John "The Hot One" Maxwell Leaving the Country

[Tallulah]

From that picture, I'm going with some place where people have both Indian and African ancestry, like a Caribbean country. But this is just speculation.

I hope you're right! Could you imagine a Maxwell visiting a tropical island country where women on vacation wear bikinis and drink piña coladas? John might see a woman in shorts and a tank top, or no top at all on the beach. Steve would lose it!

In all seriousness I hope this trip opens his eyes that life on the compound doesn't have to be his only option, but I doubt it.

[MamaJunebug]

"[Prince Hot] John Traveled Minimalistically" would be correct both grammatically and for US English spelling.

So much for Terifying's grand 30-year educational career.

Excuse the all-caps, but WHAT IS THE GUY POURING FROM THE THERMAL CARAFE?

Kansas City is far more diverse a city than many would guess. I say it's all a ruse and PHJ is just enjoying a break in the Hispanic part of KC.

Fiesta on, Juanito!

[ncb]

Interesting. Looking at Teri's sister's facebook page she "liked" recovering grace way back in 2012. I know Tami is very conservative but, she obviously thinks her brother in law is a zealot and a cult leader. I know the Maxwells are not involved with Gothard, if they ever were, but it is clear that Teri's sister has concerns about their cultish lifestyle and that is why she has been all but cut out of their lives. These people are horrid.

[kpmom]

Excuse the all-caps, but WHAT IS THE GUY POURING FROM THE THERMAL CARAFE?

I'm thinking something along the lines of Cuban coffee. Are ESL workers allowed in Cuba? Is that guy's American flag t-shirt allowed in Cuba?

[NotALoserLikeYou]

What do you think about this

kcur.org/post/solving-puzzling-mental-illness-bhutanese-refugees

gatheringnetwork.org/missional-communities/friends-of-the-bhutanese-refugees

kdheks.gov/olrh/RefugeePop.htm

Nepali people living in Bhutan have been coming to America as refugees...and many are settling in Kansas City.

If you google Bhutanese refugees you will see they look Indian (because they are Nepali)(whereas if you just google Bhutanese, many are more traditional Asian looking, like from Tibet)

And apparently many KC Baptist Churches have ESL for the Bhutanese. The first one you see when you google is having site problems. I haven't been able to google more because I have to leave for a tax appointment now!

I think its plausible he is going to Nepal (or Bhutan?) as he may have met some of these refugees in Kansas City at a church or something...

[ShesCrafty]

I think ThatSnark may have hit the nail on the head with Honduras.

Exhibit A:

There are definitely ESL jobs in Honduras. A Google search is all you need to turn up lots of them.

Exhibit B:

A thanks to the poster who mentioned the possible flag stickers on the pole (I'm sorry I can't remember your name). I know my pictures are shoddy (I'm no Christopher Maxwell when it comes to photography :lol: ), but the colors do seem to resemble the colors of both the flag of Honduras (top) and the Naval flag of Honduras (bottom).

Exhibit C:

According to the CIA World Factbook, Honduras has a population of 8,143,564 as at July 2011; the CIA World Factbook states that the population makeup is: "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black 2%, white 1%".

That description pretty much sums up the the visually noticeable ethnic qualities of John's new friends.

Exhibit D:

As ThatSnark mentioned, the white jersey the guy in the background is wearing sure does look like the jersey of the Honduras football team. Notice the light blue line along the edge of the darker blue...

All that to say, I really have no clue where in the world John Maxwell is but I do love a good mystery. And yes, I loved Nancy Drew when I was a kid. :D

[fundiefan]

Wherever he is he's got to be going through major shock. No Steve, no family accountability, no schedules...it's the outside world, even if it's some evangelical missions thing.

Dude probably has nightmares that have nothing to do with the country he is in or its citizens and everything to do with his inexperience outside the family circle.

[LadyPriss]

I could care less where he went. Where ever he is, he's probably safe behind some walled compound and has 12 baby sitters. Steve would never let him go out of country without having someone who is going to chaperone him.

John, unlike the rest of the Maxwells, looks like he could actually have fun. I haven't seen a fake smile on his face, as opposed to the girls.

I never thought of John to be one of those basement gym dwellers but a guy who actually goes to a gym (He mentioned he was thankful for his workout buddies in the thanksgiving post so maybe he works out elsewhere). He's probably a lot more socialized than the whole bunch. We never hear about his life because, chances are, he does things that are a little more social than just the christmas carol nights or family events.

[SPHASH]

So John is in Honduras? Hope he can make a side trip to Roatan.

[Toothfairy]

Honestly, the whole "the country will remain anonymous" bit is just so stupid. It's not like he's heading off to Syria to join ISIS. It's just normal curiosity, Steve. Other than that, no one—even your leg-humpers—really gives a shit.

We all know Steve, he's an ass. He doesn't realize how stupid he sounds

[HermioneSparrow]

It might be South America BUT I don't think so, I'm from S.America and the features of their faces seem more Asian, Bhutan or Nepal perhaps.. Our ethnicity is definitely different and natives don't really look like that. (In big cities you can see variety like anywhere else). Of course, this is all based on what i know about my culture. And the soccer theory, is quite big in Asia, the only place in the world that is not big is North America.

[WonderingInWA]

I haven't read this whole thread, but Steve gets the asshole award for just not saying where John went. In fact, he's being a huge ingrate -- we could all be praying for John if we knew where the hell he was!

ETA: Maybe he's afraid if the location is disclosed, we'll form a posse and go mess with John! Sigh.

[ThatSnark]

Whatever brown liquid that new friend is pouring from the thermos, Juanito has a cup of it in his hand. ¡Salud!

[Tiny Bubbles]

I've been to Nepal, Central and South America. My guess is Central America, just because it's closer for an inexperienced traveller. (Is ESL a thing in Nepal?)

Your sleuthing has been fantastic! Some further observations:

The guys in the picture are bigger and bulkier than most of the Nepalese guys I met.

This group is well dressed, well pressed, well groomed and well fed, though John looks a little rumpled. The guy sitting down could be wearing expensive sneakers. These guys are definitely middle class, to my eye.

I've had tea in those little cups in the Middle East and in Nepal and coffee in little cups throughout Latin America.

Go John Go!

[fundiefan]

Steve is just being...Steve. He's doing exactly as expected. He thinks he's being sly or something but in reality, he is being the tantrum throwing little boy everyone already knows him to be. Their new life of secrecy is just an absurd joke. Just as a six year old does when her little brother begins noticing his surroundings and asking questions.

Whatever, Steve. No one actually cares as far as the definition of the word goes. No one is going to stalk your offspring and expose him to any reality. Now you've just given everyone more evidence of the fact that your entire existence, and that of your poor family, is based entirely on your insecurities and fears.

How sad.

[Palimpsest]

We all know Steve, he's an ass. He doesn't realize how stupid he sounds

We've been telling Steve how stupid and absurd he sounds is for years.

When will he wake up and smell the coffee?

[ThatSnark]

Right-- this picture is of well-fed, reasonably well-off people. Soccer jerseys are unreasonably expensive in the US, so these are people with disposable income (or with indulgent parents/grandparents with some $$) -- given that this is probably some sort of a mission trip, these are likely the men who are hosting Juanito and his group(?) as they spread English to the natives, who may well be perfectly happy communicating in their own language.

Can't wait to see what Steve doles out next for us meddling kids!

[Tiny Bubbles]

Is that barbed wire on top of the wall behind them?

What on earth.....

[Tiny Bubbles]

Sorry, can't seem to stop posting!

Just to say that I realize J is wearing that special drip dry travel clothing. Not cheap. I covet this type of stuff as it's fantastic. He's wearing the same outfit as when he left Kansas, so I'm guessing this was his welcome party when he arrived.

[salex]

Is that barbed wire on top of the wall behind them?

What on earth.....

Many places in the world have different types of security than we are used to in the USA.

My father in law rented a home in Guadalajara for years-- decent neighborhood, upper middle class, not at all cheap to rent. The front of the house had an enclosed entry behind a covered patio with a iron fence and locked Iron Gate. The auto entry was to the side... more iron gates, heavy locks, then a drive way. Once in the driveway, you were in a walled enclosure that surrounded a parking area, the locked garage and the back yard. High cement walls and, instead of barbed wire, the tops of the walls were cement embedded with large chards of broken glass....I can't remember if there was barbed wire on the front wall to the driveway, or just the glass, but other neighborhoods had barb wire.

[DaffyDill]

Well, wherever he is, and whatever he is doing, I hope John enjoys his time there, broadens his horizons, and finds he can breathe and survive happily on his own. Hopefully, he delays his return to the Maxwell Compound, then delays it again, and then again....until he rarely goes home at all. And is freeee!!!

[NotALoserLikeYou]

This is all Steve's fault... he let the kids watch that mountain climbing video...complete with those prayer flags, and John was corrupted. Now he is (maybe) on his way to see them in person!

[HereticHick]

Is it possible that he's on some sort of irrigation-related mission trip? Could these be NGO-type guys be all working on an irrigation project?

PS I'm seconding Salex's observation that barbed wire-topped walls is not an odd sight in many parts of the world. I've even seen it in places like Greece and Italy.

[Flamingosandswans]

Look, it might be too early to call it but I'm prepared to take a stab in the dark and say he looks to be in the Dominican Republic. I base this on the appearances of those who are with him as well as the fact the most schools in the DR have barbed wire fencing around them. I was there very recently and I think it's likely.

[Tiny Bubbles]

Could well be.

C'mon Steve, more clues!