BY JACK CRABTREE
Out here in Wantakia, we have a lot to be thankful for. Sure, there are certain things we’ve given up in order to live in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, but we’ve gained some pretty special things as well. We left family back in America, but we’re blessed to work alongside two amazing families here. Our girls get to build lifelong friendships with the Sanders and Hambrice kids! Jill’s parents were able to spend Thanksgiving with us as well, which was an awesome bonus!
We left a beautiful place, Northwest Arkansas, but we’ve been blessed with the breath-taking beauty of Pinji Mountain. We can’t just run to the grocery store to pick up snacks, but we have supply buyers and helicopter pilots who can purchase and fly out everything we need (including care packages with local coffee and other goodies from many of you in America!). We are separated from family, but we have cell service and are able to easily communicate from the other side of the world. Last week we even FaceTimes a Sunday school class who supports us during their Christmas party!
We’re learning a difficult language, a process that sometimes feels hopeless. But we can be thankful that we’re here, because the God who created this language sent us here. He’s given us his presence for wisdom and encouragement, technology to help us learn language more efficiently, Wantakian friends who are enthusiastic about helping us learn language, language consultants who help us stay on the right track, and coworkers who encourage, push, and help us along the way. In short, we have it pretty good out here!
Pray for our team. We’re learning this language. We’re making progress. We have a long way to go, but we’re running this race to win. Thank you for being a part of the team. Thank you for your invaluable prayers. Thank you for giving financially. We couldn’t live out here without your help. Thank you for thinking enough of us to send us care-packages. The goodies are nice, but knowing we aren’t forgotten is even nicer! We love you all, and are privileged to be your representatives here in Wantakia. Friend us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to see day-to-day pictures and updates of our life here in Wantakia.