Cristian, taxi driver

It was a late night Sunday back in September. Really has time flown by so? Yet I'll never forget Cristian if not simply for the fact that he can be included in my many taxi driver incidents that I seem to be a magnet for.

I was coming home from Dean Funes, a short weekend with my good friend Noemi you may have read about in a previous post (or could read about now, I suppose - ha). We split a taxi on our way home, so I was now alone with a younger man. So young that it lead to my question:

"How long have you been driving a taxi?"

"Oh I just started," he told me. "Where are you from?"

I get that a lot. Most people are nice about it and just say it's my blue eyes. Clear eyes is the direct translation. I kind of like that.. but I digress. People have been kind in the last few months that they only notice because I talk slower, although my pronunciation is good.

And so the conversation continued, mainly along the lines of why I am here and what I want to do with my life.

"You probably are only interested in guys from the United States," he probed at one point.

"Not necessarily," I explained. "But as I've told you before, I've got some big dreams.." (we had talked about the possibility of India for example) .."so whoever the guy is, he's gotta be willing to dream big too.

"It IS important that he believes in Jesus," I nonchalantly added.

We were arriving to the house and I noticed him slow down after I said that. He was looking in the rearview mirror at me a lot, and I kind of just brushed it off.

"Look," I finished. "All I'm trying to say is that if Jesus could die for me even when I didn't deserve it, the least I could do is serve His people who are in need, wherever that may be."

The car stopped, and he paused after he had given me back my change and receipt.

"That's really interesting," he said to me. "Really."

I can still remember how his composure had changed from his first, more uncomfortable question, to where we were now. I was praying for wisdom in our conversation, as well as for the meter to not go crazy with how slow he was going at the end there. I was also very thankful to have friends waiting outside the house the moment I had arrived. One of them joked with me when I came out after a few minutes, "What? Were you sharing the gospel with him or something?"

"Actually, yeah," I smiled.