Thursday 2 October | Saved by Love Not Washed Away
Leonora Bush Mission has been one of the most incredible experiences ever for both of us as we have watched God work through so many people; our team, the kids here and the many people in this great community. It has been amazing as we have watched so many people grow in their faith trust and love for our Saviour.
A definite highlight of mission so far has been connecting with all the people here as we have all worked on encouraging and building another up.
We started our morning by helping out in the K-2 (yellow) group. The kids enjoyed making crafts, learning more about the Jonah story, playing playdough and learning about God’s great love for them. I had a lot of meaningful conversations with some of the kids about who Jesus was, what He has done for them and how He loves them.
One little girl, when asked about Jesus, told me that He was her best friend whom she could tell everything to. This brought us into a really beautiful conversation about the blessing and power of prayer, and how we can speak to Jesus, anytime and anywhere.
Lunch was followed by sports (and crafts for those who stayed at the rec centre) where we played volleyball, AFL, and soccer. It was fun to hang out with the older kids for a bit and bond over sport and music.
Today was exciting as we were able to visit and participate in the training session for the local basketball team called the Blazers. It is run by some of the young adults and older kids in Leonora, and they included us in their training session and drills. As most people were playing, Makayla and I got to look after a six-month old whose relatives were part of the team. He was such a sweet and happy baby.
It was hard to see how different their lives and culture is from our own, but also encouraging to see the impact the bush mission has had on them and their strong faith in Jesus as their Saviour.
Basketball training was followed by a bit of quiet time, before we headed back to the rec centre to set up for evening games.
Tonight’s activity was games with the families, and all the parents of the kids were welcome. We sung some more worship songs before playing games and celebrating one of the older girls, Chloe’s birthday.
I was playing with a little five-year-old called Ruby, when she wanted me to meet her mum and family who turned up for Family night. We got talking with a couple other parents about the bush mission and how much of a blessing it has been to all the kids. They told me that it’s the kids’ favourite time of the year, and that they will sing the songs we have taught them all year round in anticipation of the bush mission. All the parents that I spoke to were amazed at the work and dedication put into bush mission and were incredibly grateful for us.
It was so encouraging to meet everyone and know how big of an impact our mission has on this town. As well as this bush mission has had such a legacy in this town, and I have met so many adults and parents that have fond memories of the mission from when they were kids.
We were both incredibly grateful for the opportunity we have had to be a small part of this legacy and are praying for Leonora and that not only the kids, but the teens and families as well can find peace in knowing what an incredible Saviour they have, One who loves them so very much.
By Heidi and Makayla
Friday 3 October | God’s Great Love is Here to Stay
As a leader in the red group, my role was to engage the older boys and be a role model to them.
Friday was an amazing opportunity to truly share God’s word with some of the lads. Throughout the week I had been building a strong friendship with a boy my age called Alachki. He was an invested, good role model for the younger boys in Leonora.
On the final morning session, we first had craft. During craft, I was sitting next to Alachki, and I asked him about where he was with his faith and Jesus. I asked him a question, “What would you do if you knew you were going to die tomorrow?” He couldn’t give me a straight answer, but I could see that he was thinking hard. Through this difficult question, he also really opened up, and told me that he couldn’t read, which meant he couldn’t read his Bible.
Thanks to Mr Murray and Bible Gateway, I asked him if he was fine with me downloading a free Bible app which you could listen too. He was excited and encouraged me to download it. So, I did. Later, when we they were hopping on the bus to be dropped off, I ask him to promise that he would just listen to a little bit before he goes to bed, each night. He promised and then everyone left.
That night, we had a basketball game against the Leonora Blazers. While we were warming up, there he was, playing basketball, while listening to the Bible being read to him in his AirPods. I was so encouraged.
I pray, that he would continue to listen to the Bible, and that God would open his eyes to see the light of the Gospel, the hope of the everlasting treasure.
By Jamie M
