It’s been a totally different ministry here in Australia
than in New Zealand but we are enjoying the connections with other believers in
Christ and a taste of a very different culture even though we speak the same
language.
A bit of Aboriginal culture is that women open up to women
and men to men but never women to men or vice versa. In fact, upon our arrival
in to the outback, David was instructed to be extremely cautious in any interaction
with women in the town and to mostly spread out from the group and seek out men.
We were told that there is a strong sense of jealousy in the culture and that inappropriate
behavior could result in a man being badly beaten and if a woman, being severely
flogged. It sounds crazy but after living life inside of the culture for over a
week, I find it to be true.
Shortly after arriving in Beswick, David and I were tasked
with separating from each other for the majority of our days and going off separately
to minister and connect with people on our own. That meant that David, being
the only man in our group, had to go out on his own, connect with men he’d
never met and try, not only to meet those men but also connect with them to
such a level that they could open up and pour God’s life and encouragement into
one another. I on the other hand usually go out with one or two girls from our
team to meet, pray for, encourage and read scripture with the women we
encounter.
I am so proud of David, of how he has, in just a short
amount of time, connected with the men in the community, in spite of being on
his own and totally out of his comfort zone and jumping into to their stories
and lives. He is truly making a difference here in the community and it is already
showing. From helping them step out in encouraging other men, to teaching them
to defy their culture by apologizing to their wives, he is bringing the kingdom
in a very practical, very needed way.
Please lift us up as it is a real adjustment not ministering
alongside each other and especially pray for David as he continues to pour into
these men in a much needed way.
Needless to say it’s a much different kind of walkabout!
