Today Mrs Monk, Emily, Alissa and Olivia got to go to the spirituality centre and watch the women make the Indigenous Crosses and other art. It was really important to sit with them and let them start to speak, to explain their work and then, after a few hours, their challenges and struggles and their triumphs. One woman, Claire, was the grandmother of one of the girls who made her first communion on Sunday. She was so proud! Mrs Monk also helped Sr Liz clean the units that had been vacated ready for new tenants.
Back in the Spirituality Centre they have painted pictures to accompany the Arrente translation of the Bible these are not for sale but are truely breathtaking! The picture of the Annunciation took my breath away. These were displayed in Canberra recently.
Other groups worked in the Creche and Community centre. At the creche Xandra, Elizabeth and Sienna worked with Mr Horder. Mr Horder was tasked with all the "manly" jobs at the Creche like putting together a Blower Vacuum and a Karcher cleaner and tend to the hoses in the yard. Meanwhile the girls danced and played with the kids.
At the Community centre Vanessa, Gabby and Eden peeled vegetables and cut them up for the lunches for 14 elderly or sick community members and then made breakfast packs with Oats and powdered milk. The kids struggled with the concept of powdered milk!
This afternoon we spent hours preparing a lamb stew for our Bush camp out and unknown to the students and Mr Horder, Sr Liz and Mrs Monk had made a surprise desert in the morning that we took to the campfire.
We left at 4pm and drove out to spirit country were we walked up the hill before having Billy Tea and Lamingtons. Meanwhile Sr Liz showed us how to prepare Roo Tail and cooked it in the coals. That was entree! Just as it got dark we ate the stew and baked potatoes, pumpkin and sweet potatoes we had prepared and wrapped in alfoil to cook in the coals. It was a hit!
After dinner and another pot of Billy Tea we watched it get dark and the stars appear. Fr Prakesh & Fr Gilbert arrived and cooked our desert - campfire smores! Made in a camp oven in an Icecream cone with Nutella and marshmellows and choc chips!
Sr Liz walked us away from camp, into the dark, so we could better see the Milky Way and while we watched the International Space Station passed over us! Now I know why Sr Liz wanted to go out tonight! We saw Ngkarte Utnenge - God's fingers touching the earth in the Southern Cross.
We had a very meaningful and heart felt reflection with the group. We all were asked "what was good for me today?" "What challenged me today?" and "What will I take away from today?". The girls responses were mature, thought provoking, honest and authentic. It was very emotional and special. We then took part in a ritual to put out the fire, where we all took turns in the silence to shovel the red dirt over the fire and think about the country around us and what we are grateful for. It took ten minutes to completely cover our fire and there was not a sound except the sound of the shovel and the red earth. Much changed by the beautiful experience we headed back to town. Much warmer tonight. Only 7 degrees.
Comentarios