National City to the Mexico Border!!!

All done! It’s hard to believe it’s over…

I haven’t yet had time to reflect on all that has happened over the past year.  That time will come, but for now I’ll concentrate on what happened today.

Larry and I started the walk in National City on a grey day with a drizzling rain after a group prayer in our rental home for the weekend in San Carlos. Our youngest son, Matt, joined us in Mile 4, and by then the rain had stopped. The rest of the family (including our 4 grandkids – all under age 5) waited for us at a park at the end of mile 7 and we walked the last 3 miles together.

Mark Jacobs from our church and his wife Jocelyn joined us for the last 5 miles and did some photos and videos of the final leg. Our grandson was fascinated with his drone! I’m so grateful for the effort they made to come down and document the last day.

My intent had always been to actually show my passport, cross into Mexico, then come back. However, the border crossing process was very unappealing. The family wouldn’t be able to join me, I’d disappear behind a turnstile into a building and I would probably never even leave that building before coming back.

I found a practical and attractive alternate place where the road dead-ended at the very imposing border fence. It was quiet, safe for the kids to run around, and with easy parking. My hand entered Mexico through a padlocked gap in the fence (or at least it entered the ‘no man’s land between the fences), but in the end I didn’t personally do so. I’m happy about the decision, because it made for a much more relaxed finish.

When we got to the fence, we turned the kids loose and we all touched the fence together. 1-2-3 and it was over! We hung around awhile for some more photos, then Mark and Jocelyn took Matt and Grant back to their cars at the park – after which the guys came and picked up the rest of us.

I held it together pretty well at the end – at least for me, because I’m a ‘crier’. I’m still pinching myself that my whole family was here with me – both our boys, their wives and all 4-1/2 grandkids.  Now we’re back in our VRBO house, and we’ll go out for a celebratory dinner tonight.

Home tomorrow, then back to my new post-trek reality. I’ll post more at some time in the future, but for now I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my Lord Jesus Christ for his provision, and for the hundreds of people who touched my life along the way…

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1