Highlights of Australia / Vanuatu Trip
April 12, 2004 - May 7, 2004
[Click here to view the Australia photo album]

[Click here to view the Vanuatu photo album]

On April 12, a group of 9 from Morning Star Baptist Church including Pastor and Ms. Bobbie Carrigan, Joe & Sherry Brackins, Nancy Davis, Finley and Shirley Fowler, and Tommy & Myra Smith flew out of Atlanta airport to visit with our missionary families in Australia and Vanuatu. Brother Don Harmon drove the group in the church van to the Atlanta airport.   Due to the long hours of travel and a time change, we arrived in Brisbane airport on the morning of April 14.  Brother Bob Bartlett met the group and we traveled about 2 1/2 hours to meet his wife Vinnie at their home in Toowoomba. >Part of our group lodged with the Bartletts and the other part lodged in the home of the Jackson family, a deacon in Brother Bartlett’s church.   In Australia, the group worked and fellowshipped with the church and also visited some of the local sightseeing attractions. >The men from our group helped Brother Bartlett with a construction project to enhance the church building. They added exterior siding, new windows, and installed interior sheetrock to a Sunday school class room. The ladies ministered to a nursing home, prepared the meals, and spent time with Ms. Vinnie and the ladies of their church. Pastor Carrigan and Brother Joe preached, Bro. Tommy taught, and the group gave testimonies and music for the church services. The group had great fellowship with several of the church families. On Sunday evening, we had a “Pie and Praise” service. The ladies brought sweet and savory pies. Afterwards we had a time of singing, testifying, and preaching, and one was saved. This service began at 5 p.m. and did not end until after 10:30 p.m. This was a special time in the Lord. You had to be there! The Lord blessed. The group, except Ms. Bobbie, left on April 27, to visit with Brother Pinero and his family in Vanuatu. We spent the night in a hotel in Port Vila, before continuing on to the island of Espiritu Santo. Brother Pinero and a group from his church met us with an island welcome ceremony at the airport in Santo. After dinner and a bible study in Brother Pinero’s home, we drove out to Camp Shining Light where the group was lodged in small bamboo huts. Early the following morning our group, along with Brother Pinero and a group of helpers from his church, drove several hours on jungle roads to the village of Ipayato. Our ladies had bible studies and lunch with the village ladies while the men had bible studies and lunch in the Bible College. In the afternoon, the ladies taught Bible lessons and played games with the village children at their school. We had supper with the chief and afterwards had a church service. At the end of this service, we prayed with those who requested special prayer. Many of them requested that we pray that they be protected against the witchcraft that was prevalent in the village. After spending the night in huts in this village, we prepared to return to Camp Shining Light.; Brother Pinero became very sick with Malaria.; Bro. Tommy had to drive one of the trucks out of the jungle. Although Brother Pinero was very ill with malaria for several days, Bro. Bill and the young helpers from his church continued to take our group to visit Brother Pinero’s various works.We traveled by boat across the sea to visit one of the works on the small island of Malo.>There we had lunch, had a ladies bible study, and then participated in an afternoon church services where Pastor Carrigan and Brother Joe preached. We fellowshipped and had meals with several of the church families.We visited the resort island of Aore where several in our group went snorkeling. We also participated in Sunday services held in the church in town Pastor Carrigan preached, and the ladies taught Sunday school. Several young boys were saved during Sunday school. In the afternoon we had services in the town prison. During the invitation, every prisoner that was in the service came forward and prayed. Many of them were saved. We met Ms. Bobbie in Australia, rested for a night in the hotel there, and then flew home on May 7. We felt honored to visit with and see first hand part of the workds of these two great missionary families.