Narrabri welcomes STORMCo

STORMCo Adventure in Service arrived in Narrabri to put faith into practice and provide a week of community service, but not before receiving an official welcome to the country at the Narrabri Local Aboriginal Land Council on Barwan Street on September 22.

STORMCo stands for “Service To Others Really Matters” and is an adventure-based short-term mission program focused on giving young evangelists the chance to engage in community service.

Eddie and Lynn Trindall did the honours, followed by a contemporary Aboriginal dance delivered by a young group of students.

Doctor Vailele Afoa was moved by the opportunity to receive his first welcome to the country and appreciated being on the receiving end of a cultural dance, something that he has only experienced as part of his own Pacific Island cultural heritage.

“It’s a step out of my skin to be here in Narrabri, this is such a warm cultural exchange for me, I’ve never experienced a welcome for myself, and to be a part of it is a cultural and spiritual awakening for me,” said Dr. Afoa.

Brothers and Pastors: Dr. Vailele Afoa and Pastor Peau Afoa.

“That’s the path of our generations, we sit and drink in the stories from the laps of our parents, and dancing is a part of passing on our stories.

“The dance that was done here today was the perfect example of a contemporary merging of young generation’s culture with a classic dance.”

The team of 24 young students made the 20-hour trip from Melbourne to Narrabri, arriving at 3am on Friday.

In affiliation with The Seventh Day Adventist Church and Pastor Peau Afoa, it was Pastor Afoa’s recommendation to his brother; Dr. Afoa, that the group from Crossroads 2421 Church in Officer, Victoria should come to Narrabri for their next trip.

“I do a lot of missions overseas, and I had a plan to take the group to the Philippines, and I talked to Pastor Peau and he said: “Why don’t you come over here?”

“I said that’s right, there’s such a need out here, and a lot that we can do in regional areas, so we made the decision to come out here.”

Sefa Afoa and Youth Leader Uelese Va.

On the agenda for the week were school holiday events, as well as getting out in the community and offering free services like mowing lawns, gardening, painting homes, maintenance, removing rubbish, and so forth.

Youth leader Uelese Va said it was the group’s first time being in Narrabri and though their mission was to provide community service, he was excited for what the group ranging from four years old to 40, could learn from this experience.

“It’s been three or four years in the making, especially after COVID-19 holding things up and we are excited to finally be out here and able to do something like this,” said Mr Va.

“We’re excited to get amongst the community, and what I like about this is – it’s a chance for the young people to stretch themselves out of their comfort zones, as a lot of these kids aren’t used to these kinds of things.

“We just want to make an impact, and we know we can’t save the world but if we can save one soul through our actions; by showing love and being kind, and helping one another, then we’ve done our part.”

Logan Ahtu, Jonah Sefo and Angelo Afoa.

Their first stop on Friday was at the Shared Table community group to help prepare meals and sing songs, then headed off to Moree to do the same that night.

To round out the week of service, the group set up a pinnacle climbing challenge and a performance for the community at the Blue Boars Rugby Club.

The group’s showcase of Pacific Islands cultural dance was an answering show of appreciation for the Aboriginal welcome dance they received from a group of young students at the Land Council.

Kids from the Narrabri community were also thrilled to have the opportunity to learn the New Zealand Haka from StormCo.