In December 1940 Wallace Baxter and Percy and Madge Dunham arrived at the Strathfield Bethel home. Brother Baxter had been caring for the Branch at Tallinn, Estonia, since 1930, and Brother and Sister Dunham had been at the branch in Latvia. As World War II was raging and as Brother Baxter and the Dunhams were British subjects, the Society’s president advised them to try to gain entry to any English-speaking country available. The mature experience of these brothers was very much appreciated by those serving in Australia during these trialsome war years.

Brother and Sister Dunham were welcomed into the Bethel family immediately, and Brother Dunham’s fatherly manner and carefully chosen words of Scriptural wisdom, as well as his own long experience in life, were cherished by many of the young brothers then serving at Bethel. He died in June 1951, but Sister Dunham continues to serve at Bethel and is able to do a full day’s work though she is in her 79th year.