O God of grace, O Lord of mercy, wrap your arms of love and protection around all families. Protect them from the tyranny of the devil. Bless these families with forgiveness and hope in Jesus' name.
Some today believe missionaries often do more harm than good.
Many sociologists, however, now admit that if it had not been for the help of Christian missionaries, the Aboriginal culture would have been wiped out long ago. Long waterless stretches of 50-80 miles lay before us. The heat of the burning sun robbed man and beast of all energy. Because of the intense heat and the great distance to the central part of Australia, and because of the endless hardships, this journey by these missionaries required 18 months to complete. Nevertheless, when those who persisted finally arrived, they did not dwell on the hardships or on the negative, thereby focusing all their thoughts on self-pity.