What is in the pack, Nate?

'Dad, lets go on survey...' -the boys

Survey is finally here, in fact, I'm leaving in just about an hour...phew. Mid-term grades are handed in, lesson plans and notes are filed, substitutes for my classes are arranged. My bag left on Monday via NTM's flight program (safer than carrying it with me on public transportation - especially around Christmas time). Now it is time to answer the question of the week: What is in the pack, Nate?

Rather than put together an exhaustive list, I'll just list some things that might not normally be taken on a backpacking trip:
- 2 bags of rice (we are planning to share and share alike with the villagers where we go)
- 2 tins of canned meat (byproducts?) - again for sharing...
- 6 cups of peanuts (for snacks - most tribal folks eat only one real meal a day)
- camera
- notebook
- voice recorder
- superglue (for gashes in packs or skin)
- small first aid kit
- spare batteries
- headlamp
- sewing kit
- 20 individual packets of Tang (for sugar lows)
- cell phone (to meet up with our ride once we get back out to the road)
- Deet (for the leeches)
- ear plugs (have you ever tried to sleep on a spaced bamboo floor above angry pigs?)
- Lists of information that needs to be gathered.

I'll be gone from home for eight days and in the bush about six of those. Please be praying for us as we do lots of hiking - we are going to try to get to 3-5 of the 11 villages in the language group and have about two days of hard hiking to get back out to the road. You can be praying for wisdom too as we seek to understand the situation and the people there in the Adelberts. We desire that God would make clear if this is the place that He has for us to work.

Please be praying too for Elizabeth and the boys while I am gone. Even with her sister Emily here to help out, Elizabeth is going to be feeling the weight of responsibility as she disciples and trains the boys.