• 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

Volunteer profile – Wilbur and Monika Klein

20 June 2015


Wilbur and Monika Klein normally live and work at Tjuntjuntjara, a remote community 660km east of Kalgoorlie WA where Wilbur is the principal of the school. ‘It’s a wonderful community, the children all speak Pitjantjatjara as their first language and the adults keep their culture strong. But it’s a big challenge for us to use their traditional knowledge as a link to teaching western literacy and numeracy more effectively.’

In 2014 they decided to use their long service leave volunteering with Finke River Mission (FRM) for the first six months of 2015. ‘Alice Springs is a huge metropolis compared to Tjuntjuntjara! We can swim in the town pool, walk or ride our bikes to beautiful places.’ Monika also thinks that Wilbur has rediscovered fine culinary skills that she hopes will continue next year back at Tjuntjuntjara.

While enjoying themselves they’ve also achieved a lot for FRM. They’ve painted, cooked, repaired, driven, talked, learnt, mowed, whipper snipped, swept, blown, camped, sewn curtains and cleaned. ‘We really think that we are the ones who have received great blessings living on the Mission Block, being a part of this wonderful branch of God’s extended family here in Alice Springs.’

A highlight for them has been helping the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir prepare for their trip to Germany. It’s been a huge, but vital logistical exercise getting 40 women from communities up to 8 hours away into Alice Springs to rehearse together. ‘Driving a small bus on a dirt road in the moonlight with majestic ranges towering alongside, listening to the dulcet harmonies of mothers and grandmothers singing a capella was truly uplifting for the soul.’

They’ve witnessed church extensions being blessed at Areyonga, camped by the creek where the sheer rock face echoed the calls of the community donkeys (a bit like the vuvuzelas of World Cup soccer), and attended the ordination of Pastor Rodney Malbunka at Hermannsburg. They’ve celebrated Easter at Haast’s Bluff with 300 others; Wilbur even cooked for the Inkarta’s Bush Camp at Areyonga. ‘The church’s work in central Australia, spreading the gospel to people of all cultures, is a wonderful thing. Volunteering with FRM has been an amazing time meeting many people, sharing their lives and being blessed. Praise God!’

« Lutherans caring for each other
The Dorcas of Monto »

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

  • 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 © 2023 — Finke River Mission • All rights reserved.