THANK YOU COATES HIRE

Pictured: The Crossing Australia Harley XR1200

There is one company here in Australia that seems to have picked up the heart and soul of what Crossing Australia is all about. When we started knocking on doors and sharing the vision we were initially quite disappointed that more organisations, companies and even churches didn’t pick up on the vision. But we kept patiently working on the dream and believing that what we’ve pioneered for 30 years in Australia would connect with those who had a conviction to see change take place in remote regions regarding depression and suicide. The statistics and news reports are devastating. Too many Australian’s are ending their lives tragically. Suicide is a big killer of Australian’s. But we believe we can help bring the change. So do companies like Coates Hire. Thank you for partnering with us in a worthy cause. 

Coates Hire are supporting Crossing Australia with two Toyota Hilux vehicles and championing us as a team to achieve the mission to cross the continent and encourage remote communities along the way with concerts, BBQ’s, workshops and good old fashioned friendship in that classic Australian way. Thanks Coates Hire. - Steve

THANK YOU GERALDTON

Pictured: The church family at Geraldton Baptist Church celebrating the launch of the Crossing Australia.

This church family has fully embraced the vision of Crossing Australia. They have given of their time and resources to support the work we are doing in remote regions of Australia. They have volunteered for sausage sizzle’s at sporting events and hardware stores… They have donated finances and food and basically gotten very excited about a mission that involves music, motorcycles and the message of the Gospel. It was such an honour to share with the church family first hand the real vision and story behind Crossing Australia. When people realise it’s got nothing to do with motorcycles and all about meeting people where they are at… It all makes sense.  Depression and suicide are huge issues in your nation and we have the answer.. Lets get out there and see people set free from the dark cloud of oppression that seems to rob so many of hope and life. Thanks Geraldton Baptist for partnering with us in this venture. - STEVE

WHAT BECOMES OF A DREAM

Pictured: Totally stoked in the XR1200 Harley build for Crossing Australia

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this. He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:3-7

The Bible tells us that ‘life and death are in the power of the tongue’. The words we speak out have such a significant affect on the lives of others. Just about a year ago I shared a message at Sun City Church in Geraldton, Western Australia. A message about dreams and visions. Little did I know the impact that message would have on the locals. The dream was one I have held close to my heart for nearly 20 years.. the dream of riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle across the deserts of Australia from west too east. To be honest I gave up on the dream years ago after a few big set backs. But God never forgets.. He will never leave you or forsake you. The dream is alive and well. 

Back then if I’d had my way it would have been a selfish ambition…. But now it is so much more. It is a dream to help people struggling with depression and the hopelessness of suicide. Crossing Australia is a mission to bring hope to people isolated in the battle to find real life. 

There’s so many people to thank. The list is too long. I am so humbled that God would give me this opportunity to attempt riding a motorcycle 5,720kms (3,550 miles) across the outback tracks of the Great Southland of Australia. That’s like riding from San Francisco to New York off road!!!.. But I’m so grateful for everyone who has smiled a crazy smile with me and thought “Just do it”. Give it your best shot!! Thanks for your friendship and the freedom to be able to dream a crazy dream and see it grow into a tangible reality!!

I’m grateful.

So… Crossing Australia… Here we come!!

Godspeed

Steve Grace

Crossing Australia has begun. We’ve created a GoFundMe campaign if you’d like to support our ministry. You can also stay updated via FaceBook and Instagram. Thanks heaps for your support. 

Machines and Miracles

Pictured: Phil Sprigg with Col from Full Throttle Workshop in Geraldton and the donation from Geraldton City Speedway.

When the locals at Geraldton City Speedway heard about our vision to reach remote communities with depression and suicide prevention through community BBQ’s and events they responded with support. Sadly the association lost one of its young champions Ashley Page, to suicide just over a year ago. When they heard we were visiting Ashley’s home town of Meekatharra on the Crossing Australia tour, the club decided to pass the hat around and help our mission. Every day miracles seem to be happening. Including the provision of the 2009 Harley Davidson XR1200 that is being modified to endure the outback tracks across the great deserts of Australia. We are so grateful to everyone who has stepped up to support the cause. We will have more details of the bike and the mission next week!!! Two weeks to the day till we set of from Shark Bay, the western most point of Australia.

We will be holding a fundraising event in Geraldton on Sat 20th August. If you’d like to support financially go to: http://gofundme.com/crossingaustralia

Crossing Australia The Hard Way

Pictured:  A drawing of Steve Grace on the Crossing Australia Harley.

The thing I love about this classic illustration is there’s still a smile on my face!!! (Although I am looking a little bow legged.. ) Yep that’s a drawing from one of the kids at King’s Church Kununurra from two Sunday’s ago. I gave them a little project to do while I was preaching from God’s word. The kids came back with some classic images of the Crossing Australia bike!! 

We are four days away from the start of Crossing Australia. We’ve done all we can to prepare and set up a way that people can financially support the mission. It’s going to be an exciting venture that we pray will impact many lives with the theme ‘Choose Life’ being the main message for the tour. 

If any other kids out there want to draw or paint a Crossing Australia Harley picture we will be having a competition and giving out prizes at the completion of the adventure on September 18th. Photographed or scanned pictures can be emailed to office@stevegrace.com  Thanks kids!!!!! Let’s get drawing.

Outback Revivals

Pictured: The AAOM annual conference in Hall’s Creek on the first night of the week.

It was such a great honour to take part in the annual Australian Aboriginal Outreach Ministries conference last week. A network of churches from across Australia founded by Pastor Max Wiltshire many years ago has grown into an authentic grassroots movement that relates wonderfully well with Indigenous Australian’s. A big thanks to Pastor Brett and Justine Wiltshire for the invitation. We have so much respect for this couple and the sacrifices they have made to build a church that multiplies and continues to inspire people in genuine cross cultural communication of the Gospel. Brett Wiltshire’s teaching on this subject is the best I have heard in relation to white / black cultured the complex issues that exist here in Australia. Thank you Brett and Justine for your generosity and heart for our nation.

Heroes of the Faith

Pictured: Steve with Pastor Gerard Killah from Looma Community in the West Kimberley region.

 

Despite the negative stories of remote community closures, substance abuse, suicides and crime that are all too commonplace in the news… There is still so much good going on in the Kimberley region of Australia. The churches and mission organisations serving these isolated areas are actively doing great work in the lives of people. Indigenous leaders like Gerard Killah are champions of the faith and steadfastly keep fighting the good fight for the tribal people’s of the west Kimberley. He’s one of my heroes of the faith along with his brother Joey who I first met on my first ever visit to the Kimberley back in the winter of ’91. These men have honoured God, their families and communities so faithfully over the years and continue to put Christ first in their lives and lead the way in humility. I get inspired for life hanging around men like Gerard and Joey and their families.

Outback Missions

Pictured: Kerrie and me and the beloved motorhome ‘Matilda’ with a classic Kimberley backdrop.

Every year we have the privilege of visiting churches and remote communities in the far north west region of Australia. The Kimberley region is still in many ways the last frontier for church planting and missions in our nation. It’s a wild part of the great landscape of Australia. So we know it is not about 'hit and run’ tactics. It’s about relationship building over many years. We are grateful for friends like Bruce and Terri Connell and the church family at Kings Church Kununurra for their faithful dedication to our mission.

Thanks also to the many friends and family who encourage and support this work. It’s not everyone’s 'cup of tea' and yes we do miss home, but it seems this has been God’s call for us to get out there on the road to reach people for Christ and excite churches to mission. In November we celebrate 30 years since stepping out in faith and leaving the security of employment for the adventure of serving God with music and missions. Wow… what a journey!! Thanks for your partnership along the way.. especially to those friends in remote and rural regions.

Choose Life

Pictured:  An abandoned bus near the Pardoo Roadhouse in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

 

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
– Deuteronomy 30: 19-20

The Bible is filled with the parallel’s of life’s journey and those historic travel stories of the people of Israel. Constantly, Moses their leader would relay God’s heart and instructions to them in the hopes they would clearly see that their lives would be so much more fulfilling by obeying His simple instructions and laws. But just like you and me… they seemed to think they could do life without the boundaries. Pride and fear take over from humility and faith and before we know it life looks like the aftermath of a firestorm. So many times the people of Israel ignored God’s grace and chose the selfish road to self destruction. 

I found this burned out bus in a scorched desert a few days ago. A vehicle that used to carry people to destinations left abandoned and destroyed, never to be useful again. It reminded me of what we can allow our lives to become without God’s presence and guidance, without His instructions and grace. Don’t burn out striving in your own strength to  make your life better… Allow the peace of God and the wisdom of His word to lead you to a blessed future. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.– Proverbs 3: 5-6

Choose life simply means to choose God’s word and way for your life, so that the generations to come will thank you for your faithfulness and humility. I like that.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Godspeed,
Steve Grace