varying degrees of light

We're driving through Mexico with a mixture of friends from Grand Rapids and Dordt students, with some professors (Kobes, Fessler, Den Boer). "Friends from Grand Rapids" is a loose description. For instance, cousin Ducky was there, as were previous youth pastors. And others. And others.
I'm in one car, a small convertible (it was raining so the top was down) with brother David, previous youth pastor Yoon (the army guy), and cousin Ducky who keeps switching places with Dordt friend Allison... and when Ducky is there, she's always really sad and at age, like twelve. When it's Allison in our car, she's about to barf or narcoleptic. Right. And it's rainy and we occasionally see the other cars spin out and crash into the barricade. The highway is a littered with car frames and fire dancing in the rain.

So we've been on the road for awhile, so we stop by a Korean convenience store and spend lots of time deciding what we want... gourmet dark chocolate pop tarts, dried squid, Ring Pops, milkshakes, popcorn? Ducky/Allison get distracted with the knockoff purses they also have on display, and previous youth pastor Yoon steps outside to do some exercise. I decide on grapes and water - they don't have 7UP for Allison's stomach.

Boom. The grapes are, like, $7 a bunch. And David is chewing me out. I'm saying, "I didn't round up the costs, mentally. Sorry. Dang." And he's all, "Yeah, that's why I owe you $90!" and he slams my credit card down on the counter. I don't really know what that was about, but we didn't get the grapes.

It stopped raining outside and 12-year-old cousin Ducky is lying on the back of the car, soaking in the sun and feeling a little better. We hit the road until we reach our destination...

A tiny Catholic orphanage for Mexican-Korean children who, let me stop here and tell you, are THE MOST BEAUTIFUL imaginary children in the world. They are stunning. Their skin is golden, their eyes are enormous and sharp and they smile like middle school crushes.

It's situated right on the Atlantic Ocean, not the Gulf, and I don't know if the water is clean there or not, but it was - of course - perfect. We undergo an epic tale of soccer with the ninos. They terrorize us, laughing all the while, and our hearts melt and evaporate and rain down again on our delirious heads.

The strict carekeeper (of COURSE she's strict) calls us in for evening meal and we run in to grab a seat. Somehow we manage a table with the strict carekeeper... she was British actually, somehow... and my brother David STARTS EATING BEFORE PRAYER, and she smacks him off his chair with her ruler. Everyone else at our table laughs crazily. David shakes his head straight, climbs back up, and puts the bread back in the basket.

We pray and begin eating and Kobes and Fessler have a GREAT TIME talking about how they're not in labs, but on the beach in Mexico eating swordfish. They are slapping each other on the back, and coughing from their laughter. It is great.