Serving Those Who Serve: Mobile Mission Maintenance Takes Hope to the Outback

When Heather Johnston and her husband Peter set off on a four-month journey across northern Australia, they weren’t on holiday, they were on mission.

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Through Mobile Mission Maintenance (MMM), the couple joined a team of volunteers helping churches and communities in some of the most remote parts of the country keep their ministries alive.

“Mobile Mission Maintenance’s main purpose is serving those who serve,” Heather explains. “It’s helping people who are already working for God out in the field, mostly in outback areas.”

Heather and Peter joined the Northern Australia Safari, one of MMM’s most ambitious annual trips. The team began in Cooktown, near the tip of Queensland, where they repaired church windows, fixed leaking taps, replaced fence palings, and painted rooms.

“It’s very practical service,” Heather says. “But for me, it was daunting because I’m not a practical person at all! Still, I had a great time and came back with new skills.”

During the trip, Heather learned to climb scaffolding, paint, and grout tiles.

MMM helps churches and communities in some of the most remote parts of the country keep their ministries alive.

Serving with skill and heart

While many of the tasks were hands-on, Heather says the deeper purpose was spiritual, helping pastors and church workers focus on their call to share the gospel.

“These remote communities need help maintaining their facilities so they can concentrate on pastoring, preaching, and reaching the lost,” she says.

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After retiring, Heather and Peter wanted to keep serving God, and see more of Australia. Joining MMM allowed them to do both.

“We knew retirement didn’t mean retiring from God’s work,” Heather explains. “We wanted to travel with purpose. And teaming up with MMM has been such a blessing — watching God work in our lives and others’.”

The support of donors and MMM’s head office helped make it possible. “Fuel is a huge expense in the outback,” Heather notes. “We travelled nearly 15,000 kilometres, and generous donors gave $530 per vehicle. That was amazing.”

While many tasks are hands-on, the deeper purpose is spiritual, helping pastors and church workers focus on their call to share the gospel.

Outback communities transformed

The team visited communities from Minyerri to Bulla, where the work was as challenging as it was rewarding.

“In Minyerri, the team had to fix insulation, install new signs, and paint, all before a big funeral,” Heather recalls. “They worked so hard to have everything ready, and the transformation was incredible.”

At Bulla Camp, west of Katherine, Heather and Peter spent a week helping an Indigenous church prepare for an upcoming conference.

Among the team’s achievements was rebuilding a long-lost toilet.

“It had blown away, so my husband and another guy went and found the pieces in the paddock, rebuilt it, and I painted it bright yellow,” Heather says. “They were so excited to have a toilet again!”

MMM’s volunteers come from all walks of life, and all ages.

Everyone has something to give

MMM’s volunteers come from all walks of life, and all ages.

“One of the ladies in our team was a florist,” Heather says. “At every stop, she gathered up the artificial flowers scattered around the stage, washed them, and made beautiful arrangements. The people were thrilled.”

And it’s not just retirees.

“We even had a 19-year-old girl join us on her gap year,” Heather shares. “She wanted to be a tradie, so she came along to learn. She got in and had a go at anything. It was great.”

For Heather, the experience proves that anyone, with any skill set, can make a difference.

“If you’ve got a love for God and for people, and you want some adventure, MMM is the place to be,” she says. “You don’t need to be a tradesperson. There’s always something you can do.”

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

A mission that matters

Fifty years on, Mobile Mission Maintenance continues to serve communities that might otherwise have to close their churches. For Heather, it’s about faith in action, practical help that carries eternal hope.

“We can’t all do it,” she admits. “But we can all do what God wants us to do. And if that’s picking up a paintbrush or cleaning a floor in the outback, He can use that too.”

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

This article was prepared with AI assistance and carefully reviewed by our Digital team.

Feature image: CanvaPro