Harry Stannard and Rachael Wiig
We woke at Hotel Capricornia ready to begin our final day of our immersion. It was good to have warm water to wash and clean water to drink. There was no hotel restaurant so instead of going to a coffee shop for breakfast we were set a challenge to buy our breakfast, lunch and dinner along the main shopping strip in the town centre of Darwin. We were each given $30 that had to supply us with food for the day as there would not be opportunities to enjoy meals together as a group while making our way home. As well as our breakfast we had to buy something for lunch and dinner on the Virgin flights. Most of us bought the majority of our food in Coles where we could get more for our dollar. Some chose to buy ice coffee, some got bread rolls and many purchased some chocolate which several had been craving. One group even chose to get a whole chicken to share. We also pooled some of our money together for thank you gifts.
After our shopping Shane transported us in two separate trips to the beachfront of Darwin. It was a beautiful spot. We were surrounded by apartments and coffee shops and had a great view of the wharf. There was a small artificial beach on one side and a wave pool on the other. When we arrived it was quiet but it gradually became busy the longer we stayed with people swimming, laying in the sun and kids playing hockey on the grass. It was a positive environment; perfect for some quiet time to consider out time in Timor.
We had an hour in silence during which each wrote a letter to ourselves. This hour provided the opportunity for us to reflect on the last two weeks and to write about what we hope to change in our lives as a result of this immersion. These were addressed and given to Shane, who will send them back to us at Christmas. This will be a reminder in six months of the incredible experience we have had. It will help us savour anew the precious emotions we have felt during our time together. The letter will help us review how we are going with that. For many of us it was about being more appreciative for what we have. Some laid out plans to challenge ourselves and hopefully see the progress in the future when our letters are returned to us.
We will miss the people of Timor. We appreciated so much the presence of Sr Rita, Fr Bong, Fr Quyen, Br Rui and many more who give so much every day to others. It was incredible the way the children continued to smile at all the little things in life. This has been a really important lesson that we all hope we can take back with us to Australia. It is so good to believe in ourselves and to realize that to be happy all you need is to be around people that love you, care for you and make you smile. We have learnt that it is not about all the materialistic things we have and the things that we in Australia find important. It raises issues about our consumption and competiveness. The diversity of people and the love the Timorese have for their culture is so incredible and we have been able to realize how caught up Australia has become in the world of who has the most money or who has the best clothes. We came with something to give to the schools and to the people we visited but we soon realised that in reality we gave little compared to what we were given and what we learnt. We reflected in a range of ways and everyone has something different to bring back to Australia. Every one of us learnt something new about ourselves and about our life back in Australia.
We went to the airport in two separate groups and slowly checked through to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. The QANTAS flight to Brisbane was an hour behind schedule which made the link with the flight to Hervey Bay impossible. This was tricky as Jess and Emily were not accompanied by one of the teachers. QANTAS offered to put them up at a hotel and to meet them at the airport. Following discussion with their parents, it was agreed they would overnight in Brisbane and so have an extra day of immersion. It is all part of the experience. We waited in Darwin airport together and then suddenly Fr Quyen was with us. It was great. He was on a QANTAS flight to Sydney so would be able to wait with Emily and Jess after we left. The rest of us boarded the Virgin flight together to Brisbane. It was sad saying farewell to Jess and Emily. The flight to Brisbane was 30 mins late which made the connections to Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide tight. Everyone was rushing and nervous when we reached Brisbane but all was OK. However knowing that some of us will not see each other for a long time, the goodbyes were quite emotional.
Only two weeks ago we were a group of 16 students who had only been together for two days on the Formation weekend. Then we didn’t know much at all about each other. Our group has formed very close relationships with each other and it was sad to go our different ways at the end of today. We have all shared special experiences: funny, emotional and exciting. It is incredible the way we’ve all bonded and how we all got along. We have all had a great time together and the relationships we built and the memories we have shared together will last a lifetime. We are aware that we have grown close and if we invest in these relationships they will be strong. Fr Peter said early in our trip in a welcome speech to the Railaco kids that the world is actually a small place because our heart is so big. His words were especially meaningful for many of us as we said goodbye today. Our group is sad that we are separating and going our own ways but everyone is looking forward to reuniting with family and friends after being away for so long. It will be interesting for all of us to find out what we have missed and we are sure our families will appreciate our stories as well.
The four teachers: Shane, Father Peter, Lisa and Vanda have done a lot for us and have made this trip something very special. Father had been to Timor 15 years ago, and we were able to learn a lot from his time spent with Timorese people. He was really incredible with all of his knowledge and the way he was able to share this with the group and really open our hearts and minds to the people and history of Timor. Without Shane none of this would be possible. This preparation and execution for this immersion was largely on his shoulders, and it was a huge success. We are all very grateful for the hard work and effort he put into organising a time none us will ever forget. Shane worked hard in organising tickets, packages, donations, hospitality, numerous emails and phone calls. Lisa has been there continuously for us reminding us about the important little things and keeping us connected and on schedule. Her competence and gentle promptings kept quite a few of us on task. Vanda has been the mother of the group; nurturing us and asking us every day how we are and continuously caring for us. Both Lisa and Vanda have been there throughout and are great role models for us to follow as adults.
Thank you for an amazing experience. Thank you especially to our families and schools for supporting us. Above all thank you to the people of Timor for all your days. All our days are now better for all your days.