Rivers in the Desert

Ministry = Wrastlin' a PIG?!?

OK, I have had quite a number of  STRANGE days in Mexico up to this point.  There was the time that Lori, the family and myself were driving in one car and John Lambert in his truck as we tried to make our way home one summer evening after visiting Col. Estrella de Poniente and found ourselves lost in the heart of Juarez.  Darting from street to street vainly trying to find our way to something recognizable.  Neither John or myself spoke a WORD of spanish, which made the directions we were able to ascertain meaningless and found us completely lost.  Then there was the time that the US Customs agent at the border asked me which middle eastern country I was from.  Then there was the time in El Paso when our van was broken down in 108 degree heat.  The only spot of shade that we had for the family was full of fire ants and some crazy guy drives up... sees my van... asks about it and then asks if I don't mind watching his dog as he goes into the store... to which I IGNORANTLY responded with a yes.  OF COURSE as he gets his dog out of his truck, it's this giant rotweiller with a head as big around as my torso on a chain meant to pull a truck...  I could barely keep him from eating the kids and he only understood spanish commands...

However, today was MORE ODD then perhaps any other day I've experienced in Mexico to date.  John Lambert and I were visting the orphanage; Casa de la Nueva Vida in San Augustin, Mex, when Sergio's brother showed up.  He told us this crazy story about chasing his PIG all through the neighborhood in hopes of somehow getting her into his van to cart her off to have her bred.

You don't just pull up to a 150 lb pig and shout out the window; "HEY, ya wanna go for a ride?"  That's were we meet Blondie.  It didn't take long for Sergio, John and I to jump into the van and race to Hector's house for some good ole' fashion pig wrastlin'.  The entire way over to Hector's Ranchero, he told us the whole story.  Chasing her through friends yards, houses, down the streets.  Cornering her, grabbing her tail and holding on for dear life; attempting to bribe her into getting into the van and finally chasing her right back to her pen.

Blondie is a 4 month old, 150 - 200 lb Mexican pig.  She quite enjoys her time in her pen, eating slop and rooting in the Mexican dirt.  She found her current home, having escaped the confines of her previous (unknown where) residency and was just wandering the streets of San Augustin.  She came right to Hector's house and found a fast friend and a new home.  She has lived there ever since. 

Blondie, is not much on change.  We tried to explain to her the benefits of taking a trip to the breeders Ranchero, but she wouldn't have it.  We reasoned with her about the joys of motherhood and the grand adventure of life with piglets, but she wouldn't have any of it.  Instead, she chose to run as fast as she could squeeling in terror at the crazed missionaries who were coming at her.

Around the house she would go, followed by two or three of us.  Back down through the yard.  She would be cornered with Sergio, Hector and John grabbing for ears, a tail or hooves in an attempt to control this giant squeeling ham.  Then as soon as it seemed that we had her almost under control, she would charge off squeeling with us running laughing hysterically behind.  Finally, somehow she was cornered near the van and we were able to grab her feet and her head and toss her into the empty van.

A whole lotta squeelling, mud, make-shift fencing and the dragging of one very unhappy pig later, and uh... well... uh... she should be the proud momma of a whole mess-a-bacon some day soon!

-mike-