1.   
Washing clothes consists of 2
buckets, a toilet plunger, and a bit of hard work

2.   
20+ people fit "comfortably" into
an 11 passenger van. It may not sound
safe, but when the alternative is riding in the back of an open pickup on the
highway your thinking changes

3.   
Driving on the shoulder of the
road is normal, but when you get back to the states you just feel out of sorts. (Kathleen drives)

4.   
A semi-truck heading down your
side of the road is no cause for concern, after the first few days.

5.   
You get reprimanded for waving to
the mafia (and other strange men) because that is bad apparently. 

6.   
The border guards always ask if
you are the Christian missionaries (as opposed to the other kind?)

7.   
If drunk drivers turn on their
flashers then it is just fine for them to continue on their way. (Get any hints
about what driving in Mexico is like?!) At least they are polite and let you know
that they are drunk so that you can take extra precautions.

8.   
You make excuses to go to Soriana's
for donuts multiple times a week. We really, really, REALLY love doughnuts. So fresh.

9.   
A trip into Harlingen for IHOP
and the Laundromat is bliss. Clean
clothes and pancakes... does it get much better? 

10. You eat tortillas at every meal...and
each meal would fill you up for the entire day. Occasionally you find yourself praying that God will miraculously remove
the food from your stomach so that you have room for the next meal and not
offend your host.

11. A plate of meat at Bigo's feeds a
family of 5.

12. Every nice car you see is owned
by the mafia. Sad but oh so true.

13. The border guard in the tank
always waves as you pass.

14. You eat at least a dozen gnats a
day. Just a little extra protein.

15. Horses and chickens run free
while cows are secured to shrubbery alongside the highway.

16. You respond in Spanish when
talking to Americans. Lo siento just sounds more sincere than I'm sorry.

17. You "steal" water where it is already
free. (That may just be my team, but our renegade experience was a memory I
will always treasure)

18. Toilet paper goes into the
trash can instead of the toilet. Enough said...

19. Dogs covered in blue paint run
free while cats are tied to trees. Not many get to see such an occurence in their lifetime.

20. You may smell but a shower every
three or more days is sufficient. However, after showering, there is a possibility that you may still smell like rotten eggs because of the sulfur water.

21. Missionaries may equal hippies,
but hippies do not equal missionaries. We all look the same with the tie die,
bandanas, and such... yet the beliefs and standards are immeasurably different

22. Random convicts that have fled America feel
inclined to share their story with you, much nicer than expected.

23. When your car battery dies it is
replaced by an old battery from a tiny car sitting in the yard next door. (Evidently
nobody has jumper cables). All cars have similar problems but AIM policy is
that no car under the ownership of AIM should have shocks or run reliably. We
wouldn't have it any other way. 

24. While ministering in downtown
Matamoros, you receive invitations to hotel rooms. 

25. It takes five people to
communicate a question at the grocery. We might want to work on our Spanish after Uganda.

26. Sea shell roads are much smoother
driving than the regular ones.

27. Every dog on the street is
pregnant (and half as many women). Apparently there is no such thing as a
pound.

28. The teenage militia text on their
cell phones with one hand while holding a machine gun in the other. Passing puberty should be a requirement before machine guns are given to young men so freely.

29. Ants are EVERYWHERE!!! After a
while you just don't seem to notice anymore.