With Summary On The Following Page
I baptized Neville Hayes in 1971; and soon afterwards he and his wife began worshipping in their home.Max Burgin moved near by, and the Boronia church began to move. There is an aggressive spirit here that is missing in some other Australian churches. It shows in newspaper ads, special lectures, etc.; and in their growth. In my judgment, they need to obtain a permanent meeting place of their own (we met on Sundays in a CWA hall, and had the "mission" in a school room); but if they will continue to probe, teach, and follow up, this group will accomplish much for the Lord's cause. Boronia is a suburb of Melbourne.
Traveling Saturday arrived, and I caught a Train for Bairnsdale (150 mi. east) and Bell left for Albury with Rolly McDowell (who had come down to assist in the work). Bairnsdale is an old town, with old-world atmosphere. Bob Wickham and family, and the David Hanley family, make up the church in that place, meeting in a community hall at the Library. We had a few visitors, and I presented informal studies on Bible interpretation and the church, hoping to strengthen saints as well as reach out for others. One night during the sermon the Salvation Army Band came down our street, playing full blast. I had to stop until they passed, whereupon our one visitor remarked aloud, "They sound like the Devil to me." No comment!
After one week in Bairnsdale, I came back to Melbourne and caught a plane to Launceston, on the island of Tasmania, 200 miles south of main-land Bob arrived there on the same day), and we made ready for our last two weeks of work in Australia. Tassy is a beautiful island, with wonderful people. I baptized a lady here in '71 and have since seen her husband and children grow into fine Christians. In 73 I had a one-night debate here (on church organization, although my opponent never did grasp the issue); and I feel almost a part of the fine Newnham church. Bob taught his series on Revelation and The Cults during the first week — giving me opportunity to visit Hobart and Port Arthur — and I taught Romans in a series of sermons during the second week. (Bob returned to Warner's Bay, north of Sydney, to try and finish a good work he had begun several weeks earlier.)
The Launceston (Newnham) church has a neat little building, and some members who are truly growing. Several young men are actively training as teachers, and some wish to devote full time to this work. I stayed in a trailer at the home of Max Hillier, but felt equally at home with the Grimditch family, Barry and Jackie Hume, and the others.
Then came the l-o-n-g Saturday. I flew to Melbourne, then to Sydney (where Bob joined me), then to Auckland, New Zealand, then through the night, to arrive in Honolulu — and it was still Saturday morning. We got a hotel room and tried to catch up with "jet lag" that afternoon and night.
Sunday we worshiped with the Leeward church, Waipahu. I taught class, but Bob preached that morning. I was in the pulpit that night, almost too tired to know if I preached. And on Monday — we came home!!