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Vicar's Musings for Ordinary Sunday 1221 June, 2015 It is ironic that the current conflict between Australia and Indonesia is over the Abbot government's decision to turn back the boats, by hook or by crook. In 2006 the Howard government caused a furor by granting temporary protection visas to 43 indigenous West Papuan asylum seekers. One of the new arrivals was Adolf Mora, who was befriended by the Anglicare worker, Ian Wallbridge of Mission House. In due course Adolf managed to find a job washing dishes at Brunetti's in Camberwell, and worked his way up to becoming a trained barista. He had a vision to start his own business, and saved enough to purchase a coffee machine. With the help of a "Men's Shed" at St Hilary's Kew, Adolf built a cart and was looking for a place to start his business. About this time, by coincidence (or God-incidence) I met Adolf. I told him about the planned Lazarus Centre social enterprise and he was very keen to work with us on the idea. "I am excited about this opportunity to work together," Adolf said at an interview, "I know what it is like to have nothing, so I'd like to put something back into the community." After months of planning the Lazarus Centre coffee cart social enterprise was born. Today, after each Mass there will be an opportunity to sample Adolf's coffee. We are having a trial-run of the new coffee cart after the 8am, 9.30am and 11am Masses, and will be asking for a suggested donation of $3.50 for a cup of coffee. There will be further trials next month, when we will bring on board a trainee barista or two from the Lazarus Centre, and then on Sunday 26th July after High Mass we will formally launch the Lazarus Centre coffee cart social enterprise. Anglicare CEO Paul McDonald will be joining us that day, and Bp Stephen Cottrell will add his blessing. Phase One of the project will simply be to offer coffee to parishioners on Sundays, and to commence our training course for Lazarus Centre participants; we will start with baby steps. The plan for Phase Two is to develop a small plaza, on our street frontage between the Wayside Cross and the Church, where the coffee cart could trade five days of the week, providing hands-on training for selected Lazarus Centre participants. Thanks to last year's Foundation Appeal we have a small budget to get this underway, and any further specified donations to this year's Appeal will be gratefully received. We have discussed the logistics of the new venture with the Parish Council and Hospitality Committee, and Adolf will set up his cart at the gallery-end of the hall, so as not to interfere with usual morning tea arrangements. This being said, I do hope the coffee-lovers amongst you will plan to bring a little spare change on Sundays and support this exciting new outreach ministry of the parish. The Rev'd Dr Hugh Kempster
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Adolf Mora and Ian Wallbridge
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