I have just spent the last two days in Moore River hanging out with Danelle and the kids and doing some reading. (Moore River is a tiny beachside town of 80 people where Danelle’s folks have just built a their retirement home)
Danelle’s mum Val has a stash of books about missionaries of all sorts, but the one I picked up yesterday grabbed me because it was a little unusual. It was entitled Reluctant Missionary and was written by Edith Buxton, the daughter of the much better known CT Studd who was an English cricketer (not that you want to admit to that!) and early pioneer missionary to the Belgian Congo and later Ethiopia.
It was her story of how she reluctantly followed the call of God to Africa, struggled most of the way and for much of the time resented what God had called her to. While she shared some of the victories they experienced she was also very honest (especially for her era) with regard to the difficulties of being pioneers in a tough land.
Her father, while something of a hero, also sounded like quite a difficult man to get on with and missionaries were regulalry shooting off to join other mission societies because he was so hardline.
She made some incredible sacrifices to do what she did and her story is inspiring in its raw honesty. If you get a chance then you should dig it up somewhere and have a read!
You been at the test match today Hamo? Owning up to being an England cricketer would probably be a little easier than owning up to being an Aussie! Mind you, we’ll probably be ahead for four days and then blow it on the fifth – again.
BTW you don’t seem to be sending out an RSS feed at the moment – at least I’m not picking it up.
No Eddie – but I will have a joke for you soon that will hopefuly tickle the English funny bone 🙂
As a WEC Missionary we did a heap of stuff from CT Studd – (founder of what is now WEC International) – so i have read this book. A thought provoking and challenging read.
Hey buddy,
have got 20min access to the wide world web from little ol halls creek – a part of the world your family (through the Faulkner connection) has some incredible links to.
Am staying on site at my old home down at the Halls Creek People’s Church for about 10days as a way to stop and reflect on life and the direction of my life.
Tam got me a return ticket to Broome for my birthday/chrissy present, and i hitched to Halls creek from there. I’ll be home in about 6 days.
have sent some time wondering about the missionary work up here in the kimberley – there seems to have been so much done in the past by a chosen few, of whom there are very few left. The lifestyle and calling of an outback missionary seems to be getting fainter and fainter, and i wonder what might be next for these little towns and forgotten communities.
Incarnational mission to the aboriginal people of our kimberley poses some serious challenges indeed. Leadership is scarce, from the old mindset of stand-up white preacher, but it is the only style they have been exposed to since the misho’s first came.
These people are hungry for change, desperate for love and forgivenenss, but tired of constant downward spiral of much of life. The oldies are slowly dying, the next generation are losing connection to their past, their culture and their stories and with it they are losing a deep part of their spirituality. the children, as a lways seem partially oblivious to it all – simply running and playing barefoot in the outback red dirt.
my heart is tearing – my mind is confused – what be the future for this distant land????
peace
Mate – I feel that too when I go there – and its not ‘in my blood’ like it is yours.
My deepest respect goes to those old time mishos who gave up so much to reach out to a bunch of people others had no time for.
I sometimes wonder about going there – about trying to round up people to make another go of it, but honeslty (besides that it is not my calling at the moment)I don’t know that I could handle it. I don’t know that I would bring good to the people. I don’t know that I am made of the strong stuff those old mishos were – as much as I may like to think I am
It is such a hope-less situation. My bro in law is the new principal at the prims chool in halls creek. We will be praying for him.