Faith powers lasting friendship

An enduring friendship forged four decades ago remains strong within the extended Carinity family.

Growing up in Brisbane, Gwenda Jayawardhana spent much of her spare time visiting Margaret Fulton, her older neighbour who now lives at the Carinity Kepnock Grove retirement community in Bundaberg.

Gwenda says she has her “Aunty” Margaret to thank for unknowingly guiding her on a path that led to her becoming a Carinity chaplain.

“I dubbed her my honorary ‘Aunty’ growing up as she lived across the road from our family and I would often go knocking on her door just to spend time with her,” Gwenda says.

“Often as we worked together she would have the radio playing in the background, tuned in to the local Christian radio station.

“Aunty Margaret was indirectly sowing seeds of the gospel into my life and I didn’t even realise it, but I look back on this time now with much gratitude and thankfulness.

“One of the greatest things about friendship is age is no barrier, nor the passing of time. Life sometimes gets in the way, but Aunty Margaret was always a faithful prayer warrior.”

The friends recently met in person for the first time in five years at Carinity Kepnock Grove, which Margaret calls “a lovely place to live with lovely people”.

Margaret says her shared Christian faith with Gwenda, a chaplain at Carinity Clifford House aged care community in Brisbane, had “consolidated our friendship”.

“When I found out that Gwenda was going to be a chaplain with Carinity I thought she is the very person they need because she’s so caring and considerate,” Margaret says.

“I have known her since the day she was born and she’s just as lovely as ever. I have kept her in my prayers and I’m very thankful that our friendship has remained all these years.”

Anyone interested in becoming a Carinity chaplain can phone 07 3550 3719.