Around the World with the Woltjers

We had the amazing opportunity to share a bit of our life here in PNG with one of my childhood friends, Rachel Quist. Rachel and I have known each other since early Elementary School. We really got to know each other in High School when I invited Rachel to go with me to Ukraine to visit my grandparents. Since that time we have traveled and experienced a lot with each other. After Ukraine it was simple trips to the beach in Ecuador, then Galapagos Island for A.P. Biology, and finally Washington D.C. for U.S. Government. We then went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI together. During Spring Break we traveled to New York and Arizona. We fondly call each other “travel buddies.” We had hoped to travel to PNG to visit my parents after we graduated college, but I ended up getting married to Lukas so my family came to the States instead. However, Rachel was not deterred. When she started attending Physician Assistant (PA) school she asked to have one of her clinical rotations in PNG so she could see the Hartwigs. And then after that was all sorted out, we got our calling to come to PNG! God sure does work in mysterious ways! 🙂

Rachel was able to be here with us for five weeks. We took her down to the river, played games, taught her how to drive stick-shift, watched movies, went on walks, talked and laughed. To think that we now have been half-way around the world with each other is such a blessing! I am so thankful for the additional memories I have made with Rachel during this trip. Rachel and I have even gone so far as to decide that the next trip we want to make together is somewhere in Africa. We shall just have to see what God has in store for us.