The Bartel family had left Perth, Western Australia, in September 2005 to tow a caravan across Australia and up the east coast of Australia to Brisbane to collect their visas for Papua New Guinea.
When they arrived in Brisbane they discovered there would a be a delay of two weeks for their visas. During that period, Trish became unwell with a throat complaint tests showed to be cancer of the throat.
"This resulted in us spending 12 months in Brisbane in which Trish had her operation which removed her voice box," Ray Bartel explained.
During that year, members of the Redcliffe Christian Assembly, a Brethren church, took the family under their wing, including helping them meet their children's education. Ray commented, 'We'll be forever grateful for being under such everlasting arms!"
Ray Bartel was one of the Global Interaction (Australian Baptist Missions) delegates at the recent Baptist World Alliance Living Water Australasian – South Pacific conference held in Cairns where he gave a video testimony for Australian Missionary News IPTV. (also available in Safe Worlds)
"My role in Mt Hagen is as the director of Baptist Education for the Sundown Province, West Highlands Province and the Inga Province with their 40 schools and staff," Ray Bartel told Mark Tronson of the Australian Missionary News IPTV.
His story, however, starts off in Western Australia where his mother on one memorable occasion sat him down at the end of his bed and explained how he needed Jesus Christ as His Lord and Saviour.
"My mother was a truth-teller and I sensed that the Holy Spirit was speaking through her words and I knew Jesus was a truth-teller, and it was at that point I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ," Ray Bartel recalled.
His parents were people with a strong commitment to Jesus Christ who raised their children in Christian teaching. They were people of the book, where Bible reading and prayer were seen as precious commodities in their family life.
"I had no reason to question my mother as I knew that she loved me with the deep love that Christ brings and I said to myself, 'Yes, I'll do this', and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into his life." Ray Bartel said.
These past three years in Mt Hagen Papua New Guinea has been a time of wonderful family fun time for the Bartel family albeit with the difficulties of Trish's situation in that they thanks the Lord for their family and ministry.