Month two and Im in Darwin, Australia. My team has been paired with Team Braveheart, ministering to Aboriginals in the Bagot Community. We arrived bright and early Monday morning, September 30th welcomed by the loving Isabel. Isabel and her husband David have opened their home to the 14 of us racers and we have fully taken over. We basically have a one room apartment, and outside patio area and a pool.. that’s right, a pool…Oh and we are just 1.2 miles from the beach with trails and wide sidewalks perfect for late night runs. So blessed.
(No internet at our housing location though.. hints the limited communication. But thank goodness for Mcdonalds just around the corner, free wifi and 30 cents ice cream cones)
Unfortunately spending most nights drinking and every afternoon hung-over, alcohol has a strong hold on the people of Bagot Community. The majority of the aborigines are unemployed and live off of government funding. The children run free when home from school, half dressed, barefoot and never with adult supervision. In their culture material things really hold no value and it is not uncommon to see writing all over the walls of the homes, mattresses outside on the porch and a yard covered in trash. Isabel and David have been working with the Bagot community for 8 years and have such a passion and strong love for these people. The Aboriginals know about the gospel and love from Christ but the addictions hold them down making it difficult to have the life change.
This month we are to build relationships and teach about Christ love for each of us and the freedom we have in him. We started our ministry by picking up trash in Bagot, thinking this would be a great way to be seen in the community as servants and at the same time allow us opportunity to start conversations. I have to admit, I was not jumping for joy to pick up trash especially for people who choose to live in the mess.. but is that not what Christ does for us again and again? Each day helping us to clean up our lives, walking through our mess? Once I changed my perspective it made it much easier. With in the first 30 minutes Noah and I had turned trash pick up into a game.. whoever could fill their bag first would get an ice cream cone from McDonalds. (Noah won)
We have been into Bagot just about everyday now.. from 10 am -1 pm for trash pickup and talking and then in the evening for Worship, Bible Study on Wednesday and Church on Sunday. Monday night we went into back around 4. Everyone splits into pairs and began walking through the community, just asking to come in and talk with the people looking for opportunity to hear their story and pray with them.
(Everyone is very anxious to have the Americans pray over them)
Caitlin and I started off down the road and ended up at Christopher’s house. He welcomed us in the gate and began telling us all about his knowledge of the bible, Very choppy and slurring his words but accurate stories from the bible all the while with a bottle of alcohol in his lap. Showing grace and truly feeling for this man I just sat and listened to him share his heart. From what I could understand his wife had committed adultery and again and again he told how this was wrong, “bad fruit” he would say. Christopher knew what was right and wrong, he knew that drinking would not fill the hole in his heart but still he continued to do it. He told Caitlin and I that we were lights.. walking down the road he saw light, that he had a light, he wanted to shine for those around him. I simply told him that the alcohol was covering that light. He knew what I wanted.. I wanted him to pour out the alcohol.. to be the change. I asked him if he would pour out the drink, turn it over and spill it on the the ground, after a long pause he grabbed the bottle and held it closer. We then prayed. Reminding Christopher of Gods unending love, his grace and forgiveness and how he makes all things new, that God gives each of us a light to be the example to those around us and to make everyone’s lives brighter. I just asked that God would fill the hole inside Christopher and give him the strength to remove the cover off of his light. Once we said Amen he looked at me, handed me the bottle and said “spill it.”
It’s moments like these I wish I were a better writer because the joy that filled my heart at this moment I cannot describe. Yes this man was a bit drunk and yes he would probably drink again but he felt something and he wanted the change. He wanted to remove that cover and he told me to spill it. I took the bottle and poured it in the grass, he pulled me in to him and kissed my hand.
Later that evening Caitlin, Noah and I walked back to the area where Christopher lived. We found him now sitting on the sidewalk, drunk. Discouraged I sat down next to him and told him how his actions hurt my heart. The four of us sat together for about 45 minutes, listening to Christopher’s stories again, his pain and his frustration, all the time praying that God would fill him and take away this addiction. We went back and forth, again and again explaining that him wanting to be the light meant he had to get rid of the alcohol. Noah took over after a while, “do not judge, do not judge” became Christopher’s reply. As Noah talked, Cailtin and I just sat and prayed. Noah answered, “I don’t judge you, I love you.” It was as if these were the magic words. Christopher leaned in, kissed Noah’s head and turned his second bottle of alcohol upside down. With tears in my eyes I thanked God. He gives us the words to speak but it is only the Holy Spirit who can move a man to make a change.
Monday night was beautiful. Christopher was able to shine a little brighter and trusted in God to fill the hole. God has given me compassion for the people in Bagot and a love that longs to see them be set free.
What are the things in your life, big or small, that could be covering your light? Let it shine!
