The Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) is looking for tradies from around Australia to help renovate and restore 25 rundown staff homes across Arnhem Land. The houses are around 50-years-old and need re-roofing, new kitchens, new bathrooms, new wiring, new paint jobs and multiple repairs. Volunteer carpenters, electriicians, plumbers, painters and plasterers are needed anytime between August and October.
The ministry’s project leader Trevor Hammersley told Vision Radio he’s seeking to bless MAF workers who have been helping spread the Gospel in Arnhem Land for the past half a century.
“Some of these houses have been there for that long and some. And they’re showing the worse for wear. What we’re trying to do is bring a team of tradespeople to town to be able to tackle some of these bigger jobs. These houses need support. It’s something we should be able to do as a community and serve our frontline missionaries and give them somewhere decent to come home to,” he said.
“I sort of had a conversation with God, and God said: Well, you know, if you’re not going to do anything about it, why not? So that’s how I got involved. And we’re hoping to put together a team of tradies to head to Arnhem Land to make our first start. This is going to be the first of a number of trips I feel, to make a dent in this work. The first trip is going to be in August and potentially another one September and/or October,” Mr. Hammersley added.
MAF Facilities Manager in Arnhem Land Andrew Nielsen told Vision Radio: “I come from down south and the housing standard down there is very different to what we see up here. We don’t always see the standard of housing of what we see down south. These houses are quite aged. They’ve had some repairs over the years. I think they could do with something which could see them well and truly into the future and prolong the work of MAF in the area. We have obviously quite a few staff consisting of pilots, engineers — a lot of administration staff as well. So we have a number of houses which require upgrades and that’s for the sustenance of the staff here on the ground and subsequently the work that MAF do.”
“Most homes are in need of a kitchen. They show signs of wear and tear with the kitchen sort of falling apart. You can imagine worn laminate, lots and lots of wear over the years. The floor surfaces are the same. Bathrooms are quite aged in most houses. It’d be great to sort of get some work in the bathrooms as well,” he explained.
“We do have a scope of works on a number of houses. So we know what needs to be done. That’s pretty average work up here. That kind of stuff. A lick of paint. A little bit more than that sometimes is required. Just something where when people come home from work and it’s tiring work up here with the heat, they can just have a sense of home and a sense of belonging and a sense of just feeling valued in the work that they do,” Mr. Nielsen continued.
Trevor Hammersley spoke about one house which others suggested should be bulldozed. “This particular house that we want to hit isn’t flash. We’re talking about wanting to re-roof it. We’re talking about a new kitchen, new bathroom, floor coverings. There’s holes in the walls. They found some live wires. Some nasty stuff. I don’t live in a great mansion, but I live in a comfortable home. I think that’s something that’s a reasonable expectation that our missionaries should have. We’re not asking for the Taj Mahal.”
“We’re not trying to build something really flash. But there’s been a lot of money spent in the community by the government over the last couple of years for indigenous housing and for the communities in East Arnhem Land. All we are saying is let’s see if we can bring the same standard to bear, and try and improve things a little bit, make them (MAF homes) comfortable. make people feel valued.”
I really hope that we can put a huge team of people able together that just blows the socks off the guys in Arnhem Land and makes them really appreciate that there’s people out there that care, that are praying for them, but who will also step up and actually do something to support them with the skills that God blessed them with,” he pondered.
Mr Nielsen more specifically detailed: “We’re looking for a range of trades. We do have some trades in town. They’re very hard to come by. They’re quite a burden on our budget. We’re looking for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, plasterers. You got it. We want it. I’d love to screen the [inquiries] and see what people have got to offer and work through the skills that people have. To utilise that in some way, in our context, would be fantastic.”
Trevor Hammersley revealed: “We’ve got a couple of projects on the books set to go. It’s a bit chicken and egg because it’s asking for help, seeing who turns up, then trying to plan the work to fit the skills. It’s a bit roundabout, but what we’re hoping to do is if we can get the right skills, then let’s tackle a couple of these projects in August. And then if funds are available in September or October [undertake] another major project. ”
“The idea, I guess, is we really want to probably start with the top. We’re going to rip the roof off this building. We’re going to resheet the roof, probably put some foil on it, We’re then going to move downstairs, demo the inside, we’re looking to shift a couple of walls, install some electrical, some plumbing, put a kitchen in, do some plastering, do some flooring, and then whack some paint on it as we walk out the door, hopefully leaving a really nice home the Mission Aviation Fellowship can use to support their staff and their partner organisations that work in Arnhem Land.
For tradies who want to find out more, he explained: “MAF has put together a website for us, so that people can come and express their interest. We’re asking for people to Pray, Give or Go. To pray for the teams, to pray for the right skills, the right resources, so that we can do the work that is critical. We’re asking for people who could financially support the work. If they can’t go in there or it isn’t something that they can do in this time frame, we’d love the support. And then the tradies that can get some time away, whether they can come for a week, two weeks, or for the full month, we would love to hear from you. So we can put together a package of work that’ll make a real impact for our frontline missionaries in Arnhem Land.”
The project leader conceded: “I think this will be something that’s going to be ongoing. We’re aiming for this first run in August and then again, potentially September and/or October before it gets too hot. But, I imagine that’s going to be ongoing work potentially into next year. At times it makes sense from a conditions and operational perspective. A big number [in terms of funding] is required. And we’re asking God to open the floodgates and to support this important work. I really, truly believe that, God’s going to provide the people and the finances to do what needs to be done. And, we pray for good stewardship of whatever he supplies.”
Photo: Facebook — Mission Aviation Fellowship
