Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 8
Hi to all
This is our last Newsletter for 2005.
Tuesday 9.11.05
Well here we are camped over night at Fraser Range Sheep Station Caravan Park. It is very hot, 35oC in the van when we arrived so on went the air conditioner, it is now 30oC in the van and the best use of my time is to write this to you.
Let me go back in time briefly.
Friday 14.10.05 the church’s night market was indeed an occasion to experience. You will have to ask us for details on our return as I would be writing for ages. Ian and Judy cooked sausages, hamburgers and sold drinks under the most primitive conditions that would have made the health department squirm. The end result of the night was that the church cleared $2400. David Kim (Martu Christian Fellowship missionary) thanks to Ian’s initiative went to bed that night with a mound of second hand clothes in the middle of his driveway. It was enough to have filled a 1 ton truck with 1meter sides. He was happy as he is always looking for goods for his Fellowship members. We still had to repack into the sheds 4 packing boxes of stuffed toys, 30 of clothes and 15 of household items. The next Monday the goods started arriving at church for the next night market in which will be held in about 6 months.
Saturday 15.10.05 Mine Open Day. It was a good day, Ian and Judy served sausages and drinks again. This time it was for the Lion’s club and the health department would have been proud. There were many displays from mine companies at the tourist centre and regular bus tours of Mount Whaleback Mine. We went on one such tour but it was not as good as the personal tour that Brad had given us earlier in our time in Newman.
Tea was with our friends David & Esther Kim and children. After tea we sat around the piano and sang Christian songs. It was so heartwarming with children of today being happy to be involved in such an activity on a Saturday night.
Sunday 16.0.05 Kelita’s Princess 5th Birthday party went well with Judy icing her 1st little girls cake, it was a crown.
For the month of October on Tuesday afternoon, Ian and I were on the roster to feed the Lions Club’s animals at the animal park. This involved picking up scrap fruit and vegetables from Woolworths and giving it to the animals. At the park we have; horses, goats, sheep, very large pig, emu, chooks, geese, ducks, bantams and a ram that thinks it is a goat.
Friday 21.10.05 Our last Adventure day with Annie & Brian was to Weeli Wolli Water Hole a place they had always wanted to go to but couldn’t as you it need a 4WD to access the area.
Saturday 22.10.05 it was dinner with a family from church, 1st farewell. It was a very pleasant evening but also sad as we really got to know them that evening and enjoyed their company, yet we were soon to leave town.
Sunday 23.10.05 after church a large group went to the local pool to witness Benson’s baptism. Benson is from Christmas Island and is married to Teresa from the Philippians. They have 4/5 children and up until recently he was a Buddhist with his wife a Christian. You can imagine what joy it was for all when he chose to follow Jesus. Ian and I left after lunch and drove 200km to Karajini where we camped over night and walked Joffery Gorge early the next morning (this is to beat the heat) having a swim at the bottom of the gorge in the waterhole. The climb in and out stretched my legs to their limit but it was good to do.
After packing up camp we drove to Hamersley Gorge which we visited 2 years ago, this time we had a swim in the water hole. It was amazing so clean and cool; we were the only ones there so it was like paradise. The climb in and out was steep and hot but the swim was again worth it. It was then onto Mt Sheila which we had also visited 2 years ago but the view, oh the view, nothing for as far as the eye could see. Well that was not so this time as Hamersley Iron are placing another rail line in, therefore there was a workers camp and an airstrip that could land quite a large plane on the road to Mt Sheila. I guess one day it will be back to its raw state.
The difference between our last visit and this one was not only the arrival of the camp but last time we were earlier in the year and the air was crystal clear this time there was a blue heat haze. We drove home through Tom Price cutting across to the Great Northern Highway and completing a circle arriving at the van very late and very tired but refreshed.
The weather is now very hot (41oC in the annexe, approx 33/35 oC in the van without air conditioning). We need to hibernate in the van with the air conditioning on; this brought the temperature in the van down to 30 oC. In Newman people hibernate in summer not winter as in Sydney. This makes ministering for us very difficult with only a van and limited space. It would be different if we had a house with Air conditioning paid for by BPH. Judy was also starting to suffer cabin fever having to be shut in the van most afternoons.
Thursday 3.11.04 it was dinner with Brad, Wendy and the girls. They also are very special people. Please remember them in your prayers as Phoebe, 2yrs old was born with a cyst on the brain and as a result, as yet can’t speak. They will have to make decisions next year regarding the best for Phoebe and where they should live. It is hard as Newman is home.
Friday 4.11.05. The church put on a farewell barbeque which was very special and also quite emotional to have all those we had come to love together in one place.
Saturday 5.11.05 was a trivia night at the recreation centre for the Catholic Church; it was their annual fund raiser. Judy, who doesn’t usually win, won $40 to spend at the local fish and chips shop. Our table came 2nd at the end of the night and received more vouchers for food. Of course none of these were of any good to us as we were leaving on Monday. Oh well it was good to give them to others at our table.
Sunday6.11.05 After church was one last meal with the Fyffe’s at the Capricorn Roadhouse our favourite lunchtime escape.
And so we come to Monday 7.11.05, we left Newman at 6.30am.
Our last week was spent residing at the Reg & Rebecca’s place as they were away with the family and kindly offered their air conditioned house plus pool for us to use. It was so lovely to be able to exercise and cool off in their pool. We were also able to use our days cleaning and organizing our goods for travel. We have accumulated a bit during our time in Newman, even the washing machine is coming home in the back of the car. Sadly the shoe rack Ian made out of pallets had to stay behind.
Out first night we spent with Bill and Jackie France, BCA team at Mt Magnet, we had met them on our way to Newman.
Our entry into Perth was not the best as we arrived at peak time and with the road works happening it was bumper to bumper and we were very tired after driving 710kms that day.
The Days in Perth were to be taken up with Judy icing the cakes she had made for Margaret’s wedding in December, catching up with friends plus Jannette and Scruff’s wedding on the Saturday. Although the wedding was very different to what we are used it was great to see our friends so happy to be marrying.
It seems we left Newman just in time before it really heated up. Yesterday it was to be 43 oC.
Perth is finally warming up with 35 oC predicted so we are still coping with heat.
Fraser Range Station where we are staying tonight is 105km across the Nullabor, tomorrow is Eucla and Thursday is Ceduna the SA side of the Great Australian Bight and the Nullabor.
By then we will be due for a couple of days rest.
In Adelaide we have 2 families to visit and then it is all roads lead to home.
Well, this email hasn’t been sent yet. Reception has been a bit hit and miss across the Nullabor and with the time changes we keep missing our free hour on our mobile for email sending.
On our trip across the flies have been horrible and the heat oh the heat. To top it off today we have had strong winds. However the highlight in our day today was that we ended up traveling behind a 5.5 meter wide load and 2 escort vehicles with another 4WD towing a camper trailer. We traveled together for 50km even after they had called us both through. We all had our UHF radio on channel 40 as you do out here and conversation took place until we all needed to stop for fuel. In the lead escort vehicle was the wife of the truck driver. They had been talking to Rhonda, the other 4WD driver at the last fuel stop, we recognized her outfit (i.e. 4WD and Trailer) from our last 2 stopovers. It turned out we were all from NSW, Penrith and Merrylands to be exact, so conversation prevailed interspersed with the lead escort saying “5.5meters coming your way” to oncoming vehicles. This sharing of life and travel experiences certainly helped the time to pass for all.
We have now stopped for 2 nights in Ceduna after 4 days traveling and 2000 kilometers under our belt. It is still hot with lots of flies and now we also have a plague of moths and tiny bugs to cope with. We also had to part with a small amount of fruit and salad at the Border check point; we had misjudged our consumption.
Prayer points from the Neals on Wheels
- For those we have left behind in Newman especially Rebecca and the children, Wendy and Phoebe, Annie and Brian.
- Continued traveling safety, for the jet lag you can get when traveling so many days in the car, also continued good health.
- Praise God for his goodness at all times and in all things.
- Give Praise and thanks for the Sydney Anglican web site and the sermons Judy has downloaded, we listen to 1 or 2 each day in the car.
- God bless all of you for your love and support, continue to pray for all those who serve in remote areas, it is so hard not to have the people and resources we take for granted in the city.
- Praise God for the joining together of Jannette and Scruff in marriage, pray that they will come to know and accept Jesus as their Saviour.
- Pray that as Kane reads his Bible and his copy of the children’s 2 ways to live (‘Who will be King”) he will also come to know Jesus.
This certainly has become lengthy again so I best stop.
God Bless, see you soon.
Love from Ian and Judy
Neals on Wheels
BCA Co Workers Newman.
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