MAD: An eye-opening adventure
By Deb Fox | Wycliffe Today Autumn 2024
Wycliffe Australia runs MAD (Ministry, Adventure and Discovery) short-term trips that provide an opportunity to visit Indigenous Australian communities where Bible translation, Scripture engagement and gospel work is taking place. David and Lyn Wake, along with Lyn and the late Chester Street, have been bringing teams in a bus from Melbourne to a number of locations throughout Northern and Central Australia since the MAD trips began in 1998. They are always amazed by what God does to bring the teams together and reflect his heart for Indigenous communities to understand his Word in the languages they understand best.
This MAD trip was much like what I had heard from others who had done the trip before me. The first outcome for me was getting an in-depth understanding of the heart for reaching the Aboriginal communities with the good news of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the depth of relationship with fellow MADites, sharing with each other our journey of faith. I would certainly recommend this trip to others.
–Johann
Many times I was out of my comfort zone. It was eye-opening entering the first Aboriginal community in the sort of environment that ordinarily I would not have entered. Team leader, David Wake, made contact with the local pastor and was sitting with him. I decided to reach out and join the gathering. What I discovered was a pastor with a real heart for his people and their welfare. I discovered the challenges of getting appropriate health care in such an isolated community. We were able to pray for the people of the community and share our spiritual journeys. It was a wonderful experience that I am glad that I had the opportunity to be a part of. I would have totally missed what God had in store for me if I had not been able to go.
–Andrew
A highlight for me was to visit parts of Australia where less than 0.001% of the population has ever been, such as Canteen Creek. I loved connecting with the people there. We live in pristine houses with manicured gardens, yet we don’t know who our neighbours are or what our heritage is beyond a few generations. In stark contrast, Aboriginal communities are all about relationships. It was great to experience how Bible translation is helping people understand who God is and allowing his Spirit to effect change in hearts. The trip changed my perspective from a cerebral discussion about communities far away to a heart-warming experience and a deeper empathy for my fellow Australians.
–Stewart
For enquiries about 2025 MAD trips, please contact https://wycliffe.org.au/eventtype/mad/.
Photos: David Wake and Stewart Henderson
Going MAD in the Outback
Wycliffe Today October 2019
MAD OZ was an opportunity to explore what God is doing in some of the Aboriginal communities of Central Australia with a bunch of ‘new’ friends experiencing it with me. I was blessed to see God working in and through me, as well as my fellow travelers. I came away with a better understanding and greater appreciation for the ministries that go on out there, as well as the greater work that God does inside of us when we allow Him to stretch us. It truly was a MAD experience! – Gary
It was a real privilege to go on a MAD OZ trip after hearing about them for many years. Being the cook was a stretching experience for me but everyone was so helpful. Dave Wake was a fantastic leader. Getting to know Wycliffe member, Lyn Street, was also a real highlight. Together with her late husband, Chester, Lyn made connections with the people in Wadeye and translated Scripture and language resources into the Murrinhpatha language. I also loved getting to know the team, hearing their testimonies and watching them grow as they learned and practised Bible Storytelling and engaged with the Aboriginal people. I learned a lot about Aboriginal culture and enjoyed spending time in the four communities we visited. – Robyn
It has been so encouraging to see Indigenous communities and meeting people who have a real faith. Yet my heart breaks that there is still such a need for discipleship, leadership and Bible resources to be available in Aboriginal languages. I have been so encouraged by the sacrifice and hard work of the translators who have been working in these communities to make this happen. – Sarah
I had the opportunity to learn about the work of Wycliffe and Bible translation. It was a pleasure to experience how Aboriginal people do community and interact with those who share God’s Word and the love of our Lord Jesus. I loved all the teaching we received, especially learning about Bible engagement and Bible Storytelling. I found this to be a great tool for sharing the Word of God with all ages and audiences in any setting. – Mandy
MAD is an amazing cross-cultural experience with Aboriginal communities from Central and Coastal Australia. I love the way that everyone on the team gets to use their gifts for the encouragement of others. It makes a big impact on my life every time I lead the trip and shows me the value of Bible translation in others’ lives. – Dave
Really heavy on my heart after my MAD experience is that we have so many English translations of the Bible while so many Indigenous communities do not have anything in their language. Some languages have translated books and there is now a Kriol Bible but this does not speak to everyone. What can I do to help with translation? – Tracy
Many Aboriginal people we met are open to the gospel but they are in need of effective discipleship in order to grow stronger in their faith. God’s Word, access to it in our own languages and having an understanding of it is essential to growing in discipleship and knowing Christ. – April
God uses ordinary, broken people to do his work. We will not be perfect and we will make mistakes, but he chooses to use us anyway. – Adele
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