WORDS Michele Gierck

A couple’s experience of volunteering overseas began with a ‘niggling dissatisfaction’ with life here in Australia.

Lukas Rajnoch and Kristina Gunawan look relaxed as they sit side by side, taking turns to answers questions about their recent work as PALMS (Pauline Association of Lay Missionaries) volunteers in East Timor.

Lukas speaks confidently; his tone is self-assured. Kristina is calm; an introvert by nature, her voice is gentle.

At the time of this interview, four months had elapsed since their 18-month stint in East Timor, working with a local non-government organisation supporting young people with disabilities. Yet the memories are fresh, often vivid.

Here is an example. Abilio is a young East Timorese boy, so full of life. Although born with acutely deformed legs requiring him to walk on his knees, it was the joy he radiated rather than his unusual walk which so impressed Kristina.

When the possibility of corrective surgery, and associated risks, were mooted, Abilio declined. ‘I’m happy the way I am, the way I walk. This is who I am. And I can get around easily’, he responded—his spirit and verve for life evident.

‘Everyone loves Abilio’, Kristina says. ‘He gives smiles and love, rather than focusing on what he doesn’t have.’

It becomes apparent that although Lukas and Kristina were sent to East Timor for work, it was the building of relationships, of touching and being in touch on a personal level, which remains one of the most powerful legacies of their time there.

Working in East Timor was not the trajectory their Canberra colleagues had seen as furthering their careers—Lukas having established a commerce career in resources and energy, and Kristina with a career in finance. Nor was it the path their families might have chosen for them.

What was it then that drew the couple, married for four years, to East Timor?

Lukas reflects on his own personal history. He was only one year old when his parents fled Czechoslovakia (now called the Czech Republic). ‘My family came to Australia as refugees, relying on God’s providence, grace and the help of other people.’ And it is those factors which have informed not only who he is, but what he values in life. He also found great inspiration in Verbum Dei, a vibrant Catholic community in Sydney.

While Lukas spent the decade after university establishing his career, what became apparent was the further his career advanced, the more he felt a ‘niggling dissatisfaction with a life of comfort’.
Kristina, who was born in Indonesia and came to Australia to study at university, had long felt ‘a desire to do something’. But what that something was eluded her. What’s more, her family had invested heavily in her education, and they expected her studies to lead to a well-paid career. As such, her family struggled to understand why she would want to volunteer in an underdeveloped country.

But the couple’s desire to live fully, to feel fire in their hearts, could not be quelled. And so began a long discernment process.

‘Some of our friends and colleagues talked about the loss (of career and opportunities) that we would incur by volunteering overseas, but we thought of it as gaining, as enriching’, says Lukas.
When the idea of volunteering first arose, the couple asked themselves if this was God’s plan. ‘We’ll take the first step and if it’s God’s will, the doors will open’, they decided. And doors opened sooner than they expected.

They began finding out about volunteering agencies, but the one which appealed most was PALMS. Lukas explains: ‘PALMS’ mission and approach was different to the way other agencies were placing volunteers overseas. They gave time to learning the culture, and encouraged living closely with the East Timorese people.’

Six months elapsed between their first enquiry and when the couple began their orientation and preparation course with PALMS. Two months later they were in Dili.

Working with a local organisation assisting people with disabilities—the organisation was keen to become financially sustainable—Kristina was engaged in building the financial skills of local staff, while Lukas worked with the assistant director to develop his organisational skills.

The couple encouraged local staff, believed in them, and inspired greater self-belief. They also set up small group activities in music, kitchen gardening and computer training. All of this drawing on the talents of the young people whose lives they were immersed in.

The 18 months in Dili was a time which brought joys and frustration. It was also exhausting and, at times, confronting; and they soon found they had much to learn.

Scripture provided inspiration. ‘I know what it is to be in want and what it is to have plenty. I am trained for both: to be hungry or satisfied, to have much or little. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.’ (Philippians 4: 12-13)

Lukas feels it may take a lifetime to reflect upon and live these two verses.

The couple are glad they went to East Timor. It confirmed their joy and desire to work with people on a personal level. And this has been a marked change, for both of them.

‘Taking the leap of faith to embark on this adventure was the best decision we ever made. Responding to God’s call has changed us’, says Lukas.

Where to from here? Although no specifics have been mapped out, another discernment process has begun, and Lukas and Kristina feel confident it will lead them in a new direction.

For more on volunteering overseas through PALMS Australia, go to www.palms.org.au .

Comment  on this article