They walked around the walls of Jericho seven times. Jericho, Queensland, that is. Population, 229, in cattle country between Emerald and Barcaldine.
Actually, it was a sculpture of Joshua and the walls of Jericho they marched around seven times. The “they” in that sentence is a team from children’s gospel ministry Quiz Worx.
“I have been on an Outback tour the past week with Quiz Worx,” Jordan Milburn told The Other Cheek. “I was with one of our casuals, Jarrod, and our pilot Phil Mahler. Phil is the director of Outback Patrol and he is really the heart behind this tour as he organised our visits, flew us everywhere, organised our accommodation, transport and all of that. Jarrod and I had the privilege of travelling to tiny places like Jericho and sharing Jesus. through our show, using puppets, drama, music and art to teach what it means for Jesus to be the Good Shepherd, as he claims in John 10:11.
The aeroplane took the team to towns like Charleville, Wyandra and Windorah as well as Jericho. Using puppets, music and art, the show teaches children what sort of person a good shepherd is, and how Jesus fits the role by laying down his life on the cross – and has come back to life.
Jarrod plays “Quizzie,” a character who is roped in to help Jordan and puppets Cosec and Snazzo. “The main upfront person (me in this case) welcomes their friend Quizzie to help with the teaching. Quizzie then asks if everyone enjoyed the puppets, thanks them for having us and then starts to leave. The upfront then gets a nice meta moment of trying to convince Quizzie the show isn’t over and they need to stay and help. I love these lines as they break the fourth wall a little and offer some humour for the older kids (and adults) watching. These moments continue throughout the show as Quizzie ‘forgets’ what he’s meant to be doing or misunderstands the teaching. It can be a challenge to keep a straight face while Quizzie does something silly or unexpected. I love it.”
Jordan summed up the outback tour for The Other Cheek: “Yes, it has been an amazing week. And what an honour to visit these remote places and be able to share the Good News of Jesus.”
Main Image: Thargomindah airport
https://www.quizworx.com