Chaplain's Remarks
The Road Less Travelled
96 years ago, two young Christian men, who were both in their 20’s, set off on an adventure. They had decided that they wanted to become missionaries right here in Australia, sharing Jesus with the people they met on their journey.
Neville and his friend Greg drove North from Perth in Neville’s little red 1922 Baby Citroen Car that they had nicknamed ‘Bubsie’. Their plan was to drive all the way to Darwin.
Neville and his friend Greg drove North from Perth in Neville’s little red 1922 Baby Citroen Car that they had nicknamed ‘Bubsie’. Their plan was to drive all the way to Darwin.
Now it’s important to remember that at that time, few roads existed in Australia. Travelling in 1925 meant that the two men and Bubsie the car had to follow dusty cattle routes, navigate rivers, and cross sandy deserts. On their travels they sold Christian books and collected money to help people in need.
But things didn’t always go quite to plan for Neville and Greg. Many times, they got bogged and broke down, which meant Bubsie had to be left alone while the missionaries walked long distances in search of parts for the car. At one point a leak developed in the petrol line. They didn’t have anything that would fix this, so Neville plugged the hole with his finger while driving with the other hand.
When Neville and Greg got to Fitzroy crossing, a group of indigenous people helped pull Bubsie and the two men across to the other side. There were multiple times when they had flat tires and didn’t have any way of fixing them, so they had to get creative. They stuffed spinifex grass into the tyres, and they even used cattle hide/skins inside the tyres. At one point on their journey to Darwin, the two men stuffed a huge dead snake into a tyre to try and keep it inflated enough to get to their destination.
When they finally got to Darwin, Neville and Greg decided that they were enjoying the adventure so much that they would continue. They travelled another 3000kms to Brisbane, then to Sydney and on to Albury, sharing their love of Jesus to all they encountered along the way. Greg chose to stay in Albury and share Jesus through Christian books, which meant that Neville continued the journey alone. He drove to Melbourne where the newspaper wrote an article titled “the Adventurous Adventist”. Neville continued driving through Victoria then across South Australia and back home to Perth, where a crowd of people cheered him on and welcomed him home.
Neville and Bubsie had completed an epic journey, traveling approximately 15 000km around Australia. The fact that a trip like this was near impossible back in 1925, didn’t stop Neville and Greg. They were determined to share Jesus and help those they encountered, despite any obstacles, difficulties, or setbacks they faced along their journey. They used what they had to share their love for Jesus with all those they came in contact with. What a great message for us.
Have a great week,
Chaplain Phil
