Sending staff and students on mission trips to serve in remote townships has been a feature of Pacific Hills Christian School for many years. The teams come back energised and with a fresh understanding of how other people groups live. The most recent trip this year was to Outback areas in South Australia and the Northern Territory. The students visited the tiny Indigenous township of Amata, in the land of the Anangu-Pitjantjatjara-Yankunytjatjara people, and an Indigenous community at Haasts Bluff, which is the home of the Arremte-Pintupi-Pitjantjatjara clans.
Upon their return many of the students spoke about the joy they experienced from interacting with the children. One of them noted how enthusiastic the locals were to compete against their visitors in a competitive game of soccer – “It was so encouraging so see that they have so little but they found joy in such little things.”
“It was so good to form friendships in such a short period of time” and “Everyone had such a real and unique story with different struggles and different pains”, noted other students.
A common response from the team was how awestruck they were at the rugged and natural beauty of this remote region and the star filled skies. Teacher Josh Mann led the group and said it was a highlight of his time at Pacific Hills.
“My favourite thing was seeing the students step into their calling. I’ve been journeying with them for four years and it was great to see them understand who they are in Christ and serving Him.
