Verna Barker
My happiest memories are seeing my children grow...
I moved here in 1980, I already had three children and I’ve been here 26 years.
I moved to Minto because when I used to live in Redfern we had a bit of trouble with the housing there, so I applied for housing and I got a telegram saying that I’d been given a house in Minto. My friend and I caught a train from Redfern and when we walked off Minto station, the first street sign was Redfern Road. I thought, “Gee I’ll never get away from Redfern”. That house I lived in for 16 years. Then I moved into another one for four years and the one I’m in now, I’ve been in for six years.
Every week I was going back to Redfern, but as the years went by, I settled down and started to get involved in the community. Now I’m really involved. I’ve worked at the primary school for four years and now I’m working at the high school and I really enjoy it. I’m getting more and more jobs to do in the community and people are always asking me to do things.
My happiest memories are seeing my children grow, never letting them go. There’re a lot of sad things that have happened here in Minto; mothers on drugs who abandon their children, but I’ve never let mine go and I’ve tried my best.
My greatest achievement is coming to know Jesus as my saviour because He helps me through my everyday life. If I’ve got problems, He sorts them out. I don’t have to anymore. I’m with the Macarthur Indigenous Church at Minto. I’m one of the founders and that’s been a big challenge for me over the years and I’m getting stronger and stronger as the days go by.
My best mate is Jesus, and I love my sisters here that I’ve grown to love as special friends. Jesus is my best mate because He knows my every need and He takes care of them.
I’ve grown to love Minto and I believe the Lord’s put me here for a reason, to reach out to the people here and to love them for who they are.