A new way of travelling

Putting the mission back into missionary…

A new way of travelling

Putting the mission back into missionary…

The wonderful thing about the internet is the possibilities for contacting not only like-minded people, but also those creative, charged, and passionate about what they’re seeking in life. For two Australian bloggers, Nathan Brown and Julian Price, as devout in faith as fervent in documenting the down and dirty aspects of a remarkable motorbike mission, this is certainly the case and deserves a word or two to mentioned about their cause.

It seemed like a fairly simple plan at first, well at least in the mind of Sydney Anglican Nathan Brown. Five months riding a second-hand motorbike from India through to Syria, stopping off at local Christian communities and visiting other missionaries along the way. His travel companion, Julian Price, continued the journey to visit Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, France, and finally England. Accommodation included desert camping amongst the Bedouin, service stations, and the odd home stay with people met along the way – a far cry from hotels in London and pensions in Rome!

Brown conceded, at the end of his 8,500km journey, that his initial confidence was seriously tested in the opening stages of their epic journey.

I remember first getting on the Royal Enfield in India, two up and overloaded with our gear and building supplies for the earthquake effort in Kashmir. The confident “she’ll be right” attitude that had underpinned our trip planning had left me as soon as J-low and I stepped out of the airport and saw the manic traffic of New Delhi. One missionary likened it to a school of fish – chaotic but somehow flowing – to me it was something more like a massacre waiting to happen. And the concept of riding in it, especially for one whose riding experience consisted of a few afternoons in a paddock at Jindabyne, really did strike fear into the soul… In a way it ended up being kinda good – it was an act of faith getting on that overloaded bike with bad brakes and taking on trucks, animals, scooters and masses of people on roads where anarchy is law. It taught me to rely on God in a most practical way… perhaps by default it also extended J-low’s faith while he was ridding pillion…

Admittedly this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly makes interesting reading, and creates a real sense that this wasn’t just the journey of a lifetime, but definitely several lifetimes’ worth! Better than a travel novel, it’s possible to check out the boys’ progress at their informative “Motor Mission” blog.

Get off the beaten track on your next vacation – what about sticking to convent accommodation options offered all through Europe rather than hotels in Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago? Discover the heart of Rome in the true sense of the spirit. Casa di Santa Francesca Romana in Ponte Rotto, located in the central Trastevere area, is one such accommodation option.