When Tarantulas Become Commonplace

“Am I really living in the United States of America?” sometimes I have to ask myself.  You see, now it is quite normal for me to see too many tarantulas to count in a day roaming about the same road that I frequent either by foot or by vehicle.  I never thought I could feel so benign about these poisonous, black, hairy spiders.  I don’t recall spiders being a problem in Papua New Guinea.   In fact, I can’t say I ever encountered a snake in PNG.  I can’t say the same since moving to McNeal, Arizona, on the other hand.  Granted, I think I’ve seen more dead ones than alive, but…

Then there’s javelinas and wild coyotes and “tickly bugs” as Cameron calls them, grass hoppers of all sizes, turtles, frogs, rabbits galore, road runners, an abundance of doves, hummingbirds, owls, and all sorts of creatures that we didn’t seem to see much of in the Midwest, not to mention the other side of the world.  I think there are more six-legged and flying, buzzing critters in the desert here than there were to be found in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

What else is commonplace about our new home in Arizona? Well, we get to see our NTM Aviation aircraft and helicopters hovering in the sky above as pilots build their flight hours in preparation for service on the mission field where church planters are patiently waiting for their practical needs to be met so they can continue in language/culture learning, Bible translation, and Bible teaching without too many prolonged interruptions.  It is a privilege to be a part of what God is doing here, and ultimately around the world.