Six women from the Adelaide Diocese will later this year tackle the challenging Larapinta Trail in the West MacDonnell Ranges National Park outside Alice Springs as part of an ABM fundraising initiative.
The trek aims to raise more than $100,000 for the ABM’s community development projects with overseas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These projects are designed to create holistic, long-lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Walkers are asked to raise at least $3,000 each for ABM.
In addition to enjoying the varied landscape of wild bushland, jagged rock formations, sprawling plains and deep gullies, participants will have a chance to learn about local Aranda culture. They will be led by experienced guides and enjoy an opportunity to meet Aranda Elders and taste local bush tucker.
The Rev’d Dr Jo Armour of St Jude’s Brighton said: “I love walking. It’s good to be physically active and walking is a great activity for slowing down and appreciating everything around you.”
The Rev’d Dr Ruth Mathieson of St Bede’s Semaphore did her Honours degree in arid zone ecology, so looks forward to being “grounded in the landscape, which is not safe to explore alone”.
“I really value the opportunity to use my senses to be immersed in the desert with a group, and to meet people who are powerfully connected with the land,” she said.
Meagan Schwarz, ABM’s Committees Support Officer and a member of St Theodore’s Toorak Gardens said: “Working for ABM has provided me with so many wonderful opportunities to see first-hand the amazing life changing work that is being done through our partners in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Zambia. Walking while raising funds to ensure communities continue to benefit from these programs is a great way for me to ‘give-back’ for the blessings I’ve received …”
The other women walking are The Rev’d Julia Denny-Dimitriou and two parishioners from All Soul’s, St Peters, Julie Brownell and Sara Blunt.
If you are interested in supporting these intrepid Anglicans in their challenge, you can do so online at abm-larapinta-2021.raisely.com/t/adelaide-anglicans. If you’d like someone to come and speak at your parish about ABM, please email info@abmission.org.au.
There are still spaces on the trek leaving on Mon 28 June, so if you are interested in joining, go to: events.inspiredadventures.com.au/events/abm-larapinta-2021-dep2/