Clifford the van

Somehow through the years my van (a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500) received a name. The van's name is Clifford. If you are familiar with the children's book "Clifford The Big Red Dog", you can guess how my van got its name. It certainly is big and it is red.

Clifford has had many experiences and has been many things to many people over the years. It began life as Dennis and Mary Lynn Carlson's van and then became mine when they left Oaxaca.
Clifford's everyday life is not much different than the life of any car or van in your life. Clifford goes to the grocery store, goes to the bank, goes to church, gets oil changes and tune ups, etc.

But Clifford has another life--life as a mission vehicle. In Clifford's other life, there have been a lot of different experiences. Clifford is used for mission trips and greets people at the airport as they arrive in Oaxaca. Clifford has had many a large bottle of water tip over on the way to a work site. Clifford has comforted people not feeling well as they lay down on the seat while others continuing working. Clifford also comes with its own set of motion sickness bracelets, ginger candy and Dramamine for those curvy mountain roads to a ministry site.

Clifford is used for trips to the mountain and- don't tell the insurance company- has been known to hold far more people than the van was designed for as it passed Covenanters standing on the side of the mountain road on their way to a meeting. Clifford has gone over bridges that consist of one plank for each tire and nothing in between. Clifford has squeezed through on roads where the rainy season has partly washed out the road. Clifford, and its all six cylinders, loaded with 8 people and all their luggage has even managed to pass an oil tanker or two on the curvy road to the isthmus.

Clifford has its own set of scars also. There is the scratch received when a pastor insisted Clifford would fit through the gate to the church. There is the slight dent where Clifford didn't see a sign that was behind the van at the isthmus health department. There is the scratch received when Clifford was parked outside of a community center and someone obviously didn't like the fact that Clifford was parked there.

Clifford has been put into service taking a pastor home from the hospital. The large back seat made a good (if not too smooth) bed. Clifford has taken people to the doctor's office. Clifford has helped move people into a new house and one time even moved a church to a new building.

Yes, Clifford is a big red van and has been a a good friend to both me and the people that it transports.