Mexico Travel Warning

Be careful if you are planning on going to Mexico in the near future....you might fall in love and never want to return home.

I just spent the last two weeks in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico with my family.  Yes, we did stop for a few days in the tourism-infested city of Cancun.  Then we moved on to one of our a favorite corners on planet earth...a little town called Chuburna, which is located just north of the beautiful colonial city of Merida (http://internationalliving.com/2011/06/the-top-10-colonial-cities-in-mexico/).

Myself and Elijah enjoying our morning beverages in Cancun

I'm certainly aware of all the US government-issued travel warnings regarding Mexico (and many other countries in the world) that are designed to warn US citizens to the highest degree possible of all the crime and other issues that occur abroad.  The problem with this is that we don't live in the safest country in the world, either.  Crime exists in the US as well.  Ever turned on the TV and watched the news?

If we really want to compare apples to apples, let's check out the most recent statistics available and go from there.  Nationmaster.com does an excellent job of compiling all kinds of world statistics.  I went to their site and compared the USA vs. Mexico in every measurable capacity, including crime.  There are many different ways to look at it, but at the end of the day, the US has 7 times the recorded crime that Mexico has.  One could certainly make the argument that more crime is reported in the US than in Mexico, but the US has also only 2.8 times more people than Mexico....follow the link and do your own research: http://www.nationmaster.com/compare/Mexico/United-States/Crime

Personally, I feel a little more secure and watched out for in Mexico than I do in the United States.  That's why I'm not afraid to bring my wife and three young children there, and I have no hesitation in recommending that others go there as well.  There is indeed a chance that any of us could be harmed in any corner of the world, including Mexico.  My experience is that I've been hurt more in my own back yard (see my other blog posts) than I have in other countries of the world.

Luis, our neighbor and friend in Chuburna, Mexico

My life's mission is to be the bridge between cultures, and to serve and love them as Jesus Christ served and loved the world.  Just as the apostle Paul went to all parts their known world 2,000 years ago, so are we called to go into all parts of the world (Matthew 28:19).  Every person in every corner of the world is loved just the same and just as much as all of us here in the United States.  I think sometimes we conveniently forget this simple truth, and we ignore other parts of the world because we don't want anything to get in the way of our busy, planned, and supposedly safe lives here at home.

We're fortunate in so many ways to be born in the United States, and I recognize that as I travel the world.  And yet, if you visit any other country and invest time in building relationships with people, you'll see that we have so much to learn from others.  I have the opportunity to do this for my life and career, and  I feel blessed beyond measure.  If you've been to other parts of the world and had the chance to build authentic, meaningful relationships, I know you understand what I'm saying.  If you haven't, I ask you to give it a shot and overcome the inconvenience, fear, or other obstacle that is standing in your way from going into other parts of the world.  I haven't met a single person that regrets traveling to another culture, whether it's simply personal travel or serving on a mission trip.

Let's get out there and start learning, sharing, and serving.  There's no better way to live.  And most importantly, it's a direct order from our creator.