew that if it was, we'd select it. Yes, we'd head north to go South. Remember, fifty dollars round trip.

These last three days saw us with the Arabic congregation in Brooklyn, at the famed Madison Squared Gardens venue that I first visited when it was quite empty with my sister as we waited to take a train to Montreal Canada, nearly two years ago.

It found us touring the nearly one and a half century old American Museum of Natural History with a tour guide who was both enlightening and passionate and .... something. That 'something' that you can't justifiably complain about or commend. From there we conversed with a friend who joined us in our New York meanderings, at a typical Manhattan deli called Lenny's. Then a stroll through Central Park in the cold.

Top of the Rock was thrilling and overwhelming and mind boggling. How does a primeval forest turn into a tribute to megalithic architecture? And what would New York City be without Rockefeller and his wife? And how could we hoist Kimberly atop the 30 Rock Antennas so she could truly reach the "Top of the Rock." The world may never know.

Another dear friend met us at the bottom of the rock, followed by more superb and encouraging conversation and the ride to our hotel.

So tomorrow we leave for Mexico. We already have the names of the brothers and sisters who will accompany us on our bus. Its funny how those are just names now, but very soon they will represent personalities, living, breathing people.

Mexican Cuisine 101

Yesterday, Kimberly and I were assigned to provide hospitality for the visiting speaker. How serendipitous that the speaker was from Mexico. Of course we told him that in a week's time we'd be in his homeland. This information made for a very lively conversation about Mexican cuisine and what we should probar (try).

The consensus among him, his wife and sister is that we should try Iguana (suggested before making a gesture of mock finger licking at the sheer delicousness of it all), squirrel (the Mexican squirrel is smaller, all agreed) and mapache (found in the market places, we were told).

So, the meal was wonderful, the laughter incessant, the education timely and to top it all off the speaker paid for our meal at end, because, "we shouldn't be spending money before our trip." Isn't our brotherhood is wonderful!

Regalitos! (Gifts)

So I've been learning International Convention customs and must-knows from veteran and recently returned convention delegates. They all echo each other on three major points:

• Exchanging of Lapel Badges with other delegates is an essential experience.
• Candy distribution is a non-verbal Esperanto, especially with kids.
• You cannot bring too many gifts!

The last custom has been emphasized more than all others. So we've had 'regalito" assembling nights and consultations with many of you. Thanks for your ideas.

After much pondering, trips to various stores and countless minutes searching eBay and amazon.com we fell on the following ideas:

• Post Cards featuring Kimberly and I with our contact information and a scripture
• Flower pens (because how can one be sad when writing with a flower pen?)
• Gift baggies with notepads, mechanical pencils and candy in the shape of "typical" American food (yes, hamburgers and hot dogs).
• A power presentation featuring snapshots of our hometown, congregation etc. (that I've yet to finish)

I so looking forward to passing them out!

An American in the United States?

This may seem like a redundancy. Allow me to explain. During my tenure in the Spanish congregation I've learned that some of the U.S.' southerly neighbors take exception to residents of the fifty states' self-designation: "Americans." Residents of Central and South Americans also call themselves "Americanos" and don't see why it should be an exclusive term.



In fact, technically speaking the Spanish word to describe someone from the United States is "estadounidense" or "Unitedstatesmen." Jokingly, I like to mention to a certain one of my friends from South of the Border that "Americano" is not the only adjective that can cause terminological confusion. He too is an "Estadounidense" I remind him; since the official name of the country we call "Mexico" is "Estados Unidos de Mexico." Touché?


I say all of this to say that, beginning December 8th of this quickly waning year I will be an American (yes, an American) in the United States...of Mexico.


My lifelong dream of attending an international convention summons me there as well as the allure of street food (I know, I know, be careful blah, blah, blah), the only castle in North America to be actually inhabited by a monarch and a capital which boasts the world's second largest plaza (the red square in Moscow being the largest) and more museums than London.


How exciting it will be to see more of our international brotherhood, "la tierra" of many I've met in the last few years and wander as an American in the United States.