Divine Appointments | Perth WA

Sunday – Wednesday: 23-26 August

God’s Hand at Every Turn
The week began with a good workout. On Sunday, the team helped the man they were staying with relocate his furniture down to Boddington, using Essie’s trailer and a hire truck. The team spent the entire day loading up the vehicles and making the trip out to Boddington, unloading everything in perfectly fine weather.
Then came the moment that left everyone in awe: within seconds of closing the back of the trailer, after the very last item had been carried inside, the heavens opened. Rain poured down in monsoon like fashion for quite some time afterward. Had it come even a few minutes earlier, everything they’d worked so hard to move would have been soaked. It was a small thing, perhaps, but it was a gentle reminder that nothing about their journey is left to chance. They paused to give thanks and praise God for His goodness and perfect timing.

Growing Together in the Word
Amid the busy schedule, Gordon also had the joy of attending a home Bible study group three Monday nights in a row, sitting alongside a group of new believers as they grew together in faith. Moments like these remain some of the most rewarding parts of the whole expedition – watching seeds of faith take root and flourish.

Overlanders on the Move
Perth proved to be fertile ground for sharing the message close to their hearts. Throughout their time in the city, the team distributed more than 250 copies of Overlander. One resident of Rossmoyne even took a box of Great Controversy books to share around the community. It’s remarkable how much curiosity the car itself stirs up – people are drawn in simply by seeing it, and that curiosity quickly turns into meaningful conversation. Even Kerry’s sister, has been enthusiastically handing out Overlander books to friends who’ve been genuinely moved by the story.

A Divine Appointment at Lunch
One of the sweetest moments of the week came when the lady Gordon had baptised back in New Zealand – in whose home they were currently staying returned from her fly-in, fly-out job up north, she and her husband took Gordon and Kerry out to lunch.
Gordon happened to be wearing a TIJ t-shirt with a QR code printed on the back and a couple seated at the table behind him scanned the code and asked whether he was Gary. It turned out they were fellow Christians, and after a warm conversation, they shared that they planned to subscribe to the TIJ channel to keep watching the videos. Small, unplanned encounters where God does amazing work.

Family Ties and Faithful Memories
The team stayed on in Perth until Wednesday to spend the day alongside Kerry’s sister, as it marked the second anniversary of her son’s passing. A tender and important day to simply be present for family. Kerry has been documenting the journey through videos and photos, and that ongoing record has sparked interest far beyond Perth. One of her cousins, living on the east coast of Australia, sent through a treasured family photo from the 1930s: her grandparents with her mother and siblings, all pictured in a 1926 Essex. What a wonderful piece of family history to surface in the middle of this journey!

Small World, Big God
Gordon had yet another divine appointment while getting a much-needed haircut. His hair having grown out enough to rival Neville Westwood’s after three months on the road! The barber asked where Gordon was from, and when he heard the answer, he was stunned: he still runs a barber shop in Hornsby in Christchurch, Gordon’s hometown, and sponsors the very rugby club Gordon played for many years ago. What are the chances? Moments like these are a beautiful reminder that God delights in connecting people in the most unexpected ways.

Eastbound, Hearts Full
As we turn back toward the east, our hearts overflow, from every door that opened to us, every ear that listened, and every soul we were blessed to share God’s word with. The tiniest seed of faith we scatter can blossom into something beautiful. We are so grateful, humbled, and changed by every person we crossed paths with along the way. All glory to God for every mile of this journey.