cities and close regional
cities now have a growing
community of people who
have come into Australia
since approximately 2005
as United Nations refugees.
These communities have
now grown both from chil-
dren born in Australia or
other family members
being sponsored. All of
these people have become
or will become Australian
citizens. Ipswich, Queens-
land is one of these
regional cities which has a
very large and growing
community who have come
from South Sudan as well
as other African countries.
Now to tell you the story of
our journey so far, and it is
only our Heavenly Father
who knows what is ahead
for these people who have been brought into
our lives. In October-November 2011 the
Ipswich Ecclesia conducted it's “Read the Bible
Seminars”. A South Sudanese lady received a
flyer in her letter box and she asked her
friend and her husband to attend the Read the
Bible Course. Unfortunately the course notes
and presentation were done at a level that
attendees who had English as a second
language could not understand. With the help
of Bro Ray Wheeler and ourselves, personal
contact continued with these ladies. We began
using the book “Speaking about Jesus” and
NEV Bibles as a basis, and from that time
developed friendship, trust, acceptance as
family within their families, helping with DIY
stuff (do it yourself) - understanding of
cultures etc. During this time (2012) for one
year their ‘pastor’ John was observing us
working and helping these families. Then,
December 2013 he made a special visit to us,
to ask, “will you help to teach me to read the
Bible”. John is their pastor and he returned
for a visit to South Sudan in November 2014
until January 2015.
Carelinks | Australia
John has now done the
Bible Basics course, for
which we issued him a
certificate, and from this
his English level has devel-
oped and his reading is
becoming very fluent. Now
he quickly identifies the
words he does not know.
We have progressed onto
doing “The Real Christ”
(adapted slightly for
second language learners)
and we also give a certifi-
cate for completing the
course. From John’s adver-
tising of the Bible Basics
course, four more of their
communities ‘teachers’
have started doing the
same course. Regular Sun-
day afternoon and Monday
evening classes have devel-
oped. (Not all the Bible is
available in their language,
Dinka, and one of the great things that has
arisen from contact with John is that he has
now translated parts of the Old Testament
into Dinka - so God’s own word is now
progressing into new languages for the first
time, thanks to this contact).
9
New immigrants and Brother Phil working to renovate
a garage to use it for the Bible Basics seminars
~ continued ...