I was ordained as a Minister of love and light in the Movement of Spiritual inner Awareness in Los Angeles in 1982. Since that time my wife and I have worked in many countries of the world and there have been lots of opportunities to offer and fulfill my Ministry.
I often have a chuckle to myself when I think back to those early years. I would put a great deal of energy into planning next Ministerial project and push and shove in order to accomplish a result, only to finish up frustrated and disappointed because I had made little or no progress. There was certainly no personal fulfillment in what I was doing and I guess my contribution to the world was minimal, but I persevered.
My constant reference point was my Ministerial blessing, still on the original somewhat battered and well-worn audiotape, and there was one word that kept jumping out at me — EGO. As time went by it became obvious that the only result from all the pushing and shoving was the confirmation that that is not the way to go. What was most apparent was that things really happened when I took all the energy and ego away from planning my ministry.
I prayed for opportunities and just let things flow (let go and let God) and realized that I did not have to impress others or get my name in lights in order to be the minister of love and light that I wanted to be.
And then many of the things that I had ever wanted and dreamed about came forward. In January 2000 I was appointed as Project Manager (Shelter) by CARE Australia to work with CARE International in East Timor. Here, I could share my heart and my expertise with people who had seen disrespect, humiliation, beatings and murder. The reward for doing that has just overwhelmed me. I have never before experienced such a flow of loving, trust and respect.
So what was this work all about?
Suai, the town in which I was posted, is where horrendous atrocities and massacres took place in 1999, including the murder and burning of 3 priests and hundreds of people at the catholic chapel in Suai.. On the first anniversary of this dreadful affair, three UNHCR international staff were murdered in Atambua, just over the West Timor border.
The township of Suai had been a prosperous and busy place and the scenery is magnificent. Suai is set in lush tropical rainforest at the foot of a massive mountain system. The people are predominantly farmers growing rice, corn, vegetables, fruit and coconuts, and raising pigs, goats, horses and cattle.
After the hostile militia activity in 1999, every building and house in every village and in the township of Suai had been burnt and systematically destroyed. Every single item of value including furniture, galvanized roof sheeting, cars, bicycles, motor cycles and the likes had been destroyed or taken across to West Timor by the militia.
During the time that I was there we completed the following projects:

*Purchased and delivered the materials, and supervised the construction of 7,200 full or partial houses with a minimum of 30 new houses in even the most remote villages. The logistics were almost beyond imagination and involved taking delivery of imported building materials from trucks at the border or from beach landing barges at the adjacent village of Suai Loro. These materials were then delivered to the villages using 3 and 5 ton 4WD trucks over what would certainly qualify as the worst “roads” in the world. In the wet season (which lasted 8 months of the year) we frequently forded fast running rivers in deep water and often could not get home to Suai at night, so we slept in the trucks in wet clothes with no hot food. We always carried military ration packs and bottled water

*Delivered over 4,000 metric tons of rice and beans to the villagers on “Food for Work” projects, to the same locations as above. The people earned their food by completing pre-approved public works such as re-roofing a school with thatch or palm, repairing roads and stormwater drains, clearing and re-building their rice paddies, repairing open irrigation channels and the likes.

*Pumped out, sterilized, capped and fitted hand pumps to almost a thousand village wells and repaired spring fed community water tanks in the mountain villages.

*Delivered many truckloads of rice, corn and vegetable seeds and hand tools for farmers.

My entire team, except for one woman, were locals. This was the most amazing and dedicated team of young men and women that I have ever had the privilege of working with, including their persevering when the militia started to move back into the area and it became essential to have military escorts with our convoys. We had many a sleepless night in those last few months when the militia started coming to town at night looking for food. I would call for support, and Australian night vision helicopters and New Zealand soldiers in Armored Personnel Carriers responded, patrolling our area.
In recognition of my work, I received the Humanitarian Overseas Service medal from the Governor General of Australia, but that means little by comparison with the sense of accomplishment, fulfillment and wellbeing that I carry in my heart. Truly one of life’s great blessings. This time I believe I have learnt humility. So what is next?
In the immediate future, my ministry is to look after and support my beautiful wife of 40 years who has been diagnosed with cancer. We have shared so much together and in spite of the doom and gloom handed out by the medical profession, we are not buying their prognosis that she only has a few months. With trust and faith in our hearts and lots of prayers we intend to continue sharing what we have always had, an optimistic and positive attitude and a better than average quality of life