CAMBODIA Pauline Glover

As many of you already know, I have been going to Cambodia for ten years. I first went there with the 2h project, Safe Arrivals, to train Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in remote villages. Our program consisted of basic hygiene, basic nutrition antenatal and post-natal care and labour and birth, and what to do when things go wrong such as massive blood loss, infection and fitting. I did this teaching for six years. In 2013 I started to sponsor a young girl through World Vision. Her name is Sreyneuth and she lives in Chulkiri province. I have now visited her three times - twice in the last two years. This has been extra special as I was able to take my granddaughter Evelyn with me.

Sreyneuth and her Mum 

In 2018 I started to sponsor another girl, Mei from the Rukh Kiri Area Program, and this year Evelyn and I also visited her for the first time. Both of these girls are doing well, and as I look back over the years, especially with Sreyneuth, she is developing well both educationally and physically. Evelyn and I bought both the girls a bike so that they did not have to walk the 2 kms to school and then home again. They were so excited, as were we. Buying the bikes is another story in itself (!).

Mei and her Mum and Dad 

We also gave them a 20 kg sack of rice which cost just US$20. Mei’s Mum and Dad are poor rural farmers, and her father kept saying to me that he felt that he must give me something for our kindness. I said to him that he had ‘given’ us his daughter to educate and that was enough.

Richmond International 

Centre 

Whilst on this trip with Evelyn in July, I met the man in charge of the Chulkiri Area Program, Sophal Sim. After the ‘official’ presentation of the program and time spent with Sreyneuth, we got talking and I found out that in 2009 he had established a school called Richmond International Centre, on land where his house was, so that he could teach English to the vulnerable children in his village. He has 312 students at his school. As I was going back to Cambodia three weeks after this visit, I asked if myself and my six travelling friends could come to his school and spend a day there. He was so excited and so were we(!) This in itself is another story, with not enough room here to tell it. Suffice to say, we took back with us so much stationery in one big suitcase, and books, including sets of Mem Fox stories. Imagine reading Wombat Divine in English and having it translated in Khmer to the twenty little ones in the school. What a treat. There was dancing (chicken dance and hokey pokey) and singing and so much

fun. By the end of the day, we were exhausted(!) This beautiful school needs so much. I have made it my mission in the next twelve months to support as much as I can the purchase of 60 chairs and 20 tables, and the building of a playground and a library. I am well on the way to the first US$1200.00 for the furniture. The chairs are US5.50 each and each table is US$40.00. If you would like to assist in my quest please see me.

Being mobbed at kid’s club  (see us up the back) 

There is so much more to these stories over the ten years I’ve visited. Evelyn is now loving it there as much as I do, and while we support Sreyneuth and Mei, and now the school, and a maternity clinic, we also have so much fun. Travelling from the capital Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, is done in our own mini bus with our own hired driver. I will need some volunteers to come with us when we go to build the playground and the library(!) Evelyn has learned so much about social justice and she just loves playing with the children at Kid’s club. My prayer is that I stay healthy enough to keep going back each year. As Sophal and his wife Sreymom San, are expecting twin girls on 12 December (they have two boys) I pray that the birth will be safe and that the girls will share my birthday(!) To see Sophal’s work on Facebook look for Sophal Sim.

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Waniwa: an Anangu woman’s story as told to Harold Bates-Brownsword

Lucy, aged 11, in her favourite dress 

Kalka, Amata, Kaltjiti, Mimili, Pukatja and Indulkana are not familiar place names to most Australians, in fact you will need a very detailed map to find them, but to Waniwa Lester they are as familiar as Prospect, Plympton or Magill. These are some of the places where she spent her early life. Waniwa, whom we at The Church of the Good Shepherd know as Lucy, was born at Tieyon station in the far north of South Australia. Tieyon is a pastoral lease, and the northernmost homestead in SA, located about 1100 kms. from Adelaide, and 100 kms from the Indukana settlement in Anangu country

Lucy’s father was the head stockman at the station, but she did not know that until much later in life. Together with her aboriginal father, between bouts of work on the station, Lucy and her mother lived a traditional life on the land and the family moved with their people, following the different seasons for game and bush tucker. Lucy described how the elders would meet early in the morning to decide when to move camp, and families would gather to be told what would be happening, - “just like the morning news on the radio” Lucy said.

When she was about seven or eight years old, Lucy’s mother took her to visit Pukatja- [Ernabella Mission] to visit a cousin (Lucy’s mother’s “daughter” – or Lucy’s “sister” in tribal terms). The plan was that Lucy would live with this family member and start school. Lucy was not too sure about the idea, or staying with this unknown “sister”. When she did get to school, Lucy found that the other children spoke a different language, which had some familiar terms, but which she did not understand. So she was introduced to the Pitjantjatjara language, which was difficult for her, but which she learned to read and write. Lucy was a native speaker of Yankunytjatjara, which is spoken in the north east of the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) Lands. Today, Ernabella has a population of 412, and Indulkana 395.

 Students and Anangu teachers with dead bird which was strange to the area.  12 yr old Lucy is centre back 

Ernabella was a pastoral lease before it was established as a Presbyterian mission station for Aboriginal people in 1937, and was unique among the English speaking church missions, as like the Lutheran mission at Hermannsburg, the First nations people were encouraged to speak and retain their own languages, and the school at Ernabella taught in Pitjantjatjara, which is the other of the two largest language groups in the far north of the state. Later in her life, Lucy found that having both languages was an advantage, as she was able to use them in her work as an interpreter. After completing school, where she also learned to speak English, Lucy stayed on as a teacher’s assistant. At the time there was one European teacher for nearly 300 children, and 3 local assistants. Later, Lucy took the opportunity to study early childhood education at what is now the Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, (then known as Bachelor TAFE), completing one year of the 3 year course. Bachelor was the name of the town near Rum Jungle, [NT], where a large radium deposit was mined for a number of years.

Camp out at Ernabella,  16 year old Lucy front left of picture

It was after her return to Ernabella, that the Founder of the mission, Dr Charles Duguid, and his wife visited and suggested that Lucy should see something of the wider world, giving her a choice of cities. Lucy chose Adelaide and was invited to live with Dr Charles and Mrs Phyllis Duguid at their home in Magill. The Duguids were well known for their championing of the aboriginal people, and each Christmas invited groups of up to 35 children and young people to lunch, followed by a swim at the beach. Duguid had been elected the first Lay moderator of the Presbyterian Church in South Australia, and President of the Aborigines Protection League.

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When 17 year old Lucy arrived at Magill, their foster son Sydney, from Cook on the Transcontinental train line, had just left, as had their son Andrew, but their daughter Rosemary was still living at home. So began a new chapter in Lucy’s life.

In Adelaide, Lucy held various jobs with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs working in arts and crafts, and then at the Aboriginal Advancement League’s Wiltja Hostel at Millswood, which was established by the Duguids in 1956 to accommodate Aboriginal country girls attending secondary schools in Adelaide. Lucy remembers that most of these girls attended Unley Technical School. Lucy lived with the Duguids for 10 years, became part of the family and was recently visited by Rosemary Duguid [Douglas], who now lives in Canberra.

In her spare time, Lucy was a hospital visitor, supporting people from the APY lands who were in Adelaide hospitals, and she was much sought after to translate. Lucy explained that she only has a few words in Arrernte, sometimes referred to as the Aranda or Arunta. The Arunta language, is spoken by people to the north west of the APY lands and Alice Springs. However the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages are spoken from the north of SA to Yalata, [Ceduna] so that Lucy can also communicate with the Tjrutja, [Maralinga] people. One day Lucy was talking to another hospital visitor from the Presbyterian church in Tusmore who told her that she must visit a lovely young man in the RAH, who was being treated by eye surgeon, Dr David Tonkin. Curious, Lucy took the advice and met a man she described as beautiful, despite his bandaged eye. When Lucy met Yami, he had very poor vision in his remaining eye and David Tonkin was trying to maintain the little vision he had.

Yami, a Yankunytjatjara man, was born in 1941 at Walyatjata, [Wallatinna], in the north of South Australia. As a child he also learned about bush food and medicines, bush healers, and the spirit life in the area associated with their dreaming.

In 1953 when he was about 10 years of age, Yami was among a group of his people who were caught in a cloud of fallout known by the people as the Black Mist, which came from the first nuclear bomb test at Emu, [Emu Fields] in 1953. Reports of the mist came from Mintabie opal fields 180 kms from Emu, and from Wallatinna station a further 150 kms south of Mintabie. Shortly after this Yami began losing his vision . He was nearly 11 when he started his first job minding goats at Wallatinna Station where his family lived, and which was owned by Mr & Mrs Cullinan. He learned how to muster, brand and castrate cattle. Yami was a gifted horseman, and worked as a stockman at Wallatinna Station until the age of 16 when had developed trachoma so badly that his eyesight began to fail. In 1956 he went to Adelaide for treatment and one eye was removed.

Many years later he was back in hospital for another of many operations and that is when he and Lucy met. She was then about 25 years old and became a regular visitor. She recalls that after leaving hospital, Yami invited her to his home in Brighton for tea with Auntie Sophie Bishop who had been assisting him as a carer. Lucy recalls that Auntie Sophie was 75 years old at the time, and had moved with him to help with cooking and household activities. She often commented “Hurry up and get married Jim as I am getting too old to look after you.”

Lucy and Yami on their wedding day 

On his release from hospital after his first operations when he was still in his teens, Yami lived at Colebrook Home in Blackwood, and after learning English from a friend in the home, he became involved with and made many friends at the Blackwood Church of Christ Youth Group where he was called Jim, as he was known by the hospital staff. There he met Graham Thomas who became a good friend and was best man when Yami and Lucy married in

Dr Duguid  and  Lucy. Dr Duguid  “gave away” four brides, including his daughter Rosemary 

1966 in the Grote Street Church of Christ. By then they were both 27 years old. The newlyweds lived in Cecilia street, North Brighton, in the house which his friends

from church had helped him to purchase in 1964. Yami had been supported by the Institute for the Blind and worked at their factory making brooms and baskets. Lucy recalls that on her occasional visits to Yami at home, the house was always filled with friends. Sometime during this period, Yami became a member of the Aboriginal Advancement League.

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Leroy, the first of their three children, was born at Queen Victoria Hospital in Adelaide when Lucy was 28 years old. He was soon followed by Rosemary. Yami continued to work at the Blind Institute where he learned to read and write in Braille - and in his words “became an expert Broomologist.” Lucy kept up her hospital visiting and work at the Wiltja Hostel. One day, when Leroy was about 3 years old and trying to get his father’s attention, saying: “Dad, look at me, look at me” – and Yami didn’t respond, Leroy walked up to him, and taking Yami’s head in both hands, tried to turn his face toward him. It was at that point that Lucy said to her husband: “Yami, we are going to have to tell him that you are blind”(!) In 1970 Lucy saw an advertisement for an interpreter for the Uniting Church in Alice Springs, and suggested to Yami that he apply. Yami was not keen to look at this position as he felt his blindness would be a barrier, but Lucy had other ideas for her reluctant husband and encouraged him to take the plunge. “You’ve got to try’ and “I will come with you to help you”, she said. Yami responded, “do you really mean it?” He obtained an interview but thought it was all over when he heard nothing further. A few months later, following an unexpected phone call from Rev’d Jim Downing, he began work for the Uniting Church as a Welfare Worker and Interpreter for the hospital and courts. With Lucy as his eyes, and nearly 4 year old Leroy and 8 weeks old Rosemary, the family soon settled in Alice Springs. Yami also became a consultant to the IAD (Institute of Aboriginal Development) which was concerned with Aboriginal education and language. He took great interest in cross-cultural issues and programs. The land rights movement depended upon skilled interpreters to facilitate communication between indigenous land owners and the various government bodies involved. Lucy said that the local Arrernte people accepted Yami as one of their own. Lucy became somewhat involved in court translation when Yami was away on field trips, but the birth of Karina in Alice Springs, and caring for her growing family kept her busy. Lucy was also involved as translator in the publication of an SA government survey of the flora and fauna of the Anangu lands.

APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) 

Lands

After five years in Alice springs Yami was asked to take on the role of Manager of the Mimili Cattle Company back on their traditional lands, but again had doubts about being able to manage the role because he wouldn’t be on horseback, or driving. Mimili is one of the main centres in the APY lands, with a population of about 260 people, and they moved there on the understanding that it would be for one year. After his success turning the finances around and making a profit for the community, they asked him to stay on, which they did for another 4 years. Whilst serving the Mimili community, Yami was nominated as the Mimili, Fregon and Indulkana representative on the Pitjantjatjara council, and became involved with meetings for land rights on Anangu lands in Central Australia. [Anangu is the name that the central desert

people call themselves]. Lucy remembers that Mimili was a very hard time for her, as she was the one who had to drive the 4 wheel drive vehicle out on cattle musters requiring visiting camps, stays at local homesteads and time away from her children, who were still quite young. One of the interesting stories Lucy told about Yami involved a windmill which needed repair. They’d been mustering cattle and were closing the gates after a long hot day when it was realised that the windmill, which filled the troughs for the thirsty cattle, had developed a problem. Two fellows climbed to the top and tried to fix it, over some time, without success, until in the end Yami said: “I’m going to have to go up and do it”. Lucy was appalled. “Yami, you can’t do that, it’s too dangerous” she said. Eventually Yami persuaded Lucy that it was the only way, as they could not leave the cattle without water. So one of the two men came down and Yami climbed up the narrow, metal ladder to the top. Because of his long experience working on stations, Yami quickly worked out, just by feeling around the area, that they were trying to put the part in upside down. After a further 10 minutes of adjustment, which seemed a very long time to Lucy, who couldn’t bear to look up while all this was happening, the problem was fixed and they could all go home (!)

As an adult educator herself, Lucy was always involved with her children’s schools. Now that they were all of school age they were being educated by both Lucy, and what she described as the Caravan School, which was stationed in Mimili. One day Lucy had a conversation with the husband and wife teachers from the Caravan School, who suggested that the children needed much more than could be offered at Mimili. This, combined with the pressure of the cattle work and administration of the company, prompted a move back to Alice springs. In Alice Springs, Yami rejoined the AID in his old role as consultant, hospital interpreter and welfare worker, and the success story that was Lucy and Yami continued. In 1980, Yami was appointed Director of the AID, and in 1989 (whilst at Wallatinna) a Commissioner of ATSIC. [The Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders Commission]. Whilst Yami was off negotiating the handover of Uluru to the Anangu, and

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campaigning for a Royal Commission into the Maralinga atomic tests, Lucy was holding the fort in Alice Springs.

Lucy mentioned her children’s experience of discrimination in the local schools, where they were often bullied by the white kids. Lucy says she knows from her community that despite the progress we have made, aboriginal children continue to be harassed at school. She finds it hard to fathom and feels that African migrants and Maori people are often better treated by many Australians. Despite the hurt, Lucy and her family persevered. Whilst Yami was honoured in many ways, Lucy feels that it is her children’s success that she treasures. Lucy and Yami retired [sort of], to Wallatinna station on his family hunting grounds, where they had been granted a 30-year lease (the land becomes freehold in 3 years time). When Yami died two years ago, at his request the family buried Yami at Wallatinna. A State Funeral was held on the station, and Lucy recalls that dignitaries travelled from across the country to pay their respects, but most importantly 500 others attended, including European and Anangu friends. All arrangements were made by the state, and Lucy recalls seeing numerous trucks arriving loaded with everything needed to set up the huge marquee, fill it with chairs, carpets etc.

On behalf of the family, Karina Lester welcomed the South Australian Premier, Jay Weatherill, and then state opposition leader, Steven Marshall, as well as other state and federal politicians, saying: "Today really is a sad day, but a day to celebrate this wonderful man.”   

Premier Weatherill said: "We’ll miss his storytelling, his generosity of spirit, his kindness, his warmth. We’ll never forget his resolve, his love, and the achievements that arose from a life filled with purpose and faith.” Steven Marshall, told NITV News: "It was a very powerful farewell service at Wallatinna on the APY lands”. Australian singer Paul Kelly joined the service to perform Maralinga - one of Yami’s favourite songs - and Lucy, together with old friend Graham Thomas, and his wife Judy sang The Old Rugged Cross (Yami’s request).

Lucy moved to Adelaide to retire but is still called on as a translator for various current projects run by Professor Irene Watson at Uni SA. She also maintains her traditional skills, making ointments which are keenly sought after by Anangu people living in Adelaide.

One of Lucy’s most treasured memories is receiving a bunch of flowers with the following note, from Jocelyn Davies, a good friend of Yami and herself: Dear  Lucy,  we  have  all  been  enriched  by  the  important contribution you have made to Yami’s life and leadership. Thank you,  Jocelyn. 

The new mural with ICAN’s 

founders Dimity Hawkins and Dave Sweeney, Lucy, Leroy, and Katrina Lester at the launch of the mural.

 In 2017 Dimity Hawkins and Dave Sweeney, co‐founders of  the  International  Campaign  to  abolish  Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)  were honoured by the commissioning of  a mural    to    acknowledge    their 10  year  campaign, which saw  ICAN   presented with the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2017.   Dave and Dimity were good friends of Yami and Lucy, and Dave spoke at Yami’s funeral.  The  mural,  which  was  commissioned  by  the  City  of Darebin and  is situated on the Preston Library Building in  Melbourne,  was  officially  opened  on  16  April 2017, with an attendance of 300 people. 

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Yami as a young man

Whilst celebrating ICAN, the mural also pays

“tribute to Yankunytjatjara Elder, Yami Lester, whose activism against nuclear testing in Australia, was an inspiration and call to action for the ICAN founders”.

(‘Darebin Community News, June/July 2019’)

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Additional material from Graham Thomas, photos of Lucy Lester from the Ara IIrititja Archival Project, Marleston SA

The social capital of the church is in people, culture, history and shared humanity

My name is Sue Franco and I have spent the last four years in Port Augusta, South Australia.   Previous to that, my husband Lou and I attended Mary Magdalene church in the inner city of Adelaide, for over ten years. When we left, I felt that we would still be part of the Anglican community, and after a settling in period here, we feel very much part of  St Augustine’s Parish, Pt Augusta. Port Augusta is an interesting place, with lots of history and some wonderful, dedicated and stoic people, who have welcomed us. We are having an interesting time discussing mission and looking after two churches, one on each side of  town. The story of community is often a changing one, reflecting people, activities and interests over time. We still go to Mary Magdalene church when we are in Adelaide, and I find that a church feels like home, even when absent for awhile.  The soul of a church is in the people, community and networks, and this continues whatever the changing circumstances. I was reminded of this on a recent trip to France.  Chris Bates‐Brownsword read my journal summary of the trip and asked me if I’d pass my reflections on  for you to read.  I was inspired by France as a place where so much change had taken place, and many of the reforms we continue today came out of periods of historical change. I hope you enjoy my story.  Regards Sue. 

Memories and Searching

Love

Travelling is about seeking both connections and discoveries. We are all connected, socially, culturally and historically. The current passion for Genealogy is leading people to travel further afield to ancient sites, and other places least visited, endeavouring to trace their roots and family histories. Countries such as Qatar and Ethiopia are calling out for international visitors, as these regions seek a sense of connectedness in today’s

Compassion

world. Advanced technology and better communication and mobility, have opened up travel opportunities for many more people from all walks of life.

This trend is a reminder of past ages when there was a similar movement of people, and exchange of ideas and interactions, resulting from the rapid increase in trading opportunities. Colonisation has created artificial political borders, which in turn increase the need for connectedness internationally, as people are pushed into diverse cultural and migration spaces, requiring them to relate differently not only to each other, but to their place in the world. There are also defining periods, or key events such as ♦Reformation, #Renaissance, Revolution that bring diverse people together in new ways. Whilst geography is about separation by distance, and isolation by topography, advances in technology and transportation help overcome these restrictions. This technological age is like a new age of exploration, some already familiar and some still unknown. Environmental considerations and other needs are also driving forces for unity of purpose and meaning, which overlay opportunity and surplus, challenging both the most prosperous and the poorest to seek a common purpose. Our challenge is to choose the right tools to make this happen.

Messages of Reformation and Universality of Humanity

Birth

The more freedom and opportunity that we have, the greater is our challenge and responsibility to be open, and to learn. In the Renaissance and ages of exploration and discovery, it was necessary to become displaced, and to discard that which is familiar. Colonisation is an unfortunate result of exploration and movement of ideas. In fact, the French president, Emmanuel Macron recently described France’s past colonisation of Algeria as “a crime against

humanity”, but colonisation has also led to increased scientific knowledge and to inspiring faith journeys.

Environmental needs provide a necessary backdrop to cooperation and sharing ideas on a practical level. Social, faith and cultural requirements can act as glue to unite us in the common purpose of survival of humanity and the planet. Jesus taught that we can let material considerations go, in order to be available, and to discover meaning in the face of the unknown and the seemingly insurmountable.

Negotiation

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The challenge is for faith to be practical and meaningful in the world; not just the worldly, but the world as it exists in all of its diversity and need for care

Reformation in the Modern World

As churches become less occupied, it is the task of the faithful to act and reach out in ways that are meaningful. Vacating churches can be a means of discovery. We don’t have to destroy that which is no longer useful. Churches are still repositories for social and cultural history, and that history continues to be enacted in the community. It is an integral part of our memory and social fabric, not to be denied, but embraced. The meaning of Church in the world is relevance, inclusive - not exclusive, acting with humility - not arrogance.

Respect 

The social capital of the church is in people, culture, history and shared humanity. When we forget that, we act as an institution that is separate from the world. It’s ideas like these that led to the international Reformation movement. When we become secure,

Diversity 

we become complacent and forget to act in the world. We need to exist in the world, in faith, not as a worldly entity, but as faithful agents for social, cultural, environmental, political and scientific change.

The separation of a powerful, materialistic church from the political and social needs of humanity, or “politics”, puts us all in danger of ignoring imperatives like change and challenge. The messages of Jesus are that difference, discovery, change and challenge are opportunities to show and practice faith in the world. There are reasons why we are ceasing to occupy church buildings, and that is to seek universal faith in humanity and its purpose in the world - not separating the environment, science and politics from faith - but embracing these as opportunities for faith. This can include finance and security, as a means to God’s purpose, uniting us in common, purposeful humanity.

Surrender 

Hope 

The Reformation 

♦The Reformation was a movement within Western Christianity in sixteenth-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Roman Catholic Church and papal authority in particular. # The Renaissance was a period in European history, covering the span between the 14th and 17th centuries and marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity 18

THE SPIRITUAL GARDEN

SPRING HAS SPRUNG - The Spiritual Garden was a sight to behold in September this year, as our native Australian plants put on their best Spring show (!)

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The Church of the Good Shepherd 15 Clayton Avenue, Plympton, S.A.

Priest: Fr Michael Lane Postal address: PO Box 403, Plympton 5038

Email: plymptonanglican@internode.on.net Parish Website: http://anglicanparishofplympton.com.au/ Facebook: Church of the Good Shepherd Adelaide

CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT THE CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD Our Christmas Celebrations this year begin with The Parish Christmas Party at 5.00 pm on Sunday 22nd December, followed by a Christmas at Midnight service at 11.30 pm on Christmas Eve, and a Communion Service at 9.00 am on Christmas Day, Wednesday, 25th December. Service details below:

Parish CHRISTMAS PARTY

5.00 pm Sunday 22nd December 2019 Make sure you invite family, neighbours and friends. Remember they may well need inviting 7 times(!)

A celebratory liturgy including:

:Carol singing for everyone: congregation, children and adults : Decorating the Christmas Tree : Christmas Nativity with Blessing of the Crib Children are encouraged to come dressed for the Nativity story. Props for dressing up will also be available on the day.

followed by a shared meal. BBQ meat provided; a contribution of a plate of salad or sweet to share, most welcome Sign up sheet in the hall.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas at Midnight/Sung Eucharist

11.30 pm Tuesday 24th December 2019 Sung Eucharist featuring organ, and well loved Christmas carols.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas Morning 9.00 am Wednesday 25h December 2019 Sung Eucharist featuring organ, and well loved Christmas carols.

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