Outreach Baniyala Arnhemland

Last Friday Eric and I had the opportunity to go on an outreach to Baniyala(Yilpara).

Yirrkala bush and beach walk

What is the way to forget about your daily sorrows and to meet the local Yolgnu and to see more of Yirrkala?

Eric had a day of today and so after our cleaning and reading it was really time for us to go out and explore. This did us all so well! We found a new path through the bush that leaded us to the dunes. Hannah found it a little scared but at the same time exciting to go through the bush. She hold my hand when she felt scared,but let me go and run forward to Naomi and Aron when she got excited.

We immagined to put our tent up at the top and camp there.

The girls made drawings in the sand.

We watched the sea and breath,

We watched the clouds and what we saw in them.

We met Yolgnu people at shady beach and had a chat with them and found out that some were our family.

Aron climbed in a coconut tree, try to get a coconut, he made it to the top but couldn't get the coconut out.

So we loved, lived and laughed!!

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Homeschooling

We have had a really good brake from the schoolwork. The kids have had a good holiday. Although we didn't stop with having time with God! And we are continue with bible memorizing. For this year, we have challenged ourselves with the whole book of Collosians!!Mum is doing it too! It's fantastic how much Lois is picking up from this, I had different Bible verses for her, but she is learning the same scripture now as the older ones!
I have spent more time with the Lord. To ask Him for guidance for the coming year.

My verse is: Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
And amazing, God is so good, He has spoken to me a couple of times and He has already given me so many ideas and answers to prayers! My concern was Naomi: as she rather wanted to go to school than to be homeschooled. Although she is more than happy at home. I asked the Lord what to do and clearly His answer was perseverence, go on with it, I'm with you!
He has given me new ideas for Naomi for this year: Naomi wants to be a hairdresser, so one of the ideas was to go and asked in the hairsalon in town(20 km away) if it was possible for Naomi to learn there. What a great outcome: The owner was so possitive, has learned it the same way. Naomi was welcome and is already working there!! And the owner is so happy with Naomi and she wants to teach Naomi! I have already asked her about schooling for it. She would need University/aprentenship Darwin or somewhere else after her college.

The other Idea is: That Naomi can go to the homeland MAF families to help with the children homeschooling and with the little kids to entertain them, baking, cooking, games etc. for a few days a term. Naomi is a great helper at home, I will miss her here but see that she can be a blessing to other families and so this is her little missionary work. With these ideas it will be a exciting year for her and all of us.

Homeschooling is not the easiest thing to do, but I don't want to miss it. There are so many rewards!( Family bonding, teaching them Gods ways, God molding me the most maybe,one on one teaching)
The hardest thing I found is that we are nearly the only family here that are doing it.People don't really understand it, because why don't you send them to school, if their are schools?
Compared to New-Zealand it was so normal there, even when you were living close to schools.
It is against the flow, that makes it hard.

One day as I went for a walk to shady beach by myself and sat on a roch and cried it out to God for help, how than Lord? How can I teach, how can I love? Straight away He answered: Come to me. And than I remembered the rest of the verse: all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(Matthew 11:28)
He gave me 3 words: Love (giving my everything), Live(go out and explore with them), Laugh(have fun together)

I know with Gods help we can do it! It was God Himself that layed it on my heart to homeschool. He gave me verses to confirm: Deuteronomy 6:6, Psalm 78:3-8
And so we go on, following His footsteps, not my will anymore, but His will be done!

A knock on the door in the middle of the night

Please pray with us for our Yolgnu family:

Last weekend we woke up at 3 in the middle of the night from screaming. I said to Eric: it's like someone wants to make an end on his life. 5 min. later there was a knock on the door. It was our Yolgnu family and they asked if we wanted to search with them for their son. He left home angry and drunk. Praise God we found him alive soon and we could bring them all back home savely! 15 min. later they knocked on the door again and asked for some food for their son. So we invited them in and gave him some food and we prayed for them. They were all calmed down. The next day we went over to see them again, and they did well. But had a big fright from last night.

And I must say it had touched my heart deeply, when I thought of that scream, I cried.The next night I couldn't sleep very well. I had to bring it before the Lord.

Please pray for hope for their son and the people of Yirrkala. And thank God that their son was found again and alive!Pray that God will continues to use us.