Sometimes It's a Long Road to Get There.

                              Sometimes it's a long road to get there but it's the only way to go.

The road fromWeilmoringle to Enngonia.

Travelling is very much part of the Rural Chaplain's job and sometimes it's a long way between places but travelling between places is not the only journey chaplains do.

Sometimes the road to be traveled in getting a program in place is just like a road journey; preparations have to be made.

 Before any new venture is started in a community the chaplain has to visit and get to know the people there. Programs and events do not come ready made, one size fits all. Each one is tailor made to suit the community and importantly, ideas often come from the community itself. The chaplain does not drop in and 'solve it all.'

Getting to know people well where they live.

People in any community know the place they live in and know its needs.
Sometimes that has already been articulated before the chaplain gets involved and the task then is to work out how to make it a reality. This may mean obtaining funding or expertise not available in town to bring an idea to life.This was the case with Hillston senior's computer group and the Weilmoringle Book Buddies. In both cases individuals in the town recognised a need and the chaplain found a way to make it happen. Thus Hillston seniors got computer workshops and Weilmoringle got books into the town via Book Buddies.

 Sometimes people may know the need but don't know how to meet it or may not have access to professionals who can help. Thus the Waste Not Want Not  program and an Adult Literacy and English as a Second Language program was suggested and set up.Sometimes a community may be in crisis or facing on-going difficulty and an in-depth,on-going venture like a mental health support team is introduced into town or, as in Weilmoringle, it may be simply an event like the Good Day Out is all that is needed as a means of lifting the spirits so people know they are not forgotten.

Carpark at the Good Day Out, Weilmoringle

Nothing is done without a lot of behind the scenes preparation to get it right and make it sustainable. Programs have to be devised, grants have to be found and applied for,willing workers - volunteer or professional - have to be sourced.

But before all this happens the community is consulted , sometimes over a long period of time to make sure what is planned is really what is needed for that particular situation. Consulting the community is like consulting a map.You have to get to know an area to travel it well. Sitting down, listening and talking is very important. 
We have all seen what happens when an agency comes into a place and provides a "solution" that seems like a good idea from far away but really shows no understanding of the real situation.These ventures cost a lot and often fail. The chaplains do their best to make sure this does not happen. They do not want to betray the trust of the people they work alongside.

As you can imagine all this of this takes time, a lot of travel, a lot of thought and ingenuity and a pastoral concern for the communities involved...... (And a poodle!?) *

Darcy and Julie survey the scene at Brewarrina on one of their many travels around Western NSW.

Thus the road traveled by the rural chaplain is often a long one but the final destination makes it worthwhile.


* ( "But of, course!" - Darcy )