by T. K. Chapin
“Understood … Chelsea.”
Jax led the way to the gate and I took the opportunity to talk to Jonathan. Following behind Jax, I leaned in toward Jonathan. “You need to be nice to Jax. He’s here to protect me.”
Raising his hands, Jonathan said, “Whoa there, Princess. I am being nice!” At the word ‘Princess,’ Valorie glanced over at Jonathan with a question in her eye. She didn’t look pleased.
“Meat shield?” I asked, glancing at Jax’s brooding shoulders. “I don’t think he’s someone you want to have on your bad side.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll relax and not have any fun.” He was quiet for a moment, then he squinted as he looked at Jax. Leaning into my ear, he said, “I know these types. They’re alpha-males and have egos the size of the moon. They were the jocks who shoved me into lockers and put my head in the toilet back in high school. I don’t like them, not one bit.” Valorie grabbed his hand and yanked him back toward her.
Coming near him, I said with a lowered voice, “Maybe that was true for your high school experience, but that doesn’t mean you need to treat him poorly. Plus … what about acting like Christ?”
“Touché.” Jonathan remained quiet the rest of the way to the gate.
Chapter 4 - Jax
ONE LAYOVER IN PHOENIX AND seven hours later, we touched down in Guadalajara, Mexico. After Chelsea and I picked up our luggage from the carousel, we caught up with the rest of the group outside the main entrance of the airport. As we came out into the sunshine of Mexico, I welcomed the warm air. It was a relief from the cold winter that had set over Spokane at the moment.
“All right,” Rick said, grabbing all our attention. He set his shades up on his head and continued. “We have two vans and the insurance needed for me, Chelsea, and Jax to drive. Chelsea and Jonathan, do a head count on the youth, please.”
They took a moment to count.
“Ten boys,” Jonathan said.
“Seven girls,” Chelsea said, following a few seconds after him.
“That’s everybody. Let’s get in the vans and head to the hotel. Everyone, grab your luggage.”
With his words, everyone picked up their backpacks and luggage and followed Rick over to the vans. In my research on Rick Honns, I found his record to be clean outside of filing bankruptcy a decade ago when he was in his twenties. On the plane ride, he exhibited a passion for Christ like I hadn’t seen outside of Kirk, an old co-worker of mine, and Winston, the owner of WIN. On the plane, I witnessed a conversation between him and an elderly woman. He was sharing his testimony with a woman who was flying from Spokane to Phoenix to attend a funeral for her sister. According to his testimony, he had almost committed suicide and was lying in a hospital at the ripe age of nineteen when he’d discovered Jesus. Someone from a local church near the hospital took the time to share the gospel with him, and his life was forever changed from that day forward.
Jonathan’s shoulder suddenly pushed into mine in a non-accidental way as I stood next to Chelsea’s van. Grabbing his wrist, I flipped his arm behind his back in less than a second and held him in a submission hold. Enough was enough with this kid.
“Ouch, man, what are you doing?” he whimpered out.
Getting close to his ear, I said, “I advise you to stop now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Let go of me, you freak!”
I twisted his wrist a fraction more, and he bent over from the pain I knew was shooting up through his arm and into his torso. “Listen. Don’t play dumb. Just stop.”
I released.
Rick’s face distorted with concern. He was looking at us. Cutting through the line of kids, he motioned me to join him away from the kids getting in the van.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, his eyes darting back to Jonathan as he spoke.
“The situation has been handled. The kid just has feelings for my client and sees me as a threat, I suspect. It shouldn’t be a problem anymore though, sir. Know this—I didn’t hurt him. I just helped him realize reality.”
Rick nodded, his eyes glancing at my firearm on my hip. “Okay.”
With two vans loaded with the kids, I climbed into the passenger seat in the front of the van, joining Chelsea as she was in the driver’s seat. Glancing over at me, she said, “We’re going to check in at the hotel and then head to dinner in downtown Guadalajara.” She hesitated. Something was keeping her from continuing.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I saw what you did to Jonathan. Can you take it easy on him?”
“With all due respect, he must understand that I’m your bodyguard, not your boyfriend. I’m here to protect you, and I will not tolerate someone who doesn’t understand it. If he doesn’t like me, fine, but he doesn’t need to be aggressive, ma’am.”
“It’s Chelsea.” Turning the key over in the van, she pulled away from the curb and headed for the hotel. Things were off to an interesting start, but I wouldn’t let the feelings of others dictate how I did my job.
Chapter 5 - Chelsea
JAX WAS FRUSTRATING, THOUGH I understood why he did what he did to Jonathan. I couldn’t expect him to give special treatment to Jonathan because of the feelings that were still a residue on my heart. After we checked in at the hotel, we all made our way to a restaurant downtown for some authentic local Hispanic food. Taking our seats at a long-stretched table, we had a perfect view of not only the heart of downtown Guadalajara, but also inside and that of the mariachi band that was playing in the restaurant.
All of my worry about the trip was sidelined and was replaced with awe at the culture shock I was experiencing in the moment. God had shown me through just the short time since our plane had landed how different and beautiful the different types of people of the world are. My heart was full of gratitude and thankfulness for the opportunity to come serve.
The youth at our table were sharing in the enthusiasm. We were all a bit ecstatic to finally be in Mexico. It had been a long time coming and we were finally on the mission field.
Sitting on my right was Jax, and on my left was Bethany, one of the youth.
A waitress went around the table taking each of our orders. Rick assisted with the Spanish translation whenever needed as each teenager ordered their food. When she made it to Jax, he closed the menu and smiled up at the woman.
“Buenas noches, Señora. Me gustaría tener el Carne en su jugo.”
Raising an eyebrow, I was impressed by his fluency in Spanish. It rolled off his tongue like he had been speaking it his entire life. After ordering my own meal, I leaned over and asked, “Are you fluent?”
He shook his head. Turning to me, he tried to reply but the nearby mariachi band came closer and became too loud for me to hear him over the music. He leaned in closer to me. His mouth nearly touching my ear, his breath on my neck sent a chilly dart surging through me.
“I studied up on my Spanish for the trip. I did take it for a couple of years back in high school.” His breath smelled of mint. His scent mixed with cologne wrapped around my nose, pulling me in like an uncontrollable force. My sudden attraction to him in the moment surprised me. Unexpected, yet powerful and undeniable. Realizing it, I pulled back quickly, unable to ignore the stirring inside me. My whole face went as red as a freshly picked tomato. He gave me a weird look, then glanced away. The waitress had a question about his order.
I did my best to bury the spark that had revealed itself to me. After all, I was here for God, not a new boyfriend. As the evening progressed, I blamed the moment on my weariness from traveling and my lack of sleep. Sure, I’d admit he was good-looking, kind, and even had an excellent way with words, but he and I weren’t ever going to happen. Of that much, I was sure. A lady doesn’t go after her bodyguard.
After a hearty-sized meal and more chips and salsa than one person should eat, I was more than ready for the pillow back at my hotel room. Maybe with a restful night’s sleep, I’d be able to extinguish the silly thoughts of attraction I found myself fe
eling toward Jax.
Chapter 6 - Jax
THE CHURCH HAD PAID FOR one night in a hotel in Guadalajara before we all would be transitioning to the church for the rest of the time. After Chelsea retired to her room, I took a walk around the hotel for a perimeter check and to phone Winston. It being a five-star hotel, it was nicer than any hotel I had ever stayed in state-side.
As I walked through a mall inside the hotel, Winston answered his phone.
“Martinez. You made it safe?”
“Yes, sir.” Lightly laughing as I saw the indoor plants, streams of fresh water and high ceilings overhead, I shook my head. “This sure doesn’t feel like a church mission trip. This hotel is nice.”
“Yes, that’s the point of the hotel. To help transition the youth into reality down there. You all being in that big city won’t feel like a mission field until you get into the heart of it. You doing okay … you know, with the medication?”
He was speaking of my medicine that helped ease the alcohol withdrawals. “Yes, sir. I stopped the medicine a few days ago and haven’t had any urges. I’m in control and I’m playing by the rules.”
“Good. You’ve come a long way, Jax. I’m proud of you. How’s the client?”
“Fine. She is compliant and there doesn’t seem to be any issue thus far.”
“Excellent. I was over at Pastor Charlie’s last night with Marie, and in talking with him, I learned there have been some issues in the church down there in Guadalajara. In particular, a young man named Antonio. In his twenties. He’s been coming to church on Sundays off and on. He’s been a little too friendly with some of the youth girls … if you know what I mean. Maybe you could talk to him if you notice anything?”
I stopped walking. “Has the pastor down here spoken with him?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t seem to deter him. Charlie’s worried. Don’t make it obvious you know, but keep an eye open for anything suspicious and confront him. Just scare him a little to help motivate him in the right direction.”
“I understand and will keep an eye out.”
“And, Martinez?” His tone shifted to a more personal touch.
“Yes?”
“The people you’re going to meet, you know, the kids and even adults you’ll encounter …”
“Yeah?”
“They won’t only be looking at those youth, but you too. They don’t know you’re a bodyguard. They’ll think you’re a missionary. For some of them, you are the only Jesus or Bible they will ever see on this side of glory. Keep that in mind when you’re out on those streets. Yes, you’re there to protect, but you’re also a follower of Christ. Be mindful of that, and open.”
“Will do.”
Hanging up with Winston, I continued to walk the mall inside the hotel. Praying as I took my steps, I asked God to empower me. To give me strength to know how to act, what to say, how to be. I had grown up in the church all my life, but I truly encountered God when I stopped drinking and got sober last month. It was in the wee hours of the night, in a cold sweat and when nobody was around, that I truly met my Savior face-to-face. It wasn’t a booming voice. It wasn’t some bright light, but it was a comforting hand in the midst of my turmoil. It was then, and only then, that I realized God fully. That He had saved me from hell by grace. I recommitted my soul to my Savior Jesus Christ that night. I’m not perfect, but my eyes had been opened to the truth.
Finishing my walk, I arrived back at Chelsea’s room and slid my copy of her key into the door. Peeking inside, I saw the sleeping beauty fast asleep. Smiling, I closed the door quietly and returned to my room that was located directly across from hers. As I went into my own room, I removed my pistol and set it down on the night stand. Jonathan must not be in his right mind, passing up on a beautiful girl like that.
Chapter 7 - Chelsea
LOADING UP THE VANS THE next morning, we all headed over to the Church of God to finally meet Pastor Jose. We had been in contact with him for nine months and even had a few Skype calls from back home. Now, we’d finally meet him.
I had slept perfectly through the night and woken up refreshed, but Jax and my newfound attraction had stayed with me. There was no sleeping off the attraction I had felt toward him. At one point that morning, I even purposely stood a little closer to him at the van while the kids got loaded just so I could get another whiff of his intoxicating scent. I couldn’t help but feel guilt over feeling the way I did. What was wrong with me? I wasn’t acting like the good little church girl who had gone on a mission trip to help others anymore. I was feeling as if I was just a hormone-driven teenager who had a boy on her mind. Despite the tangled web of emotions, I did my best to focus on the mission ahead.
Almost to the Church of God, our home base for the mission trip, reality began to come into full focus. We drove out of town and down a lone dirt road with more potholes than I could count. I was driving the second van, following closely behind Rick’s. My eyes strained to see through the cloud of dirt being kicked up by the wheels of the van in front of us.
Finally pulling off the road, we came to the church. It was a dilapidated building sitting in a gravel parking lot. It almost looked abandoned. Part of the roof sagged on one side, a broken bell tower sat on top, and a couple of the windows were boarded up. My heart was breaking just seeing the church. Church on the Lake just got a brand-new building, and these people were still using one that was older than probably anyone in the congregation. We all got out of the vans and shielded our eyes from the sun as a middle-aged Spanish man came hurrying out from one of the doors.
Arriving up to us in the parking lot, he greeted us warmly.
“Hello, Amigos! I’m Pastor Jose!”
We all shook hands, and soon more church members came out the front door and down the steps to come greet us and help with luggage.
Getting inside the building, I was glad to see the inside was in better condition. We walked into a large gathering hall. They had air mattresses laid out on both sides of the long room to accommodate us. My heart warmed at their generosity.
One of the ladies pointed to one wall with mattresses. “Girls.” Then the other wall. “Boys.”
“Gracias,” I said to her.
After getting settled, we all, as a group, ventured down the hallway to the sanctuary where Pastor Jose requested us to join him. As I walked with Jax by my side, I looked at the walls that were covered in welcome coloring pictures that the small children had made. Again, my heart was bursting with an overwhelming sense of joy. These people were good. They not only needed us, but they wanted us to be here.
Chapter 8 - Chelsea
FANS SWIRLED THE MILDLY WARM air around our heads as Jose stood up on the stage in front and told us his story. He spoke English, but it was difficult to understand. He told us how God had saved his little brother from dying of an illness and how his whole family had started going to church because of it. He said every day has been a struggle his whole life, unsure of where his next meal will come from, but he’s rich because he has Jesus. His faith was authentic, real in the truest sense. It made me think of those prosperity preachers back in the states who always go on and on about how if we just get right with God, we can have ‘the good life.’ That wasn’t true for Jose, though, and it wasn’t true for a lot of Christians. Life is never promised to be easy or happy if you choose Jesus, but God does promise to be with us during the difficult times.
After his testimony, he got right to business. “Thank you, thank you for coming to our town. In two days” —he held up two fingers— “we will have big fun in park. Today and tomorrow, we will invite people to come to park.”
Rick jumped up from his seat and joined Jose on stage for this part. Putting his arm around Jose, he leaned into the microphone and smiled. “Great testimony for God, isn’t that true, guys?”
Everyone clapped.
“Okay. So listen, we’re going to help Jose and the Church of God get as many people, especially kids, to join us at Parque Agua Azul in
Guadalajara. We are going to have a bunch of awesome stuff for the community to do at the park. Snow cones to eat, jumpy houses, cotton candy, and so on. The gospel will be shared with them toward the end of the day, and we’ll be praying with and over all of these wonderful people.”
Jonathan and Valorie were sitting a few seats in front of me. Jonathan’s hand went up.
“Yes, Jonathan?” Rick said, pointing at him.
“I was wondering … what about the fact that most of us don’t know Spanish?”
“Good question. We’re going to break up into teams of four, and each group will have someone with them from the Church of God.” He pointed along the outside wall to members of the church who were in attendance. “All these people you see here today can translate, plus myself, and I believe Jax can speak some too.”
I was glad to hear about the translators. I knew a little Spanish, but not much. As I continued listening to Jose and Rick speak, I turned my head toward the back. Spotting Jax near the doors, I saw him standing straight as a board with his arms crossed. His eyes were surveying the entirety of the sanctuary. As his gaze caught mine, I turned my attention back to the front of the church. A thought entered my mind. It was uncontrollable and unwelcomed, but it was there. Does he have a girlfriend back home?
Chapter 9 - Jax
WALKING DOWN A STREET LATER that day in the heart of the city, the sun was high and the heat intense. According to a weather application on my cell phone, it was only in the high seventies, but just coming out from winter in Spokane made it feel like the middle of summer back home. I was following behind Chelsea, Jonathan, Valorie, and all the youth who were in our group. Elizabeth, our elected translator, stayed up near the front with the three leaders.
There was a lot of rejection in the attitudes of the people they had come across so far, and I hadn’t seen any real beneficial impact up until this point. We were all becoming increasingly tired from the day, and we came to a stop outside a school yard and basketball courts. Beyond a chain-link fence, there was a group of teenagers playing basketball and a few younger kids on the sideline in the bleachers beneath the shade of a mustard tree.
