The closest Protestant church to the Laguna Quays Respite is Calen (30 min) who have a 7.00pm Christmas Eve service while the only congregation in Midge Point itself is the weekly 9.15am Catholic service.
This is the service my wife and I attend when visiting the respite cottage – it is a very small congregation – which has a Priest leading (Mass) once a fortnight, maybe less. Quite often there are as many visiting Protestants as there are Catholics.
Formal practising religion plays a very small part in the community of Midge Point where the Laguna Quays Respite cottage is. However when meeting people one to one, religious destiny is the 'secretive' focus of their lives and one reason why the Well-Being Australia ministry in this rural area has been met with welcoming hearts.
In November it was my privilege to be invited to the Midge Point Emergency Services planning morning for their 11 December Midge Point 'fun day' (Volunteer Marine Service, SES, Rural Fire Service, Progress Association, Fishing Club). And again to be the preacher for the Calen Church Christmas Eve Service (we would be away).
Whitsundays Laguna Quays Respite
Meanwhile, missionary bookings have come in now through to August 2017 and it's a joy in the Lord seeing so many wishing to visit.
The respite cottage is situated a fifteen minute drive south of Proserpine airport and a stone's throw from Midge Point. These missionaries and their families along with school chaplains, home missions of all shapes and varieties, church ministry personnel.
Opened in 2011, Well-Being Australia developed this mission respite ministry after my wife Delma and I had ministered respite to Australian Institute of Sport elite athlete "respite" in both Moruya (Basil Sellers Moruya) and Tweed Heads (Basil Sellers Tweed) since 1992.
The Laguna Quays Respite facility was a dream of ours to serve our mission community with a no-cost rest and recuperation experience and the Whitsundays provides many such opportunities for relaxation.
Mission people can drive or fly into Proserpine airport inexpensively from Brisbane (Virgin or Jetstar), Sydney (Tiger) or Melbourne (Jetstar)
Arrival
Upon arrival they can collect a heavily discounted AVIS rental vehicle under a special arrangement between Well-Being Australia and AVIS for mission people visiting the respite cottage.
There is no charge for the Laguna Quays Respite cottage yet visitors are welcome to leave a gifting to help with its functioning costs.
Over these six years mission people have visited the Laguna Quays Respite facility from such missions and denominations as:
SIM, CMS, WEC, SU, TEAR, OMS, BCS, UCA, YM, OMF, Wycliffe, BCA, YWAM, MAF, Japan Missions, AFES, CM, ASEF, NZ Missions, Global Interaction, independent missions and Ministers and pastors from many denominations.
Who can visit Laguna Quays Respite?
Missionaries, home mission personnel, school chaplains and professional church personnel needing respite and rest. It is specifically designed and dedicated to such mission personnel.
Over these past five years many family groups have visited in school holiday periods – it is a three bedroom beach house cottage – but they squeeze in somehow. Many missionary families have had family stays before they leave for overseas. Many are simply tired and need rest.
It has also been a wonderful solace for pastors and specialist ministry personnel who need timeout to relax their head space and for those wanting to seriously reflect as their prepare significant messages or writing designations. It is a broad church.
Enquiries are welcome for bookings - missionaries / home missions / school chaplains / pastors - to contact us for your respite visit to the Whitsundays –timeout@bushorchestra.compsi_australia@bigpond.com 0419 917 713
Laguna Quays Respite web site also host this video. http://www.bushorchestra.com/respite
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children. Dr Tronson writes a daily article for Christian Today Australia (since 2008) and in November 2016 established Christian Today New Zealand.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html