There's always something we can do.
In all that our community has faced in the past 10 years, Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green's mission has been to find that something.
It's now a decade since the then chaplain with Queensland Police was called to serve the vast Wilcannia-Forbes diocese.
As he celebrated the milestone with the local and wider church last week was clear he's made that call his mission.
This region found him, as he says, and its people have his heart.
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"I love it," Bishop Columba said. "I love the people and love the area."
In his first year in the role, the youngest Bishop in the country travelled 75,000km to connect with his people, spread across 52 per cent of NSW. He put almost the same number of kilometres on the car in the following 12 months.
The diocese had been six years without a bishop and the news that a young bishop, one raised farming in the region, had been appointed to the role was very much celebrated.
Bishop Columba was welcomed with tea and scones everywhere he went - but he found that the first work he needed to do was in healing, in lifting people's spirits.
His enthusiasm proved inspirational and one of the early highlights was taking a group of 40 to World Youth Day in Poland in 2016.
The diocese had sent delegates before, just a few people who joined with another diocese. Not this time: Wilcannia-Forbes was in business and they had the shirts to prove it.
"The rest of Australia, the rest of the world knew Wilcannia-Forbes because we had the best shirts," Bishop said.
"Out of a million participants from all over the world people were coming up with $100US asking, can we have one of your shirts?"
Every conversation your correspondent has had with Bishop Columba has been peppered with laughter, he's good fun.
But he takes very seriously the challenges our communities are facing.
The decade Bishop Columba has served here has brought natural disaster in brutal drought, devastating flood, a global pandemic and with it physical isolation.
Our communities have been deeply affected by the tragedy of domestic violence, youth suicide and anxiety in kids.
It's only strengthened his resolve to show care and respect, to be with people no matter how geographically isolated.
"They're people, made in the image and likeness of God and we love them," he says.
In the wake of natural disaster that has often been through practical assistance, made possible by generous private donors.
Because despite all the programs and assistance that are on offer, there are gaps. Getting help has become very bureaucratic.
As Bishop, he's been able to meet needs others couldn't: sponsoring the Hungerford field day in the drought so the community could gather; supporting a golf day at Tibooburra; a gymkhana at Wanaaring.
"And then you attend, you go out there, you're present," the Bishop added.
It's something he's passionate about because spreading that message of "love your neighbour", giving people a bit of hope, that's a priority.
As he travelled outback roads during drought one of the things he would do was carry envelopes of cash with a personal note.
"I'd say a little prayer, find what looked like a family farm, I'd stick them in mailboxes," he said.
He was conducting mass in one town when a parishioner approached him to say he'd driven an hour-and-a-half to thank him for doing just that. That expression of care had saved his life.
Then came COVID-19 and the restrictions on travel and gathering, some of the events we hold sacred such as funerals and weddings affected and the Bishop again walking with people through these times.
Bishop Columba livestreamed Easter mass from the balcony of Mercedes House as the sun came up, played the lament on his bagpipes on Anzac Day.
"You had to find ways, 'what could we do?' - we all knew what we couldn't do," he says now.
"It might be something very simple, but we can always do something."
When the pandemic virus was detected in Wilcannia the nation's eyes turned on the remote community - the church's hearts and hands were already there and the Bishop soon made arrangements to go and be with his people too, delivering essential supplies and a smile.
After 10 years, Bishop Columba's only focus is to continue serving this diocese, and he does believe the church has a significant role in our communities.
"If we can keep being people of hope that is important," Bishop Columba said.
"That I believe is what we (all) need ... (to know) that you're not alone: that there's hope and you're loved.
"That's the beauty of church: we can always pray, we can always reach out, ring somebody.
"Then what actual physical support (can we offer). That's the second level, between the two of those, physical and spiritual, we should be able to do something for somebody."
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