SAconnects, Volume 4, Number 4

VOL. 4, NO. 4 • MAY 2018 • SACONNECTS.ORG

the magazine

Her children will arise and call her blessed.

— PROVERBS 31:28A—

EMPOWERMENT 2018

awakening A R I S E !

|

U N I T E !

|

G O !

OCTOBER 19–21, 2018

S C R A N T O N H I LT O N H O T E L

|

S C R A N T O N , P E N N SYLVANIA

Open to Salvationists age 14 and up.

To register go to www.salvationarmyct.org/empowerment.

USA Eastern Territory Commissioners William A. & G. Lorraine Bamford Territorial Leaders

vision perspective

View from my window

Вид из моего окна La vista desde mi ventana While stationed at Territorial Headquarters in the Eastern Europe Territory, I had the unique privilege of ministering in places I would have never imagined. From the cobblestoned streets of Red Square in Moscow, Russia, to the mountainous regions of Romania and the Republic of Georgia, I would witness our fellow Salvationists fully engaged in mission and ministry to the lost and lonely.

Under the headline “View from my window,” I would share my visions with others as a way of informing, encouraging, and motivating them to see what they might be able to do for the Kingdom of God. What did I see?

Through the blessing of hearing aids received at a Moldovan Salvation Army medical clinic, a lady heard for the first time in 20 years. On the frozen streets of Moscow, a homeless man received his first hot meal in weeks from the Army’s street feeding program. In an abandoned building in Batumi, Georgia, I witnessed a group of Muslim women refugees read a Bible for the very first time.

In each instance, we shed tears. A tear of gratitude from the eye of the recipient and a tear from the eye of this veteran officer as he once again saw the love of God playing out through The Salvation Army.

A part of The Salvation Army Manifesto says “I am blessed. I am a blessing.” Across the globe, the hands and feet of Salvationists serve in the name of Jesus. People are blessed. We can also be a blessing by keeping our World Services effort a vibrant part of Army worship.

Remember the Lord. Remember the World. Remember to give.

— Colonel / Coronel Kenneth O. Johnson Chief Secretary / Secretario en Jefe

Mientras servía en el Cuartel del Territorio de Europa Oriental, tuve el destacado privilegio de ministrar en lugares que jamás hubiese imaginado. Desde las adoquinadas calles de la Plaza Roja en Moscú, Rusia, hasta las regiones montañosas de Rumania y de la República de Georgia, fui testigo de cómo nuestros compañeros salvacionistas, movidos por un profundo compromiso, participaban en la misión y el ministerio entre los perdidos y los que viven solos.

Bajo el título de este artículo, “La vista desde mi ventana”, compartía con los demás las visiones que tenía en cuanto al modo de informar, alentar y motivar a los demás a ver aquellas cosas que podrían hacer por el Reino de Dios. ¿Qué fue lo que vi?

Gracias a la bendición de unos audífonos recibidos en una clínica médica del Ejército de Salvación en Moldavia, una señora pudo oír por primera vez en 20 años. En las congeladas calles de Moscú, un indigente recibió su primera comida caliente en varias semanas por parte del programa de alimentación en las calles que realizaba el Ejército en esa ciudad. En un edificio abandonado en Batumi, Georgia, fui testigo de cómo un grupo de refugiadas islámicas leía la Biblia por primera vez.

En cada una de esas instancias se derramaban lágrimas.

Lágrimas de gratitud de los ojos de los beneficiarios y lágrimas también de este oficial que veía una vez más el amor de Dios manifestándose a través del Ejército de Salvación.

Una parte del Manifiesto del Ejército de Salvación dice: “Soy bendecido. Soy una bendición”. A lo largo y ancho de nuestro planeta, las manos y los pies de miles de salvacionistas sirven en el nombre de Jesús. La gente es bendecida.

Nosotros también podemos ser una bendición manteniendo el esfuerzo de nuestros Servicios Mundiales como parte vibrante de la adoración de nuestro Ejército.

Acuérdate del Señor. Acuérdate del mundo. Acuérdate de dar.

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

1

saconnects.org/oob

L CAMP M

EE

OLD ORCHARD

S

130

TI

NG

t

hA

UA NN

Beach JU

3 LY T S 28 – AU G U

Special Guests

Commissioners Clive and Marianne Adams (Sweden and Latvia Territory)

Bible Study

Beach Bible Study

Band on Duty

Dr. David Rightmire

Lt. Colonel Patricia LaBossiere

Household Troops Band

(USA Eastern Territory)

(UK Territory)

(USA Eastern Territory) USA Eastern Territory • Commissioners William A. and G. Lorraine Bamford • Territorial Leaders

#20 2 0 U S A E A ST

MAY

contents VOLUME 4 | NUMBER 4

in every issue 24 FAITH in ACTION

1 vision perspective

Spools of opportunity

4 from the editor

A New York fashion designer is inspired by Others: Trade for Hope.

5 relevents 6 army jargon 30 wholly living

departments 7 profile

Learn about The Salvation Army’s Bible Bowl program.

28 Q & A

Dee Clarke helps women victims of sexploitation make their voices heard.

30 Wholly

Living

Courtesy of April Foster

Psalms in Nature is a guide for worshiping God outdoors.

32 LEAD

God’s work is done in neighborhoods through trained local leaders.

8 Reaching

Them

Lou Woolley’s goal in life is to minister wherever he calls home. Today, that’s at the Cleveland ARC.

12

Talent Pipeline

They’ve got quite a stable of up–and–coming advisory board talent in Syracuse, N.Y.

Mothers

Mother’s Day is a time to appreciate the women who love and care for children and who have made a lasting impression on families and communities.

Bettmann / Getty Images

16

Para leer más artículos en español por favor visite SACONNECTS.ORG/ENESPANOL

2018 MAY

3

from the editor

ART from the HEART

El arte desde lo más profundo del corazón In our next SAconnects magazine, we’ll discuss how Christian movies and stage productions help believers become more effective in reaching souls for Christ.

Directors and producers are gaining more skills needed to marry state–of– the–art production technology with realistic drama and accurate theology.

Such movies and theatrical productions are gaining critical acclaim from a spiritually diverse viewing audience.

We’ll look at what’s happening in theaters, on TV, and on internet and cable network streaming services such as Netflix, Pureflix, and others.

You’ll read about various productions, from the Salvation Army Eastern Territory’s own “Pilate,” a stage drama performed at Theatre 315 in Times Square, to “Paul: An Apostle of Christ” in movie theaters across the country, to the real–life testimonies of actors who appeared in these productions. You’ll learn more about what’s happening to move such ministries to a higher level professionally and to a deeper level spiritually than ever before.

You’ll discover why some actors and directors contend that their emphasis is more on ministry than on money; more on a fresh awakening to the Gospel, than on high, but secular, Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

Also in this issue, we’ll observe Father’s Day and thank them for the love they’ve given to and sacrifices they’ve made for their families.

Effective fatherhood is also an art!

— Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief / Editor en Jefe

4

MAY 2018

En nuestra próxima edición de SAconnects abordaremos la manera en que las películas y las producciones escénicas cristianas ayudan a los creyentes a ser más eficaces en cuanto a alcanzar almas para Cristo.

Tanto los directores como los productores de películas y obras teatrales están aprendiendo a acoplar las más avanzadas tecnologías de producción con los dramas reales basados en una teología rigurosa. Estas películas y producciones teatrales ya han sido aclamadas por audiencias de cine y de teatro con perspectivas espirituales diversas.

Veremos lo que está sucediendo en los teatros, en la televisión y en los servicios de trasmisión por internet y por redes de cable como Netflix, Pureflix, entre otras.

Leerás acerca del drama “Pilato”, presentado por el Territorio Este del Ejército de Salvación en el Teatro 315 (Theatre 315) en Times Square.

Informaremos también acerca de la película “Pablo: apóstol de Cristo”, ya estrenada en los cines de todo el país, así como de testimonios de la vida real de los actores que trabajaron en esas producciones. Sabrás más acerca de lo que se ha estado haciendo para llevar esos ministerios a un nivel más alto en términos profesionales y a un nivel espiritual más profundo que nunca antes.

Descubrirás las razones por las que los actores y los directores sostienen que ponen más énfasis en el ministerio que en el dinero; más ahínco en un renovado despertar de la conciencia en cuanto a lo que son los evangelios que en conseguir valoraciones críticas más altas pero mundanas, como las del sistema de evaluación conocido en Estados Unidos como “Rotten Tomatoes” (Tomates Podridos), el cual mide el número de críticas positivas que se le hacen a una película.

También podrás ver en este número que celebramos el Día del Padre; por lo que les agradecemos a cada uno de ellos el amor que nos dan y los sacrificios que hacen por sus familias. ¡Ser un padre eficaz es un arte tambien!

letters from you Happy Resurrection Day! The article (“A Colorful Path Up,” April 2018) is great. Very powerful. Thank you so much. You got the message across. The Salvation Army church was beautiful today. They also have beautiful hymns in Spanish. Loved it.

—CHRISTINE GORDON

I have just finished reading the most recent issue of SAConnects magazine and found it very readable and most interesting. I like the current format that highlights individual stories and testimonies of faithful Eastern Territory Salvationists and employees, much like the format of past Eastern Territory publications. Keep up the good work! Kind personal regards. Blessings!

— LT. COLONEL ALBERT E. AVERY

relevents

Giana McGuire talks about being adopted by Salvation Army officers, taking mission trips to Latin America, and the frightful experience that made her ask the Lord to receive her spirit. interview by Hugo Bravo

Attending Youngstown State University has given me a glimpse of the real world. I heard a lot of differing views there about what people believe. Sometimes it was difficult to hear, but higher education is supposed to make us independent, challenge us, and teach us to accept opinions that may differ from our own. I also try to spend time with God in school, even when I am busy. It’s easy to get caught up in classes, work, and friends. But setting time aside with the Lord keeps me grounded through all those things.

We must always give our full attention to the people we serve. During a Salvation Army Hands On Mission trip in Puerto Rico and The Virgin Islands, my team’s car was broken into. My money, supplies, and my cell Last January, my parents, nephew Trey, niece Gabrielle, phone (full of photos and notes I had taken in the past month) and I took a trip to West Palm Beach, Fl. As we landed in were stolen. This event brought us all closer as a team, but it Ft. Lauderdale, a TV newscast was saying that our airport was on also provided another unexpected advantage. I was now free lockdown. We were confused; everyone seemed to be walking from the distraction of constantly reading texts, taking selfies, around freely. We sat near a row of wheelchairs so my mother or checking social media. As we fed the community, I had could rest, until an airport employee asked us to move. We moved deeper, more attentive interactions with the people we were a few yards and sat down again. Suddenly, three bullets hit the helping. I also saw members of other volunteer groups always place where we sat minutes ago. There was a shooter in the glancing at their phones. I I took my first mission airport. People were running and screaming in terror. My parents felt embarrassed for them; took my nephew, and I ran with Gabrielle, hiding in a bathroom trip to Shadow of His Wings that could have been me. stall with other people. My niece was horrified. I tried to calm her Orphanage in Guatemala. For by saying I would stand in front of her, no matter what happened.

12 days we worked with the I prayed to God for our protection, but if this was my last day, I children, cleaned storage At five years old, I attended asked him to receive my spirit. After waiting, I heard my father’s rooms, made baskets of food the Salvation Army’s Cleveland voice calling me. He had left his own hiding spot to search for and toiletries to give to families Temple Corps for its arts and Gabrielle and me. I could not believe how brave he was. He hid in the community, and even dance programs. I met then with us until the police said the ordeal was over, and we were helped with the construction Captains (now Majors) Douglas instructed to walk out with our hands up. of sidewalks for the orphanand Stella McGuire. They got to age. Hearing these children’s know me and became aware stories and seeing them smile of my difficult family situation. We became close, and on November 2009, they finalized after the pain and poverty they the process to adopt me as their daughter. They had already raised children who were had endured made me want now adults, but decided to make a difference in one more life. They never let their work as to work in this type of ministry pastors keep them from being devoted parents. They also continued to push me to pursue one day. I felt as if God wanted my love of dance, saying God had brought me to them through the arts. me to be there.

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

5

ARMY jargon the magazine

your connection to The Salvation Army

USA EASTERN TERRITORY

OPEN AIR

TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford

AL AIRE LIBRE It’s a staple community scene—the ringed circle of dutiful uniformed people, flag, brass, drum, children, man, and dog.

It evokes nostalgia, respect, and bemusement.

In the beginning, of course, it was fierce, militant, heroic. Not for the faint of heart, with heckling, beatings, and even martyrdom. It was also a legal fight— the right to proclaim faith on the public highway. A landmark right secured.

The biblical precedent is pedigree— Ezra in the square, Jonah on the streets, Jesus on the mountainside, and Paul on Mars Hill.

Church history is no less emboldened with booming George Whitfield in the fields and unflagging John Wesley atop his father’s tombstone. William Booth credits open–air campaigns as key to the start of The Salvation Army—as it literally was, outside the notorious Blind Beggar pub.

What of today, with our tightening zoning regulations, seeming public indifference and negative street preacher caricatures? What contemporary outdoor evangelism strategies can we utilize for our generation?

Street theater, dance, sound system savvy, prayer stations, big bands, and more, all await deployment in this whole world mobilizing. The pier at Old Orchard Beach, the Christmas carol sing in downtown Sydney, and the Regent Hall Band commandeering London still throb with the adrenaline of fresh air.

Karl Barth said that “when a church stops evangelizing it begins to smell of the ‘sacred,’ to play the priest, and mumble.”

Do you have an open–air voice?

CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Kenneth O. Johnson, Jr.

Es una escena pública normal: gente uniformada debidamente en formación, bandera, bronces, tambores, niños, un hombre y un perro.

Evoca nostalgia, sometimiento y perplejidad.

Al principio, por cierto, el espíritu que movía a los salvacionistas era intenso, militante, heroico. No era para timoratos, pues los insultaban, los golpeaban y hasta los martirizaban. Además, era una lucha judicial por el derecho de proclamar la fe en la vía pública.

Un prominente derecho conquistado.

El precedente bíblico tiene pedigrí: Esdras en la plaza, Jonás en las calles, Jesús en la montaña y Pablo en el Areópago.

La historia de la iglesia no es menos audaz.

Basta pensar en el ruidoso George Whitefield predicando al aire libre y en el infatigable John Wesley sobre la tumba de su padre. William Booth daba crédito a las campañas al aire libre como decisivas en los inicios del Ejército de Salvación; literalmente aparte de la famosa taberna Blind Beggar. ¿Y qué en nuestros días, con las cada vez más restrictivas regulaciones legales, la aparente indiferencia pública y las despectivas caricaturas de los que predican en las calles? ¿Qué estrategia contemporánea de evangelismo al aire libre podemos usar con nuestra generación?

El teatro y la danza en las calles, los sistemas de amplificación de sonido en los espacios abiertos, las estaciones de oración, las grandes bandas musicales y mucho más está a la espera de ser desplegado para movilizar a todo el mundo. El muelle de Old Orchard Beach, los villancicos navideños en el centro de Sydney y la comitiva de la banda del Regent Hall todavía palpitan en Londres con la adrenalina del aire libre.

Karl Barth dijo que “cuando una iglesia deja de evangelizar se empieza a oler lo ‘sacro’, a representar el papel de sacerdote y a mascullar palabras”. ¿Tienes una voz que proclame al aire libre?

COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Major Tonie Cameron EDITOR IN CHIEF Warren L. Maye MANAGING EDITOR Robert Mitchell EDITOR / HISPANIC CORRESPONDENT Hugo Bravo KOREAN EDITOR Lt. Colonel Chongwon D. Kim ART DIRECTOR Reginald Raines PUBLICATION MANAGING DESIGNER Lea La Notte Greene GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Keri Johnson, Karena Lin, Joe Marino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Love CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brenda Lotz, Major Young Sung Kim CIRCULATION Doris Marasigan COMMAND NEWS CORRESPONDENTS PENDEL Major Kathryn A. Avery EMP Jaye C. Jones GNY Major Susan Wittenberg MASS Drew Forster NNE Cheryl Poulopoulos PR & VI Linette Luna SNE Laura Krueger WEPASA Captain Kimberly DeLong Territorial Music Liaison Derek Lance Territorial Youth Liaison Captain Gillian Rogers

THE SALVATION ARMY

MISSION STATEMENT

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

SAconnects is published monthly by The Salvation Army USA’s Eastern Territory. Bulk rate is $12.00 per month for 25–100 copies.

Single subscriptions are available. Write to: SAconnects, The Salvation Army, 440 W. Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739.

Vol. 4, No. 4, May Issue 2018. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAconnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. SAconnects accepts advertising. Copyright © 2018 by The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory. Articles may be reprinted only with written permission. All scripture references are taken from the New International Version (NIV) unless indicated otherwise.

www.saconnects.org www.facebook.com/saconnects

6

MAY 2018

www.twitter.com/saconnects

profile

AN ACTIVE ARMY: BIBLE BOWL

by Hugo Bravo

When Irene Knighten came to The Salvation Army’s Toledo, Ohio Corps 19 years ago, she was a mother with young children, but still holding on to her youthful habits of drinking and partying.

“I had not seen the inside of a chapel for ten years,” she remembers. “But I still knew what I wanted in a church.

It had to be personal, people–friendly, and have a ministry that would welcome both me and my children, so they would not follow the same path I was on.”

Irene Knighten and her daughters Rodneshia, Brittany, and Courtney, and her son Deloren soon found themselves immersed in the activities the corps had to offer, such as women’s ministry, Get–A–Way weekends, Star Search, and Camp NEOSA. But what really caught the children’s attention was the corps’ Bible Bowl program.

“My kids loved Bible Bowl. My oldest, Rodneshia, was the captain of the team. Every competition they went to, they were prepared with the Word of God—memorized,” says Knighten.

“Every night, I saw them going over their notes and study sheets, and testing each other. They always asked me to study with them, but I kept putting it off. One day, I took the time to review with them. I was surprised at how much they knew.”

There may be another future Bible Bowl competitor in the Knighten family.

Irene’s children are now grown, but she hopes that she can introduce her 6–year–old grandson to The Salvation Army. “I can’t wait to bring him to his first Sunday school class,” she says.

Irene wants to continue to focus on her own Bible study lessons, grow her connection with the Lord, and possibly even become a Salvation Army soldier.

Just as it takes time to prepare for Bible Bowl, Knighten happily admits she is a work in progress.

“The Toledo Corps has helped me take better care of myself, in both health and in spirit. Because of them, my children and grandchildren will always have God in their lives.”

WHAT IS BIBLE BOWL? The purpose of Bible Bowl is to excite young people with the Word of God and its relevance in their daily lives, to plant the Word of God in their hearts and minds, and to develop Bible study habits that will continue with them throughout life.

Young people who participate, study the Bible and memorize specific verses of Scripture. The teams enjoy group Bible studies and personal study, as well as quizzing and fellowship with other teams. The young people grow in their understanding of God’s values and principles and learn to apply the truths they have learned to their everyday lives.

HOW DO I START A TEAM? Any active Salvationist in grades 7–12 who attends the corps regularly and claims Jesus as Savior is eligible to participate in Bible Bowl.

A Bible Bowl team consists of a minimum of four players and a maximum of seven players. A maximum of three corps may combine to form one team. Please contact your Divisional Youth Secretary to obtain Bible Bowl registration procedures within your division and to ask any additional questions regarding how Bible Bowl is handled within your division. Every corps must register its team via their Divisional Youth Secretary.

For more Bible Bowl resources, visit saconnects.org/boothyouth–biblebowl

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

7

Reaching them

L

ou Woolley has been around and done a little bit of everything in his life, but he lives by one simple motto: “Wherever I’m at, I’m going to minister.”

These days, Woolley is changing lives as the senior counselor at the Cleveland, Ohio, Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC), but he’ll be the first to tell you the calling took even him by surprise.

“This was not my plan in life,” Woolley says. “I never planned on being a counselor. It never even occurred to me. I didn’t even know The Salvation Army existed at this level.”

A decade ago, Woolley and his family moved from Youngstown, Ohio, to Cleveland when his wife, Linnea, landed a job with the U.S. Department of Defense.

“We moved to Cleveland with the understanding that, again, wherever I’m at, I’m going to minister,” Woolley said.

After getting his family settled in their new home, Woolley remembers praying, “OK, Lord, tell me what you want me to do.” He got a call 15 minutes later. It was a job offer from The Salvation Army.

“I had planned to be here two years; it’s going on 10 years now,” he said. “My heart has always been to help somebody follow the right path.

NOT JUST A JOB

“My favorite thing is, when a guy first comes in, and then I see him again six or eight weeks later, walking down the hall. I have to look at his feet because he seems like he’s walking on air. You can see the relief in his life.”

Woolley, who once won the Counselor of the Year award in the USA Eastern Territory, said he gets no greater joy than directing men to a brighter future that involves being clean of drugs and alcohol, having an education and a job, and often reconciling with their families.

8

MAY 2018

big time

by Robert Mitchell

He especially likes those times when former ARC beneficiaries stop by to tell him how well they’re doing.

“To see the thrill on their faces, I can only imagine a billionth of what it will be like in heaven when Jesus sees them walking in glory,” Woolley says. “I want to be there to watch all that happen. I get just a little taste of it here knowing what Jesus has done in their life. It’s incredible.”

A common refrain Woolley uses with the men he counsels is, “Sobriety is not a destination; it is a journey.” He subscribes to a “holistic ministry” model to get there, quoting from the account in Luke chapter 2 that describes how Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature” during his earthly life.

“He grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially,” Woolley said. “If Jesus needed to grow in those areas, then we need to grow in those areas.

IT’S ALL FORGIVEN

“It’s unfathomable that somebody could find sobriety without growing in all of these areas in their life, especially spiritually. It is Jesus who sets them free from the drugs and alcohol.

“I believe God put me here to tell the men in the program Jesus is hope. He could call me anywhere to do that, but I believe that’s my purpose here; to give them hope and to let them know Jesus loves them, that Jesus wants to heal them, forgive them, and minister to them.”

Woolley says he also preaches God’s forgiveness and tries to

get the men to realize that God has forgotten their sins once they become Christians.

“God says he will not hold our past against us,” he said. “He’s not going to bring it up. As far as He’s concerned, it doesn’t exist.

You’re a whole different person. All things have become new.

“In some of our initial meetings, I try to get across not only how important they are to God, but how important God needs to be to them.”

Woolley says he has never been tempted to abuse drugs or alcohol and he credits his strong devotional life. He keeps a prayer journal, meditates on biblical passages, and memorizes verses throughout the day and he urges the men to do likewise.

“As often as I’ve read the verses, there are things I’ve never seen in there,” he said. “I guess that’s why they call it the ‘living word.’

“To me, getting the truth out of the Bible is like pulling a nugget of gold out of a river. I try to impart that to the men here.”

ANSWERING THE CALL

Woolley is absolutely buoyant about the direction of the Cleveland ARC and the corps there. He sees a renewed spiritual hunger among the men, and the corps has also started a children’s church for the kids of the beneficiaries.

10

MAY 2018

“It’s thrilling because there’s a fresh life here,” he said. “We’ve experienced quite a bit of growth. The men in the program bring their wives and kids. We’re packing out the sanctuary.”

Excitement for the things of God goes way back for Woolley, who grew up Catholic in Youngstown. His family joined the burgeoning Pentecostal movement when he was 17. He became a Christian on May 1, 1978 Lou Woolley leads a staff at a David Wilkerson/ meeting at the Cleveland ARC. Dallas Holm concert in the Pittsburgh area.

Woolley and several neighborhood kids, who were sitting in the nosebleed section of the stadium, went forward during the altar call at the urging of his father.

“All of us went down front and got saved,” Woolley recalls. “Oddly enough, all of us are still serving the Lord today.

“My whole family just got 100 percent into the belief of what God has to offer. We shared that around the community.”

Among Woolley’s siblings, a brother and a sister are ministers. Two brothers are deacons.

Woolley started attending a local Pentecostal church after he was saved. His pastor was a friend to Jimmy Swaggart and once ministered to country singer Patsy Cline.

HITTING THE ROAD

He also started running the church’s youth group, a passion that still excites Woolley today.

“Some of the people in that youth group are ministers today,” he says.

Woolley graduated from Central Bible College (now Evangel University) in Springfield, Mo., before returning to Ohio three years later to start churches and continue working with youth.

The Christian Life Center in Youngstown was one of the churches Woolley helped build.

He also traveled around the country with a team called “The Warriors,” which featured Anthony Clark, the “World’s Strongest Man.” “We had a wonderful time going into schools, breaking handcuffs and concrete blocks, and heavy bench-pressing, and giving out a positive peer message,” Woolley said.

While serving as a youth pastor, Woolley also trained youth to minister to children with music, puppets, mimes, clowns, and preaching. The group toured all over the country.

“I loved it and it was one of those things I thought I would do the rest of my life, but your body doesn’t keep up with your dreams,” Woolley said.

While ministering at a church in the Dayton/Middletown area of Ohio, Woolley remembers picking up kids from a trailer park and taking them to church.

BURDENED FOR THE UNSAVED

“I would look around and see all these kids there and they were just absolutely unreached,” he said. “Nobody really cared about them. Their parents would just leave them there on Sundays. I went out and got a bus and took the kids to church.

“Where I see a need, I consider it my responsibility to take the message of Jesus there. I saw a need and it was a huge need. I wanted to reach them. I wanted to reach them big time. For them to go to church on a Sunday morning was a treasure.”

Woolley got the idea to have the youth of his church minister to the younger children.

“I’d have the youth go out and preach and set up in different places,” he said. “I’m sure we made a hundred different mistakes, but we were reaching kids that weren’t reached and were able to share the Gospel with them and give them a solid foundation.

“At the time there wasn’t a big outreach to children. That wasn’t a focus of people. My whole idea was give them Jesus.

Give them hope. Give them a future.”

While Woolley has never struggled with drugs or alcohol, he understands addiction. While building his last church in Youngstown, he was working 70 to 80 hours a week and simultaneously publishing a magazine, doing a radio show, and pastoring three para-churches.

“The stress of life itself is where I started eating my emotions,” he said. “I started eating and eating. I was a big guy to begin with. To me, it was just normal to eat. It took me a long time to deal with my stress and overcome. I turned to food instead of God.”

University and is now working on a PhD in counseling from the same school. He also is an ordained Assemblies of God minister.

Woolley’s wife, besides working for the U.S. Department of Defense, is a part–time college professor, member of the high–IQ society MENSA, and plays the French horn in the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra.

“I have a beautiful life,” Woolley says. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Always looking for the next challenge, Woolley says once he retires he might start a nursing home ministry.

“I think I will have reached the whole gamut by then,” he says. “I go out there where the rubber meets the road, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, lead people to the Lord, and let God figure everything else out.”

ECLECTIC INTERESTS

The 6–foot–6 Woolley tips the scales today at 425 pounds, which is down from a high of 515. He played football in high school and at Evangel University and also for a semi-pro team in Cincinnati.

Woolley, who at one time owned a martial arts school and dabbled as an airplane pilot, also played semi–pro baseball in Cincinnati.

A self–proclaimed “fool for learning,” Woolley earned a master’s degree, divinity degree, and a doctorate from Liberty

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

I’ve seen miracles Televangelist Benny Hinn opens his show with a video of a young boy taking off his braces and running.

While some may dismiss such events as staged or even fake, Lou Woolley doesn’t. The senior counselor at the Cleveland, Ohio, Adult Rehabilitation Center says he took the boy to the crusade himself.

“I don’t know how much of that fake stuff goes on, but what I do know is that I took that kid to church,” Woolley says. “He was one of the kids from my children’s outreach and I took him there because he could not walk and he needed a healing if he ever wanted to move forward.

“I don’t think Benny Hinn has any miracle powers himself. He doesn’t have the ability to heal people or anything. The kids knew that any healing they got, it came from Jesus.

“Regardless of what anyone may say, this kid did get his healing.”

Woolley said the boy was from Middletown, Ohio, and the crusade was held in Cincinnati in the 1990s, but he lost contact years ago.

“I knew the kid. I knew the history. I know why he had the braces and everything,” Woolley said. “I know there are abuses from time to time, but I’ve seen pure miracles that no man can explain.”

2018 MAY

11

TING C U LT I VA

S T R AT E G

TR AININ

R ECRU I T

IZING

G

ING BU DGE T M E N TO R

ING

A PIPELINE FOR TALENT

by Robert Mitchell

12

MAY 2018

ING

A DV I S I N

N E T WO

RKING

FUN DR A

ISING

T

G

HE SYRACUSE CHIEFS are a AAA affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, but it turns out they aren’t the only farm team in town.

The Salvation Army’s Syracuse, N.Y., Area Services has a pretty fine farm system of its own, but this one develops up–and-coming advisory board members instead of baseball stars.

Major Mark Mackneer, general secretary for the Empire State Division, said Syracuse Area Services actually has three separate advisory boards: Echelon, Young Leaders, and the full Advisory Board.

Just like the progression of baseball prospects through the minor leagues, the Echelon and Young Leaders keep the “major league” advisory board stocked with talent.

“The Young Leaders have revitalized the Area Services Advisory Board,” Mackneer said. “They have brought an energy and an enthusiasm that has caused the advisory board to take notice and be proud of what The Salvation Army in Syracuse is doing.

“The Salvation Army in Syracuse is growing because of the influx of our Young Leaders leadership program and the nationally–recognized Echelon group.”

Salvation Army Echelon is the official young adult auxiliary for men and women ages 21–35. Mackneer said the Syracuse chapter, which is now a year old, recently reached 100 members.

Echelon “seeks to mobilize the next generation for The Salvation Army by providing opportunities for young adults to engage with the organization through fellowship and networking, donations and fundraising, and service and volunteering,” according to www.salvationarmyechelon.org.

Mackneer said Echelon members who show an interest can be promoted to the Salvation Army’s Young Leaders Advisory Board, which was formed in 2011 and has 30 members.

“It’s sort of like a junior board that filters and feeds into the larger advisory board,” Mackneer explained.

Serving on Young Leaders allows members to familiarize themselves with Syracuse Area Services and its $20 million budget and 45 different programs, Mackneer said.

From there, members of Young Leaders can be appointed to the 42–member advisory board, which meets monthly.

“We don’t try to put too much pressure on the Young Leaders,” Mackneer said. “There are those who show a little bit of interest in joining the bigger board and to be more involved. They have to show that desire to want to be a little bit more active in what they’re doing and what we’re doing.

“I’ve been around The Salvation Army for 36 years and I’ve never seen this work so well.”

Mackneer said the advisory board in Syracuse is “aging” and Young Leaders are the perfect answer.

“The Young Leaders have breathed new life into the advisory board and it’s been great,” he said. “The Young Leaders have provided a much needed supply of a more youthful advisory board.

“With this program continuing as it is, The Salvation Army in Syracuse is in excellent hands for many years to come.”

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

13

14

DAN GRIFFIN, 32, a certified public accountant with Grossman St. Amour CPAs in Syracuse, served six years with Young Leaders and was just recently added to the advisory board.

Griffin said the Young Leaders bring “fresh ideas,” but also new professional and personal contacts that can help with events and fundraising.

“I think we can bring a different network of contacts to the board,” he said.

Griffin said serving with the Young Leaders was invaluable.

“I met some great people, but more importantly, I got to see everything The Salvation Army does, including all the programs and everything they do in the community,” he said. “That kind of got me hooked and I knew I could eventually move up to the board and be a part of this organization long–term.”

Griffin said Echelon and Young Leaders are a way for The Salvation Army to “get younger” and appeal to donors.

“If we can at least get The Salvation Army in the mind of the younger community, as they grow and start to have resources, they’ll have The Salvation Army in their heads and they can donate or volunteer,” he said. “I think we’re just raising awareness about The Salvation Army for the younger generation.”

Griffin said his Catholic faith is a major motivator.

“It’s just the idea of giving back,” he said. “That was kind of ingrained in me from my Catholic upbringing.

“My wife and I have pretty good jobs and make a good living and some people around the city don’t. I wanted to find an organization that helps people. So anytime I can give or help the cause, that’s what brought me here.”

EVA WOJTALEWSKI, 39, a corporate attorney with Bousquet Holstein in Syracuse, has served on the advisory board for two years after a stint on Young Leaders. She believes those coming up from Young Leaders bring a “different perspective.”

“It’s great to be able to work with other similarly situated professionals to sort of bring more vitality to the city of Syracuse and to be invested in its continued growth,” she said.

“Continuity in leadership is something you get with the Young Leaders and the advisory board.”

Wojtalewski said her firm encourages community service and she knew The Salvation Army was the place for her after taking a tour and seeing the programs.

“That really was eye-opening to me and sort of gave me a sense that this was the type of organization that I felt I really wanted to commit my time to,” she said. “It’s not just the retail stores. It’s so much more than that in terms of community support. It’s the daycare center, the youth center, the senior center.

“Community service is an important function in feeling as though you’re invested in being able to give back. But as far as The Salvation Army, I felt an obligation to it because of the mission of the organization to help those in need. I think it’s really critical. Anyone could be in that position of need.”

Wojtalewski, who is Hindu, said she was raised to have a heart for others.

“It started fundamentally watching my parents help those in need and knowing that’s what I wanted to do too,” she said.

MAY 2018

Robert Mitchell (5); background iStock

JULIA O’DONNELL, 34, joined Young Leaders when it started in 2011 and has been on the advisory board for a year.

A banker with Wilmington Trust, an affiliate of M&T Bank, O’Donnell got involved after her boss suggested The Salvation Army. She believes the Young Leaders who come up help energize the advisory board.

“The energy that young people can bring to an organization and the passion is amazing,” she said. “They also come with so many new ideas, whether it’s technology or innovation, that really helps us in so many ways.

“There are really impactful people on both boards who want to give back and help.”

O’Donnell said serving on both boards helped her see The Salvation Army as more than Christmas bells and thrift stores.

“Now I have an understanding of the vast programs and services available to people in my community,” she said.

“The way I see The Salvation Army is, they are a pillar for allowing growth in this community and allowing people to thrive rather than just survive.

“There are so many people in need and the work that needs to be done is never-ending, but we have made a conscious effort in many particular areas.”

O’Donnell didn’t grow up in a Christian home and wasn’t a believer when she came to The Salvation Army, but she has started going to church in the past few years.

“Being a part of The Salvation Army, my faith has evolved over time,” she said. “It’s been a personal journey and The Salvation Army has been a piece of that.”

PHILIP ZACCHEO, 50, a higher education attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King in Syracuse, was one of the first to transition from Young Leaders to the advisory board seven years ago.

“The most important thing the Young Leaders bring is just another perspective,” he said. “Each generation has its own perspective, the way it views things, the way it views the world.

“I think any governing body, in order to have a variety of different perspectives, must be able to represent the community as a whole. I think the Young Leaders bring that to the board.”

Zaccheo is a big fan of the Young Leaders as a farm team.

“You find that when those folks transition to the advisory board, as opposed to people who are coming in from wholly outside the organization, they have a head start,” he said.

“They understand the mission. They understand the philosophy. They understand the culture of the organization. I think that makes them more effective board members from the get–go.”

Zaccheo is a Christian, but said that is not his primary motivation. He had a general idea about the charitable nature of The Salvation Army, but he was all–in after witnessing some of its programs, including the happy children at a Christmas toy distribution.

“I never realized the role The Salvation Army plays in this community,” he said. “It’s just such an amazing social safety net. It fills so many gaps that other private resources or governmental resources either can’t or won’t fill and helps so many people in the community.

“I was oblivious until that moment. I said, ‘I need to get involved with this organization.’ This is the kind of stuff we all need to do together to support this community. From then on, I was in with two feet and here we are.”

CARL THOMAS, 44, a diversity coordinator for SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, is moving to the advisory board after four years in Young Leaders.

Thomas said Danielle LaraqueArena, the university’s president, wants to work closer with the city.

“As the largest employer in central New York, SUNY Upstate can have a direct impact,” Thomas said. “I can take some of the work SUNY Upstate does and kind of marry that with some of the hurdles The Salvation Army has to deal with.”

Thomas said the Young Leaders and advisory board partnership “is sort of a pipeline.”

“It gets people who are younger and might not necessarily be thinking about volunteering or giving back or getting involved, it gives them a platform to do that,” he said.

“In a way, it kind of grooms you to understand the mission and objective of The Salvation Army. It allows you to be more effective on a board because you have a better understanding of the programs and what The Salvation Army does.”

Thomas, who was raised Catholic, said his church and parents were both “very service-driven” and it rubbed off on him.

“I like the population that The Salvation Army serves and I like the uplifting motto and mission to help those less fortunate,” he said. “That does appeal to me for sure.”

RY A DV I SO B OA R D

E C H E LO

N

YO U N G S L E A D ER

“She gives all us mothers strength to fight.”

— A MOTHER (1985)

Mother’s Day is a time to reflect on the love and commitment of mothers. Highlighted here are four women who have made a lasting impression on their families and communities.

Clara McBride Hale For some women, the mission of motherhood takes on broader and deeper meaning. Their life experiences make them extraordinarily empathetic to the pain and suffering of other mothers and children.

Such compassion informs their unique worldview, their unusual capacity to love, and their passion for finding solutions.

Clara McBride Hale was such a woman.

Clara was born in North Carolina in 1905. After her dad’s sudden death, her mom moved the family to Philadelphia, Pa. Clara grew up, got married, had two children, and adopted a third. Her husband moved the family to New York City, but he lost his battle with cancer when Clara was 27.

Through the Great Depression, Hale raised and supported her children, working as a domestic by day and a janitor by night.

In 1943, Hale opened a daycare in her home. It grew from a short–term to a long–term care facility. She also took care of foster children. In 1969, Her work began with homeless, unwanted babies of drug–addicted mothers.

In her lifetime, Hale helped save the lives of as many as 550 children who might have become casualties of the two–decade cocaine and heroin epidemic that plagued the United States. In the process, she walked a difficult road.

AGAINST ALL ODDS

By 1983, 28,000 women had succumbed to drug–addiction in New York City alone.

Close to 26,000 of them were of childbearing age. More than 50,000 of their children were born chemically dependent. These children were also at high risk of acquiring AIDS from their mothers during pregnancy.

In New York State, there were about 250,000 addicts. At least 450,000 were users of cocaine, with one out of every 20 people over the age of 12 involved in drugs.

Today, such people are officially known to suffer from “Substance Use Disorder.”

But in the 1980s, rather than declare their situation a national health crisis, society deemed it a crime wave that was sweeping the nation. Mass incarceration and

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

by Warren Maye

benign neglect of poor minorities became the response, rather than the implementation of well–funded addiction treatment and mental health programs.

Against this unfortunate backdrop, Hale persevered. Affectionately and appropriately called “Mother,” the grayhaired little lady served drug victims in a manner reminiscent of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Some of the children born going through withdrawal were literally placed on Hale’s doorstep.

Ultimately, with the help of Percy Sutton, then Manhattan Borough President, and other community leaders, Hale secured a $150,000 grant from the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to renovate a five–story brownstone on W. 122nd St. in Harlem.

Hale moved her own apartment furniture into the building and personally financed the decorations. She carefully spent the grant on vital areas of need.

Eventually, there were 58 children under her care during the day.

After the OEO funds expired, the Hale

2018 MAY

17

House Center for the Promotion of Human Potential Inc., as it was known, became a victim of severe cutbacks of state and city funds. Public agencies with competitive services repeatedly harassed the center.

FAITH AND FRIENDS

perpetually optimistic Hale. Her faith in God and humanity continued to grow, despite opposition. In 1984, her outstanding work appeared as the cover story of the Salvation Army’s War Cry magazine.

Following Hale’s death at age 87, Hale House lost its way for a time. It fell into financial scandal, which led to a complete housecleaning of its administration.

HALE’S LEGACY CONTINUES

Today, Hale House continues as the Mother Hale Learning Center. It is now part of a larger network of community healthcare providers. It offers educational day care for 36 kids and a transitional housing program that has helped 161 homeless families and 297 children get back on their feet in the past four years, Hale House officials said.

“Hale House’s mission, to provide child–centered family–focused programs to those in need, hasn’t changed and never will,” said Executive Director Randy McLaughlin.

On February 6, 1985, at the close of the State of the Union message to Congress, President Ronald Reagan turned to Mrs. Clara Hale, seated at the side of the first lady, Mrs. Reagan, and recognized “Mother Hale” for helping babies of drug– addicted mothers in Harlem, N.Y. The president said to members of Congress and to all America, “go to her house some night and maybe you’ll see her silhouette against the window as she walks the floor, talking softly, soothing a child in her arms. Mother Hale of Harlem, she too is an American hero.”

Bettmann / Getty Images

Successfully supported by individuals, churches, and community groups, Hale House nonetheless became unique in its format and demonstrated a sharp contrast to public agencies for the care of children. Hale’s daughter, Dr. Lorraine E. Hale, became the program director. Well credentialed, she held a doctorate in child development from New York University.

In the the program’s early days when funds for food and supplies were few and meeting payroll was a constant challenge, Clara Hale’s personal faith in Christ and the love and active concern of ordinary people were her only reliable sources of strength and support. They brought her disposable diapers, formula, and other items that were in constant demand.

One notable admirer spent more than two years, off and on, trying to track down Hale because no one among his circle of friends knew her name. Finally, John Lennon found her and sent a check for $10,000. “He came with his wife and son and spent time with the children,” Hale had said.

After Lennon’s tragic death the following year, Yoko Ono, his wife, sent more gifts, including a check for $20,000, which arrived every year thereafter.

One morning, another fan made her way to Hale’s doorstep. As she emerged from a black limousine, the usual paparazzi who typically pressed for pictures were elsewhere. This was a private visit, for sure.

Nonetheless, the presence of Princess Diana made it a royal and memorable one.

As the princess stood at the top of the brownstone stairs, she lovingly held a baby in her arms. “Thank you for the work you’re doing here for these children,” she said to Mother Hale.

“People have been marvelous,” said the

18

MAY 2018

Mother Clara Hale, noted for her work with drug, alcohol, and AIDS infected infants, shares a happy time with some children as she celebrates her 83rd birthday on April 4, 1988.

A HOME FOR ALL

by Hugo Bravo

Rosemary St. Denis

WELCOMING THE FAMILIES

Rosemary St. Denis grew up in The Salvation Army and currently attends the Canandaigua, N.Y., Corps. She learned to welcome others into her home from seeing her own parents do the same.

“They were big believers in that type of personal outreach ministry,” says Rosemary. “They didn’t just invite children into their homes who needed shelter. Their parents were also welcome to stay with us, and were offered help getting back on their feet.”

Rosemary would set up tables in the living room for Sunday dinner so guest families could eat together, a tradition that she and Bruno continued in their own household.

“I always want the parents to see that their children are in a loving place while they get the help they need. It isn’t just good for the foster child we’re welcoming

Courtesy of Rosemary St. Denis

For close to three decades, the home of Rosemary St. Denis and her husband Bruno has been known by Ontario County, N.Y. as a welcoming foster home to children from neglected households or with special needs.

“No child asks to be brought into this world, and they have no control over if they’re brought into a warm, stable family, or one that is not,” says Rosemary. Her home has taken in children for an overnight shelter stay, for years, and even for adoption.

“And, of course, no child is perfect. But when you get to know them, you learn that most of the children who walk into my home do want something better than what they were taken out of.”

Rosemary (center in dark jacket) stands with family members on Easter Sunday in 2018.

into our care; it’s also good for the moms and dads themselves. They need to see a new way to do things in their own lives, so they can bring those lessons home.”

When those parents experience that kindness, says Rosemary, many times they work harder to improve their own situations, and those children return to parents in better households than when they left.

“They’re never in foster care again,” says Rosemary. “It’s not enough to help a single life. You need to try to reach out to the whole structure of that family.”

She also encourages the children whom the family adopts permanently to stay in contact with their birth parents, if the parents show that they still want to be in their children’s lives.

“If those families are making the effort, my door is always open. But if I don’t see

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

that improvement, I let them know that their instability is not helping us. If they don’t work to improve, we will all be dealing with these broken young people when they are broken adults.”

WITH GOD’S HELP

Today, even with 18 children as legally part of her family, 17 grandchildren, and 2 great–grandchildren, Rosemary is showing no signs of slowing down.

She’s happy to share the memories and experiences of being a foster parent, such as the road trips that the family takes from upstate New York to Disney World in a single RV, or when a boy that she had welcomed into her home came back to her doorstep years later to see if she was still a foster parent.

“I remembered Matt clearly. We had

2018 MAY

19

him, his mom, and his dad eat at our home many times. Matt was now an adult, with a family of his own,” says Rosemary.

There have also been difficulties throughout the years. The St. Denis family has dealt with aggressive children in their house, angry biological parents, and kids with serious medical issues, such as scoliosis and cancer requiring chemotherapy. Even with those hardships, Rosemary wishes she could do more.

“When I had to recover from shoulder surgery, even with hired aides and Bruno’s help, I had to turn the county down with regards to taking in children for a while.

It hurt me to say that to them,” admits Rosemary.

“I’ve had plenty of people ask me how I do this,” says Rosemary. “I tell them there’s only one way—with the Lord right next to me. He has guided me through every child that enters my home, and has never given me more than I could handle.”

“With God’s help, I’ve welcomed over 150 children into my home, and I can give you all their names. With a little time and thinking, even the order in which they came,” says Rosemary, smiling.

God could not be everywhere so he created mothers.

—Rudyard Kipling

20

MAY 2018

Grace Eisenhart Grace Eisenhart will probably have a difficult time keeping her Mother’s Day cards straight this year.

A senior soldier and the receptionist at the Sunbury, Pa., Corps, Eisenhart not only has two grown daughters and one grandchild, but 11 nieces and nephews— six of whom lived with her at various times in their lives.

“I helped raise all of them,” Eisenhart says.

That doesn’t even count her 16 great– nieces and great–nephews.

“One of my niece’s children are like my grandkids because I’m the only one they have in their life,” Eisenhart says.

“I bring them to church on Sunday every week and then I bring them to the kids’ programs during the week.”

Captain Jessica Duperree, the corps officer in Sunbury, said Eisenhart “treats them all like her own children.” She brings many of them to church as the driver for corps pick–ups.

“She buys many things they need and shares so many memories with them,” Duperree said. “Best of all, she has brought so many of these young people to church through the years, first starting with her children and then her nieces and nephews. Now she picks up and brings with her many of their children as well.

“She is a mother physically, but spiritually even more. Her care and dedication over the years has continued to point them all to Jesus.”

THE FAMILY GLUE

Eisenhart said her three siblings have dealt with a variety of issues over the years and she has felt the need to step in and help her nieces and nephews.

“They need somebody,” she said. “I’m like the only one who helps them.”

Eisenhart said when she was growing up, her mother, Martha, took the entire family to church. Her siblings didn’t follow her mother’s example.

“I feel I have to fill that void with my nieces and nephews,” she said. “They need Christ in their life. I bring them to church because it’s the only way they’re going to get to church. I make sure I pick them up.

“Some of my nieces and nephews need to know that there’s somebody who loves them and who is always going to be there in their life for them.”

Eisenhart said she hopes taking her nieces and nephews to church will help them overcome the bad influences of the world.

“I always felt bad when church was over because I had to drop the kids off at the bar,” she said. “I felt so bad, but that’s the only place their Mom and Dad was. That’s why I always brought them to church with me.”

“I want to see them grow into nice, young adults.”

OPENING HER HOME

Eisenhart has also brought some of her friends’ children to church.

FAMILY

by Robert Mitchell

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

—PROVERBS 22:6

One young woman, who moved away from Sunbury but still attends a Wesleyan church, told Eisenhart the reason she picked the church she did was because Eisenhart took her to The Salvation Army.

Another woman Eisenhart brought to the Sunbury Corps now attends the Salvation Army church in Levittown, Pa. “She told me the reason that she continued to come to church when she was a Corps Cadet was because I was there for her,” Eisenhart said. “You can see results. Maybe you don’t know that you’ve touched somebody until they come back and tell you that.

“I just know that people need love and God gives me the love to give to these kids and to other people.”

When the woman from Levittown had a baby and needed a place to live, Eisenhart invited her to move in with her.

“She had no place to live,” Eisenhart said.

“She lived with me a bit. She stayed a month or two until she got her own place. That’s how I think Christ would want us to be.”

“You know they’re learning,” she said.

“I feel if we bring them to church when they’re little, hopefully they’ll continue to come to church when they’re older.”

Duperree said Eisenhart has cared about others since she was young.

“Grace is the kind of lady who would do anything for anyone, and I believe that started early in her life,” she said.

Eisenhart started attending The Salvation Army in Milton, Pa., and remembers wearing her Sunbeam uniform to school as a girl. When a flood devastated the area in 1972, her family moved to Sunbury.

“I started when I was probably two years old in Milton, but the Sunbury

Corps has been home most of my life,” she said. “They’re loving and caring here and The Salvation Army gives you an opportunity to do things.”

LEADER AND ENCOURAGER

Her daughters, Laura and Samantha, were involved in troops as children; Samantha got to travel around the territory with the PENDEL Brass. One of those “things” Eisenhart got to do was attend the annual LEAD Conference held each summer during the Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings in Maine.

Eisenhart said LEAD gave her the training and confidence to evangelize and also

EARLY INFLUENCES

Eisenhart is the receptionist and social worker at the corps, where she also teaches Moonbeams on “Troop Night.” She also has taught Corps Cadets and is involved in Home League.

Three of Eisenhart’s great-nieces and great-nephews who come for Moonbeams also attend a Christian daycare and know the songs that are taught at the corps.

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

21

lead Sunday morning worship, where she often encourages others to get involved.

“I try to be an encourager to everyone and try to include everybody to play a part and help,” she said. “I feel if you’re coming to church, and you get more involved in stuff, you’re more willing to stay. They need a sense of belonging. They’ll feel important.”

Duperree agreed that one of Eisenhart’s spiritual gifts is encouragement.

“Grace is a big source of encouragement, especially to the children,” she said.

“She is there for them and she listens to them. They know she cares about them.”

Eisenhart, 53, also finds the energy to babysit a child on weekends who is the same age as her grandchild.

CHRIST IS HER ROCK

“These kids all keep me young,” Eisenhart said with a laugh. “That’s what I tell myself.

“We have to make sure Christ is Number One and that He’s at the center of our lives and we’re serving Him. Then we can do all things. He’s the one that helps us be able to help others.”

Duperree, for one, is ecstatic to have Eisenhart around the corps as an influence on the next generation.

“Grace truly treats the children in her life as if they were all her own,” she said. “That love and strength to do that comes from God. And when things aren’t easy, she prays for them and trusts them to God.”

22

MAY 2018

Virginia Downing Major Virginia Downing, who is retired after 42 years as a Salvation Army officer, is still very active at the Oil City, Pa., Corps. Some of the people who know her best commented on her as a mother, Salvationist, and person.

“Major Virginia Downing is the perfect example of who a mother should be. She has been a shining example of a godly mother to many in the Oil City Corps and countless others through the years she was a corps officer. She always has a listening ear and offers words of encouragement.

“I have seen her love evident not only when she travels to see shows or sporting events that her grandchildren participate in, but also when she attended my own sons’ high school graduation. She has always included my family in fun times at their family cottage.

We will be forever grateful for the wonderful memories she allowed us to have there. She continues to be supportive of the youth of the Oil City Corps through prayer and in many other ways.

“She has encouraged my family to keep trusting God’s plan when it seemed like everything was falling apart. I would hope that I am half the mother she has been to her children and those that she has mentored, like me. This quote by Rudyard Kipling explains why Major Jinnie (as we like to call her) is the mother she is: ‘God could not be everywhere so he created mothers!’”

—Heather Antill

“I am so thankful to God for bringing Major Virginia Downing into my life when I was a young teenager. She became a second mother to my sister and me. She was and still is a true example of Christlikeness to us. She walked with me through rough times and good times. She was a great teacher of the Bible, both through reading and explaining it and living it daily.

“It was through her daily walk with the Lord and love she shown to her own children and willingness to include me as one of her children, that I was able to learn of Salvation Army officership, and have my heart and ears in tune with the Lord to hear His calling on my life to become an officer. I love Major Virginia Downing, and will always be grateful to her for loving me and encouraging me throughout my life.”

—Major Jean Antill

A TRIBUTE

by Robert Mitchell

“The amazing mother who is Virginia Downing starts her average morning with devotions and prayer.

Mom does not lie. I know this shouldn’t be an amazing thing, but in this day and age, it’s becoming normal for people to tell at least little white lies. Not Mom. She won’t lie even a half truth. In every situation, Mom turns to prayer. She points you to God and what He can and will do for you. Then she’ll continually pray for you. Mom is a great listener and is always open to discuss and give godly counsel.

This is evident in the many people who seek her advice. Her soft, genial approach makes her easy to talk to.

“Our mom’s passion for God is amazing. Have her lead a song or read a scripture verse and it’s impossible to not feel, hear, and get a sense of her passion. She has a beautiful voice and when she sings, you can’t help but feel her love for God in every word.

“Mom is consistently busy; from early on, she was found at the corps daily. As well as caring for her own family, Mom has become a mom to others.”

—Paul Downing Jr.

“My Mom, Virginia Downing, is the sweetest and most giving person I know. She has such a good, pure heart, always putting her family before herself.

“I can remember the Home League ladies coming to my mother to confide in her, whenever they needed prayer or just someone to talk to. She always listens without judgment and then leads me in the right direction with her faith and love of God. As a mother, she always took the extra time to be with us for school, our friends, and all the numerous activities at the corps.

“She encouraged us in every venture we chose to take. She is also an amazing grandma and gives to her grandkids unconditionally.

“Now she has become a great–grandma and has blessed our family in ways that no one could ever imagine. She is the ‘rock’ and leads our family with faith and love. She is an amazing woman with a kind and giving heart. I can only hope to become the amazing woman she has shown me to be.”

—Marian Raines

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

23

FAITH in ACTION

24

MAY 2018

Inspired by Others New York fashion designer, Lily Qian, partners with Others: Trade for Hope on a new scarf collection

by Warren L. Maye

Lily Qian, designer, and April Foster, Others director, visit a textile market in Bangladesh. To purchase Others: Trade for Hope products, go to:

Courtesy of April Foster

www.tradeforhope.com .

For decades, the world of high fashion has been a glamorous fixture of the west, where the pursuit of opulence, beauty, and sophistication captivates the imagination. However, this world is a far cry from the reality of many women across the globe. They can only hope that faith, hard work, and a tenacious entrepreneurial spirit will keep them and their families alive for another day. Such is the case in parts of Bangladesh, where The Salvation Army is slowly but surely making a difference.

A recent collaboration between a Brooklyn, N.Y., fashion designer and Others Trade for Hope promises to literally stitch a bond that will bring women of the west and the east together. They hope to knit a rich relationship that will result in a beautiful and more prosperous lifestyle for all.

2018 MAY

25

THE MARVELOUS CONVERSATION Lily Qian, a fashion designer, illustrator, and textile expert, is currently working on a special collection of scarves for Others. Among her many notable clients are: Louis Vuitton, Bloomingdale’s, Calvin Klein, and The Donna Karan Company, LLC. Qian and April Foster, director of Others in the USA Eastern Territory, had been introduced to each other through Ahmie Hahm, a mutual friend and Salvationist who also serves as a production manager at Calvin Klein. Hahm saw an opportunity for Lily to use her skills to help April in designing a scarf collection for Others. “One day, we all finally met at a coffee shop and had a marvelous conversation,” said Qian.

THE HEART OF THE MATTER Soon, Qian and Foster were off to meet the women of Bangladesh. “My primary goal was to see the process, meet the

teams of women, approve samples, and better understand how to help facilitate the production,” said Qian.

She enjoyed connecting with the team and the producers.

Qian was also fascinated by the progress Others is making through these women. “By hearing their stories, I truly have a better understanding of their situations,” she said. “I learned that Others has helped four generations of women there.” Qian noted that families that had once lived in mud houses, now reside under much better conditions.

“So, there have been major improvements. But it is still really heartbreaking when you see what they have to go through,” said Qian. “Life is challenging for them in different ways. But even though they live in poor villages, they have big hearts.”

Qian said she was moved by the generosity of the women as they welcomed her and Foster into their homes and took a particular interest in them.

“They were curious about what was happening in our lives,” Qian said.

“The young girls who had cell phones wanted to take selfies with me. They wanted to tell us stories about how they got connected to Others, and how long they had been working on this.”

THE BUSINESS OF HOPE “There was just so much that we learned,” Qian said. She and Foster saw contrasting lifestyles when they visited women who worked outside of the Others network. “These families had been making grocery bags,” said Qian. “We also visited a refugee community. They were making beautiful saris, but in such heartbreaking conditions. They were getting paid much less than the women of Others.”

Qian took in every moment. “We met up with really great team

26

MAY 2018

members in Dhaka who helped us translate and understand what people’s lives are like. I really got a broad range of experience.”

They met with the production teams.

A production manager, also named Lily, is a mother of two children. Her husband works for The Salvation Army.

“She is so dedicated; this program would not be able to run without her,” said Qian. “Lily is truly connected with the women in the village. It was amazing to see how much she manages in her personal and work lives.”

THE REMINDER OF HOME When Qian decided to make the trip, she was concerned about safety and potential health issues. But as she focused her attention on all the work at hand, her fears were replaced by a sense of awe and gratitude. “I realized this was a very special trip.”

One of the things that made the trip special was the way the culture and countryside reminded Lily of her early life in Beijing. “I had lived in China and seen different levels of poverty. I’ve seen big cities and I’ve seen the countryside. Bangladesh actually reminded me of home.”

THE FAMILY OF ARTISTS An only child, Lily left Beijing with her parents when she was just 9 ½ years old. They moved to Fairfax County, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., where her dad took a new job.

Coming from a family of creative people, Lily had been immersed in the arts.

“My father was a realistic and classical oil painter in Beijing,” Lily said.

“He studied under great teachers and had done residencies all over China and had given lectures.” He also lived through China’s cultural revolution, and had become dean of the oil painting department at Beijing University.

Behind galvanized metal walls and under a thatched roof, a man prepares his loom with colorful thread.

Courtesy of April Foster

(Opposite page, below) One of Lily Qian’s many sketches visualizes a future garment for Others.

Lily’s mom was a talented ballet dancer and an award–winning designer of advertising, packaging, fashion, and ballet costumes.

“As a kid, I had access to a sewing machine, made collages, participated in student fashion shows, and in children’s arts programs,” Lily said.

As a youngster, she set her sights on New York City—the fashion capital of the west.

“I was always intrigued by it. I just knew that, one day, New York would be my home.” She studied fashion design at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and discovered an exciting community of artists there.

“I chose to study fashion because it offered me an opportunity to combine everything—fashion, graphic design, painting, and textiles.”

THE IMPACT OF OTHERS

THE RELIGION OF LOVE

Now that Qian is back from Bangladesh and in New York, the work of Others continues. “We’ve shared a lot of ideas about marketing and promotion. ‘How do we tell our story?’ ‘How do we get more press?’”

Qian said her fashion colleagues and friends struggle to understand the width and the breadth of Others. “They can’t imagine what we’re doing for these women. So we will continue to tell more.” The collection, which will have products for both men and women, will also have a broad appeal. “We want people to understand how important this project is and how it impacts everyone’s lives.”

Qian said, “We have limited resources and contacts. What we really need right now is support for the next phase.”

“Because Bangladesh is primarily a Muslim country, I was curious to see how the Army has been received as a Christian organization,” Qian said. “I wondered if that creates any conflict. But the [collaboration] was just a wonderful experience. I’ve met team members who are Christians, some are Muslims, and some are Hindu. It was no big deal at all.

Everyone works together.”

Lily recalls a day when they went to church. “Everyone was praying together and respecting one another. They were there to support each others’ families and what they do. That is the way it should be. I sincerely hope this idea continues— absolute mutual respect, inclusion, and acceptance. I really appreciated that.

“We’re working toward the same goals, and we want to live peacefully.”

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

2018 MAY

27

dee Clarke

interview by Hugo Bravo

Dee Clarke is the founder of Survivor Speak USA (www.SurvivorSpeakUSA.org), a Maine–based organization focused on ending sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. It provides a platform for the voices and experiences of women who have survived. A former victim herself, Clarke has spoken at the Salvation Army’s Portland, Maine Citadel Corps and at its day center “The Well.” Her work has helped raise awareness to improve laws that protect survivors of sex trafficking.

How did your upbringing lead you to become a victim of human trafficking?

In the Boston housing project where my family lived, little boys grew up to be drug users, and little girls became victims of the men who sold those drugs. My sister, brothers, and I were always in and out of foster homes. My mother would do something to get us back, but then the cycle of abuse would start again. She went from playing with us and being sweet, to hitting us and calling us horrible names. Today, she would be diagnosed with a mental illness. But back then, I thought this was normal, because a lot of the mothers in the neighborhood behaved that way.

According to Survivor Speak, cases like mine deny childhood development and instead create victimhood development. That means that my upbringing was not even at the basic level of what a childhood should be. We weren’t growing up in an environment that develops a child’s personality, self–identity, or self–worth.

Victimhood carries on into adulthood. I see the signs in victims of sex trafficking/sexploitation.

Survivors who can access strong continuous

28

MAY 2018

Q & A

supports can focus and have opportunities toward a life of stability, but not every person gets that opportunity and languishes in the pain of the traumas, never recovering.

What happened to you at 12 years old?

My 16–year–old brother Billy had just come back from reform school, and he took me to a party. There, I noticed that all the people at this party were adults, not kids like me, or even teenagers like him. After drinking, I started talking to an older man who invited me to leave the party to go and eat. I thought that’s what we would do, but we ended up going to an apartment, and he raped me.

At the time, I was having my first period.

My mother had never taken the time to properly teach me how to care for myself. When the man

“

How did you finally escape? Red brought in an older girl, Silvia, who was a fighter. She showed a resistance to Red and Fast that I never showed.

Washing clothes in the bathroom one day, Silvia mouthed quietly to me, “Today, we’re leaving.” I didn’t want to. All I could think of was, If I just do what Red and Fast ask, they won’t hurt me. In our baby doll nightgowns and with no shoes on, we climbed down the second floor porch and ran. I found a phone booth and called my mother.

If it were not for Silvia, the thought of leaving would have never occurred to me. While with Red and Fast, I had been on corners by myself, with police driving by who might have helped me. I sat in hospitals with people from Red’s crew who had been shot, and I stayed silent.

When I arrived at my mother’s house, I realized that the authorities had been looking frantically for Silvia, but I wasn’t even on record as missing. In eight months, no one had looked for me. That hurt me terribly. After that day, I never saw Silvia again.

It should be the women who are victims negotiating the laws to protect themselves. Otherwise, they’re still being victimized.

Why did you start Survivor Speak USA? As an adult, I worked in advocacy, helping women who had survived situations like mine.

Some had searched for a way out, but hesitated, because they didn’t know what the next step would be after they escaped the life. These women had come from homes and neighborhoods like the one I was raised in.

I also met women who were discovered by law enforcement during anti–trafficking stings. I noticed that, among these women, there was a lot

”

noticed blood on his bed, he dragged me down the hall, and gave me to a pimp called “Red,” who then kept me. His pregnant girlfriend “Fast” became my “wife–in–law.” They put me out to “turn tricks“ in cars and brothels, or trickhouses.

They beat and starved me to make me behave and do the things they wanted.

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook / 페이스북 방문 환영 www.facebook.com/saconnects

of separation between those who were getting help, and others who were not. They were the “forgotten women.” Instead of listening to them and turning their experiences into solutions to fight sex trafficking/sexploitation, they were being cast aside.

Why were these women neglected while others received help?

Women who are officially determined to be “sex trafficked” have a better chance of being provided a path to recovery and stability. However, if law enforcement does not see coercion, a woman does not get the same treatment. But all are victims of “sexploitation,” which is exchanging sex for money via victimization and oppression.

When police do a sting, they usually go after johns or pimps. Women are usually involved in the sting, but law enforcement sees only some of these women as actually “sex trafficked.” They are either jailed and have to make bail or given a summons and have to pay a fine. Law enforcement uses the term “sex trafficking” and its strict definition to prosecute their abusers. But when police do not see coercion, by their definition, they don’t think they are seeing a victim.

Survivor Speak helps all “sexploited” women.

How do you work to change this system?

By giving these women a seat at the table where change is being discussed. They should be negotiating the laws to protect themselves. Otherwise, they’re still being victimized. Through Survivor Speak, we are putting sex trafficking/sexploitation survivors in the rooms with prosecutors, lawmakers, and service providers. They need to see that a victim is a strong adult woman, not just a scared girl crying to be saved. Every woman, no matter her age or how long she has been in the life or how she reacts when she is finally offered a path out, should be listened to and helped.

2018 MAY

29

wholly living

spiritual formation outdoors

PSALMS

Meeting the Creator in

Creation

This is a great time of the year to go outside. It’s warming up. Things are growing. The sunlight is brighter. Your wardrobe might be lighter, both in weight and in color. Flowers are blooming and the breezes are refreshing. The spring rains bring scents that we’ve missed. Most of them are pleasant. There’s a lot to find outside. There are a lot of benefits to a good walk, a breath of fresh air, or the sound of a stream or a river flowing past.

Let’s focus our attention on finding moments of worship outside. We’ve included a sampling of Spiritual Life Development’s (SLD) prayer resources, Psalms in Nature.

Each experience can be as long or as short as you like.

They can all be combined into one hour spent outside, or you can break it up into daily or even weekly experiences.

Take the same “Prayer Walk” to another park and it can become a completely different experience. It’s our hope that these experiences would benefit your body and soul and lead you into meaningful encounters with God. During a recent vacation to Niagara Falls, Colonel Janice Howard shares what began as a journal entry that ended as devotional thought in Chaos or Calm. (see sidebar) Like Janice, you might be surprised at what inspires you during your time outdoors and where it leads you, and others.

So, take a hike or go for a walk. Even a five–minute stroll after lunch could be a game–changer on a frustrating day spent under fluorescent lights or in meetings. Or maybe you’ve hit a creative wall. Give yourself a few moments outside those walls and you might be amazed at the ideas or different perspectives that come to you.

This month, try to find some time and space outside to meet God. Breathe in air that hasn’t been filtered and recycled 17 times. Let your eyes get used to the light and look for colors and life around you. Even in the densest neighborhoods, you can find a flower pot, a budding tree, or if you’re fortunate, a park. While you’re out there or when you’re done, journal about your experience.

Psalms in Nature is available as a free download on www.saconnects.org/sld.

Print it or open it on your e-reader app.

30

MAY 2018

PSALM 19 and the sky Look up at the sky as you contemplate Psalm 19 and the sweetness of God’s Word – His personal message of love for you.

Especially meditate on these words, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech… In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course” (verses 1–2, 4–5).

How is Jesus like the sun to you? Your Bridegroom who pursues you in love? Your Champion who sets the way and pace for your life’s race? What else do you notice about the sky?

PSALM 16 and a path Take a walk with Jesus on a path.

Consider a decision you need to make and, with that in mind, imagine yourself following Jesus or walking hand–in–hand with Him. Pray about what path you’re to take. Perhaps it’s even more important to pray about how you’re to walk on whichever path you take.

Let David’s words in Psalm 16 inspire you, “I have set the Lord before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure… You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (verses 8-11).

What is Jesus saying to you on your path?

What helps you to walk in the joy of the Lord in your daily life?

IN NAT URE

a devotional thought

Chaos or Calm?

Simply amazing. I stood at the edge of Niagara Falls and stared.

Without googling, I had no idea how much water was rushing past me — rushing at an immense speed. The force of the water was so intense that white caps formed before it began its descent down the cliffs and into the basin. Wow! Intense. Loud. Powerful. So much so, that the Falls are a popular sightseeing destination.

I am amazed that people have climbed into barrels and plunged down the waterfalls. Did some of those people really think they could survive such a feat with only a little protection? What were they thinking?

As I walked along the walkway near the edge, something else caught my attention—the power appeared to have ceased at the basin. As the water flowed just yards down the river, it was calm. So calm that I would not have feared swimming from one shore across to the other shore. Interesting, isn’t it? Such power. Taking a nose dive over the cliffs. Great speed. Then the calm.

My thoughts went in two directions. One, I am reminded of a wise teacher warning me that after the highs of a spiritual experience, Satan will attempt to pull me into the valley, to remove that spiritual power from me. It is possible that the power of those high moments and commitments will be short lived. I have prayed against this in many situations.

Two, in the midst of chaos or crisis, I can remain calm and focused. The Holy Spirit provides a soothing internal balm when the situations around me are trying to beat me down. I focus on Him as I slow my breathing in prayer.

PSALM 42 and a waterfall Sit at a stream or waterfall while you meditate on Psalm 42 and listen to “The Deep” in God calling to “the deep” in your soul.

Let the flowing waters help you to pray with the Psalmist, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By the day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me” (verses 7–8).

What does the stream teach you about becoming the person that God dreams for you to be? How is Jesus speaking to you or ministering God’s love to you in the stream?

PSALM 46 and a lake

Jakob Owens

Pick a quiet spot by a lake to be still with Jesus and pray Psalm 46, or pray as you walk around the lake.

After you’ve spent some time with the Psalm, focus in on verse 10. Take in the peace of the lake as you slowly repeat to yourself God’s words to the Psalmist, “Be still and know that I am God.” Make your prayer a “Breath Prayer” by breathing in the words slowly and deeply.

What does the lake teach you about the kind of person God dreams for you to be? In what areas of your life do you need to learn from Jesus to “Be still”?

Lord Jesus, calm me.

Lord Jesus, calm me.

Lord Jesus, calm me. Amen.

—Colonel Janice Howard

LEAD

FORMATION OF LEADERS

THE WHERE AND THE HOW God works in neighborhoods. We live in neighborhoods. God’s got work for us to do there. Every response to grace and every life–change transpires in a particular place. Jesus’ disciple–making mandate (Matthew 28:18–20) is a call for all Christians. It encompasses both initial conversion and ongoing growth.

That’s why people are the Army’s biggest resource.

Just like the first disciples, we need experiences and training to make us ready. By the time Jesus gave the Great Commission, 28 chapters in Matthew had already recorded the disciples learning and serving with Him. All along, their formation was happening, whether they were on the giving or receiving end of a teaching, ministry, or miracle.

That’s how the process of making disciples works. As I contribute to developing them, I also grow.

Conversely, my greatest gift to my

Christian friends is to invite them to participate in my formation. In doing so, they grow. This happens best within a small, stable group of friends.

WHY THE LEAD SUMMIT? Every congregation needs local leaders with the character and competence to serve and to reach people in their neighborhoods. So, the Salvation Army hosts the LEAD Summit to equip people for mission in neighborhoods and at corps throughout the USA Eastern Territory.

Every leader needs concrete skills and relevant knowledge. They also need times of retreat and reflection, spiritual discipline, and vocational discernment.

The LEAD Summit weaves each of these aspects into a weeklong gathering of dedicated leaders from across the territory.

LEAD is for Salvationists who desire to grow in Christ and in their capacity for service. It’s for people who serve in a

by Isaiah Allen

local corps, whether they are a veteran or a novice. LEAD’s foremost aim is to empower and encourage Salvationists to achieve their greatest capacity for mission in their local context.

WHAT WE DO AT LEAD Each day, we gather for inspiring worship; we learn through expert instruction, hands–on experience, and dialogue; we connect deeply with peers; and we acquire mission–critical skills and knowledge in classes on topics such as discipling young people, integrated mission, current social issues, how to lead children, and small group disciple–making.

Time is reserved for mapping our personal journey and for contemplating our calling. As a result, we return home better equipped as ambassadors of Christ in our neighborhoods and as corps leaders. We gain fresh insights and renewed possibilities for service.

Delegates and staff form a “prayer huddle” around Major Lauren Hodgson, guest speaker.

The LEAD Summit is held at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine from Saturday, July 28 through Saturday, August 4, 2018 in conjunction with the Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings. If you’re interested in the 2018 LEAD Summit, talk to your corps officer. Applications and further details can be found at www.saconnects.org/LEAD.

32

MAY 2018

JUNE 15–17

COMMISSIONING WEEKEND HERSHEY LODGE, HERSHEY, PA

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

COLONELS COLLEEN & DOUGLAS RILEY # 20 2 0 U S A EA ST S ACO N NEC TS .O RG/CO M M I S S I O N I N G THE SALVATION ARMY USE TERRITORY

YOU CAN

HELP ILD SPO CH

ORSHIP NS

OVERSEAS

The Salvation Army has an Overseas Child Sponsorship Program! You can sponsor a Salvation Army school, children’s home, or after–school program in one of many countries around the world!

For $25 per month you receive updates and newsletters from your center.

Donations are tax deductible.

PHONE 845–620–7435 EMAIL OverseasChild@use.salvationarmy.org APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT www.ocs.use-salvationarmy.org

Use your smartphone to scan the QR code!