They experienced Muslim gunmen shooting at children during their 15 years serving in Pakistan, but the Newmarch family say it is harder to be a Christian at home in Australia.

by Tracy Gordon

If you want to breathe in fresh mountain air, stand amongst cold pine forests and marvel at the wondrous mountains and valleys carved out by our Creator, there are a variety of travel destinations that could meet those expectations.
High on the list of picturesque places to visit is the town of Murree, in Pakistan. It is known as the ‘Queen of the Hills’, an hour’s drive northeast of Islamabad. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains 2300 metres above sea level is Murree Christian School.
CMS missionaries the Newmarch family – David, Georgina, Emma, Samuel, Rebekah and Sophie – have been involved with the school for the past 15 years, teaching and caring for the children of missionaries.
The Newmarch family settled back in Australia permanently in July 2003. They are living in Sydney, where Emma has entered university and the rest of the children have begun school. With their return came a number of observations about the differences between life in Pakistan and life in Australia.
“Everyone looks at screens,” said Georgina. With the growth in mobile phones, comes the issue of instant accessibility. The Newmarches notice that the pace of life in Australia is much faster.
They say the absence of God in public life is another noticeable difference between Australia and Pakistan. In Pakistan, God is talked about freely. There are readings from the Qur’an broadcast on television everyday.  Neighbours and family members do not leave God out of their daily discussions.
“There is a much greater presence of spiritual things,” say the Newmarches.
Television content is another contrast the family have noticed on their return to Australia. They point to the lack of modesty in Western dress, the explicit sexual images and references in conversation readily available on the television, and the general level of godlessness.
They have also been confronted on their return to Australia by the equating of happiness with the possession of ‘things’.
“Spiritually this is a far more difficult climate to live as a Christian in,” they say.
Murree Christian School was started in the 1950s, shortly after Pakistan separated from India. Missionaries in Pakistan needed a school that they could send their children to – and so Murree Christian School was born.
On August 5, 2002 gunmen attacked the school and six men were killed.
After the attack, the school community faced the enormous task of relocating 100 staff and students to Chiang Mai in Thailand. It was in the midst of this move that the Newmarch’s say they were able to see the sovereignty and provision of God as he guided and protected them.
Within six weeks of the attack the teachers were teaching again. Att the end of the year, the results that the students achieved in their exams were another testimony to the work of God in their lives.
“Usually about 30 per cent of the kids sitting exams get A’s. In the exams at the end of last year, [that figure was] 60 per cent,” said David.
This was despite the fact that for the first few months after the attack the teachers slowed the pace of their teaching, to enable the students to process all the changes that were taking place and to adjust to their new environment.  In June 2003, of 60 high school children, 27 wanted to be baptised and confirmed.
“There was a strong feeling of community and togetherness in the group. The teachers and staff were very glad to see God’s hand upon the whole situation.”
The Newmarches have seen lives turned around in Pakistan, several ex-students working as missionaries, God’s protection during the August 2002 attacks, and his provision in resettling the school in Thailand. Testimony indeed to a loving God.