News from Warburton

TROWEL & SWORD

Resources - Missions (Local)

October 2000

News from Warburton

Mark Boonstra

The Youth Drop-in Centre has been up and running now for 6 months and has demonstrated to be a great success. It is open 4-5 nights a week and attracts 30-60 young people each night. Here the young people have the chance to play pool, air hockey and table soccer, listen to music, watch TV and videos, and socialise. About five aboriginal people work alongside me in the drop-in centre, which has really given them a great sense of ownership.

The Drop-in Centre has decreased the nighttime boredom amongst the young people, for this the community and the young people are really thankful. God has really provided richly for the drop-in centre, as more equipment will soon be purchased. Over the next months the Drop-in Centre will be expanding, as it will gain an extra room. Sadly the number of young people who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour is minimal, but with on-going prayer and Christian examples set before them – the seed is being sown.

In January 2001 for the first time a SWIM project is being planned for Warburton. Contact is being made with the National SWIM coordinator and the Perth churches to get this project up and running. As it is the first one here it will be kept small, but in the years to come we hope to have this SWIM opportunity open to all. This is a great and exciting project to be done during the summer break, as the kids and young people are very bored around this time.

The people here are taught a lot about the Dreamtime, but in this fortnight long holiday program the SWIM team will be teaching the young people here about the Creator God. The theme for the fortnight will be ‘Creation’. We hope to have a program that will cater for all young people (approx. age 5-25) but trust that through the power of God it will have an impact on the whole community. We ask for your continuing prayer both for the SWIM project, the Youth Drop-in Centre and the young people of Warburton.

The above message from Mark speaks for itself. The reaching out has only just begun. There are many years of work ahead to provide the leadership and teaching necessary for long-term improvements.

This will be my last letter from Warburton. Jane and I hope to retire from here at the end of October. We will have spent just over 5 ½ years in Warburton. In that time we have seen many physical improvements to the township.

Much has still to be done to make spiritual improvements. There is a great need for consistent Christian witness as well as Biblical teaching and discipline. No doubt, when we leave, we will do so with mixed feelings. We have learnt to love many of the people here and will miss them. However we also recognize that a new broom, especially a younger one with fresh bristles, may sweep cleaner.

One thing is for sure there is a need to continue in prayer for Aboriginal people here and all over Australia. We would encourage the members of churches around Australia to do the same. We pray that God will seek out His own also in this part of the world.

We have seen marvelous things happen here and no doubt many more marvelous things will be done. On many occasions we have been disappointed, nevertheless, the grace of God shines through each time and on the whole, the good things overshadow the not so good.

I have said before that the work here is not glamorous. In summer when the temperatures go into the low 50’s the work is quite draining and often you are glad to see the end of a day. A difficult aspect is the remoteness of the place. This was brought home quite forcefully this year.

The first occasion was on the 25th February when my brother Abel, after a relatively brief illness was called home by the Lord. It was impossible to arrange relief staff to allow me to go to see him before the Lord called him home, or even to attend his funeral. That was painful to say the least.

A second occasion was a few weeks ago when Jane had to undergo surgery. She had to see this through without my presence for the same reason. On that occasion, she was blessed indeed with much support from our brothers and sisters in the Lord from the Sutherland congregation. Thank you brothers and sisters from Sutherland – your prayers and love are appreciated.

About the same time our youngest daughter went to Newcastle where she presented us with Cameron John, her first child and our sixth grandchild. Because daughter and mother were both in the Sydney region at the time, a number of mutual visits served to develop the bonds between mother, child and grandmother.

After some initial health concerns, we are all able to rejoice that it pleased the Lord to grant good health all around. The ‘phone company accountants also wore a smile – I’ll leave it to you to guess why.

Finally we would encourage those who are studying, or have completed studies, in Theological College and have that missionary zeal, to consider serving in this or any other Aboriginal community. These people also desperately need the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Many are receptive and need simple but systematic theological teaching. The workers are so few and the harvest can be so great.

To the many who have supported us with their prayers over the years, we thank you.

Pray for our successors, Adam and Leandra Weeda – they too need your support.
Pray for the work that Mark is doing with the young people in the Drop in Centre.
Pray for Peter and Jenny de Kroon as they continue to work in the community store.
Pray that the Lord will send more Christian workers to these people, whether this is in community offices, schools or medical clinics – the need is great indeed.

May the Lord bless and keep us all in His grace.
Christian greetings to you all!

John & Jane Post.

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