• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Finke River Mission

Est 1877

  • Home
  • About Us
    • History
  • Activities
  • Stories
  • Media
    • Videos
  • Is God calling you?
    • Testimonials
    • Employment
  • Contact Us
  • Donate Now

From Ebenezer to Papunya and back again

17 December 2013

by Paul Traeger

This is a story about how 19 people came from Ebenezer (meaning ‘stone of help’) in the Barossa to the Aboriginal community of Papunya in Central Australia in July 2013.

On Monday they arrived in Papunya. They left on Friday morning. We (Paul and Mei-Li Traeger – the local FRM support worker and his wife) had never met them before.

During that week they built a whole new kitchen, did a huge amount of interior painting, effectively gave us a new garden, and did a great many other important and useful things around the house and yard. The manse area has not seen so rapid a transformation in its entire 50-odd year history!

On the Monday they happily made camp in our large yard, just as the rain was setting in. It was exceptionally heavy, about 55mm fell in around 24 hours. Aft er a quick lunch, they got straight to work, only slowing briefly to nervously watch the rain increase. That night their sleep was disturbed by dogs fighting over garbage.

On Tuesday they mainly worked indoors while waiting for the rain to ease. They also fixed the perimeter fence to keep the local dogs at bay.

On Wednesday everyone continued working, including their children. They met some Aboriginal people, toured Papunya, and visited the art gallery. During the day somebody calmly dispatched a hibernating young king brown snake!

On Thursday there was yet more work, continuing their daily pattern, i.e. getting up before sunrise, then working until sundown – or even longer. Later that night there were farewell speeches, thanks, reminiscences, and so on.

Finally, on Friday, they journeyed on slippery roads to King’s Canyon via spectacular Gosse’s Bluff and beautiful Areyonga.

Throughout their time with us they were unselfish, uncomplaining, cheerful, willing to improvise, nearly always doing more than we asked. As such, they were a clear gospel witness to the Papunya community. Moreover, their workmanship was of a very high standard. And they did it all despite mud, cold, limited space and a very different environment to what they had been used to. Yet the best part of their visit was the new friendships that were formed – not just for us, but also for the Aboriginal people, and even for some of the community white people.

Overall, the quality of their assistance bore all the marks of divine intervention. Through them, we knew it to be the Lord who was helping us and encouraging us (1 Samuel 7:12).

« Tatachilla College partnership
Yia marra inthorra (good big news) »

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Alice Springs
  • Alyawarr
  • Ampilatwatja
  • Anmatjere
  • Anniversaries & Celebrations
  • Areyonga
  • Art & Music
  • Asante Sana
  • Children & Youth
  • Communities
  • Docker River
  • Engawala
  • Haasts Bluff
  • Hermannsburg
  • Imanpa
  • Kintore
  • Kiwirrkurra
  • Kwala Kwala
  • Lilla
  • Mt Liebig
  • Mutitjulu
  • Napperby
  • Papunya
  • Partnerships
  • Pastors & Staff
  • Pintupi-Luritja
  • Six Mile
  • Stirling
  • Tara
  • Ti Tree
  • Titjikala
  • Training
  • Uncategorised
  • Uncategorized
  • Volunteers & Supporters
  • Women
  • Yirara College

Archives

  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • December 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • December 2013
  • June 2013
  • June 2012
  • December 2011
  • June 2011

© 2020 Finke River Mission. All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Activities
  • Stories
  • Media
  • Get Involved
    • Is God calling you?
      • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Footer

Contact Info

  • 51a Gap Road, The Gap NT 0870, Australia
  • (08) 8952 4666
  • admin@finkerivermission.org.au

Warning: This website contains images of people who have died.

Copyright © 2025 — Finke River Mission • All rights reserved.