When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, Ararat Community Church pastors Dee and Jay Reynolds decided to pack-up their life in London and move to Australia.
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Mrs Reynolds said Australia was the perfect opportunity for a new start with their four children.
"We had planned to visit Australia for a holiday in May. When COVID-19 hit, we thought we would not be able to get out if we didn't leave straight away," she said.
"In eight days we packed up our whole flat and arrived in Australia in April - we just took our clothes and our kids favourite toys.
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"All of the tips and charity shops were shut because of COVID. So we gave away most of our stuff and packed the rest in our suitcases.
"We left a few special things like my wedding dress at my grandma's house in England."
The family spent two weeks of quarantine in Melbourne and then travelled to Mildura.
"My family are all from Mildura ... so we spent a couple of weeks there in a caravan," Mrs Reynolds said.
"We were pastors of a church in London and there were a couple of churches within our movement in Australia who needed a pastor - one of those was in Ararat.
"We decided that we wanted to lead a church full-time - now we run Ararat Community Church.
"We came and had a look at Ararat and we knew that this was where we were supposed to go."
Mrs Reynolds said transitioning to life in Australia had been a big culture difference.
"This year has definitely not been boring, that's for sure," she said.
"It has been a different experience moving in COVID. But we were in really serious lockdown in London, so when we came here it was a lot freer.
"We have rented a house and we are not going back to London, we are staying.
"The kids love it here. They don't miss London. We get to see waterfalls at Halls Gap, there's no crime, there's no traffic, there's no pollution."
Mrs Reynolds said they continued to host church services on YouTube during lockdown.
"We are now able to have 20-30 people in our building so we are having our first meeting on Sunday at 10.30am," she said.
"We are a very family orientated church. We have lots of things planned."
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