We travelled to Emerald to experience ministry and mission in regional and remote QLD

“Can I share a story where I cried?”

This wasn’t the response we anticipated when we asked SU Australia’s Dan Dubbeld about his recent mission trip to Emerald with a dozen 15-17 year-old Distance Education students from Jubilee Christian College.

But don’t worry, the tears weren’t because the students had to travel from multiple locations across Queensland to the mission’s location, some spending 12 hours in a bus to get there. Nor did they stem from the fact that many of them hadn’t met one another face-to-face until this moment, and now they needed to work as a cohesive team as they faced challenges well outside their comfort zones.

No, these were good tears! The sort that comes when an older leader sees younger leaders stepping forward with initiative, servant-heartedness and most of all love. In short, doing exactly what the mission trip set out to achieve!

In the last week of term two a team from Jubilee Christian College Distance Ed, along with three teachers, and Dan, travelled to Emerald to experience ministry and mission in regional and remote QLD.

The young people had a packed schedule, leading devotions for the team in the mornings and sharing testimonies at night. During the day they served in schools at Capella and Anakie –both locations with medium to long-term chaplaincy vacancies– running lunchtime activities, offering classroom support and assisting with breakfast programs.

The group’s work also extended into the wider community, cooking no less than 60 meals for a community support program coordinated by a local church.

But back to the moment that brought Dan to good tears.

“We were at the local State School and it was a rewards day and the kids could wear free clothes and pay for an ice cream at lunchtime, ” recalls Dan

“One of our year 11 boys, Levi, comes over to me and says ‘ Mr Dubbeld. Is it okay if I buy that boy over there an ice cream? I think he’s the only kid today who doesn’t have one.’”

Dan tells Levi to ask his teacher if it’s okay, before watching him surreptitiously remove the money from his pocket and walk over to the child sitting on his own, who Dan guesses is around 7 or 8.

“Levi goes over to the kid and the kid’s eyes light up, and there’s this big smile on his face. My eyes just exploded into fluidity as I saw a young person see a need, respectfully work through the process of addressing it, and then deliver it,” says Dan.

“That for me is what leadership development is all about.

“It just reminded me of the goodness of God, and the way our young people can lead in the change,” says Dan.