Road to Bethlehem Night 1 | Lilydale VIC

Monday: 8 December

Our Journey to Lilydale & A Magical First Night at Road to Bethlehem

The Journey Begins
What an absolutely wonderful day this turned out to be! We set off from Ballarat around 9 am, so grateful to have our friend Ari van Egmond with us, skillfully towing our beloved Bubsie trailer. Our first stop was the Conference Office, where we joyfully loaded up 18 boxes of the Overlander—just enough to share with everyone over the next four nights. Then it was onwards to Lilydale Seventh-day Adventist Church, where we’d be making ourselves at home for the week.

Setting Up at Edinburgh College
After enjoying a relaxing lunch together, we made the short, pleasant drive over to Edinburgh College to prepare Bubsie for her grand appearance. We lovingly tucked her in under a car cover and headed back to the caravans for some downtime. Poor Pieter wasn’t feeling his best, so we made sure he stayed back to rest and take care of himself while we got ready for the evening’s excitement.

The Event Comes Alive
When we returned that evening, hearts full of anticipation, we whisked off Bubsie’s cover and felt such joy as curious visitors started making their way over to see her. Veronica slipped away for a lovely cup of tea, and by the time she returned, the whole place was absolutely alive with warmth and energy! People were enjoying their evening meal, laughing together, and gathering with such excitement for the first tour at 7 pm.

Sharing Bubsie’s Story
Throughout the night, we were blessed with a wonderful, steady stream of people stopping by to admire the car. It warmed our hearts to see how captivated everyone was by Bubsie’s incredible story—the very first car to travel right around Australia, driven by missionaries sharing God’s love! We chatted away with new friends, answered their thoughtful questions, and soaked in the most beautiful live music that filled the air around us. It truly set the perfect, peaceful atmosphere for the evening.

A Helping Hand and Homeward Bound
As the night wound down around 11 pm, the security guards kindly helped us pack up. One of them even got the treat of a ride to the trailer—you should have seen how thrilled he was! He then walked us out and opened the gates for us. 

It had been a wonderful and blessed day.