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All About the Roebourne Mission Trip 2002
Roebourne is a small town, about a 16 hour drive from Perth (although the trip of this particular mission took a lot longer because of engine mechanical failure) in the North-Western Pilbara region. (see included image for exact location). Following a stint at teaching at the Roebourne Primary School, Campbell Markham and his then much more conservatively sized family recognised a need for a potential outreach into a town ravaged by alcohol and social problems, and in urgent need of the gospel. With many mission groups coming and going in the past, it was vital that a good and healthy relationship with the residents of the town be maintained for the long term; not just over a short period of time. Campbell then brought his ideas back with him to his then Bullcreek Presbyterian Church. After much discussion amoungst various dignitaries in the denomination, it was decided that a three year commitment to the town be set up, which comprised of four separate mission trips. So far, three of those missions have been run, one in April 2001 which was predominantly made up of members from the Bullcreek WPC, one in September 2001 which comprised of a large group from Kelmscott WPC and another, the most recent, in 2002 with most making the trip from the Kingsley WPC. It is anticipated that another will be held in late 2003 and there is a possibility that a “catch-up” mini trip will be made in April/May 2003 with only a few members going so as to keep in touch with the kids and not just see them on an annual basis. After 2003, a review will be conducted on the success of the 3 year period and whether this commitment should be continued or terminated.
In 2002, the mission trip was run between Thursday 26 September to Monday 7 October 2002. A wide variety of people came along with the experienced and unexperienced more or less cancelling out each other to produce a team with exciting potential. The long and eventful trip to Roebourne took about 24 hours (for most!) and Monday 30 Sept to Fri 4 Oct was spent running a kid’s club for primary school aged children at the local Aboriginal Church. Accommodation on the trip was very basic with the girls spending the nights at a house in the Roebourne area whilst the guys camping in a mechanical workshop just next to the Pilbara Aboriginal Church main hall. Meals were normally a rostered event with various people helping out in the preparing of dinner however breakfasts were self-served whilst lunch was normally eaten during the kid’s club, with the kid’s. A short stopover in Monkey Mia did eventuate on the way home and then it was back to Perth, arriving about 6:00pm on Monday, 7 Oct. For a comprehensive evaluation of the trip by a wide range of team members see the “Daily Journal Page” and for a list of team members, check out “Team Member Profile Page.”
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