I am a retired School Principal having taught all levels since 1955 at home in Australia and overseas. My previous wife Ruth (who has passed away) and I served as missionary teachers for eleven years in Papua New Guinea. I retired full-time teaching in 1984 in Townsville where I was born in 1935. Ruth grew up in the Monto area of Queensland. We have five wonderful children–Caroline, Wendy, Jennelle, Richard and Sharon, and lots of grandchildren.
With great blessing, I was re-married to Naomi and we work together with great harmony and similar interests.
Since retiring I have done all sorts of activities, from fruit picking in the Murray Darling areas, property development, farming, and various Internet activities related to health. I have an intense interest in natural health and longevity and have studied many of the natural therapies. I have conducted numerous classes at the TAFE College while living in the Kingaroy area of Queensland.
I believe that absence of understanding or knowledge of a number of principles related to our being given by our Creator is a major reason for much sickness and suffering on all fronts today. My goal, along with Naomi, is to spread good news of natural health and healing wherever we can, to educate regarding lifestyles and health principles that help keep people well and recover their health.
In 2001, myself and Ruth were invited to spend time in New Zealand where we set up a health retreat at Ruamahunga Bay north of Thames. We conducted an intensive six-month training course in natural health and healing for students from Okinawa, Korea and India. We thoroughly enjoyed this.
After returning to Australia, we spent time working with a retreat in Noosa and then took a position as caretakers/gardeners on a large cattle property on the banks of Lake Somerset for four years.
We were invited by a good friend to be managers of his property, five hundred acres at North Aramara. We gave another four years before retiring to do house caring around Australia – thoroughly enjoyed. These activities gave us the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and see more of our wonderful country. I am a country person and have had appointments caring for properties near Sarina, Atherton, Yandina, Kingaroy, three at Nanango, Stanthorpe and Witheren near Canungra.
My wife and I are very committed to our Creator, and love to share His love and the Gospel with anyone who will listen. If you would like to know more about how God has provided for us to have relationship with Him and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, please see our Christian articles or contact us. If you would like to know more about health, again, please feel welcome to contact us.
Monday, 21st March 1988 began as a beautiful morning. After breakfast, Graham my son-in-law and I decided to finish clearing the last short section of the rear boundary. We were fencing the back of our fifty-three acre property. I explained to Graham how to fell the trees within a pre-determined area by cutting a scarf on one side, and then making a cut on the other a little above the scarf, and so on.
The bloodwood tree we chose to cut was on top of a creek bank, about twenty centimeters in diameter. I thought I had explained carefully how and where to drop it. I moved to the bottom of the creek to keep out of the way. After what seemed an unusually long time, I climbed up the creek bank to see what Graham was doing. He had misunderstood and had cut almost right through the tree. As I approached, the tree moved slightly and Graham instinctively ripped the chain saw backwards to avoid jamming it. It was at full revs. It hit me with a terrible blow in my lower right chest.
The chain instantly severed ribs and severely lacerated my liver and diaphragm. Blood gushed forth profusely so I staunched the bleeding and set off with Graham across the creek to a vehicle track.
Every breath was sheer agony. I kept going. Graham was in shock and at some point knelt in front of me so I could climb onto his shoulders. The bumping at each step and trying to control my breathing was unbearable. I asked Graham to put me down and sent him home to get the car and tell my wife Ruth and daughter Caroline. They brought towels which I clamped over a gaping wound in my chest.
Finally with the car, I managed to get into the back seat with my then wife Ruth. My girls yelled, “Go for it Graham!”. They followed.
The fifty kilometre drive over gravel roads and bumpy bitumen was horrific. I had to slow Graham down at each bump. I was in agony and trying to breathe.
At the Yandaran cross-roads an overwhelming thirst come over me. We stopped for water we kept in the boot. The car was an old Volvo Sports. The engine was hot and I had to explain to Graham how to start the motor by shorting out the solenoid points with a screw-driver while Caroline held her foot on the throttle. We left at high speed with Ruth beside me trying to comfort as I groaned with intense pain at each breath. She wanted to be with me even if I did not make it.
At Casualty I was conscious and got out of the car. A nurse directed me to a wheel chair. Our neighbour Jack Hanks was there having a treatment. I acknowledged him and said, “I’ve got myself cut up with a chain-saw mate!”
It was needles, X-rays and inevitable questions before I was rushed to the emergency operating theatre. Doctor McGregor and his team did their best in sorting out the mess – the liver gash was cleaned and packed with special spray foam, the diaphragm muscle was repaired and sutured, the ribs were re-positioned, wrapped and sewn over with the muscular tissue lining from the chest cavity to avoid sharp ends irritating or puncturing the lung. A liver drain was also inserted and then I was hooked up with tubes through my mouth and nose to a breathing machine. My life depended on this for two and a half days in the Intensive Care Unit.
I knew nothing of all this as I was completely sedated and immobilized. My loved ones took round the clock vigils and told me all about it after I woke on the Thursday morning and began breathing on my own again.
My wife and I were not members of a religious organisation or church group, but we became totally committed to what we found as the truth of the Gospel message, and who is now our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We try to live by God’s moral laws, the Ten Commandments, as well as God’s created, natural principles for health.
Don Menkens
“Don, if you had not been living as you have, you would most likely not be alive today.”
For many years we have followed a vegan diet – not using foods of animal origin. The basic diet simple:
Fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables, prepared in as simple a manner as possible, free from grease.
We live in the fresh air and sunshine of the country. We use town water if it is properly filtered and have plenty of exercise and rest.
We use no social drugs, tobacco or alcohol, and do not drink black tea, coffee, or cola soft drinks in our home. We try to be temperate even in our use of the good things.
Most of all, we trust in our Omniscient Creator and His promises – if we will obey His wonderful created principles, given solely for our benefit to protect and guide us, He will indeed bless and care for us as His people.
Our Responsibility
We would encourage ownership and responsibility for health management and lifestyle, with practical steps using the extent of information available to us today and the experience of others on the same journey.
It is responsible to ask doctors and specialists for details on medications and procedures for several reasons. Many now view the role of practitioners as being in co-operation with patients in a caring manner with demonstration of keeping pace within their fields. We need our doctors to save lives and reduce suffering. We too need increased awareness of what we are doing, the risks involved with treatments and help to reduce unwarranted medications or loss of life. The body is a complex structure that responds in several logical ways.
I for one would not be here today without the doctors and skilled surgeons who put me together again after a high-revving chainsaw ripped through my right chest!
