They could stay at their church for a year. And I thought that was very special, that they were so hospitable.
When I arrived at the last address in Tasmania, it was an old church they had made their own home. It was a very luxurious place. The retired couple owned a lot of land, and I met a woman and a man who were unable to have children of their own. They were looking for people who could help them with the garden and the farm, help with the daily things. In return they offered a place for people to sleep.
They themselves traveled a lot when they were young, so they really knew what it was like to be in a new location, looking for a place to stay. That’s why they offered so many sleeping places to travelers and Woofers. I thought that was the coolest thing.
And they really enjoyed hearing people’s stories and chatting with them.
While I was there I helped them twice a day, doing yard work and feeding the animals. I learned that they had also helped a lot of Aboriginal people. They took them in, and they were also foster parents. Because in Australia, it happens that children are taken from their parents and never told that they are Aboriginal. And Aboriginal people have a lot of drugs and alcohol-related problems and are not really helped by society and left a little bit behind.
So this couple took in those Aboriginal people to help them out. They could stay at their church for a year. And I thought that was very special, that they were so hospitable. With the money they earned they built that space and in retirement had decided to commit themselves to helping people.
I think you shouldn’t be too quick to judge people on how they look. And how they come across. Because some people have been through some pretty intense things and at first they might look different from what they are.
And you should always be open to people’s stories, I think.
