Well the World Race seems like it has officially begun. In New
Zealand we enjoyed many of the comforts of home. Even though we were
tenting, we had access to some internet and a lot of connection with
people from a very similar cultural background. We were hugely blessed
to see God moving in the conferences we helped put on, but it still
wasn’t quite the cross-cultural and direct ministry experience we were
expecting.
Let’s just
say things have very much changed. We drove out to the outback in an old
20 passenger van and since we’ve been here we have entered another
world entirely. We met our contact, pastor Anderson, who is actually one
of several leaders of the local church here.
His sister,
Loretta, is actually much more like the senior pastor and worship leader
of the church. It took us a few days to get adjusted to living here.
The days are pretty hot, usually a very muggy95-99 degrees and everyone
seems to appreciate a cool breeze and the shade of a tree. Most things
move pretty slowly as the heat saps energy from people.
Our new home
for another 2 ½ weeks is a concrete building with several small rooms.
We have bugs as our constant roommates and a congregation of frogs that
meets every night outside our building. They’re very committed to food
and fellowship!
Our first
introduction to church in Beswick was enlightening and fun. We met on a
street corner at the edge of town and Loretta had a small sound system
set up and a keyboard placed on a big metal barrel. She played using an
old Yamaha keyboard with the automatic chord arpeggios cranking out a
drum beat and background instruments. We sang about 7 songs and sang
most of them twice, and some three times before we moved to a time where
we greeted each other under the stars and then an open mic time where
anyone could go up and share scripture from the mic. We then had a time
of praying for each other and about another hour of worship. So church
started around 9:30pm (though we were told it started at 8; that’s NT
time for you!) and ended around 1:00am. The group varies from about 4-15
Beswick locals depending on the night and us 6, white North Americans
(One of us is a Canadian who resents being labeled an American J )
dancing with children and several older women who have way more energy
than we do.
Our primary contact is Anderson but he works closely with a white
Australian named Karl who has been reaching out to Aboriginal
communities all across the Northern Territory for 20 years. I (David)
have been tasked by Karl with meeting about 10 men across the community
and trying to help encourage and speak life to them. Catherine and the
rest of the team are actively ministering to the women each day.
There are many issues here that make survival a difficult task, let
alone seeking after God. Most people here don’t have jobs and much like
the U.S. has done with Native Americans, the Aboriginals have been given
slots of land that belonged to their ancestors on which the government
has built cheap housing and gives a certain amount to families each
month to buy food and other needs. There is a lot of struggling with
alcohol abuse and marijuana, and many of the men and some women go about
an hour into the nearest town, Katherine, to buy alcohol. Katherine is
also where we go (when we can) to get internet access and it doesn’t
feel very safe after about 5:30pm. Many of the Christians have
legitimately experienced freedom during conferences and larger meetings
that Carl has helped pull together, but many have fallen back into old
habits of violence, alcohol or apathy. But in most of those Christians
there is still a desire for freedom and for Jesus. There is a struggle
here with shame that the enemy seems to be using to keep mostly men and
some women away from church and away from each other. On top of the
difficult ministry we have trying to encourage the people here, we also
have a language barrier (most people speak Creole and have at least a
little difficulty with English) and we have been feeling strong attack
from the enemy. Two times in the last week we have experienced attacks
of oppression and fear in the middle of the night and even though we are
in separate rooms, we have all felt the same thing. The devil hates
what we are doing here and we need your prayers and help. Catherine and I
were up praying for almost an hour last night as we could feel the
oppression of the enemy and it was while before we felt freedom and the
light of God. Even now we still feel a bit of a weight and ask that you
would stand with us. There are some in Beswick who still practice
witchcraft and Anderson has told me they have often placed curses on
others. He was cursed himself once when he first began walking with God.
He says it almost killed him but God saved him and when he went back
into the town they were shocked that he was still alive and he gave a
powerful witness for the gospel.
To get a little more specific, Catherine and the other girls have
found a few individuals that they are focused on praying with and
encouraging in the hopes of kindling, rekindling, and encouraging these
followers of Jesus. They had a women’s night last night and washed the
women’s feet and painted nails and did hair, all while sharing the
gospel and talking and praying with adults and children. About 35-40
women from the community came and it was a refreshing time. Please pray
for Catherine as she and the other girls try to bring more of God’s life
to these women. Since I’m only one guy I’ve targeted 4 men from
different age groups and my goal is to get them pouring into each other
by the end of our time here. Garry is 17 and he earnestly desires God.
We have some difficulty understanding each other sometimes but he is a
passionate young man who loves the Lord and is trying to seek Him in a
place where very few of his peers feel the same way. Anderson is in his
late 40’s or early 50’s and is a powerful preacher but needs
encouragement in leading others. Stanley is in his 40’s and struggles,
but desires freedom. Justin is a worship leader in his late 20’s or
early 30’s. He helps Loretta on the keyboard sometimes and has written a
few songs that show a deep hunger for the things of God. Please pray
for me as I talk to and encourage these men. If they begin standing
strong for each other and blessing each other in prayer and
encouragement we may yet see a huge shift in the spiritual struggle here
in Beswick.
There’s so much more to share and now that we’ve given a big picture
overview, we’ll try to share some more specific stories as soon as we
can, but know that we are in the thick of tremendous ministry and
challenges in our marriage and we need your prayers and support.
Catherine and I are working hard to maintain date nights and talk time
together but sometimes that’s nothing more than sharing a can of coke in
our bug infested room and talking or watching a movie on our laptop.
It’s a very different reality than last month and we appreciate your
prayers.
Lastly, we are moving forward financially but still need help. Please
help us meet our goals and give, either monthly or a one-time gift. You
all are such an encouragement to us and we feel your support
emotionally, prayerfully and financially and we are strengthened by the
knowledge that you are standing with us to make a difference here.
Please contact us with questions, things that are happening in your
lives or anything else you’d like to share or know. We love talking to
you and we’ll do our best to communicate with everyone we hear from as
soon as we can.
