Scripture distribution in the Outback

Wycliffe Today Autumn 2026

How did a school in France help a music teacher move from life in the classroom to sharing Scripture resources in the Aussie Outback? God often has unusual ways of calling people to serve him. That has been Rob Clements’ experience.

Rob was working as a high school music teacher in Canberra when he was struck by something he saw from a school in Paris with which he had musical connections. The school posted a project about the First World War. Rob was amazed to read that over 1000 Indigenous Australians fought alongside European soldiers. Despite Indigenous Australians not being encouraged to volunteer for military service, many still enlisted. During the war, they received a wage and equal conditions to the other soldiers. Yet, when they returned home, they encountered the same prejudice and discrimination as before. This led Rob down a path of researching more about Indigenous history, and the inequality, isolation and challenges still faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Rob felt convicted to do something to help.

After almost 30 years of being a teacher, Rob spoke with his wife, Lisa, about doing something meaningful with their retirement. Rob began teaching English as a second language and studied multilingual education. Then an opportunity opened up in Central Australia. The Clementses decided to try volunteering with Wycliffe Australia and the Australian Society for Indigenous Languages (AuSIL) to help bring God’s Word to remote Indigenous communities. Rob and Lisa committed to equipping and encouraging local Indigenous leaders with vernacular resources including Scripture, songbooks and Bible-based audio materials in their own languages.
For six months of the year, Rob and Lisa base themselves in Alice Springs and drive out to remote communities, covering an area roughly four times the size of France. They manage five distribution runs, each around 1000 kilometres of driving, visiting communities where at least 12 different languages are spoken.

Rob doesn’t speak any of the languages but he is learning to read all of them! He says:
I don’t speak the languages, but doors are opening and trust is being built, all based on God’s Word. Even if you can’t understand what you’re saying, being able to read Scripture aloud in language has such a tremendous impact on language communities. 
Why should others get involved in remote Scripture distribution? Rob explains:

I encourage people to push through the barrier of the ‘tyranny of distance’ because it’s so rewarding. Yes, the language barrier can be tough – many in remote communities don’t have any English. But they love getting worship music and hearing Scripture in language. These are intensely spiritual people with a deep hunger for God’s Word. And aside from the language resources themselves, people in remote bush communities have a yearning for fellowship, encouragement, and prayer. I’ve seen enough to convince me that this work is absolutely worth it. 

For more information about Scripture material distribution, or to help cover travel expenses, visit https://wycliffe.org.au/projects/scripture-material-distribution-in-remote-central-australia/.    

PRAY that Rob and Lisa:

• prioritise which remote groups to visit
  find resolutions for any cross-cultural issues that inevitably arise
  find more volunteers to help with the work: ideally, four to five retirees who can drive a 4WD for around 17 days at a time.