Walgett Mission Updates
We have a team of 10 people that travel to Walgett to support the Walgett Anglican Church during the Walgett Show.
Day 1 - Sunday 23 March 2025
After a very well-received church service at the RSL, I packed up and transferred my gear into Howard and Colleen’s motorhome. We decided to have a good lunch and a light dinner. During lunch, golfers came and parked close to the motorhome, so we couldn’t start our trip right away. We had to wait for a while. Then, we took the car off the trailer and the trailer off the motorhome. I was then able to move the motorhome to a position where we could get out. After that, we reattached the trailer, then the car, strapped it all down, and away we went. This all happened in pouring rain, but once we were on the road, the rain stopped.
We arrived at the Warwick showgrounds a little after 4 p.m. The show was on over the weekend, so there were lots of horses and other great smells. The flies were friendly.
The rest of the mission team pulled in, and we had a very pleasant evening.
The Team:
Howard and Colleen: They own the motorhome and car. I (Peter) am doing the driving for them.
Graham and Sybille: They are driving an Isuzu and caravan.
Ken and Fay: They have a Nissan and caravan.
Rodney and Janet: They are driving a 23-year-old Coaster bus.
Merrelle: She has a Fiat motorhome.
Day 2 - Monday 24 March 2025
Today started with all of us breaking camp and heading toward Warialda. We all fueled up, with the price of diesel being cheaper than on the coast (go figure). Our vehicles handle better at different speeds, so we all lost sight and contact with each other. Then we would all catch up in a park or at a coffee stop. About halfway into our journey, I looked in the mirror and saw smoke escaping from the motorhome. Howard said it was a flat tire, but I knew it wasn’t. We stopped and found oil covering the engine, causing the smoke. After further investigation, we discovered that the oil filler cap had worked loose and fallen off. Not a major problem, but… We stopped at a garage and bought a universal cap. It worked to some extent but still allowed oil to escape since it didn’t fit tightly. We called around to various car places, but no one had one. The computer said they had one in Melbourne, another said they had one in Toowoomba, and we're still waiting for a call from another place.
We arrived at our night staging point just outside Warialda at a "free camp"—no water, no power.
Everyone else is all good.
Each evening, I’m leading a Bible study on Ephesians 6, the armor of God, reminding ourselves that we will be attacked by the evil one at every opportunity during this time away. So, we are preparing and getting ready.
Day 3 - Tuesday 25 March 2025
Waking up to overcast conditions and the threat of rain, we prepared for the day. I opened up the engine bay to look for a solution to our leaking oil. Howard had some rubber matting, so we cut a strip of it, rolled it up, and squeezed it between the motor cover and the cap. Problem solved for the short term. We lost no oil, and therefore, no smoke.
We arrived at a “primitive camp” outside of Collarenebri at around 14:30, set up for the evening, and relaxed. This camp has toilets and showers. All our vans have showers and toilets, but they are pretty small—so small you have to get out to change your mind.
A good day was had by all.
Day 4 - Wednesday 26 March 2025
A good night at the primitive camp. We broke camp, and some went straight to Walgett. Howard, Colleen, Rodney, and Janet took a detour to the Collarenebri Church to trim a tree back from the church roof. Then we grabbed a cup of coffee from the only takeaway in town and headed toward Walgett. It was a bit of a slower trip as the road was rough in places. I drove at a steady 75 to 85 km/h, and we had drizzly rain all the way. We drove beside one paddock that was over 5 km long and about 1½ km wide. A lot of grain comes off that paddock in a good season. We also saw lots of wild goats and fenced goats (which made me hungry).
We circled the wagons, set up camp, and noticed that all the awnings fell toward the center.
At 3 p.m., we set off to meet with George and Carmel at St. Peter’s Church for afternoon tea and to catch up on the way forward for the next few days. There’s a Bible study for the ladies at 12:30, and a mixed Bible study at 5:30 for the rest of us. We were invited to attend.
We all cooked our own meals and sat around talking and learning more about each other. Sorry, what happens on the road stays on the road, so no stories out of school for you.
We pray that the rain will settle and go away, although it seems to be set in. We are being called the "rain bringers." For three years, the team has come, and three years it has rained. We don’t even come at the same time each year. Well, let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Day 5 - Thursday 27 March 2025
We woke up today to drizzly rain and a cool breeze, reminding us that winter is coming. The camp is in good spirits, with laundry being done and a few minor repairs being made to the vehicles. Most of the day was spent sitting, talking, and eating.
Some of the ladies went to a Bible study group at the church. I (Rev. Peter) took them there and went for a walk around town to meet with the locals. There wasn’t a single person on the street during the time I was walking, and most of the stores were empty. I drove out to the showgrounds, where the carnival workers were busy setting up rides, but the rest of the area was quite wet.
I went back into town and visited the information center. The lady there greeted me, and we talked about various things. Then she asked, "So, what brings you here?" My reply was, "We're here for the show." She responded, "No, you're not." I said, "Yes, we are." She answered, "No, you're not; it’s just been cancelled."
I went to the local St. Vinnies and bought myself a pair of jeans since it’s getting cooler.
Back at the camp, we decided to stay on as planned. We will take part in the Sunday services and encourage the locals as much as we can.
Later, Howard and I joined the men's after-work Bible study group. A new man attended, and the local men gave thanks to God. After the study, we went to the local fish and chip shop, ordered hamburgers, and chatted with the local undertaker’s assistant. A few stories were swapped. He took his food and left, saying, "It was great to meet you both."
Why is it raining? GOD KNOWS. All we can do is wait and be prepared for His plan for us. We will sit, wait, eat, and encourage one another in the wet weather.
Until tomorrow, God bless.
Day 6 - Friday 28 March 2025
Well, I woke up today to a phone call asking where the blog was. Apparently, the cloud was so full it didn’t get through, so today you’ll receive both yesterday’s and today’s blog, which is really just a recap of what happened yesterday.
Again, today I woke up to pouring rain. The camp was awash with water. Due to the surface being tar-sealed, we don’t tramp mud into our vans. They tell me this is an improvement on last year. It was constant rain all day, and no one ventured outside except for a quick dingo’s lunch, a stretch, and a look around.
Our generators all had a good workout refilling the batteries. Even with all the rain and being camped inside, everyone is in good spirits.
We were very excited to see the local minister, George, turn up and spend time in each van with its owners. A pastoral visit from the local minister. This was very much appreciated by all.
George called us to cancel the book stall at the IGA, as there was nobody around. He suggested that Saturday would be a better day, so we will look at this again tomorrow.
Apart from a post-lunch walk from awning to awning, no one set foot outside their vans for the rest of the day. Some of the vans gave Netflix a good workout.
For me personally, sitting with Howard and Colleen has been very beneficial. I’ve been sleeping up to 9 hours a night. It’s very strange just sitting and not doing… Howard cooked a lovely baked dinner in the Weber while it sat outside in the rain.
We all are of the same conclusion: God has a plan, but we await to see how it works out.
Day 7 - Saturday 29 March 2025
My apologies for the lack of communication over the past couple of days. Not much has happened, just more rain. It was a bit lighter than yesterday, especially last night.
One of the local church members came around to have a chat. He has a very interesting background and church life. He ended up in Walgett at the Anglican church. Now retired, he looks after the church grounds, which look really good. He told me that Walgett had over 9 inches of rain in the past 24 hours, which is about 240mm in the new scale.
We went out for dinner tonight at the local chinese restaurant and had a lovely time with George & Carmel.
Day 8 - Sunday 30 March 2025
Church day. I arrived at the church, and George told me that I could lead the service while he would handle the music. So, I quickly found a service that I could adapt. At the end of the service, he mentioned that it was all on his computer anyway. Oh, what a trap for new players! It was a privilege to preach the gospel to about 30 people. They were all receptive to the message and had questions and comments over a cuppa after the service.
Usually, there are about 10 young people, but today there was only one young lady. During the service, she asked the adult next to her what all the numbers in the Bible meant. I stopped the service to explain chapters and verses and why they are there. I think a few other people were happy I did this too. Note to self: never take it for granted that everyone knows what I know.
Back to the van for lunch and a bit of a rest.
At 2:30 PM, George and Carmel pulled up to take Sybille and me to Collarenebri for a 4:00 PM service. There was water everywhere, and all the creeks and rivers were running fast. For flat country, there was surely a lot of water running.
There were a number of local Indigenous people at this service, so I talked about my heritage. If you want to watch it, it's now in our video library on this website.
Again, another coffee and chat after the service with the locals.
We arrived home around 7 PM, had a couple of drinks, and chatted about the day.
A bit of a prepack before we head out tomorrow to start our return drive.
Day 9 - Monday 31 March 2025
Well, that was an interesting day. We left the Walgett campsite with mixed feelings—sad that we couldn’t have a Christian display at the show because it was cancelled, but happy that we made good contacts with people from both Walgett and Collarenebri. Having the privilege of preaching and spending time with the locals was an amazing experience. More importantly, the locals came to spend time with us in our vans. This was pastoral care at its best.
About 20 minutes into the drive, we encountered water over the road—no problem. Another 20 minutes later, we came across a major water crossing. It was much wider and looked a lot deeper. Howard took off his shoes and socks and walked across. The water nearly reached his knees—about 300mm deep. All good, here we go!
Nice and slow, and we all got through, thanks to the Lord. For the next 100km, there were water crossings everywhere. We arrived in Wee Waa around 1pm and headed straight to the bakery for a sausage roll—the best on the trip.
We were then told that the road ahead was closed for the night, and the best place to stay was the showground. The caretaker was great and very welcoming. He allowed us to use his washing machine and BBQ to cook dinner.
We had a wonderful visit from Vicki Beaumont, a local Christian lady. The ladies went with her to her house to look at her garden. Vicki told the ladies that having them visit was a real boost to her Christian spirit. This was another God moment. God does work in mysterious ways, as we know.
Now, we await to see if the road reopens in the morning. What a trip so far!
Day 10 - Tuesday 1 April 2025
A night without rain—what a change! I woke up dry at the showgrounds. I was the first up in the camp, as far as I know. I walked down to the levee to see what the river looked like. The river seemed to have gone down a bit, but what do I know? I noticed the caretaker driving out, so I walked back to the van, and he pulled up beside me. “I just went and checked the road for you. It’s ready to go. It’s open at the moment. What will you do?”
“Leave,” I said.
So, "all hands on deck," we packed up and were ready to leave in record time.
The water was just over 300mm as we crossed. There was one other spot, and that was all the water for the day. We arrived in Narrabri, fueled up with diesel and pies. Others continued on to the Bellata truck stop, where we waited for the rest. We found cheaper fuel—go figure.
It was a fine day for the rest of the drive to Goondiwindi.
We arrived at the showground, paid our fees, settled in, and had a couple of drinks. A lady came along and said, "We’ll get 50mm of rain tonight." Most of us laughed, but it rained all night. I would suggest that, based on the water lying around, we got more than that by morning.
Day 11 - Wednesday 2 April 2025
We awoke in Goondiwindi, ready to move on after a night of rain, which had brought close to 75mm. We had everything packed and were ready to go when a bloke knocked on the door, saying that the roads to Brisbane were closed. It was still raining, so we had phone conversations from van to van. We decided to wait it out until the roads reopened. At 8:30, Howard made a phone call and found out that the road was closed due to a heavy vehicle accident, but it was being reopened as he spoke.
Once again, we packed up and left at 9:00 am, homeward bound. We got away pretty promptly and turned the wipers on, where they stayed all the way home. The rain, in places, was very heavy, and the land was saturated. Photos showed paddocks of water stretching as far as the eye could see. The country was very flat. We live in an incredibly amazing and diverse country.
We reached the truck crash site, and they had just removed the B-double that we had passed on the road. It was the only vehicle I had passed the entire trip.
We stopped in Warwick for fuel, both for the truck and ourselves, and continued on to Beenleigh. We arrived home at 4:30 pm. It marked the end of the road and the end of the mission.
Now, time to clean up and get back to work.
I do hope you enjoyed this blog of our adventures in the “Mission to Walgett.” We did not do what we set out to do. We came across people who were not on our radar. However, we did give away over 100 Bibles to different people, talked about Jesus, and increased our own faith in the living God.
I am sure God had a plan, and we just did not see it. We are reminded in the Good News that God’s word never comes back empty. So, what we did, we did in faith.
May the Lord bless you as He blessed us.
