Tenacity and Hope
(pictured: Terrence, Youthworks College student)
When Mirning man Terrence was growing up in Ceduna, a small town on South Australia’s Great Australian Bight, local elders carried a lot of influence.
They were the first to talk to him about Jesus and “start the seed growing in my heart.”
Terrence describes the strong sense of community in the town, which is famous for its oyster festival and has large First Nations and Greek Australian populations. “I knew everyone in Ceduna”, he says.
But, as in many regional areas, Ceduna’s career opportunities are thin on the ground, and after he finished school the mismatch between Terrence’s gifts and his chance to use them began to take a toll on his mental health.
Within a few years Terrence decided to move to the state’s capital, Adelaide, and it was there a Christian cousin introduced him to church. “I was a bit nervous at first, but everyone was so loving and welcoming,” he says.
On Easter Sunday that year Terrence gave his heart to God.
(pictured: Youthworks College students)
Terrence also had another, tougher challenge to overcome: low literacy.
“One day I was reading the Bible,” he says, “and I just couldn’t pronounce the whole sentence. I wanted to go to Bible College. And I was so frustrated…that was the start of it.”
It was a journey of about four years: several courses in literacy, then a University Preparatory Program, then the process to get into College.
“I understand that I'm going to make mistakes, you know? But I guess it is what it is for me to be here.”
He is now in his second year of a Youthworks College and works at Living Waters Community Church in Redfern.
“Oh wow,” he says. “It's a responsibility like, when you're teaching kids. You need to know the Scripture because you can be giving out false information… Because if I give a kid an advice and it's not the right advice and they go do it they'll get hurt by that.
“I'm working with youth. Somebody asked me how does it look like to work with them, and I said, “It's like evangelising to them, because a lot of their parents are not Christians. So I'm dealing with kids who learn about God, but they go home to a home [where] they don't learn about God. So that's pretty tricky. But my supervisor he's like - he's one of the best.”
Terrence is looking forward to going home to South Australia and working locally when he finishes his studies next year.
“A lot of our elders are in their 60s and they always tell us that they're not going to be here one day and so that's what I keep getting reminded of….I want to encourage my other young people that are in our church to say, “Well, we need to step up now because they given us what we need.”
“That's what motivates me.”