As I sat in the red dirt of Wulkabimirri, one of the most remote Indigenous communities in Eastern Arnhem Land, I was a world away from the hustle and bustle of my usual work in a denominational office in Brisbane. Around me were a dozen very basic homes scattered across the landscape, and at the centre stood an open-sided shed that serves as their church — New Light Wulkabimirri Wesleyan Methodist Church.

It’s hard to describe just how remote this place is. The community lies about 14 hours’ drive from Darwin, mostly on corrugated dirt roads that are impassable during the wet season. Yet once a month, during the dry, Pastor Aisea and his wife Elisiva make that drive to bring Jesus to this community.

Their journey began five years ago when Michael, the son of the landowner, visited Darwin and met Aisea. He had heard the Gospel and experienced the love of Christ, and when he returned home he asked Aisea a simple but profound question: “Can you bring Jesus to my community?”

That invitation changed everything.

Since then, Aisea and Elisiva have been faithfully driving into this remote corner of our country, sleeping rough when needed, walking hours in the night when their second spare wheel burst, worshipping with people who often can’t read and have very limited English, but who have an undeniable hunger for Jesus. The homes here don’t have electricity or running water, yet almost everyone has a smartphone and access to worship music and Bible recordings. They dance, they sing, and they long to follow Jesus, the One they know is stronger than any other spirit. They want Jesus not just for themselves, but for their families, for their children and grandchildren, that they too might know His power and peace.

When my wife and I visited, we were deeply moved. We sat with them in the red dust, listened to their stories, grieved with them over the loss of children, shared Scripture, prayed together, and rejoiced in the hope of eternity. It was raw and real — a reminder that the presence of Christ is not confined to city churches or polished services, but is alive and powerful in the most humble places.

The miracle of this story is not just that a church now exists in Wulkabimirri. It’s that the Gospel is spreading from there. Other communities have started asking, “Can you bring Jesus to us too?”  Multiplication is taking root — not because of grand strategies or resources, but because one faithful couple responded to one simple request.

As I watched them dance and sing, I realised again that the heart of the Great Commission beats strongest on the edges where faith is lived in simplicity and in community. For Aisea and Elisiva, this is not just ministry – It’s obedience. For the people of Wulkabimirri, this is not just religion – it’s life!

In the red dust of Arnhem Land, the Gospel continues to travel, sometimes on dirt roads, sometimes in dance and song, but always with the same unstoppable power of the Spirit who sends us.

Rev Rob Simpson, District Superintendent, South QLD & NT

Wesleyan Methodist Church, South Queensland District