J U L Y 2 0 1 6 T E A M 1
DAY 1 - JOANNE
I love Timor mornings. It’s cool and fresh and the light has a special quality. The morning of Day 2 was no different. We were off to Bahareduk so it was specially exciting. The boys were doing the boy thing and packing the 3 vehicles with suitcases, food and the hardware necessary for the work at the base. We all piled in and were off, braving the Dili traffic where there are more motorbikes than cars and never use your indicator, just beep your horn! Leaving the city centre, we headed off to Hera through the hills. After about an half an hour we called in at the house where Ian and I were to stay in Hera, near the Disability Centre. We all had a quick tour of the facility then went down to the school, where Ian and I were going to help out over the next 9 days. We all had a quick look at the school, then piled back into the vehicles and set off to Bahareduk. We wove around the coast, it was very scenic. Timor surprised me about how beautiful the countryside was, lovely green hills, white beaches and coastal cliffs. Bouncing up and down in the troupe carrier gave us unexpected exercise - there is nothing quite like Timor roads. Dodging the animals (goats, cows, dogs, pigs, etc) crossing the roads brought another dimension to the trip. Roads works, large pot holes and the occasional river bed ensured it was not a boring trip! After crossing the final river bed, we started the final climb to the village. We had made it. It was the first time for Ian and I and we were looking everywhere trying to take it all in. It was lovely weather and the village was bright and clear. Children came from nowhere, watching everything we did. We unloaded the gear and had lunch. Some of the YWAM team were already there and gave us a lovely welcome. Over lunch, Ian decided that it would work better if he stayed that night at the base to install the solar electricity system and come back to Hera with Evilasio the next day. I wasn’t prepared to fight off the rats overnight so I came back to Hera with the driver and troupe carrier. I couldn’t wait to meet the children at the school the next morning I met Graham, Lofty and Jenny who were also staying at the house in Hera. They were volunteering in different ways in the local community and we were all from Adelaide. That night was the first of some fierce card games and new friendships. It was all very exciting, new and scary. It was the start of why we were really in East Timor.
DAY 1 - JAMES
We were up nice and early to pack and have breakfast then we started the long, 4 hour journey to Bahareduk. Along the way we stopped at the Disability Centre and a school where Joanne and Ian were going to be helping out. It was a sometimes rough, but beautiful drive to Bahareduk, passing along all the great views of beaches and mountains. As soon as we arrived in Bahareduk we were all greeted with huge smiles and happy faces and all my nerves disappeared. I knew straight away it was going to be a great experience. I felt overwhelmed by how happy all these kids were even though they had nothing, it was a really big eye opener. Although the village is grey and dirty, there is such a sense of beauty through the people there and the positive vibe. I will always remember those smiling and grateful faces I saw on the first day.
DAY 2 - JENNY
I woke to the wonderful sounds of the roosters!! As I lay in the tent pondering the activities of the day ahead I also had a chance to reflect on the previous day and our arrival at Bahareduk. There was so many wonderful moments including the opportunity to re-connect with members of the YWAM team and the people of the village. So many of the children’s faces were familiar and although some names escaped me, I was fortunate to be able to remember a number and it was though the months since our last visit just disappeared. On our first evening, together with Evilasio and David, I went to meet the chief. As we were walking down the road, I heard my name being called. As we turned one of the little boys (Dish also known as Gish) was running down the hill with his most gorgeous smile to say hello and give me a high five. What a special moment. This highlighted to me how important and significant is the building of relationships with the families and the children along with the building of houses. After breakfast of fresh bread rolls from the local ‘bakery’ and devotions where we explored the question of ‘What excites me about being here?’ the work which began the day before continued. Ian and Malcolm climbed on the roof of the base to install the solar panels. Malcolm comes from Tasmania and has been to the village many times. It was great having him as part of our team. Michael and his team of helpers began to collect the first of many loads of rocks and gravel from the river bed to fix the ‘road’. Work continued on the clearing of the vegetation to build the vegetable patch. During the afternoon we had fun with the children singing songs as well as sharing the story of Cecil The Lost Sheep which had been translated by Sarah into Tetun. Evilasio and Ian left during the afternoon and what a wonderful gift it had been for Ian to join us at the village and provide lights to the base. It was sad to say farewell, however, Joanne was looking forward to having Ian join her at Hera. Another amazing day in Bahareduk.
DAY 3 - DAVID L
I woke up to the sound of rain on our tent … no wind… just rain. I had often wondered how good it would be to see the country side of this mountainous village in rain. Within a few minutes the middle room of our 3 room tent was awash with water … I thought I had fixed all those holes gnawed through by rats but as I entered the space to see floating socks, towels and clothes I knew that my efforts and not been to the requirements of this torrential down pour. “Not to worry it will pass”, I thought. As the day progressed it became clear to see that this rain was here to stay. The group, however was buoyant. We could still work in side, rat proofing the YWAM base both kitchen and bedroom areas. By lunch time we had slowed as the rhythm of the rain interrupted our movements along with the generator running out of fuel and ceasing our use of power tools in our constructions… and then to top it off the gas ran out … perhaps there is something in the theory that things happen in 3’s. So torrential rain, no fuel, no gas …. And some very wet bodies!!! We were saved by the generosity of the village Chief who allowed the YWAM staff to use his kitchen and methane gas to cook our dinner for the evening. By 5pm we were all very hungry and looking forward to seeing what delights would come out of the chief’s kitchen. Tea was also a time that we were all together and could share our reflections of the day. Our bellies were soothed by hot rice and chicken. With the clouds dark and black and full of rain, the solar panels gave up and we were in darkness. So we went back to candles. By 7pm we all went our separate ways … some playing cards, some preparing their devotions for the following days, others journaling… Through the day I never heard one person complain … it was the “can do” approach … always looking for a positive way forward. As I lay in bed I wondered if the 3 Brazilian missionary pastors from Japan, who planned to join us tomorrow, would be able to get through the river as the river had risen significantly with the rain. The day had shown me the vulnerability of this land and its people… its isolation and its heart. No access means no gas, no fuel and in some cases no food. Will the sun come out tomorrow?
DAY 4 - BELLE
Today we decided to run a dental session. James and I collected all of the Colgate tooth brushes and tooth paste containers out of our suitcases that were donated from Colgate in Australia (over 30kg worth!) Margie Steffens, a dental hygienist, who came on the last year’s East Timor mission trip sourced them for all the children at the village. Oliver (a young guy from Brazil, living in Japan and visiting the village together with three pastors), James, Nika (a nurse from Brazil who is working with YWAM) and I took them all out of the boxes. We took one tooth brush and one tube of tooth paste and joined them together with a hair tie to create a little dental kit to give each child. While Oliver and I were doing this, James and Nika were blowing up balloons. I wasn’t quite sure what we were going to do with the balloons yet but gosh there were hundreds!! I was waiting for someone to faint from blowing up so many balloons! Oliver and I had our little routine going. I would pass him the tooth Paste and brush and he would tie them with the hair tie. The colourful hair ties were for the girls and the black and white ones were for the boys. Atina and Arina, two lovely girls from the YWAM team were already singing with the kids, entertaining them before the dental clinic. I was getting excited! We started putting the balloons in big garbage bags. Nika explained to Oliver what we would be doing and in what order. Oliver translated to James and I because Nika only spoke Portuguese (and some Tetun) both of which were not helpful for us! Nika went outside and explained to all the kids how to brush teeth, how many times a day and the hygiene. Then Oliver, James and I ran to get the dental kits. We handed one out to each child. The kids were smiling, bubbling with excitement thinking it was Christmas on a stick. There was such a mix of children, some giggling waiting patiently and others pushing in line not being able to contain their joy. Once everyone had received a dental kit we distributed all the balloons and threw them up in the air. The kids were going crazy. I had never seen so many balloons in one area. It felt like there were fireworks going off with all the children laughing and the balloons popping. This moment will always be drilled in my mind as one of the most joyful times of my life. I have a snap shot of all the kids jumping and laughing trying to catch and pop the balloons. I picture God looking down and smiling at all his joyful children. God created our skin tones with beautiful variety, but all of our souls are the same colour. This quote covers my whole experience in East Timor. Usually when you go to a majority world country (a third world country) it’s to help because they are poor. What I learnt on this trip is that we are really the poor ones.
DAY 5 - DAVID C
In 2006 World Vision installed piping to supply the village of Bahareduk with two sources of water. One is sourced from a natural spring that runs dry towards the end of the dry season. The second and main source is from a large stream located some 3kms from the village. Prior to our departure for Bahareduk, we met with a team who had spent the previous week at the village. The purpose was to get an update on work undertaken, issues requiring attention and building supplies required. One of the key issues identified was that the main pipeline supplying water to the village had five clear breaks which meant the village had no water towards the end of the previous dry season. Fortunately Brian Gogler from Team 1 July 2015 had the foresight to obtain materials prior to our departure from Australia for the express purpose of repairing pipeline breaks. Brian had sought to effect repairs in 2015 but the work was severely hampered by lack of materials. Armed with wrenches, gaffer tape (an absolute must for any form of building repairs), assortment of tools and of course, the materials to repair pipe breaks, a party of 7 including Chief Tomas and one of the village people set out at 9.00am for the trek to the water source. The process of supply of water is for the stream to feed a concrete settling pond, in turn feeding into another concrete pond and from there to the village by galvanised pipe. The first task was to remove the equivalent of two full wheelbarrow loads of sediment from the settling pond which had built up over time and was restricting the flow of water. A cage built from wire mesh was installed at the entry to the pond to keep leaves and the like out of the settling tank – another cause for flow restriction. With the water flow now restored the next step was to repair the five identified breaks in the line. The pipeline generally follows a straight line and as such can be found hugging the side of a hill or suspended over uneven terrain as it feeds its way down to the village — a fall of some 200 metres. To effect repairs on a hillside with only vegetation as a lifeline to keep ones balance is difficult enough. But when that same hillside has a broken water pipe gushing water everywhere then repairs take on a completely different challenge. Break 5 was a case in point. It proved to be the greatest challenge. The break was on the side of the hill with a close to vertical drop of approximately 50—70 metres to the valley floor. We had already experienced in repairing Break 3 what it was like to lose one’s grip. Fortunately there was a creek to break the fall, however the leeches took some effort to remove. Without the support of the two from the village, the repair would not have been at all possible as they held the two man repair team in place. Clearly this aspect of the trip was not in the tourist brochure. The highlight of the work completed was the sheer joy in the face of Chief Tomas that water had been restored which would help the village through the dry season. Weary, drenched and somewhat jubilant the team returned to the village around 3.00pm for a well earned meal and spot of relaxation. The increased water flow has now revealed water issues in the village which the team in September/October will be able to address.
DAY 6 - LEE
Sunday was a memorable and transformational day in the middle of our stay in Bahareduk. The highlight of the morning was an inspirational worship service led by our visiting pastors from Brazil/Japan and India, with music by Pastor Sergio’s son Oliver on the guitar (rapidly repaired the previous evening) and our very talented David Longden making the water bottle sing as a ‘bongo’ drum. With the sermon based on Luke 5:1-11, it was amazing to be part of a service that was preached in Portuguese by Pastor Sergio and then translated for the villagers into Tetun by Pastor Evilasio (from YWAM) and into English, for the Westbourne Park Uniting Church team, by Pastor Peter. There was a brief initial period that lacked some coordination as David adjusted to the almost reggae style of Brazilian guitar playing and the preacher and translators took a few moments to get into a rhythm but all was very soon harmonious. The main message of the sermon was about the opportunity for transformation as Peter was given the opportunity to be transformed from professed sinner to a fisher of people – the response from the villagers was unanimous and heart-warming as they all put up their hands and then stood when asked who wanted to take Jesus into their hearts. A tear– jerking and very memorable moment for most of the team. After an early, delicious lunch, again so ably prepared by the YWAM team, a large group of us including the Chief, YWAM staff, visiting pastors, a few villagers and most of our team, set off on a walk to the waterfall that is on one of the tributaries that feed the local river. We were told that it would be challenging hike and take 3+ hours. Challenging it was as we initially had to slide on our backsides down the very steep slope of the river bank to get to the river bed – we then had to cross the fast flowing river, made more treacherous by the recent heavy rain, a number of times. This, and negotiating the very rocky and at times slippery and steep river bed, could have been a very risky exercise but the care and support of the Chief, villagers, YWAM staff and visiting pastors ensured all were looked out for and had our safety assured. Most of the team jumped into and cooled off under a small waterfall on the way.The long walk was well worth the effort when we arrived and all took turns in standing under the spectacular waterfall at the river’s source. The return journey was uneventful and thanks to the care of our hosts we all returned safely to the village. I was brought to tears when Jenny reflected on having a profound moment on the hike when she was walking beside the chief and he silently but deliberating indicated with his stick where she could safely place her feet and she felt very much like this was the way God looked after her - another instance that furthered our respect and admiration for the Chief. Dinner, animated conversation with the visiting pastors and a few games of cards ended a very special day.
DAY 7 - MICHAEL
Good weather with clear skies greeted the new day, however, with some sadness as we said goodbye to the Pastors - Peter, Marcio, Sergio and his son Oliver. We had been blessed with their company over three special days. We received beautiful blessings and words of encouragement. The departure was delayed with mechanical troubles with the vehicles but all resolved after prayer. Then to focusing on the tasks at hand - fencing and turning the ground for the new veggie patch, continuing rate proofing and other base work, making more house bricks for and with Angelo for his family home and collecting and spreading stones and gravel for the road works with the youth. Chief Tomas, with his mates worked with us on the veggie garden which is an important demonstration project for him and the village. As I write these words, early the following morning, a young girl sits with us and sings the refrain to the song 10,000 reasons ... ‘Bless the Lord O my soul’ ... and YES ’the sun came up and it’s a new day dawning’.