Bagot

Ming, one of our Paediatric residents in Darwin asked me and Roy, another Indian doctor to attend the church with him on a Sunday. So we went along with him to the Bagot Victory Church. Bagot is one of the first aboriginal communities in Darwin and all its population is indigenous. The church is not anything like a typical traditional one. It’s very basic -a shed in a open space. We were the first people to go there. Then Ming got into his routine of going from home to home reminding people about the service and asking if anybody needed lift. Given the level of alcohol and other problems among aboriginals, attenting the church is not exactly the top priority for even those who believe in Christianity. Slowly people – mostly middle aged ladies started coming one by one. People were interested to see new comers and we were asked to get to the stage and introduce ourselves. Aboriginals have their native beliefs & religions mostly revolving around nature, animals and spirits and Christian churches are trying hard to gain inroads into them. After the necessary corum was gained, the service began. There was lots of singing by the ladies and then prayers. Very frequently prayers were centered around how the Lord should forgive those who have not yet converted and release them from their ‘ bondage’ soon by showing them the ‘true path’. After that we all had a light lunch of dry bread and coloured water.Good experience. Took a few snaps but lost them somehow.