| A month has past since TC Nathan, and even longer since we first visited Dharrwar to see the road cleared to the homeland. Would the road still be passable? Permission has been granted for just a few homeland commuters to negotiate the main road, with a bulldozer, grader and roller working slowly through the island's arterial road. Considering that the eye of TC Nathan was just south of Dharrwar, and the intensity of the storm would be its greatest over Dharrwar, we didn't know what to expect, as we planned a weekend camping trip to Dharrwar with Sri, Noela and Anna with Guymun and myself. Check out the slideshow to see what we found... | |
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 Wendell, Geoff and Hannah and 2 pilots, came from the east for the day. For Wendell it was his last opportunity to visit before returning south. During their stay they shared Psalm 29, a word for the day, that has been inspiring for Daŋataŋa and Bändil.
PSALM 29: 3-5, 7-11 3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars .... 7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning 8 the voice of the LORD shakes the desert;... 9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare And in his temple all cry, "Glory!" 10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood: the LORD is enthroned as King forever 11 The LORD gives strength to his people: the LORD blesses his people with peace In the fourth week after Cyclone Nathan, progress was made in a number of places around Galiwin'ku... The photos tell about some of the progress around town... I went into a feverish panic this week as I heard Wäŋgarr's plans to be in Darwin next week are to be extended. That left only this week, for some time to come, for us to work together at the Translation Centre. All five rooms of the Translation Centre have been in a chaotic state, non-operational as all the translation/church workers await the re-tiling of the floor and the re-connection of power post-cyclones. With the tiling completed, no power had been connected as was 'expected last week. I needed to give Wäŋgarr my full support. She was overwhelmed, to say the least! In anticipation of a reconnection, we cleaned rooms and sealed the new tiles. Then with her extended family of young men, cupboards and filing cabinets, boxes and papers were heaved from storage areas into their rightful places. Wäŋgarr had seen everything packed away in January, and as it's 'manager' knew where to return everything. But still by Thursday there was no power at the Translation Centre. We increased our speed (!!!) and drove around in Galiwin'ku, only to find out that we had no Certificate of Completion - ughh? - a necessary document in post-cyclone season, that is required in order to re-connect power. We moved from one working group to another, with our Darwin admin support for property, ie. Dale, keeping in touch by phone. Together we sought to clarify just what processes are required for power to be re-connected.
'Do you know who you are talking to?" was the challenge at Palm Sunday's service. Mary had come all the way from Fiji, to speak from John 4 about the Samaritan woman at the well. Even one of the power-line workers, stop to listen from his cherry picker, as the rest of us crowded in together on the church's outdoor's stage. The Easter week has also seen people back 'on deck' with some normal activities of 'life and work'. Second-hand clothes sales began under a make-shift shade. Even the fishermen returned to their shorelines. Good Friday's service was well attended by more than 50 crowding onto the stage to hear Pastor Jim relate Easter to the Jewish Passover and the signs and times in which we live. This Easter coincided with a lunar eclipse, so a few of us took off to the Barge landing for our Saturday evening meal and some 'heavenly entertainment'. We were not disappointed. At the break of dawn on Sunday, I found Djuluŋa preparing the grounds for the Sunday morning service. We frightened off a cluster of teenagers 'hanging out', when Djuluŋa and I greeted each other with 'Ŋayi bili walŋan! ie. 'He is risen!'. Such hope of NEW life for anyone who meets with the risen Christ. By 10am the congregation swelled to over 100, and again in the evening. People spilled out of the 'stage area' into the smaller shadey areas that are scattered beyond. There were many precious times of worship shared especially by the younger adults declaring their love and commitment to their Lord Jesus through song and dance, under a moonlit sky. The last item finished just on 1am! |
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AuthorMM lives at Galiwin'ku.  Archives
May 2015
Words by Jesus
"I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, will live, eventhough he dies... " John 11:25 |
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