Doug and Cynthia Thomas - Serving The People of Their Community

Hi and welcome to Van Life Devotions. Today, I want to share about two friends of ours. The story goes back 10 years ago when Leisl and I attended the National Gathering in Geelong of Baptist's Senior Pastors. Our guest speaker was a First Nations person, and he challenged me. He said that we pastors were very fortunate to go on Mission Exposure Trips around the world. That was me - I've been to several third world countries to visit Missionaries and view Aid Work. Then he said “don't forget your own people” - meaning Australia's First Nations People. And that was me. I've never visited my country's Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people. He challenged us to go, sit, and listen to their stories. "We don't need you to build places for us", he declared, "the government does that. We just need you to listen to our stories". A lot of learning and understanding happens when we listen to each other's stories.

When I got back, I went to the only First Nations person I knew - Cynthia Thomas, who was a member at my church. Cynthia invited me to come to her hometown of Normanton, Qld where she and her husband were about to move back to. The following year Leisl and I drove 2,130 kilometres to Normanton where Doug and Cynthia hosted us for a few days. The purpose of the trip was to understand more about our First Nations people and their culture. Doug and Cynthia drove us around the area such as an old mission station where Cynthia and other indigenous were forced to live, not in Normanton itself. They took us to the Normanton Cemetery where people from Australia and other cultures were buried but not the First Peoples. They weren't allowed to so across the road we went and there in the scrub were unkept graves of First Nation People. And then I got to sit with some of the elders to hear their stories of hardship, sadness, injustices but also stories of deep faith, forgiveness, and hope. It was a hard but important few days for Leisl and I.

Doug and Cynthia Thomas are everyday people who are having an extraordinary impact within their community. This, being NAIDOC Week, we want to honour them. Doug and Cynthia met in Normanton in 1978 and were married in 1987. They are both teachers at Gulf Christian College where most students are indigenous. Doug and Cynthia have a great rapport and connection with the students, their parents, and their grandparents. They try to engage the First Nations people as much as possible in school activities such as open classrooms, BBQ evenings to meet staff - as schools traditionally have not openly welcomed the indigenous community into that learning space but they are trying to turn that around.

Doug has certainly built respect within the Normanton Community as he is a Councillor employed by Carpentaria Shire Council as an elected member. Being a Councillor gives Doug the opportunity to engage with the First Nations people on a range of community related issues and to share their indigenous perspective with Council when community decisions are being made.

Doug and Cynthia are also heavily involved at Normanton Christian Fellowship where Doug is the Pastor and Cynthia is involved with Pastoral Care. As well as having two weekly services on Sunday where Doug is often the preacher, the church has an Op Shop that constantly helps people in need, and they operate a Domestic Violence House for women and children.

When we were there Leisl and I saw how both Cynthia and Doug showed love and care for many – indigenous and non-indigenous. They provide meals, clothes, spiritual support, and often just a listening ear. In all their busyness, they visit those in need, sit in the streets with others, conduct weddings and funerals – all without drawing a salary from the church. Why do they give so much of themselves to others? In Cynthia’s words, “I was brought up in a Christian home, and was taught about God from a very early age. I was taught to serve others, in particularly our elders”. And for Doug, he said, “Because of my marriage to Cynthia, I have felt compelled and called of God to serve and minister to First Nations people”.

Being NAIDOC Week, they would like to remind all Australians that indigenous are Australians too, and faced extreme hardships even to the point where some were removed away from families and culture. They would like to see love and compassion to all people, particularly those who are marginalised and discriminated against so that all of us can be part of a united and cohesive nation.

Cynthia's favourite bible passage is all of Psalm139 which reminds her that God knew all about her, even before she was born and that He had her whole life mapped out ahead of her.

Thank you Doug and Cynthia for all you do to serve others, in the name of Christ

Let's pray.

Dear God. Thank you for Doug and Cynthia's faith in You, for their incredible service to the First Nation People, and their desire for all Australians - indigenous and non-indigenous - to experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ. We pray for healing and justice for our First Nations People. We pray for love and respect between all people. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey's end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For more information about NAIDOC Week please visit www.naidoc.org.au