What is it like to live and serve the Lord with New Tribes Mission Aviation in McNeal, Arizona? In many ways, McNeal seems like it is located in a third world country. We live close to the border of Mexico. In fact, our family has chosen to attend church in the nearby border town. We, just like everyone else in America, live with a mission field in our backyard.
Living in a small town “in the middle of nowhere”…literally, in the middle of the desert, is not so bad. We’re getting rather used to the desert scenery which holds a beauty of its own. This past weekend we were invited by one of our church families to spend an afternoon on their cattle ranch at the foot of some gorgeous mountains here in the desert. It was quite an intriguing afternoon for us, complete with our own personal “tour guide” – Cameron’s Sunday School teacher who left her home in Washington to serve the Lord in this area (getting to know her was a high-light). She lives on the ranch and so was able to show us around quite knowledgeably. She made sure to carry her “snake gun” with her as she took us through a sunken river bed, over large stones which bore the evidence of Native American customs, and past a busy colony of ants who were hoarding leaves from a nearby tree. We saw a branch with immaculate holes covering it, bright green and vibrant bushes in the midst of the stony and sandy backdrop, and rocks of astounding color. There was a 100 year old stone house on the property that we could use to “hang our hats” for the duration of our short visit. There’s a lot of unique history in this part of the country, as we are discovering more and more!
We also decided to do some necessary shopping over the weekend. There were some items that I wanted to buy particularly from a Christian bookstore, but we discovered that the nearest one is located in Tucson – a two hour drive from McNeal. So we made a day of it, visiting other practical places to shop while in “the big city”. Ron grew up in the city atmosphere in Indiana, and I also have been accustomed to city living since my childhood. We may not be in Papua New Guinea anymore, but we sure feel like there are some similarities compared to our upbringing in the buzzing metropolitan areas of the U.S.
Bethany, Naomi, and Cameron just finished with their fall break from school. Now it’s “back to the grind” for the kids as they rub shoulders with their classmates and new friends, continuing on with their studies. I continue to help with hostessing work here at NTM Aviation. What a privilege to serve the Lord here, even if “here” is “in the middle of nowhere”! 
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