Page 9 - Best Of Local Mag June24 Edition

Anne & John’s message as they leave the Mango Hill
Community.
We have met so many wonderful people who have become lifelong
friends through working and travelling together in MMM. Building
a team, travelling to rural and remote communities and assisting
the church or mission agency with their maintenance needs has
been very rewarding. While we go to help them, we in turn are
blessed from the fellowship and generosity of those we go to serve.

To the Mango Hill Progress Association:
Thank you, Laurence, for your support to us from the early days
of our arrival in Mango Hill. John and I believe Mango Hill is very
fortunate to have an association that has lasted so long, has the
respect of local and state pollies and exists to advocate for the good
of the community.

When we arrived, we lived on Buchanan’s farm which had crops
Anne & John Cooper: all around the MMM property and our son could catch yabbies in
When asked that question, “How did you guys meet up”, Anne the creek behind the shed and ride his quad bike in the paddocks.
quipped, “We met while I was working on a Quarter Horse Stud A lot has changed in our time here, but Laurance and his faithful
near Longreach after leaving college. We both have a love for team have continued to be our voice in advocating for Mango Hill
horses and most of our spare time was taken up following the in many aspects of change and lifestyle. We have appreciated your
rodeo circuit.” assistance with advertising and raising the profile of MMM in the
community.
In 1985, John and Anne married and settled down in Longreach - Anne & John Cooper
where John started his own plumbing business. Anne continued
her love of “wool classing” with a shearing team as they attended
many a “wool cut” throughout western Queensland for the next
several years, prior to the arrival of 3 young children, which
demanded a more local career around town in working as a
Teacher Aide at the local school.

Over the next 2 decades, John and Anne became more involved
in their local Baptist church. John’s plumbing skills and Anne’s
organisation expertise were called on increasingly to enhance
the MMM program on mission sites in the Soloman Islands
and in mainland China, where they participated in repairing an
orphanage and church.

In 2005, with their children well on their way to their own
careers, John and Anne were encouraged to move into a full-
time management role with MMM at the Mango Hill site, which
had recently (1997) come into operation. Over the ensuing two
decades, Anne & John would organise and manage numerous
building projects on missions, churches around Qld, Northern
Territory and over in Broome, where compliance with the
increasing range of safety, legal and industrial regulations
required substantial skills and dedication.

The Annual MMM Garage Sale at 29 Lamington Road, which
raises considerable funds for mission work, was a highlight of
the year for many in the local community, requiring a great deal
of organisational effort by volunteers and especially by Anne & MMM’s Motto
John.
“Serving those who Serve”

MMM welcomes interest from interested people seeking to
volunteer their time & skills for project work, whether local or as
they join the “Grey Nomad” convoys around the country where
they can “drop off and work on mission projects”, making new
friends and contributing to others.
Contact Trish at: trishb@mmm.org.au

June 2024 www.bestoflocal.com.au 9