Matron
Nell Mills
She
created strong adults from directionless
children and is now retired in England
 |
Les
and Martha Nixon took Nell (blue dress)
back in 1980.... |
In
ten years,
this indomminable lady gave a hundred children a rudder for
life, turned them into strong and caring adults. She is now
retired in London. MATRON NELL MILLS
was the spinster lady at Tibooburra, inland Australia, who
brought British culture and fine living to hostel children
in the hot dusty outback, with a smile that melted resistence,
and an iron-will that destroyed every enemy. In 1958, Miss
Mills was placed at a children's hostel in a dusty remote
town with no running water, no fresh food, no electricity
on hand or good roads to the city. Under her charge she had
thirty mischievous station children to bring up, as the Hostel
put them close to the Public School in town. She opened up
"FAR WEST CHILDREN'S HOSTEL"
work which continues to this day. Dr. Huxtable from
Broken Hill Flying Doctor brought her to town. Their first
Church service there was chosen by her. We all sang ....
"I'm
not ashamed to own my Lord, Or to defend His cause. Maintain
the honour of His Word, The glory of His Cross."
RICHARD
THOMPSON was one of those restless boys. He now manages the
family property, Mt. Stuart nearby, and when he ran into Padre
Les Nixon in Dec, 1996 outback, he promptly sang the praises
of the woman who changed his life, and eagerly asked after
her welfare. Mills nurtured Richard through normal boyhood
days of irritating mischief, packed him off to High School
and watched him take over the family station. He says he would
have escaped the outback, except for Matron's steely determination.
When
a parent came down with appendix, Mills drove the frightened
children through sand hills and deserts to bring the parent
to town. With a child with screaming temperature on her hands,
she'd work through the days and nights of above century heat
till the fever passed and the child returned to his own bed.
The local postmaster send his children to Nell Mills, too.
Five-year-old MAVIS KELLY instantly responded to Mills caring
heart, grew strongly in the next ten years, took over the
post office in town, built a fine business with her husband
John and is now retired from a full life of bush survival
and looks back to Nell Mills fine influence upon her. She
says Mills was Christianity with it's sleeves rolled up.
GLAD
BOWMAN is another product of the Mills loving touch. Gladys
quietly admits she was a loss to humanity until Matron Mills
entered her life and saved her from self-destruction. Nell
was crowned QUEEN FOR A DAY when
she flew back to Tibooburra with the Nixons in 1986. The day
was bigger than the annual Picnic Races, with students bringing
their offspring and quietly bragging; 'that's the lady I keep
telling you about'. Been no one like her since.
Nell
said: "All
about I see, Nothing but His Grace for me."
A
living faith sustained her always ... Remembered best of all
were MILLS hostel church. Sing the songs; read the prayers;
repeat the stories, memorise the verses, all from her old
family Bible always at hand.
Outback
Patrol salutes MATRON NELL MILLS, now nearly 80, retired in
London, but always homesick for those unbelievably difficult
days in the Australian outback. She's says, "It's always
harder before it's easier" "I use God's mighty weapons,
not those made by men, to knock down the devil's strongholds.
These weapons can break down every proud argument against
God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding
Him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them
back to God, and change them into men whose hearts' desire
is obedience to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
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