A heady combination of Midnight Oil's passion for justice, a youth group serious about mission and the Scriptures and a powerful "old-fashioned missionary spiel' has spurred Mandy Jones and her husband Wayne Oldfield to leave Sydney to serve indigenous Christians at Nungalinya College in Darwin.

Nungalinya College gives biblical and ministry training to indigenous church leaders, with a focus on teaching and structures that cater to the learning styles of Aboriginal people from remote communities.

Wayne, who comes from an accounting background, will serve the college in administration and Mandy will teach the Introductory Vocational Education Course " Bible (IVEC).  IVEC is a English literacy and numeracy course with an intentional focus on the Bible " it is also a bridging course for students who lack the English proficiency for the College's theology courses.

A long time coming

The journey to Darwin has been a long one for both of them.

After coming to faith in Lithgow in his early teens, hours listening to Midnight Oil's passionate justice songs and many spiritual ups and downs, Wayne recalls being struck with great conviction about the immense needs of the world at Summer School in 2006.

"I got to a point where I felt like I was being called to fulltime ministry,' he says.

"I had a great nest-egg waiting for me if I stuck it out till sixty, but I began to feel that I didn't want to look back and wish I had tried to do something.'

Mandy's journey into cross-cultural mission started in her vibrant, mission and Bible-focused Uniting Church youth group.  She was struck particularly by the blunt challenge of Dr Helen Roseveare " longtime British missionary to the Congo " at a Katoomba Youth Convention.

"Her challenge was, you've got to have a reason not to be there,' she says.

Challenges ahead

As non-indigenous Australians working with Aboriginal people, both Wayne and Mandy see great opportunities and challenges ahead.

"I've heard stories of some of the Aboriginal leaders in the churches, and they just seem to be amazing godly people.  The chance to be able to assist them, or people who will minister like them is mind-blowing really,' Mandy says.

"Pray for us that we'll be ready to learn from Aboriginal people,' she says.

"In terms of studying the Bible, we hope that we'll have something to teach them, but in terms of godliness and perseverance, they will have a lot to teach us.'