Planting Hope: Vision, Volunteers and a Community Revitalised

I had the absolute joy and privilege of travelling to Oodnadatta to be part of the opening of the new Oodnadatta Congress Faith Community Church and to participate in a volunteer work party tasked with creating a new garden on the adjacent land.

Oodnadatta is a small town of mostly First Nations people, located on Arabana land and a tick over 1000km north of Adelaide. Once a stop on the famous Ghan Railway, the town is now bypassed by the train with the decommissioned rails, still embedded in the hard dirt, a reminder of this legacy. Today, the start of the famous Oodnadatta Track attracts people looking for adventure and a chance to experience the inland of this huge continent.

Travelling to Oodnadatta takes time. A fair stretch of the road is unsealed, passing through red gibber desert, no trees visible and barely a small shrub or tuft of grass in sight. The landscape changes regularly as small creeks snake across the country, providing enough water to encourage some trees and greenery. Dust and flies are everywhere!

Once there, the small town welcomes you with the iconic Pink Roadhouse, and more importantly, one block across, the new church with a large white cross displayed clearly, welded together from steel to withstand the harsh climate. Add to these landmarks one shop, a small hotel, and a school with fewer than 20 children, and you’ve quickly covered a large portion of the town’s community infrastructure.

The church has been an amazing project. Dreamed of by Pastor Julia, it has been funded by South Australian Regional Council of Congress who, along with the South Australian Synod, managed the project from inception to completion. Frontier Services has been able to support the project through Julia’s ministry, accessing grants provided by philanthropic partners inspired by her vision. This additional funding has allowed for a kitchen on the side of the church, a satellite link and four computers for the community to access and learn, and a community garden as a place of gathering, sanctuary and learning about food plants and native flora. An actual oasis in the desert!

In the week preceding the opening of the church, another Frontier Services Bush Chaplain, Rev Sunil (Sunny) Kadaparambil, led a team of about 10 of Frontier Services’ wonderful Outback Links volunteers in establishing the garden. This involved clearing out a significant amount of debris and scrap material, preparing wicking beds for a model garden and setting up protective shade cloth over the gardens and surrounding area, a necessity for plants and people alike beneath the burning desert sun. Around this area, about 30 native trees and shrubs were planted, each hand picked for their ability to survive in the arid landscape. Once the space had been completed, it was the children in town who flooded into the garden to do the planting. The looks of concentration and pride on their faces as each plant went in was a joy to see.

On the day of the church opening, well over 100 people began gathering with a buzz of expectation in the air. About 20 children assembled, ready to present two beautiful liturgical dances. The opening service took place outside the church, under marquees and the church porch. UCA President, Rev Charissa Suli preached, encouraging all – especially the young people of Oodnadatta – to see that in God all things are possible; to have hope in themselves and in their future, and to join with Pastor Julia and the church community to bring life and hope to the lives of everyone.

The service ended with the cutting of the ribbon, opening of the doors, and the whole community rushing in to see the new church. There were plenty of tears, cheers and prayers as the reality of a dream coming into fruition was fully realised.

The local police officer, Tom, cooked a barbecue lunch throughout proceedings while our Outback Links volunteers worked tirelessly to set up the church, prepare lunch and serve food prepared for everyone in attendance.

Hearts, spirits and stomachs full, most people retreated to their homes for a well-earned rest. Not our volunteers though. There was still three hours of daylight left to get things done in the garden. Their commitment to the job at hand from start to finish was truly astonishing.

I want to thank Pastor Julia and her community for inviting us to her place, welcoming us with warm hospitality and allowing us to be part of this unique and wonderful occasion. I also want to extend a huge thanks to Bush Chaplain Sunny and his team of Outback Links volunteers. Nothing was too hard for them, and every act of service was done with a smile. It is truly incredible what a team can accomplish when they set their mind to it.

Thank you to President, Rev Charissa Suli, and UCA South Australia Moderator, Rev Peter Morel, who came for the opening but also willingly joined the volunteers working in the garden.

I left Oodnadatta inspired. Inspired by the vastness and beauty of this remarkable country we call Australia. Inspired by the hospitality, the life and resilience I encountered in one of the most remote communities. And inspired by what is possible when we come together across all the different parts of our church and beyond with a shared vision and a desire to show Christ’s love in the world.