Faith is a Oneway Ticket

1995

Back in '95, my younger brother developed a brain tumor. One day in his last weeks, his wife was beside his bed in Wesley Hospital in Brisbane. A girl friend arrived to visit and comfort my sister-in-law.

At the end of the evening visiting hours, my sister-in-law said to her friend, "I'm afraid I'm not up to driving home. Would you mind driving?"

"Of course dear." said her friend. "I only bought a one-way train ticket".

At home, after a cup of tea, my sister-in-law, almost in tears, said to her friend, "I don't think I can bear being alone in this house to night. Would you mind staying over?".

"Of course!" said her friend. "I've got  nightie and toothbrush in my handbag!". 

Even angels sometimes travel by train (one way).

1939

In the 1930's a Chelsea church conducted a tent mission on the foreshore at Frankston, about 10km south, on the eastern coast of Port Philip Bay. From that mission, a new local fellowship developed, including a Christian Endeavour group for young people. My father, aunts and uncle were inaugural members. From the CE group, my aunts, Alice and Ethel were challenged to go to Bible college, Alice to MBI (Melbourne Bible Institute) and Ethel to the College of the Bible (COB).

While at COB, a Miss Eadie from New Zealand came to visit. She felt called initially to mission to indigenous people, but finding no opening in NZ, came to Australia. She was looking for a like minded lady to join her in missioning to aborigines. Ethel responded.

In 1939, with their meager savings and financial help from family and friends, they set off. Ethel's diary notes, "We boarded the train and asked the Lord to show us a place where the Aboriginal people needed help." Their funding got them a one-way ticket as far as Norseman in Western Australia, not far from Kalgoorlie. They walked the 6km to the Aboriginal reserve, carrying their cases and a small portable organ. They had to pitch their tent outside the reserve and walk in each day. Their accommodation comprised a couple of camp stretchers and some wooden kerosene cases which served as their wardrobe.

In the reserve, they soon had the children around them, teaching them, singing choruses and telling them Bible stories. They taught the children and soon adults, to read and write as well as first aid. A nearby dam was used for baptisms (yes, unordained women believers performed baptisms).

When some folk at the small Anglican church in Kalgoorlie heard of their work, they bought them a couple of bicycles to ease their daily trek to and from the reserve. The Kalgoorlie Church of Christ heard of their work, and made representation to the denomination's national conference, and in 1940, their Aboriginal Missions Board was formed.

During 1942, Ethel's health was poor and she retired from Norseman. Miss Eadie passed the mission management over to the new Missions Board, staying on as honorary helper, until her return to New Zealand to develop Maori mission work.

After Ethel's health recovered, she joined the United Aborigines Mission work at Mt. Margaret, WA.

1996

As we fast-forward over 50 years, my parents, now in their 70s, decided to take that 'round Australia' trip they had long dreamed of, while their health was still good. Dad set up his F100 truck with van body, with their accommodation in the back. He packed his carpentry, plumbing and painting tools, and mum packed her sewing machine, knitting and bits and bobs of material. Their plan was to visit various mission stations on their trip, stopping to help with any maintenance and sewing jobs.

So from Melbourne to Adelaide, then up the centre through Alice Springs to Darwin. They then traveled west then south down the Western Australia coast, stopping and working at quite a number of missions of all denominations. From Perth, they started back east across the Nullabour plains, to Kalgoorlie and Norseman.

On arriving at the Norsman mission reserve, they met an elderly Aborigine lady, Natalie. With a great big hug, she said, "So you're Miss Bentley's brother! It's so lovely that you came to visit. You must come and have dinner and meet the family!" At dinner, they met Natalie's six children, and their children. All six children had been Ethel's students. The eldest son had gone on to advanced education, then to Bible college and had returned to pastor his people.

The Journey of Faith

I was about to write a subheading of "Conclusion". But in the journey of Faith there is no 'conclusion', just as there is really no 'beginning'. In what ever journey of faith we are called, God has always gone before, both as creator and by Spirit. In human terms, some will have tilled the soil, others will plant, others reap, others will grind the seeds, others will bake, and others will be sustained by the bread. Sometimes, someone will take seed and plant it elsewhere, and sometimes the wind of Holy Spirit will simply 'blow' the seed to new fields. Occasionally we might see the fruits of our labour, but the fullness of the fruit of faith is eternal, and others in the future generations will sing the praises of those that have gone before.

References

Ethel Bentley's personal diary, family archives.

"Snippets from History - Beginnings" by Gordon Stirling, "The Australian Christian", 16th November, 1996.