Again on that 1974 mission trip, we stayed at a Mexican motel in the Sonoran Desert. This place was the nicest thing around, but like a run-down motel from the 1950s. We slept in sleeping bags spread around on the floor and shared a shower for the men and another for the women. Huge cock roaches crawled in and out of the shower drain.

It was really hot but dry. Our drinking water supply was low and purified water was hard to come by down in the desert. People drank a lot of pop and alcohol to quench their thirst. Our leader advised us to all get a pop or juice from the water cooler before we left on the drive back north. By the time I got to the cooler there wasn’t anything left but Mexican beer. That created a dilemma for me, because I am a recovered alcoholic who had pledged to the Lord I would never drink again. Besides, this was a Christian group.

When I asked our leader what I should do, he said, “You need to drink something, and don’t tell me about it,” and walked out of the room. So, I bought and drank the bottle of beer. I have no recollection of whether it was any good or not, and have never drank anything stronger than a ginger ale since.

What do you think about that? Was that a sin? Should I have not done that or what? I’m interested in your opinion.