July was a good month to be a part of Service To Others Really Matters (STORM) Co, with a number of teams going out around Australia to provide holiday entertainment and education for children in rural communities.
In the North New South Wales (NNSW) Conference, 271 youth in 14 STORM Co groups went out to various rural communities, including Toomelah, Brewarrina, Gwabegar and Narrabri. One group went as far as Arnhem Land, where Adventists have had little or no impact.
Although it is usually difficult to obtain a permit to visit the area, the local town of Maningrida supported them and helped to get the STORM Co team there, including chartering a 21-seat plane to fly the team from Darwin. The local group has no church, but welcomed the group warmly and the Kids Club activities were attended by more than 60 children each day. The team has been invited to return next year.
“STORM Co continues to impact the community and youth of our conference,” says Pastor Jeff Parker, co-director of NNSW youth ministries with Pastor Bevan Craig. “Some communities like Toomalah, on the New South Wales–Queensland border, have had a STORM Co group from Lismore visit for nine years now and have seen a positive change.”
Western Australia also saw three STORM Co trips being made in the July school holidays. Cue, Meeka- tharra and Wiluna all had groups run Kids Club activities for the local children, which included face-painting, clowning and various games.
“The Wiluna STORM Co was a great success this year,” says Zane Van Ballegooyen, the Wiluna team leader. “All the children and the community were awaiting our return, and it was great to see familiar and new faces and build continuing friendships.”
Alycia Hiscox, leader of the Meekathara STORM Co group, headed up a group of 24 people who looked after more than 70 children each day and entertained them with singalongs, quizzes, object lessons, clowns, puppets, craft and “happy snaps,” where they took “fun” photos.
The Meekathara team noticed a number of changes to the town since their last visit, including a reduction in the amount of graffiti found around the town. “Over the past few years, we have been painting over graffiti,” Ms Hiscox says. “But this year we noticed something unusual—we were running out of fences to paint. It seems as though the locals don’t graffiti over what we have painted, and so we seem to have gotten rid of the majority of the graffiti. We believe this is a good sign, and perhaps reflects the positive spirit we are trying to bring to the town.”
Another unexpected surprise was a plaque presented to the STORM Co team by the Meekathara Shire CEO. On it is the inscription: “To STORM Co. In appreciation of your service to the Meeka community.”
“We were blown away by this—we would never have expected it,” says Ms Hiscox. “We could never have done it without God.” |
