Located in Theresa Park, 55km southwest of Sydney, you will find a place called “Canaan of God’s Comfort”.
It is home to the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in Australia, a small community of Protestant sisters who have been living and working in Australia since 1979. They are part of a larger international sisterhood whose origin and main centre (Kanaan) is in Darmstadt, Germany.
Founders Mother Basilea and Mother Martyria prayed for revival amongst the young women of their Bible study group following the near-total destruction of their city in the last months of WWII. Sensing God’s hand of judgement upon their city, and their nation, the women repented of their lukewarm Christianity. Experiencing God’s forgiveness gave birth to a deep love for Jesus and a longing for a shared life of prayer and service and the beginnings of the sisterhood. To learn more about the amazing story of how God established the sisterhood and built Kanaan from the rubble and ruins, read the book Realities of Faith by Basilea Schlink.
Canaan in Australia is the base for the sisterhood’s ministry throughout the South Pacific, SE Asia and India. They are actively involved in the local community and are invited to hold retreats both here in Australia and overseas. Their ministry encompasses many different aspects, reconciliation, literature production (Mother Basilea wrote over 100 titles with translations in more than 60 languages) as well as an audio and video ministry.
Basic to life at Canaan is childlike trust in the heavenly Father’s provision from the food on the table, to whatever is necessary for an expanding ministry. Living by faith also means walking in the light, so that no friction or unconfessed sin will cause the Father to withhold his blessing.
My association with the Sisters of Mary began, in July 2017, when my eldest daughter Vanessa told me her doctor had suggested she needed a change of scenery. Vanessa had struggled with depression for many years and once again it had her in its grip, medication alone wasn’t enough.
Vanessa and Sister Dominica
One sleepless night, while chatting with God about Vanessa’s situation, he reminded me of the Lutheran Sisters I had heard our pastor mention a couple of times. When I found the website for the Sisters of Mary, I knew instantly that this was God’s answer. Later, as Vanessa watched some of their video clips, she also felt a spark in her spirit, something she said she hadn’t felt for a very long time.
The sisters run a discipleship training program for young people and Vanessa was very keen to be a part of this, if they would have her. She wondered if at 33 she may have been too old. That was not an issue, however her limited mobility and her reliance on a wheelchair was. They simply didn’t have the facilities she would require. Unaware that she lived 1200 km away, they suggested she might like to come for a visit and spend some time in the prayer garden.
A short time later, Vanessa and I set off on a road trip to “Canaan of God’s Comfort” (or as we called it, our Pilgrimage to the Promised Land). I thank God for that trip, for the many hours spent together in the car, talking, listening to music, and bonding in a very special way. I thank God for the warm and loving reception we received on arrival at Canaan, and for the beauty and the serenity of the prayer garden where we spent many hours over three days, reconnecting with God as we focused on Christ’s suffering and victory at Calvary. God’s presence was very real as we joined with the sisters in their daily chapel service and shared a meal with them. So many blessings and so many wonderful memories, it really did change our lives.
In May 2019, I returned to Canaan, this time while on holidays with my husband John. We spent three nights as guests at Canaan and joined with the sisters and friends of the Canaan community for a fellowship day. This visit was so different, still so much love, still so many blessings but all tinged with the sadness of Vanessa’s death five months earlier.
Last November, St John’s, Naracoorte was privileged to have Sister Elpida, Sister Salvata and co-worker Lisa Murphy lead a one-day retreat. The theme was God comes when all is dark and was attended by sixty people from across the region. What a blessing this day was for all who attended.
The Sisters of Mary may be few in number (currently 10 from 7 different countries) but they have made such an impact on my life and the lives of many both here in Australia and across the many countries they serve. I thank God for the Sisters of Mary and pray that God will continue to bless their ministry and their faithfulness.
To find out more or to request literature go to their website marysisters.org.au.
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