Church & Aged Care Display | Nunawading VIC

Thursday: 20 November

A Day of Unexpected Encounters

A Beautiful Morning at Advent Care Whitehorse
After a brisk walk from our accommodation, we arrived at the Advent Care facility to warm welcomes from Jared and Jeremy, the pastors from Nunawading Church, and Karen, the chaplain at Advent Care. With a chilly wind nipping at us, we wisely set up Bubsie outside under the verandah, then headed inside to the cozy Barrett Lounge where we’d share our story in comfort.
As Kevin prepared the presentation, David’s piano music filled the room while residents settled into their seats, arranging their walkers and wheelchairs. We handed out copies of “The Overlander” to eager hands, and then Kevin took everyone on a journey through history with the PowerPoint presentation about the first car to circumnavigate Australia.
Meanwhile, Glenda braved the cold outside, chatting with people coming and going from the facility. She had wonderful conversations and shared quite a few books with passersby!

Bubsie Steals the Show
After the presentation, we invited the residents outside to see Bubsie up close. What a response! We were kept wonderfully busy as residents and service people streamed out to admire the car. Even a taxi driver couldn’t resist—he hopped out of his cab just to get a closer look! After everyone had their fill of vintage car magic, we drove Bubsie just up the road to the church.

Surprise Visitors at Nunawading Church
Kevin gave Pastor Jared Smith a ride up to Nunawading Church to get ready for the afternoon display. Little did we know what delightful surprises awaited us!
We’d barely arrived when a Capable Me class from the Make ‘n’ Bake group appeared, led by chef Salvador Rodriguez. They’d just finished creating a Christmas tree out of yo-yo biscuits they’d made (how creative!), and their excitement about seeing Bubsie was absolutely infectious. They snapped photos, climbed around the car, and happily took home copies of “The Overlander.”
Then, just as a preschool playgroup was wrapping up, the mothers and children discovered us too! The little ones were thrilled, and everyone enjoyed taking photos with the car.

An Afternoon of Connections
While the rest of the team grabbed lunch, we held down the fort at the church. When Pieter, Veronica, and David returned, we had a steady stream of visitors—people from the surrounding area who’d heard about the car or were simply walking past and couldn’t resist stopping.
Chef Salvador came back out to meet the rest of the team and filmed Bubsie for his blog—how wonderful that he wanted to share our story with his audience! We also had quite a group from the Pavilions come by to see the car.
One of the highlights was meeting Paul, a fellow car enthusiast, who told us about an event happening on Sunday. This could open doors to connect with other car lover groups—exciting possibilities ahead!

A Perfect Ending
Pastor Smith gathered us together and prayed for us, sending us on our way with God’s blessings. Kevin drove the car back to the trailer while the rest of us enjoyed a peaceful walk along the creek—such a lovely way to wind down after a busy day.
After loading Bubsie into the trailer and restocking our books for tomorrow, we tallied up the day: over 110 books shared! From aged care residents to preschoolers, from taxi drivers to chefs, we’d connected with such a beautiful variety of people.

Every encounter matters. Every book shared plants a seed. Grateful for a day full of unexpected joy.