Newsletter Vol.3, No.4
Hello to all.
We finally have our internet sorted. After weeks of frustration we succumb to Bigpond being the only reliable provider out here and have signed up to Next G Wi Fi internet connection. We now have a “Globe Trotter HSDPA Network Card” sitting in our computer and 20 hours a month to use it.
As we travel in the car over the many miles we call Australia we listen to sermons we have downloaded. One of these sermons was from Raj Gupta (Toongabbie Anglican Church) in which he was talking about a kindness that was shown to him and his family by airport staff.
I would like to share a kindness shown to us by Nikon Australia.
As mentioned previously Judy’s Camera had to be sent to Sydney for repair. We received a phone call saying I have bad news. The fault was under warranty but could not be fixed without repairing the cable pin on the camera which was bent. This will cost $399. After discussion about the value and ability to replace the camera we told them to go ahead. Judy as she does then waffled on about what we were doing and what she needed the camera for. Next day we got another call from Nikon saying they had good news. They had been able to find a replacement part in another camera and would be able to restore her camera to full function. The cost $0.00! Postage was also included under warranty. What a blessing.
After leaving Kununurra we drove to Halls Creek and stayed 2 nights. This gave us an opportunity to rest. We wandered around town (Halls Creek is mainly an Aboriginal Town), and did some sight seeing around the district.
We discover some lovely waterholes and China Wall. If you want to see man made China Wall go to China if you want to see God’s China Wall go to Halls Creek. It is a unique rock formation that resembles the Great Wall of China.
From Halls Creek it was off to Fitzroy Crossing and an opportunity to rekindle a friendship made in Newman with a young school teacher. Judy had made and iced her wedding cake whilst we were in the west in 2005 so it was good to meet her husband for the first time. He is also a school teacher in Fitzroy Crossing. Teaching school in these towns brings its own challenges with spasmodic attendance of the children plus the heat; still they seem to be thriving. They even have a vegetable patch and chooks. We alternated dinner with them the three nights we were there and hope to see each other in the future.
Our time in Fitzroy was restful even though it was HOT. We were able to cool off in the Caravan Parks pool also our friends took us for a swim at their favourite waterhole in the Fitzroy River. Wow what a special treat that was. This is the river that when in flood can spread 40 Km. The flow of the river was still quite strong so you really only used it at this stage to get wet.
After leaving Fitzroy Crossing it was a short drive of 256Km to Derby. We also stayed 2 nights here as we were to again meet up with friends. They were our beloved truck driver and her wonderful husband. They are a unique couple and we love them dearly. They were on their way to a new job in a mine out of Darwin and arranged their travel to coincide with our arrival in Derby. After sharing dinner and many cups of coffee we said goodbye until we meet again some where some place.
We also met Rev Timothy Iga and his wife Grace who we will be working with us when we run the breakfasts in Derby on our return after Broome. Timothy and his wife run the Daystar Family Church Aboriginal Outreach. We intend on our return to worship with them. Last night we were asked by Rev Timothy Mildenhall in Broome (Anglican Church Minister) if we would accompany him to Derby whilst we are here to attend church with Timothy so it looks like we may attend sooner than later. We feel this will be a wonderful experience to worship with indigenous fellow Christians. The only other such occasion was in Nukurra in Arnhem in the Northern Territory when we visited the Tremlettsin 2003.
During our drive across to Broome we receive some news that made us very sad about Leah and Tim Adams who are related to us. Tim is our daughter-in law Lea’s brother. The news was that their baby had died whilst God was still forming him in Leah. She was 28 weeks, 7 months. He was a beautiful boy called Joshua Caleb Adams born 5am 1st June 2007. In this day of modern medicine we don’t expect this to happen. It was hard on us being so far from home and not able to grieve with family and loved ones. To help Judy with her grief she has stitched a name embroidery for Joshua and his parents as a momentum of a life cut short.
We arrived in Broome on the 1st as expected and after booking in Judy walked out to the car only to see our friends from Sydney pull up behind us. It had been arranged before leaving Sydney that we would meet in Broome but what of the odds that it should be so timed. They had traveled to Broome around the bottom of Australia and we the top.
We set up a basic camp and organized to leave the next day for Cape Leveque as pre-arranged. For those who have never traveled up this way it is on a point 220km north of Broome traveling over a corrugated bull dust road. On arrival you are faced with the most beautiful untouched coast of Australia. Most of the peninsula is Aboriginal land so some access is denied but the areas you can see are wonderful.
As we didn’t leave Broome till Saturday afternoon we camped at Middle Lagoon which was 2/3’s of the way to Cape Leveque on top of the sand dunes looking out to sea. This is where Judy was attacked by Sandfly’s, Mosquitoes and anything else that thought she was good to eat. She is slowly recovering from the attack making sure that they don’t turn into tropical ulcers as can happen easily up here. (At our camp in Broome now looks like the Tribe Council from the TV show, “Survivor” with our Citronella torches and Mosquitoes coils burning each night to ward off the bities.)
What was failed to mention was that we traveled to Cape Leveque in our 4WD (our friends vehicle is a Forrester and felt it would struggle with the road conditions) towing their off road Cub Camper Trailer. No we didn’t all sleep in the trailer we had our own tent which was purchased on Saturday Morning. We have replaced our beloved tunnel tent with one that we can stand up in. Ian says his body won’t bend like it used to and wish to be able to dress standing up. It was a good purchase as it goes up it 30 seconds. Mind you putting the fly on the tent takes a little longer.
We spent an idyllic 2 days at Cape Leveque swimming in the warm water of the tropics – sorry southerners we know it has been cold and wet – and driving over the sand to Hunter Creek where the blue, blue water of the creek runs into the sea. It is one of those places where you can just sit and soak up God’s untouched creation.
On our return to Broome (late Tuesday with 20 liters of fuel left) we said goodbye to our friends who returned to Sydney the next day for a week to meet their new grandson.
We then set our energy to settling in for our time here.
Last Saturday we visited Caravan Parks to liaise with them about the availability of their parks to run the Breakfast Mission and possible dates for said breakfasts.
During the previous week Judy as a result of the internet issues spent a couple of hours in the office of our Caravan Park during which time the owner spoke with her about the breakfasts. Last year they had denied access to the Christ for Campers mission and the team did not know why. That has now been sorted and we are welcome to run them again. Just ponder for a moment on what has just been written. Here we are staying in one of the parks that were not having the breakfast and yet now we are.
This is God’s timing at work.
The owner/manager at one of the other camps understands what we were on about and suggested that all contact be through her as others in the management team may not be as welcoming.
This again was God’s preparation as she was in the office when we called.
On Sunday we went to 10am church. We met and were welcomed by a congregation who were expecting us and are excited about the mission. From this point the mission has taken on a life of it’s own with offers of barbeques, trailers and any other assistance we may need.
Sunday @ 5 service was equally welcoming with the result being that Ian attended Monday afternoon Men’s Bible study and we will attend as a couple bible study on Thursday night, will be working in the local Markets at the church book stall on Saturday, 7am and will attend a birthday party that same afternoon that the whole church has been invited to. Again take time to reflect on God’s hand is making us part of his community here in Broome.
Monday we did the rounds of the caravan parks again as on Saturday some of the managers were not in. Again Gods hand was obvious as one of the parks has been sold and when we arrive to talk with the old manager the new manager was there being trained so we were able to talk with her and she was very supportive of what we want to do. She will need to talk with her husband and the new owners of the park but it look positive at this stage.
We are negotiating with another park that has never had the Mission. One of the owners in willing but needs consider it further owing to other circumstances. Even if she is unable to let us run the breakfasts we hope she will allow us to promote the dinner which will be held off site.
Yesterday we did the round of the suppliers getting prices and finding out what can be obtained from whom.
We are constantly being blessed by God and have no doubt that he wants us here running this mission.
Last night we had dinner with the senior minister Tim Mildenhall and his wife Cathy. They have 4 lovely children (9, 6, 3 and 1year old today) whom we babysat so the parents could have a night off and go to the local Outdoor cinema.
Our friends from Sydney arrive back this afternoon and have suggested that they may stay long enough to help with the cooking for some of the breakfasts.
One of the Nomad couples arrives tomorrow with the second arriving next week so it looks like it is all go from now on.
We are also blessed with our site at this Caravan Park in that is has 2 big trees either side of our van which shade us well. It is still high 20 degrees during the day but we have wind most days but the nights are now very cold for us “northerners” with last Saturday going as low as 9 degrees so it has been out with the warm doona plus Judy’s new quilt she made for our van. What is hard to adjust to is the difference between day and night.
Today has been spent writing this to you all. It is now 11.35am and perhaps a swim is in order at Cable Beach before lunch. Ooops sorry I keep forgetting it is winter.
We have had some trials since arriving but the blessings out way those as we look forward to serving our Lord in this remote place.
Keep upholding us all in your prayers as we know you are.
Hopefully it won’t be so long between updates in future. Our email addresses are still ianandjudy@neal.id.au or judyneal@iprimus.com.au if you want to keep us up to date with what is happening in your lives. We would love to know as it will help us fit in on our return to Sydney.
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