Humidity. Crazy motorbikes. Amazing smells.
Children playing in the streets. A scene far removed from the quiet hallways of
Melbourne University and attending Christian Union (CU) main meetings. Yet
amazingly these scenes are linked. How? In both places, we needed Jesus and
were challenged to deepen our Christian faith. What we learnt 18 years earlier
in CU, has continued to sustain, anchor and protect us in the streaming, and
steaming, streets of South East Asia, living amongst a people group whose faith
disagrees with our core beliefs.
We both, Jon & Kara, studied at
Melbourne University from 1995 to 2000 and met at Christian Union. Together we
were involved in leading Science Faculty Bible study groups. At that time David
was a senior staff worker and teacher and Cathy a mentor for Kara.
So 14 years later we find ourselves serving
in South East Asia with our four children in a country that is predominantly of
a different faith. We have now lived here 2.5 years. Kara is a fulltime mother,
part-time homeschooler of four children (ages between 9yrs to 16yrs) and a
‘taxi’ driver. Jon has started a business as a way to
connect and support local people as well as to support the local church.
Dave and Cathy Walter were a key part, 18
years earlier, of us being in South East Asia. How you may ask? Cathy and Dave
built us up in understanding so many truths about Jesus, on how to apply these
truths into our daily life and were patient with us as we asked many questions.
We were not treated with scorn or seen as doubters but were given room to
mature and be shown how to study and digest the scriptures. Cathy & David
walked through so many of our life transitions with us at University (ie
marriage, children). BUT it did not stop there. Over the next 15 years they continued
to input into our lives as our family grew in number, studying at theological
college, through Jon’s cancer, when wrestling through the decision of
ministering overseas as a family and then visiting us in our new home in
South-East Asia.
Living in South East- Asia has bought many
hardships, and even evil, into our lives. Our abilities, our good works, our
knowledge, our feelings, our relationships, familiar cultural cues did not sustain
us. But our Christian faith has! We knew that truth comes from the Word of God
alone and the dependence on this truth was even more real when we moved to
another country. We had to trust in Jesus & not in ourselves.
In each (and more) of these places &
situations, they were willing to talk of spiritual things, share of themselves
and speak the truth in love to us. We knew of their prayerfulness for, and
over, our family when apart (even by state boundaries) and it moulded the way
they conversed with us when we were together.
Our prayer is that they can continue to be
mentors and friends to many other people like us, from many nations. Dave and
Cathy have been an invaluable influence on our lives and many others like us.
We pray that they are able to bless many more lives in the future through their
work with university students from all around the world.
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