“So Tony, I hear you’re the resident expert on sleeping techniques in really rough environments. Can you talk us through some of the things you do that help you get through it?” questioned Sam, panning the camera towards Tony as the van bounced along the highway. No reply came from the sleeping Tony, totally oblivious to the banter directed his way.
Days later, a new voice echoed out over the drone of rolling wheels, soon blending into a chorus of voices singing – not hymns, nor praise and worship, nor even Christian pop – but rather a chant, “Shannon…is driving…the bus!” In an unexpected twist, both designated drivers had been ousted, and Shannon took the helm for the next leg of the journey, cheered on by the team enthusiastically singing to the tune of a ukelele.
Countless other shenanigans ensued over those ten days from Brisbane to Brewarrina and back, but even more memorable were the times this team of twelve – from eight different churches – enjoyed friendly fellowship exploring God’s word, praising their risen Saviour, and undertaking ministry together. Here’s a bit about how it all went…
We assembled surprisingly on-time outside Mueller Community Church on Saturday morning and were on the road just after 8am, weaving our way through and out of Brisbane city. But only a couple of hours into the drive, a discovery! The fridge battery had gone flat. An emergency stop was made in Toowoomba to purchase a longer cable, during which time the team spotted a familiar sign: Koorong! An obligatory detour and several book purchases later, we hit the road once again.
We sailed smoothly all the way to St George, where our arrival coincided with sunset (lovely) and the emergence of rather robust mozzies (less lovely). But it wasn’t long before tents were assembled, and we sat around a crackling fire for dinner.
With a projected early-morning start, one would expect the post-dinner routine to be showers and bed. Not this crew. Why? Fishing, of course! Or at least whatever it’s called when someone brings a rod with a single hook which promptly snags, snaps the line, and results in more time spent fashioning hooks from soft drink can tabs and rescuing lines from trees than actually trying to catch fish! At least it was a bonding experience…
Come morning, motivated by an unknown prize for the fastest tent packer-upper, we were soon on the road to Dirranbandi, where stopping in at the bakery has become a Come & See tradition. The feasting was almost endless, but after purchasing a few snacks “for the road”, we pushed on to Enngonia to officially join the Easter River Convention with Uncle Ike and the Strahan family.
To our absolute delight on arrival, we discovered One Family Church from Sydney had come again. We’ll let you decide whether our rejoicing was for more people to fellowship with or for their delicious food. Either way, it was a real joy spending the week with them, and tears were absolutely shed when it came time for goodbyes.
Enngonia was a great introduction to the Convention, with two of our team sharing testimonies from the truck stage, but being an overnight stop only, we were on the road again the following morning. Or so we thought. After several missed calls, Tim received a text: “Nicolai bogged the van”. A mischievous driver and his too-compliant passengers had found themselves stuck on the very edge of a river! The support car’s winch was put to the test, successfully.
Eventually back on bitumen, we tracked towards Weilmoringle, with a brief stop in Bourke for a local delicacy: Back’O’Bourke soft drinks. Weilmoringle treated us to some unusual sights: goats climbing on cars, and pigs and wallabies in backyards. The locals, of course, were not peculiar, and we enjoyed fellowship with those who joined the Convention activities – shared meals, kids’ games, and gospel outreach.
Next stop on the itinerary was Goodooga. With floodwater continuing to rise in the area, we were warned about the possibility of submerged roads and duly encouraged to depart early. We indeed encountered water, but thankfully nothing extreme – just enough for a fun little splash, and no getting bogged!
In Goodooga, we joined One Family in doorknocking the township to invite them to the Convention, which resulted in an amazing community turnout that evening. We also visited the chapel for team devotions and a Convention prayer time, the water park for kids’ games, and the Artesian baths to relax before bed.
As is often the case with these trips, plans change last-minute, and rather than heading directly for Brewarrina after our two nights in Goodooga, we found ourselves on another detour, this time to Walgett. At the invitation of a family who’d just moved out there from Townsville, we joined a Good Friday service, where we had a blessed time, including leading the church in singing Colin Buchanan’s He Died Upon the Cross and Rend Collective’s My Lighthouse, both with actions! Fellowship after the service will be treasured by many on our team, and we’re delighted to have been a little bit of encouragement to these remote brothers and sisters.
Upon learning that the direct route from Walgett to Brewarrina was closed, we ventured onto a dirt road, which ended up saving us two hours of travel time, though possibly at the cost of sore bodies, thanks to corrugations and cattle grids!
The first port of call for many of us after setting up camp in Brewarrina was the hot showers. Some of us were also treated to a guided tour of the Aboriginal museum. We were also pleasantly surprised to bump into Kara & Mitch Terblanche (DPG Day 27), who shared their testimony from the truck stage and joined our team for morning devotions.
Our collective highlight in Brewarrina was undoubtedly a spur-of-the-moment trip to a park in the middle of town on our final night. We thought to hang out and see if any kids would turn up, but there were already a few there, and several others rocked up later. We played footy with them – our lack of experience clearly showing. We also invited them to the Convention, although our team were due to leave the next day.
On our first night, two of the team ran into a bit of (mis)adventure when they exited the campsite to farewell some of the One Family team…and got locked out! A few phone calls later, they were let back in, avoiding an awkward climb over the fence. Getting locked out of the campsite two nights in a row didn’t appeal to any of us, so after footy finished, we departed the park about 9:30pm.
As we turned onto the main street, we had the grand idea of giving the kids some soft drinks, so pulled over again. The kids had started crossing the road, but then turned around and surrounded one side of the van as we handed out drinks. A moment later, a car shot past, going who knows how fast, followed closely by the police! We hate to imagine how different the outcome might have been had the kids walking, or us in the van, been on the road still. Praise God for his care!
On Sunday morning, we joined the Easter communion service with the Convention group before saying our farewells. It was then on to St George, where we spent a reflective evening around the campfire, debriefing on all that had happened the past nine days. Here’s how one team member summed it up:
“What a joyful and edifying opportunity to ‘come and see’ how God is at work in rural NW NSW. For me, there were lots of highlights: the late-night footy game in Brewarrina, the Good Friday service at Walgett, daily devotions and worship with the team, and door knocking in town. I was particularly encouraged by the conversations I had with a number of Christians who faithfully serve in mission and rural ministry, encouraging me in my walk and challenging me with ideas of obedience and faith. I am grateful for the opportunity to see what rural life looks like in the towns of Enngonia, Weilmoringle, Goodooga and Brewarrina, to gain an understanding of the challenges of rural ministry, and to gaze upon Christ and be captivated anew by his goodness. I would highly recommend the trip to anyone who is passionate about the gospel going out and excited about ministry in community.”
We look forward to the next time we can fellowship or serve together.
Interested in a trip like this? Check out our upcoming mission trips!
