VOL. 4, NO. 7 • SEPTEMBER 2018
Puerto Rico, one year after Hurricane Maria page 13
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Join the ranks! ¡Súmate a nuestras filas! Salvation Army soldiers are the heartbeat of the Army! In the United States, there are almost 450,000 salvation soldiers. Amazing, isn’t it? Yet, in order to join the fight for souls, more are needed. They are the ones who point others to the Kingdom, who share the love of God in communities, and who bring hope to a troubled world. The 20/20 Vision plan speaks about our individual role as soldiers and places a heavy emphasis on making new soldiers—both junior and senior. The goal for the territory is for 1,000 junior and 1,000 senior soldiers to be enrolled each year. This grows the Army and strengthens its focus on the mission of “Transforming communities in the power of Jesus Christ, one life at a time.” We want and need salvation soldiers—yes! They must be good soldiers for Jesus Christ. Today, we must be in the battle against sin and we must do all we can to enlist and engage good soldiers in the salvation war. Bramwell Booth reminds us that “Our destiny is to seek and find and bring home the lost. You are to remember the forgotten, to guide those who have wandered. I want to say to everyone, ‘my comrade, what do you think and dream of? What lies nearest to your heart? Where is your ambition? In what direction do your hopes lie? Are you with the sheep which have been found or is your heart outside with those which are lost? They are all around you; there are whole flocks of them in every land.’” How are you doing in these areas? Who are you encouraging to come alongside you to join in the fight? Consider 2 Timothy 4:5 (ISV), “But you must be clear– headed about everything. Endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist. Devote yourself completely to your ministry.” This is our battle plan; devotion to God and to the ministry to which He has called us. Do your part; bring others to join the ranks and to encourage you in the fight for souls.
— Colonel / Coronela Paula Johnson Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries Secretaria Territorial de los Ministerios Femeninos
¡Los soldados del Ejército de Salvación laten por el Ejército! En los Estados Unidos hay casi 450.000 soldados de salvación. Asombroso, ¿te parece? Y, sin embargo, para que la lucha por las almas sea exitosa, se necesitan muchos más. Esos soldados son los que les muestran a los demás el camino que lleva al Reino, son los que comparten el amor de Dios en las comunidades, y quienes llevan esperanza. El plan de la Visión 20/20 habla de nuestro papel individual como soldados y pone mucho énfasis en la necesidad de sumar nuevos soldados, tanto jóvenes como adultos. El objetivo que se ha propuesto el territorio es enrolar a 1000 jóvenes soldados y 1000 soldados adultos nuevos cada año. Esto hace crecer al Ejército y fortalece su misión declarada de “Transformar a las comunidades mediante el poder de Jesucristo, vida por vida”. Queremos y necesitamos soldados de salvación, ¡esa es la verdad! Deben de ser soldados buenos, firmemente comprometidos con Jesucristo. En la actualidad, tenemos que entrar activamente en la batalla contra el pecado y hacer todo lo que esté en nuestro poder para alistar y atraer buenos soldados para que luchen en la guerra de la salvación. Bramwell Booth nos recuerda que “Nuestro destino consiste en buscar, encontrar y traer a casa a las almas perdidas. Hemos de recordar siempre a los olvidados y guiar a aquellos que se han extraviado. Quiero decirles a todos: ‘Mi camarada, ¿en qué piensas y en qué sueñas? ¿Qué es lo que tienes más cerca de tu corazón? ¿Dónde has puesto tu ambición? ¿Hacia dónde apuntan tus esperanzas? ¿Estás con las ovejas que han sido encontradas o está tu corazón buscando a aquellas que se han extraviado? Esas almas extraviadas están a todo tu derredor; hay rebaños completos en cada lugar’”. ¿A quiénes estás alentando para que te acompañen y se sumen a la lucha? Reflexiona en el pasaje de 2 Timoteo 4:5 (ISV), que dice: “Tú, por el contrario, sé prudente en todas las circunstancias, soporta los sufrimientos, dedícate a la evangelización; cumple con los deberes de tu ministerio”. Este es nuestro plan de batalla; nuestra devoción a Dios y al ministerio. Trae a otros para que se sumen a las filas del Ejército y te alienten en la lucha por las almas.
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SEPTEMBER
contents VOLUME 4 | NUMBER 7
in every issue
Hydroponics, aquaponics, and saving the world’s coral reefs in Akron, Ohio.
1 vision perspective 4 from the editor 5 relevents 6 army jargon 30 wholly living
departments 7 an active army
Lessons from Sunbeams at the Flemington, N.J., Corps.
25 profile
Slugger Darryl Strawberry seemed to have had it all. Today, with Christ, he has what really matters.
28 Q & A
Director Luis Enrique Rodríguez talks about creating movies in Puerto Rico.
32 to your health
8
Cancer rates are declining. Here’s why and what you can do to keep them that way.
A fter school in AC
A few blocks from the city’s lights and casinos, the Atlantic City, N.J., Corps volunteers reach out to children in the community.
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The Salvation Army continues to help Puerto Ricans rise after Hurricane Maria.
uerto Rico, P One Year Later
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Farming in Akron
Hydroponics, aquaponics, and saving the world’s coral reefs. Is this a traditional Salvation Army corps? Major Kevin Jackson thinks so.
Photo by Susan Magnano
Last September, Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico without homes, electricity, or hope for the future. But today, The Salvation Army continues to help Puerto Ricans rise after the storm.
Para leer más artículos en español por favor visite SACONNECTS.ORG/ENESPANOL
2018 SEPTEMBER
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from the editor the magazine
IN THE NEWS
Caring for kids
June 19, 2018—The following statement on the separation of families at the United States border has been approved for public dissemination by The Salvation Army USA:
¡Cuidemos a los niños! “ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” —MATTHEW 18:5–6
In our next SAconnects magazine, you’ll read a feature on children in crisis. Among other topics, this one is of particular interest to us, given the numbers of kids who are sold into slavery, are molested behind closed doors, and are caught in the political, social, and familial crossfires of our time. Jesus stressed the importance of children. But today, and in many places of the world, they continue to be viewed as invisible, exploitable, and, if need be—disposable. You know this from the many stories that appear in the news. However, what we’ll endeavor to bring you are stories that rarely emerge in mainstream media; ones that tell how The Salvation Army helps combat a culture that is adverse toward children. We’ll show how the Army transforms their lives, gives them hope for the future, and helps save their souls. From a kids’ café in Corning, N.Y., to a Boys & Girls Club in Newark, N.J., to holiday parties, we’ll share ways in which the Army offers safe alternatives that bring real joy to children in the name of Jesus Christ.
— Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief / Editor en Jefe
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“ Y el que recibe en mi nombre a un niño como este, me recibe a mí. Pero, si alguien hace pecar a uno de estos pequeños que creen en mí, más le valdría que le colgaran al cuello una gran piedra de molino y lo hundieran en lo profundo del mar”. —MATEO 18:5–6
En el próximo número de nuestra revista SAconnects, podrás leer un reportaje sobre niños en crisis. Entre otros temas, este es de particular interés para nosotros, dado el número de niños que están siendo vendidos como esclavos, maltratados sexualmente a puertas cerradas y atrapados en los conflictos políticos, sociales y familiares de nuestro tiempo. Jesús hizo hincapié en la importancia de los pequeños. Pero en la actualidad y en muchos lugares en todo el mundo, siguen siendo considerados invisibles, explotables y hasta desechables. Cada uno de nosotros conocemos muchas de esas historias que aparecen en los noticieros. Sin embargo, nos esforzaremos por dar a conocer las historias que rara vez aparecen en los medios de información masiva; historias que hablan de cómo el Ejército de Salvación ha estado ayudando a combatir una cultura que atenta contra los pequeños. Trataremos de mostrarte la manera en que el Ejército transforma las vidas de esos niños, al brindarles esperanza para el futuro y ayuda para la salvación de sus almas. Desde una cafetería para niños en Corning, Nueva York, a un Club de Niños y Niñas en Newark, Nueva Jersey, hasta celebraciónes de días festivos, hablaremos contigo acerca de varias de las maneras en que el Ejército ha estado ofreciendo alternativas seguras que brindan verdadera alegría a los niños en nombre de Jesucristo.
The Salvation Army has long held the belief that individuals and families in need should be met with love and compassion, and those who are in a position to help have a responsibility to do so in a way that preserves the dignity and humanity of others. Separating children from their parents at the United States border has no place, directly or indirectly, in American immigration policy or practice, and the truth that this has happened already for thousands of mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters, brings us to our knees in prayer for their wellbeing, a speedy return to one another, and an immediate stop of the practice. The Salvation Army sees firsthand, especially in children, the personal and societal impact of separated and broken families, and we call on federal public officials to find solutions that will quickly reunite these families and prevent this tragedy from happening in the future. William Booth, Founder André Cox, General Commissioner David E. Hudson, National Commander
NEW PODCAST Munnday Mornings with Colonel Richard Munn will launch on Tuesday, September 4th. He will discuss theological concepts and divine truths. Subscribe today on your favorite podcast app!
relevents
Chef Timothy Tucker, culinary arts manager at The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Boston, Mass., talks about his first job for the Army in Kentucky, summers at Three Mile Island Camp in New Hampshire, and how every successful chef is also a great teacher. interview by Hugo Bravo
In 2005, eight years after graduating from Sullivan University’s culinary arts program, I had two future career choices; work as the private chef for the Texas Roadhouse restaurants CEO, or as a cook for the Center of Hope Meal Service, a homeless shelter run by The Salvation Army in Louisville, Ky. I chose the Army, and began serving low–income families at the shelter. I learned how to work for a nonprofit, and as a result, became a better chef. I also founded the shelter’s Culinary Training Program, designed to give people a chance to get out of poverty and begin a career in the kitchen. Sullivan University offered a full scholarship to Jackson, our training program’s “Student of the Year.” After he graduated from Sullivan, Jackson came back to work for the Culinary Training Program as its director.
During the summer months, I’m an executive chef at Three Mile Island Camp in New Hampshire. A team of us serve 120 people, 3 meals a day throughout the summer months. We connect with local organic farmers and food producers for each of these all–natural, “scratch–made” meals. I feel blessed that the Army allows me time to pursue this passion. I return in the fall refreshed and ready for the next group of culinary students at the Kroc Center.
Every chef is a teacher. Go into any restaurant, and you’ll see signature meals on the menu. Although these meals are designed in a certain style by the chef, the only way they’re served correctly 300 times a day is by having the chef go over every ingredient with the staff to make sure that the meal tastes the same as it did yesterday. To run any successful department, whether in the food business or somewhere else, you have to guide the staff in doing the best work that they can do.
Early in my career, I fell in love with Texas–styled BBQ cooking; food that you prepare with pure, clean heat. I also love western cuisine, and any food that can fit inside a taco shell. But professionally, it’s never about what I like to eat or even cook. The focus is always on the people I’m serving, be they my family, my students, or my community.
I received an invitation to visit the Boston Kroc Center before it even opened. The Army wanted to bring to the Kroc what we were doing in Louisville. I remember being in awe of the Kroc Center project. At the time, the Louisville Corps was a small building; I had never seen an Army corps like the Kroc Center. While it was still under construction, we walked through it as I answered questions about what a successful culinary arts program would require. I held nothing back. When I received an offer to run the culinary program there, it was like getting a dream job. The Salvation Army continues to support culinary arts programs because they see them as I see them—as an art form that transforms lives.
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2018 SEPTEMBER
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ARMY jargon by Colonel Richard Munn the magazine
your connection to The Salvation Army
USA EASTERN TERRITORY
MERCY SEAT BANCO DE PENITENTES It is a sight that moves the Salvationist heart—a mercy seat, with people, kneeling, praying. Designed, even named, as a “place” where people “meet with God,” it can be atop a musical drum outdoors or plastic chairs in a gymnasium or park benches at a summer camp. In good Army style, the form is secondary to the essence. First cited in the Old Testament as part of the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat has also been a pivotal part of Army evangelistic strategy and worship since its inception. In his first preaching forays, a teenaged William Booth called people to pray at a table in a cottage living room. In so doing, he emulated revivalist Charles Finney and evangelist James Caughey. Even its various names evoke mystery: “mourner’s bench,” “anxious seat,” “penitent form.” Frequented by gaunt addicts, innocent children, and saintly elders alike, one account records, “We’re all seeking the same Savior.” Through the centuries, the penitent form has remained. An aged Booth described the sight of penitents at the mercy seat—lines of them—among his most treasured memories. A hallmark of Army meetings is a call to the mercy seat. It is a key moment. “As soon as that goes out of use, we go out,” cautioned General Albert Orsborn. The call can signal a point of repentance, a sign post for holiness or a signature place for covenant. We “can stain the mercy seat with tears of joy as well as tears of remorse” writes Nigel Bovey. Indeed, the mercy seat is now open.
El solo hecho de ver el “banco de los penitentes”, en el que las personas se arrodillan y oran, conmueve el corazón del salvacionista. El banco de los penitentes, diseñado y hasta calificado como un “lugar” donde las personas “se encuentran con Dios”, puede adoptar la forma de un tambor al aire libre, o de una silla en un gimnasio o de una banca en un campamento de verano. Al buen estilo del Ejército, la forma siempre pasa a segundo plano, pues lo que importa es la esencia. Mencionado originalmente en el Antiguo Testamento como parte del Arca del Pacto, el banco de los penitentes ha sido también parte esencial de la estrategia evangelística y de la oración del Ejército desde sus inicios. El adolescente William Booth convocaba a las personas a orar ante una mesa en la sala de una casa campestre. Al hacerlo, emulaba el avivamiento de Charles Finney, así como al evangelista James Caughey. Incluso sus nombres lo rodean de un aire misterioso: “banco del doliente”, “silla de angustia”, “banco de los penitentes”. Frecuentado por drogadictos, niños, y ancianos, historia explica que: “Todos buscamos al mismo Salvador”. El banco de los penitentes ha permanecido. Ya anciano, Booth describió la experiencia de ver una larga fila de personas pasar a arrodillarse y a orar en el banco de los penitentes como uno de sus recuerdos más preciados. Uno de los aspectos distintivos de las reuniones del Ejército es el llamado al banco de los penitentes. Es un momento clave. “El día que se deje de usar, acabaremos como Ejército”, advirtió el General Albert Orsborn. El llamado puede representar una oportunidad para el arrepentimiento, una señal de santidad o un momento idóneo para firmar el pacto con el Señor. Nosotros “podemos manchar el banco de los penitentes con lágrimas de alegría así como con lágrimas de arrepentimiento”, escribe Nigel Bovey. Así es, el banco de los penitentes ahora está a su disposición.
TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Kenneth O. Johnson, Jr. 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. 7, September 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.
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an active army
SUNBEAMS
by Hugo Bravo
When Bobby Malherbe and her daughters Aliah and Emily came to the Salvation Army’s Flemington, N.J., Corps in 2008, their family’s roots in that city went back generations. “The church that most of my family attended had closed years ago. Many of them were still looking for a new place to worship,” says Malherbe, who discovered The Salvation Army when she and her girls received an invitation to a back–to–school bash at the corps. Bobby, who at the time did not consider herself a believer, told relatives about the corps they had visited, which served communities and families like hers. This new church also offered many activities for Aliah, Emily, and their young cousins. “We brought to the corps many relatives. Before my eyes, I saw my family and my church community become one and the same,” remembers Malherbe. Both Aliah and Emily have participated in Sunbeams, the Army’s program for girls, grades 1–5. Aliah, 16, is now a junior soldier. Her Sunbeams sash, filled with merit badges, hangs in a classroom at the Flemington Corps. Emily, 10, is still in Sunbeams. At meetings, she loves making new members feel welcome. She also introduces them to the useful lessons that Sunbeams offer, such as first aid for scraped knees and bleeding noses.
“Every year in Sunbeams, we all learn things that we did not know before,” says Emily. “Being around old and new friends also makes us all feel connected to God.” Sunbeams has strengthened Emily’s connection with the Lord and her knowledge about the universe. Lessons on astronomy, arts & crafts, and safety are taught alongside animal care and Scripture. “When I was in 3rd grade, I used to think that knowing about [outer] space was something meant only for boys,” says Emily. “But learning about the solar system was one of the merit badges that we could earn. I learned that Pluto is an orphan planet, and that stars are basically mini–suns; some are red, some blue, some hotter than the Sun, and some colder. There is so much more to space than just the Sun and the planets.” “Sunbeams has expanded Emily’s mind; not just with the Lord, but with everyone and everything around her,” says Malherbe. “Learning about God’s creation opens a new appreciation for His love.” Because of programs like Sunbeams, Malherbe says God is in her daughters’ hearts and in their lives every day. “My girls share that love with others, and with me. We wouldn’t have experienced that type of love if we had not come to The Salvation Army.”
WHAT IS SUNBEAMS? The Salvation Army Sunbeam program is a holistic Christian Education experience for girls in grades 1–5. The goal of Sunbeams is to help them develop positive social and communication habits, decision–making and life skills, and become leaders. Sunbeams develop these qualities in a safe, age–appropriate, and Christ–centered environment. It encourages a sense of personal identity and character, based on Christian values and biblical principles. The Sunbeams Pledge I promise that I will try to love God, to be obedient, to be loving and kind to all, and to be true to the Sunbeam Declaration.
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The Sunbeams Declaration I understand that as a Sunbeam, I should pray morning and evening; speak the truth; be kind to animals; and never steal, swear, gamble, touch harmful drugs or strong drinks. For more information on Sunbeams and other Salvation Army programs for children, visit saconnects.org/boothyouth-troops or contact your local Salvation Army corps.
BETTING ON WHAT MATTERS by Hugo Bravo
M
ost children are taught that when lights go off in a home or a store, the day is done.
But in Atlantic City, N.J., the glowing fluorescent signs of casinos, late–night restaurants, and adult businesses run at full power almost 24 hours a day. “Atlantic City doesn’t close, and every child who lives here knows that. They’re out all night because the city is open all night,” says Captain Shana Picciotto, who, along with her husband Captain Frank Picciotto, are the corps officers of The Salvation Army Atlantic City Corps, located blocks away from the city’s busiest casinos. “That’s our biggest challenge as officers; fighting with the influence of a city like A.C., and at the same time, reaching out to its residents,” says Captain Shana. If you look beyond Atlantic City’s more famous attractions, you will find a community made up of poor and low– income residents, mostly African–American and Hispanic.
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Flor Cruz-Morillo
Tasha Travis demonstrates a STEM activity.
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The homeless also migrate to Atlantic City, seeking casinos as a source of warmth in the winter and air conditioning in the summer, rather than for entertainment and gambling. Like many major American cities, Atlantic City has also seen an increase in prostitution and human trafficking in recent years. The challenges of running a corps in a city like this one are immense, which is why the Atlantic City Corps’ after– school program is so important for the children that attend
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The kids go to the same middle school I went to. I know what lessons they’re learning because they are the same ones I learned. I also had the same teachers. — Flor Cruz–Morillo corps volunteer
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it. Not many organizations would host a children’s program in the area where the corps resides, says Captain Frank, but the difficulties only highlight the need in the community for the Army’s presence. “When you’re doing God’s work, you expect that struggle,” says Captain Frank. “We are faithful because we know that God has great plans for the city.” “This neighborhood is one that William Booth would have wanted to help,” says Captain Shana. “It’s our job to prepare the Atlantic City Corps to take on the city’s problems.” The first step towards that goal is reaching out to the city’s youngest residents, the ones most in crisis.
REBUILDING THE PROGRAM
Like many New Jersey young adults, Tasha Travis, director of child care for The Salvation Army Atlantic City Corps, visited Atlantic City while attending Stockton University. But it was not until she was hired by the Atlantic City Corps to rebuild their after–school program that she herself saw the need in the community.
“People don’t come here to interact with the community,” says Tasha. “But it becomes apparent when you take a few steps away from the casinos, and even more when you see it through the eyes of the children who come to the corps after school. There are families living below the poverty line, dealing with social services, and children struggling with their own development.” Tasha, who began her career with The Salvation Army as an assistant food stamp coordinator at the New Jersey Divisional Headquarters in Union, N.J., in 2001, worked to turn the after–school program into more than a place where children could be watched after class and then picked up by their parents. The Atlantic City Corps has partnered with the Community Food Bank of South Jersey through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) to daily serve hot meals. Representatives from Rutgers University visit and do projects with the children. Tasha has introduced the children to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) activities, such as building towers from marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti. On Fridays, AtlantiCare garden educators visit the corps to teach the children about gardening and healthy eating. As in all Salvation Army corps, volunteers are their lifeblood. Tasha beams with pride about the young adults who take time from school and work to be with the children, help them with homework, or arrange a pick–up game of soccer or football outside the church. “Our volunteers are the heart of the after–school program. You can see it in the joy of the children when they interact with them,” says Tasha.
BEYOND VOLUNTEERING
Flor Cruz–Morillo and Kevin Gil–Clara began volunteering their time shortly after Travis started in early 2016. Flor, who was attending Stockton University as Tasha did, found The Salvation Army through the school’s Office of ServiceLearning. The corps was conveniently across the street from Flor’s home. She had volunteered in after–school programs in the past, but as a child of Atlantic City herself, she was able to bond with the program. “The kids go to the same middle school I went to,” says Flor. “I know what lessons they’re learning because they are the same ones I learned. I also had the same teachers.” She remembers her first science project with the after– school program: an experiment where she stacked liquids of varying densities on each other, creating a rainbow in a cup. “It was going great, until one of the children shook the container!” Flor says, laughing.
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Flor has presented grant proposals to Stockton University on behalf of the corps. The funds raised have helped pay for materials needed to introduce children to science lessons and experiments they can do in the after–school program. “What Flor has done for our program goes way beyond just volunteering,” says Tasha. “To research and bring in funds to teach these children to do something new—now that’s professional work one hopes to see coming from employees, not volunteers.” Kevin Gil–Clara, who is starting his sophomore year at Stockton, was assigned to volunteer at the corps through the Champion of Youths program at his high school. He attended the same Atlantic City after–school program where he now volunteers. Today, he sees his own upbringing reflected in
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“My parents always told me to do and be better than them. They are such good, hard–working people. I didn’t understand what they meant at first, but I do now,” says Kevin, who, like Flor, is the first member of his family to go to college. “They want me to succeed so that I don’t have to struggle as they did.”
DREAMING BIG
While Atlantic City businesses fight against increased service programs for the poor for fear that it may distract their customer base, the number of after–school attendees at the corps grows, and the Atlantic City Corps continues to bet on its outreach efforts to the community’s children. “It’s not always easy to get volunteers,” admits Flor. “The Army does a lot of background checks on anyone who works with children. Finding the right people is important.” Tasha wants the after– school program to go beyond the walls of the corps. “If I could wave a wand and get anything here for the children, I would give them a state–approved school bus with a licensed driver,” says Tasha. “Field trips and outings expose children to the world beyond their neighborhood, beyond the city they see every day. That’s how you inspire them. That’s how you get them to dream big.” Kevin says, “I would love to see the Army have counselors who can talk to the children, one on one. We know that some children go through things at home that are hard for them to talk about. A professional counselor would be a great help to us, and to them.” Says Captain Shana, “Kids need routine and structure, and that’s why an after–school program like the one we have at the corps is important. It provides stability and discipline they may not have when they leave here. They know that this is a place where they can learn and can be safe.” Captain Frank says, “We could not do this without people like Flor, Tasha, and Kevin. God will bless them in anything they choose to do in life, because they take their own time to bless others.”
One of the most important lessons I try to pass down to the children is that their choices matter; what they’re doing right now matters. – Kevin Gil–Clara corps volunteer
the children of the corps, some of whom are first–generation Americans like him. He understands the pressure they face at home and at school. “One of the most important lessons I try to pass down to the children is that their choices matter; what they’re doing right now matters,” says Kevin. “What they learn in school and after school, this very day, is developing their personality, their identity, and who they’re going to be years from now. I know it does because this after–school program helped shape the person I am today.” Kevin remembers his parents, Mexican immigrants who came to the United States when they were his age. They worked late hours and picked him up at the corps at night.
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RISE UP Puerto Rico, one year after the storm by Hugo Bravo, Linette Luna, and Robert Mitchell photography by Susan Magnano
Arecibo
San juan Fajardo
Puerto Rico
Watch a video of the Salvation Army’s work in Puerto Rico on saconnects.org
Ponce Last September, Hurricane Maria left the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and 3 million of its citizens without power, dangerously short on supplies, and with permanent damage to its residences, infrastructures, and agricultures. The Category 5 hurricane, which caused nearly $100 billion in damage, brought sustained winds of 175–200 mph, 20 inches of rain, and was the worst storm to hit the Caribbean island in a century. The Puerto Rican government announced in August that 1,427 people died because of the hurricane. Major Yolanda Rodríguez, a leader of the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands Division and based in San Juan, remembers, “After the hurricane, we didn’t know if our officers were alive. We didn’t have any way to communicate with them. There were zero communications.” The people of Puerto Rico have lost homes, jobs, possessions, and even loved ones to the storm, but their faith in God has helped them to triumph.
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SAN JUAN
Majors Eric and Yolanda Rodríguez, leaders of the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands Division since 2016, have lived through five hurricanes. But Hurricane Maria, which hit last September, by far was the worst. “Nothing can compare to Maria,” Major Eric says. “Being in the middle of that storm was one of the scariest things I’ve experienced.” The Rodríguezes rode out Maria in their home and were astonished to see the damage when they emerged. “It was devastating,” Eric said. “We passed areas where it looked like a nuclear bomb [had exploded]. Little streams transformed into huge rivers.” Major Yolanda said she and Eric drove around to check on Salvation Army officers. It took Eric and Yolanda weeks to visit some officers; a month passed before they knew the officer in St. Croix was okay. Some Salvation Army facilities sustained damage. The building in Humacao on the eastern side of the island was destroyed; the officers in St. Thomas lost their home. “We are still having issues with many
of our properties around the island,” Eric said. “Little by little, we are making progress. I wish things were moving faster.” Yolanda said the recovery has been “slow” and it took months to receive some federal relief aid. “Things have been challenging,” she said. “We have a lot of people who still don’t have roofs. We have a lot of people who still don’t have power.” In the mountainous center of the island, thousands of people are still without power, including some of Eric’s siblings. “Many people still suffer and are going through very difficult times,” Eric said. “We talk about Puerto Rico before Maria and Puerto Rico after Maria,” Yolanda said. “The people recognize that the Army has done a fantastic job. The mission of the Army has been fulfilled, no doubt about it. “We’re still helping people. The truth is, if you don’t have electricity, you need groceries that don’t go in the refrigerator. You also need water. Some places don’t have water. This has been a tough situation.” Eric said that Hurricane Maria, while catastrophic, provided a “great opportunity to serve.”
In September 2017, Maria, a Category 5 hurricane, left a path of destruction across the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands Division. Today, piles of debris, uninhabitable homes, and the lack of electricity are just some of the struggles people are overcoming.
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“I believe that The Salvation Army today is better recognized than in the past,” he said. “People know that we care and that we’re here to provide support.” Many homes lost roofs. Once those are replaced, The Salvation Army will help with the rest. The Army has set aside $7 million to spend over the next three years on appliances and furniture. “There are other organizations helping to rebuild houses,” Rodríguez said. “Our plan is to help them furnish their homes. “We have had the opportunity to encourage, to motivate, and to lend a hand, especially to those who are without hope. We’re bringing hope and showing that there are still people who care.” The Rodríguezes said The Salvation Army is recognized as a source of hope and help on the island. People have come to Yolanda on the street to express thanks. “They begin to cry and hug me,” she said. “We say, ‘We did what we are supposed to do.’ Our officers have been amazing— working since the day after the hurricane.” In the days and weeks after Maria, Eric and Yolanda preached sermons of encouragement, hope, and God’s mercy and protection.
“I can say that, even in the midst of these huge difficulties, we grew as Christians,” Yolanda said. “You have nothing but reliance on the Lord. We have seen His mercies and His compassion and His kindness to us. He has provided whatever we’ve needed. “We are a different people now. We really understand the Lord’s power in a real sense. We can feel the prayers of so many people.” Eric agreed, saying, “Even in the midst of the storm, He was taking care of us. God has been faithful, no doubt about it.”
Alexa Rentas and Israel Cintron had raised their children Lixandra, Xavier, and Jackeline to love and trust God, especially in times when their faith might be tested. “If you give thanks to the Lord in your days of abundance, you will do the same in your days of scarcity,” Alexa would say. This lesson would stay with the family during Hurricane Maria as they fled their home in Santurce, Puerto Rico to stay in a motel. Three days later, the family was running out of supplies and food. “We arrived at the motel with about $30 in cash. No business was taking credit
cards because of the power outages. That was something that I’m sure many people, including us, didn’t expect,” says Israel. Their home in Santurce was destroyed, and Israel was out of a job; the resort where he worked, El Conquistador, had shut down. Relatives offered the family space, but with limited rooms, only the children were able to go. For days, Alexa and Israel slept in their car and showered in public locker rooms by the beach. When the family needed food, they visited The Salvation Army San Juan Corps for the first time, hoping that at least their children would eat. As they sat down, Israel and Alexa saw other people standing in the food line on behalf of other people who were too weak to stand themselves. Families shared their portions with other families. Army volunteers and officers worked with smiles on their faces, even as arguments broke out among people on line. The corps volunteers understood that everyone was hungry, frustrated, and unsure of what the future would bring. Israel felt a deep sense of gratitude to be among those being helped. He turned to Alexa and said he wanted to volunteer
too. Daughter Lixandra told her father, “If you’re going to help, I want to help.” Soon, the children were looking for ways to serve alongside their father. They unpacked boxes, served food, and cleaned tables. Alexa, who nursed an injury, assisted by talking to families looking for practical services. “The best way to show you love God is to show love for others,” says Alexa. Today, the family is in a new apartment. Israel has found work closer to home, which allows the family to dedicate more time to the San Juan Corps and to each other. “Even as we’re preparing for the next storm season and storing food in easy–to– move containers, we know there’s no way to avoid an event like Maria,” says Alexa. “Life is made of highs, lows, and happy mediums. But God does not forget or forsake us in any of them.” Israel believes that the sense of unity and humanity that welcomed the family to eat at the San Juan Corps is something that Puerto Rico needs today. “One of the most touching stories I heard from survivors was how people who lived in apartments came out when the storm had settled, sat on roofs and
Alexa and Israel, along with their children Lixandra, Xavier, and Jackeline continue to worship at the Salvation Army’s San Juan Corps.
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balconies, and met their neighbors for the first time,” says Israel. “People united as one, though they had lived for years without even knowing each other’s names.”
ARECIBO
When Glenda Torres heard that Hurricane Maria was about to hit the island, she gathered any important files that she could find, and took her two daughters, Nairobi and Krista, to stay at a friend’s house. She prayed that her home would still be standing when she returned the next day. “As I was coming around the block, I saw that my home was standing, but with its roof completely blown off,” remembers Glenda. “My girls and I cried a lot at that moment.” Lieutenant Xiomara Berberena, corps officer at the Salvation Army Arecibo Corps, was a support to the family. “I remember hugging Glenda, telling her that we would be there for all of them,” said Berberena. “What do you tell someone who lost their home overnight, through no fault of their own? You remind them to trust God; He would find a way to lift them all up, somehow.” At the Arecibo Corps, where Glenda and her daughters attend, they volunteered to help people who had also suffered because of the storm. “We didn’t want to spend time thinking about what we had lost. Instead, we wanted to help those who had lost so much more than we had,” says Glenda. Berberena was moved by how Glenda’s daughters involved themselves in the corps’ efforts to serve the community. A day after the hurricane, they helped their mother to distribute food. “While Krista was packing and unpacking boxes, Nairobi was speaking to people coming for help. She also took down their information for future resources. Seeing them serve with smiles on their faces was inspiring,” says Berberena. “Even as the girls suffered their own loss, they wanted to bless others.”
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While standing in a roofless house, Lieutenant Xiomara Berberena prays with Glenda Torres and her daughters.
Glenda is still hoping to make repairs to their home. Even with financial help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the restoration has proven to be expensive. She wants to make the home habitable again—for other family members who need a place to live. “After the storm, I have seen the Puerto Rican people extend their hands to help others more than ever. We have always had each other’s backs. But now, I see it more—even one year later,” says Glenda. “Physically and spiritually, our island was shattered. But little by little, by the grace of God, we’re all coming back.”
FAJARDO
Having survived the storm, Magdalena Rodríguez’s home became a surrogate stop for Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) trucks when the local corps was not large enough to keep every EDS truck needed. She and her husband German, both soldiers at the Fajardo Corps, kept the trucks clean and drove them to the corps every morning. German was the only person at the corps, (besides the officers), licensed to operate the vehicles.
Above: An aerial view of Glenda Torres’ home. Hurricane Maria destroyed the roof, leaving the home uninhabitable. The kitchen is also in ruins (above, right). Far Right: Magdalena and her late husband, German (in a white t–shirt), stand with their son Angel and Salvationists from New York.
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“After the hurricane, the corps was devastated. Walls were pushed in, doors were broken, and the store was flooded,” says Magdalena. “We had to wait a bit to clean the store and get the supplies to give away. But when we started, we went straight to work, and we worked in God’s name.” She remembers feeling joy from being able to give supplies and provisions to families who needed them. “Big stores were putting limits on what people could buy. Not just food, but things like diapers as well. Families were coming to us when they still needed more of what the stores couldn’t give them.” But as the Rodríguez family worked, an unexpected tragedy came upon them. German, who suffered from Lupus and chronic kidney disease, contracted an infection from unclean water that remained in the island after the storm. “His kidney function went from 40 percent to 27 percent,” said Magdalena. “I knew he wasn’t feeling well, even when he was pushing himself to work. When he was asking to stay home on Sundays, that’s when I knew it was serious. He loved being in church.” On Christmas Eve of 2017, only
months after Hurricane Maria, German Rodríguez passed away. He was one of the many Puerto Ricans who lost their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Before falling into a coma, German asked his wife for news and updates on the corps. He wanted to know if the officers were getting the help they needed. “German was in the Lord’s service every moment that he was awake,” says Magdalena. “I’m confident that he’s in the Lord’s service, even now.” On January 1st, while she and her youngest son Angel visited her older son Christian in Texas, Magdalena thought about starting a new life in the states, away from Puerto Rico, as so many people had done after the storm. But as she prayed and read the Bible, she felt God’s presence stronger than ever. It made her realize that her family’s heart was still in Puerto Rico, and even in the most painful circumstances, God would remain by her side. Magdalena plans to return to Puerto Rico and to continue to be involved at the Fajardo Corps. She will carry on German’s work, who had dedicated his life to the Lord and to his family. “There is still work that needs to be
done. But, I know that with God, I will get through this, and so will Puerto Rico.”
PONCE
Wilfredo Colón Medina and Rachel M. Arroyo Muñoz were confident that their house in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, would survive the night of Maria. It had already survived previous hurricane seasons. But by 8:30 the next morning, water inside their home was knee deep. A river had overflowed, a sewer system pipe had burst, and rain was still pouring from the sky. The couple, along with their daughter Hazel and their family dog Shu, left their home. In the process, Wilfredo injured his leg. “The rain had closed off streets and roads around us. We felt trapped in our neighborhood,” says Rachel. They stayed at a local public school, which residents used as a refuge for families who had evacuated their homes. Later that night after the storm had passed, police encouraged families to return home, if possible; the school was dangerously over capacity and low on beds and food. They had planned for 200 people to
come; the real number was almost 400. The family had lost their possessions. Except for a few outfits hung high in a closet, all their clothing and shoes were soaked. Furniture, an electric bed, and a new kitchen stove were now useless. Their three cars were also flooded. With mold and fungus rising to the ceiling, it would be two weeks before the family could start cleaning up. When they began, friends who were members of The Salvation Army in Ponce visited and helped Rachel and Wilfredo, whose injured leg was still healing. “We didn’t have real knowledge of the church, even though we knew a few Salvationists. But when we needed help the most, they were the only ones who came to clean and brought food from the Army’s feeding events,” says Rachel. Even before the hurricane, the family had been looking for a church. When they visited the Ponce Corps to thank everyone for their ministry of help, they felt loved and at home. Becoming part of the ministry was an easy decision for them. Even though their house is now equipped with gates, new doors, and safety features to minimize flooding from the
next hurricane, they know 100 percent readiness against another event like Maria is only a dream. But now as Salvation Army soldiers at the Ponce Corps, their faith in God and in each other has grown stronger than any future storm. “When we saw what had happened to our home, we were sad, but we also saw this as an opportunity to start over,” says Wilfredo. “Material possessions come and go. I never had a negative thought about how our life would be from now on. We knew that goodness, in some form, would be on the way. It came with the Army, and with each other. Even in this difficult situation, Rachel and I found ways to unite our love and support each other.” “We didn’t become soldiers just because of what the Army had done for us,” says Wilfredo. “It was witnessing the whole mission of the Army. While other churches we saw only helped their own members, the Ponce Corps fed and reached out to everyone they could.” “Any day, after a storm or not, The Salvation Army puts no limitations on who or how much they help,” says Rachel. “That is what Jesus would do for His community if He was in Puerto Rico today.” After the storm, Wilfredo and Rachel became soldiers at the Salvation Army’s Ponce Corps.
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FARMERS of the FUTURE by Robert Mitchell
Where’s the Dirt? Not here. These tubes deliver nutrients directly to self– supporting plant roots.
Go to saconnects.org to watch a video on how hydrponics is changing Akron, Ohio.
“W
e’re as traditional a Salvation Army as you can get,” Major Kevin Jackson says, standing amid a high–tech hydroponics farm not far from the Akron (Citadel), Ohio, Corps. During the summer, representatives from NASA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) visited the farm to help Akron’s urban, at–risk kids learn robotics, build food computers, and run experiments that someday may help grow food on Mars. New projects involving aquaponics and coral reefs will begin soon. Jackson, who holds several master’s degrees, including one with an emphasis on early church history, explained
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that the indoor farm was actually inspired by Founder William Booth’s “In Darkest England scheme.” Booth’s scheme, after the publishing of In Darkest England and the Way Out in 1890, involved putting some of England’s urban poor on farms.
FRESH PERSPECTIVE
“We’ve taken the Darkest England scheme and we’ve just put it in the 21st century,” Jackson says. “That was our blueprint. That’s all we’ve done. William Booth and his officers were brilliant people. The problem is, they were 100 years ahead of their time. “We asked, ‘If we were going to take the urban poor and put them on a farm today, what would that look like?’ That’s what we have here. We wouldn’t be out in a field behind a mule and a plow. It’s in a high–tech, indoor growing facility, using all of the technology in the world to grow food 10 times faster and healthier.” The magic happens in a former 18,000–square–foot furniture store on Romig Road, affectionately dubbed “Fort Romig.” When The Salvation Army originally opened in Akron, it did so in this part of town. The corps included a farm. Marian Calvin, director of development for The Salvation Army in Akron, said, “Fresh Face Farms” was chosen as the name. Its mission statement reads: “A fresh new way to farm through technology, yielding the freshest products available. Grown by fresh young faces. For a fresh face on the war on poverty.”
Lettuce begins its lifecycle.
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Among the products grown in the indoor farm are leafy greens, such as lettuce and spinach; herbs, such as basil; tomatoes; cucumbers; and peppers. Some of the food is sold to local restaurants and grocery stores. “The products we deliver are less than 24 hours old—even in the winter,” Calvin said. The tomato plants recently reached their maximum of 15 feet, Jackson said. The seed stock dates back to 1830. “This is what they looked like almost 200 years ago,” Jackson says. “We’re taking this heirloom seed and we’re using 21st century technology to grow it. The kids do pretty much every aspect of it.” The entire system, designed by Ohio State University, is operated by a computer, which provides the plants with the perfect nutrient and pH (chemical) levels and water temperature. “We’re constantly monitoring everything, 24 hours a day,” Jackson said.
COLLEGE PLANS
When one of the water hoses accidentally dislodged from a growing tray during a recent tour, Jackson reinserted it, commenting, “That’s about as big of a disaster as we have.” The farm operates with a surprisingly low amount of water. “We recycle it,” Jackson said. “We grow everything in here with 150 gallons a month.” Jackson said a head of lettuce requires 40 gallons of water per month to grow outside, but a mere 14 ounces is needed per month in the indoor farm. “This is really where it happens,” Jackson said. “This is
Pink, full spectrum (LED) lights give plants a perfect growing environment.
The roots are self-supporting and hold the plants in place. No soil is used.
where kids get excited about the world they’re going to live in and how they’re going to be a part of that. “When they grow up, they’re actually going to be leaders and change–makers in their community. This is also about Akron. We don’t want them to go off to college and never come back.” Jackson has a plan to make sure the kids stay local. Eventually, he expects the farm to annually grow $2 million worth of food, of which $1 million will go back to the community through the corps food program. The other $1 million will fund operations, as well as a college scholarship program for Akron children.
STAYING ON MISSION
“Our goal is to take [kids] from 18 months to 18 years and then turn them over to the University of Akron,” Jackson says. “Another upside is we’re actually getting good, clean, healthy food into households of at–risk kids. That’s a huge step. Kids are used to having potato chips, candy bars, and sugary drinks.” Once the kids get to the University of Akron, Jackson said, “We’ll be waiting on them.” The corps has a full–time office on campus for social services. A Bible study will begin this fall. “We’re trying to do the mission of The Salvation Army well in a 21st century context,” Jackson said. “We could have a little garden out behind the corps and there would be nothing wrong with that, but this indoor farm is the absolute cutting edge of technology. This is how these kids are going to eat in the future. Traditional farms are becoming fewer, so this is how we’re going to feed the world. “We could hand them a basketball and a dodge ball and let them run around in the gym, but if that’s where it stops, I
have to question if we’re doing the best we can. Are we really ‘Doing the Most Good’ then?” The farm is operated and maintained by kids who attend Billy Booth’s Arts and Science Factory, an after–school academy named in honor of William Booth. However, the kids attending the 10 weeks of summer day camps this year got some extra help from NASA and MIT. Jackson said the young charges received an 87–page manual of variables from the NASA Glenn Research Center to conduct experiments on growing food on the surface of Mars. MIT helped the kids use robotics to build food computers designed by the prestigious university. “Those are two pretty high–end partners,” Jackson says. “You usually don’t hear The Salvation Army, MIT, and NASA all in the same sentence. “Whenever we can bring in partners or have relationships or find funding for those kind of projects that really fit into this new kind of programming, we’re going to do it.” Jackson has sought funding from donors, foundations, and the government. A retired engineer overheard Jackson talking about the farm in a local restaurant and gave him a $2,500 check. “It’s a very giving community and people are excited about this and the ministry of The Salvation Army,” he said. “We want to be a change–agent in the community.”
JESUS ‘CROPS UP’
Jackson recently secured funding for aquaponics, which should take the project to another level and allow for the addition of raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Jackson said nutrients from a fish tank are pumped into
Heirloom seeds 200 years old are used to grow tomato plants, which are now 15 feet high.
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a worm farm to form a unique symbiotic relationship. The worm waste is used to fertilize the lettuce trays in the farm. The roots of the lettuce then filter the water that keep the fish alive. “The fish will keep the worms alive, the worms keep the lettuce alive, and the lettuce keep the fish alive,” Jackson said. “We want the kids to experience multiple ways of growing.” Jackson said the natural interconnectedness of life is a perfect illustration to highlight the beauty of God’s creation to young children. “The spiritual angle and Jesus are clearly in what we do,” Jackson said. “Sometimes it’s easy to look past [that angle] when you see the computer–run farm, the hydroponics, the aquaponics, and the missions to Mars. But, embedded in all that stuff is what we truly believe, as far as our faith is concerned.”
SAVING THE WORLD
Stewardship is a major emphasis of the lessons, Jackson said, and it begins early when children tend a small apple orchard at the corps. “Initially, we tie in how there’s a loving God who takes care of us and guides us and has given us this wonderful place to live called Earth,” Jackson said. “Our responsibility is to take care of it and each other.” “There’s a strong sense that God gave each of us a brain and He expects us to use it—we do push that envelope. As far as being good farmers and engineers of the future, we’re just using the brains God gave us.” One way the kids will focus on caring for the world is by helping the planet’s dying coral reefs. “Our urban kids in Akron are going to literally raise and farm coral in sea water tanks,” Jackson said. “It’s called micro–fragmenting. We’ll take little granules of coral, plant them, and raise them to be about the size of your fingertip. Then, they will be harvested and taken to reefs around the world and transplanted to rebuild the coral. “So at–risk kids from Akron are going to help save the world’s oceans. That will be the most highly complex, challenging thing that we do in this building. We think it’s important that they realize they can do something to make the world a better place.”
BREAKING THE CYCLE
Jackson and his staff are determined to bring a new level of education to Akron. Most at–risk kids enter kindergarten at the educational level of a 3–year–old, rather than of a 5–year–old child. During the summer camp, the corps focused on adults reading to children to boost Akron’s low state reading scores. Meanwhile, preschoolers at the corps oversee small box
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Another upside is, we’re actually getting good, clean, healthy food into households of at–risk kids [who are] used to having potato chips, candy bars, and sugary drinks. —Major Kevin Jackson
”
gardens and a worm farm and learn computer coding on iPads. “You can’t start early enough,” Jackson says. “We fully expect that when our kiddos get to be 18 and graduate from high school, they’re going to be rock stars.” Jackson said the after–school crowd from Billy Booth’s Arts and Science Factory enjoys a snack, homework help, and recreation before attending a variety of theater and arts classes. The kids have already put on several major theater productions in association with Akron’s Rubber City Theater, which is also located at Fort Romig (see SAconnects magazine, January/February 2018). Many of the kids show up with a life goal of emulating NBA star LeBron James, who grew up in Akron. A year later, their life dreams often evolve; they also want to become doctors, concert musicians, farmers or scientists.
THE WORLD FOR CHRIST
“We offer up real tangible chances at success in life,” Jackson said. “Then we allow the kids the opportunity to find out what that is for them. Maybe it’s music, maybe it’s theater, maybe it’s farming, maybe it’s science. We start fostering that at a young age. “We feel like it’s part of our responsibility, not just to keep them off the streets in a clean, safe place, but to make them good citizens. It’s great to give them a place to go so they don’t join a gang, but what then? We felt like we had to take it to the next level if we’re truly going to do the mission of The Salvation Army. “We set the bar really high and we keep the mission our focus.” Jackson, ever the historian, says many of The Salvation Army’s early songs feature lyrics about “changing the world” and he remains an enthusiastic believer. “What we do is not easy, but I didn’t sign up for officership because I thought it was easy,” Jackson says. “I signed up because I wanted to change the world for God. “We’re serious about transforming the lives of our kids. No more half–hearted attempts. We are not going to sit back on our hands anymore and lose another generation of kids in Akron. We are all–in on this. We’re going to change the world.”
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I’m a miracle Former slugger finally finds peace by Robert Mitchell
Former baseball great Darryl Strawberry used to play before 50,000 fans on a typical Sunday. Today, Sunday is reserved for the God who saved him. The ordained preacher is often found speaking to much–smaller crowds at churches, as he did recently in upstate New York. Strawberry, best known for playing for the Mets and Yankees, delivered a Gospel–centered sermon chockfull of Scripture and reflections on his life in and out of baseball. The four–time World Series champion believes he is making a far greater impact today than he ever did on the baseball diamond.
What you do doesn’t define who you are. You don’t find out who you are until you come to Christ. When you find Christ, you’re free.
I wasn’t always like this. Over the Photo by Getty Images/Andrew D. Bernstein
years, God changed my life. I’m so grateful for being broken because it is part of what we go through as people. There is only one person who can change you and that is Jesus Himself.
I was broken because my father was an alcoholic. He rejected me
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and beat the crap out of me and said I would never amount to anything. When I was 14, he came home with a shotgun and said he was going to kill the whole family. My brothers and I went into action and almost killed my father. That could have been a tragedy in my life before I ever put on the [baseball] uniform. People saw me put it on and asked, “What’s wrong with him?” The truth is, I was already broken. My pain led me to my greatness, but my greatness led to my destructive behavior. If you never get well on the inside, that pain will always be there.
pass. Heaven and earth will pass away, but not His Word.
God is always going to use somebody. He’s always going to use a vessel to bring about His Word. You’re looking at one—me. If you’ve never seen a miracle, you’re looking at one now. God is a miracle–maker. He always has and always will continue to do miracles until He returns.
You used to know the baseball player who did all those great things and got into all kinds of trouble. Well, he’s dead. He no longer lives. It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.
I had it all. I was privileged my whole life. I lived in gated communities. I had everything. My kids were privileged. They’ve never been to public school; they’ve been to private school their whole lives. I just accumulated a bunch of stuff. I had everything, but I had nothing until I met Jesus Christ.
They thought I had victory playing baseball. No, I have victory now being holy. This is what victory looks like now—being holy and being righteous because of Jesus’ shed blood. That blood has cleansed me and empowered me and given me everything that I was missing in life; it has given me joy.
We want to fill those empty holes inside us. We want to fill them with more of this, and more of that. But those things will never work. They will never work until we’re filled with Jesus.
the problem is, I never picked up the Bible. My mother had been praying for me and when she was dying, she continued to pray for me and my brothers. She kept praying. She prayed that God would save all of us and change us. Guess what? When Mama prayed, God listened.
I had plenty of money. It
I came close to missing what was important. It’s Jesus Himself—The Man who hung on a cross and shed His blood that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
The Bible is the greatest book a person could ever
I’m not educated to preach.
We’ve gotten consumed with earthly things rather
Christ can’t increase if I don’t decrease. I had wanted to be
than with Kingdom things. Kingdom things are better than earthly things because Kingdom things are eternal. Earthly things are going to
Darryl Strawberry the baseball player and hold up my trophies. But if I hadn’t gotten out of the way, I could have never lived God’s perfect plan. One
If we never deal with what’s important in life, we’ll miss it.
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I don’t really know what took me so long to get here. I think
day, it was no longer about me, but about His Kingdom, His principles, and His Church.
SEPTEMBER 2018
read and it’s been here forever. It’s just a matter of asking, “When do I pick it up and read it for myself?”
never made me well. I lived in mansions. They never made me well. I had a bunch of fame. It never made me well. I wanted to be well—on the inside. Today, I stand here whole and well on the inside because Jesus Himself is Lord over my life.
I didn’t go to preaching school. God called me from a “pit” to a pulpit.
I’ve been preaching for eight years. God called me out of my apartment in Manhattan and told me to close my restaurant. He said I was going to preach … that the Holy Spirit would descend on me and teach me the Bible. I started diving into the Bible
and He started teaching me everything. There I was, getting saturated with the Holy Spirit! God calls you right where you are. He just needs a vessel and to be able to use it (you) for His glory.
I buried my mom at 55 and my sister at 51 and guess what? They didn’t take anything with them. So, I decided I didn’t have to be consumed with all this earthly stuff. I realized I needed to be consumed with His principles, work for Him, and do what He’s called me to do.
That old baseball player? He’s dead. I don’t even like baseball anymore. For the last nine years, I’ve been in ministry, preaching the Gospel. I’ll show up if there’s a [baseball] reunion or something like that, but I’m so busy because God has restored me.
Baseball is nothing. Heaven and earth are going to pass away, but not God’s Word. When you die, people will talk about you for a week and then they’ll stop talking about you. I think about the lives I’ve had a chance to impact [more than baseball]. God loves people. He’s crazy about people and we become a vessel when we understand that. When we start loving people, we get to have an impact too.
When I started on this journey, I was $3 million in debt and didn’t have a driver’s license. God’s got a great
Courtesy of Liberty University/Mitchell Bryant
‘... G od was doing for me what I couldn’t do for myself. God has a greater plan. He is the restorer.’
sense of humor. I ended up in prison because of addiction. You see, God was doing for me what I couldn’t do for myself. God has a greater plan. He is the restorer. But I had to get rid of the old.
People need to get faith in their lives [in overcoming addiction]. I overcame addiction through the Church. Church is powerful. I think people underestimate the Church. People think church is a bunch of rules and regulations. It’s not. It’s to help you change. When you search for who you are, you’re not going to find it in stuff; you’re going to find it in Jesus Christ. He’s already done it for us. It’s just us
surrendering ourselves and entering in. We need to encourage more people to come to church. Let God speak to your heart because He loves you.
I’m not thirsty anymore because I drink “living water.” It fills me every day with goodness, joy, happiness—no matter what I’m going through.
I decided I no longer wanted to live a life of brokenness. I should be dead. I had cancer twice. I lost my left kidney. I was broken and in the midst of addiction. I was shooting dope and smoking crack. There I was. Everyone had written me off. But Jesus
said, “I want him.”
Everyday, I get up and worship Him. I don’t miss
Jesus loves the lost, the ones
days. When I get up and my feet hit the floor, I tell Him, “Thank you.” I spend time with Him and worship Him and just love Him because of His grace. When you understand what grace really is, you’ll become grateful. Grace is something you don’t deserve. Grace is something He gives you every day.
who don’t believe they have it all together and don’t think highly of themselves, but who think highly of Jesus. When you meet Him, you’re not going to want anyone else. I love my wife. I love my kids. But, I love Jesus more. When you’ve tasted and entered in and gained this relationship with Him, you’ll understand that He has everything that is missing inside of you. He’ll fill that void with His Spirit.
No man will be able to love you, no woman will be able to love you, no child will be able to love you, like Jesus does.
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I think The Salvation Army is great. They do a wonderful job of helping people who nobody else wants to help. I’ve spoken at a lot of their events. They’re a life– saver for many people. It’s a church that brings love and hope.
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Q & A
Luis Enrique Rodríguez interview by Hugo Bravo
Luis Enrique Rodríguez has produced and directed films and videos for over 25 years. He started his career in Puerto Rico behind the camera shooting music videos and TV commercials for companies and nonprofit organizations, including The Salvation Army in Puerto Rico. His film debut “por amor en el caserío” (for love of the village) premiered in New York, and his second film “Dos Caminos” (Two Paths) premiered in both New York and Los Angeles.
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How did studying advertising influence your filmmaking? As an advertising student at the University of Puerto Rico, I collaborated with film students. We were a small group with limited resources and we tried our hands at everything— commercials, film, photography, and advertising. Our approach was similar to that of our film making. We used the same visual techniques, cues, structures, and high production values. Our ideas, combined with our hungry 1990s mentality, became the foundation for today’s film industry in Puerto Rico. In 2013, when I had the opportunity to direct my first film, “por amor en el caserío,” I was prepared for it because of what I learned while doing commercials. One of the techniques I brought from advertising was to tell stories that reveal a relationship between two people. For example, “por amor en el caserío” was a Romeo & Juliet–type story set in Puerto Rico. “Dos Caminos” was about the relationship between twin brothers, Dani and Mickie, and how the sin and redemption of one brother affected the other. In “Dos Caminos,” Mickie sees a Salvation Army canteen (mobile food truck). He puts on a red vest and volunteers. How did the Army get involved in your movie? Since the beginning, we had our eyes on the Army, though we didn’t know if it had ever backed a film like this. When we were writing the script, we knew that we needed the backing of such an organization with a reputation for helping people. When we presented the script, they said that they would help us with anything we needed. They loved the movie’s theme of second chances and seeking redemption, like Mickie was trying to do. “Dos Caminos” could be seen as a modern–day Bible story. The brothers attend church together, a pastor reaches out to Mickie in his most difficult time, and another character may even be the
devil in disguise. Was making a Christian film always your plan? I admit that at the start, I wasn’t thinking of treating it as a Christian film. I had plans to keep the story as secular as some of my previous works. But I soon saw that I was actually directing a Christian movie with redemption in the eyes of God at its center. It was much closer to my life and faith than I had realized. We had discussed how we would market the film and reach out to both a secular and a Christian audience. But everyone agreed that making a Christ–centered movie would not only be closer to what we wanted, but would also make the film accessible to a variety of audiences. “Dos Caminos” was a great success for everyone involved. The Puerto Rican movie– going public was ready for a Christian film with high production values, and a message for everyone.
to simply live without it. There are many families like this. Their houses need repair, and they walk miles for drinking water and fuel oil. I also invite everyone to make Puerto Rico their next vacation destination. The tourism business is very important to our economy, and we need to share our beautiful island with the world, now more than ever.
How did Hurricane Maria affect your work as a filmmaker? The devastation of Hurricane Maria postponed the filming of my next movie for about six months. The essence of Puerto Rican filmmaking is in its locations. Whatever type of scenery your film needs, you’ll find it there. Cities, beaches, jungles, and deserts—every one of them was affected by last year’s storms. Scouting for locations came to a complete stop. Power outages, closed offices, and damaged buildings all contributed to the delays. But by the grace of God, we knew that we would continue making movies, no matter how long it took.
What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers? First, be sure making movies is truly what you want to do. Filmmaking is work that requires dedication, persistence, and collaboration with like–minded people. You need to learn to balance the time you will give to your art with your family and loved ones. Second, recognize the great responsibility you have to your community as its storyteller. Seek your audience and think about the stories you want to bring to them. There are wonderful and original stories happening all around us, and even more inside of us. Finally, don’t ever quit. You will always run into obstacles, and you will learn from them. When I was 13, I made my first movie with my G.I. Joe toys as stars. The questions I come across today are the same ones I had then: “Is this a good scene for the story? Am I filming it from the best angle? How am I going to get the shot I want?“ The obstacles will be there, but God will be there too. When you know that making movies is what you were put on earth by the Lord to do, trust that He will guide you in your art.
In what ways can the world still help Puerto Rico, one year later? The world can help by reaching out to organizations like The Salvation Army that are still working to help Puerto Rican families in need. Last spring, I worked on a commercial for Jeep trucks in Yabucoa, a town greatly affected by Maria. There, my team met a family who still had no electricity. The family did not know when power would return, so they had learned
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Talk about your next movie. “The Journey Ahead/ El ojo de Dios” is a road trip movie about a girl mourning the death of her father. In seeing her mother try to move on, the girl rebels against her family and runs away from home. She meets someone who is going through a similar experience and together they take a trip that changes their worldview and their lives. Like “Dos Caminos,” it’s a story about second chances that are realized through unexpected relationships.
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wholly living
Double–check?
When it comes to Scripture, triple–check by Major Lauren Hodgson
Micah, my grandson, came home with a message from his kindergarten teacher. “Mrs. Dowd wants to know if we want to donate any of my books to the classroom library.” Mom sorted through all of them and sent in those he OK’d for the cause. When Micah’s dad picked him up after school, he said, “Dad, Mrs. Dowd wants to know if we are letting her borrow these books or if she can keep them.” Dad said, “She can keep them, Buddy.” After a short silence during the ride home, Micah said again, “Dad, Mrs. Dowd wants to know if we are letting her borrow these books or if she can keep them.” Puzzled by his second inquiry, Micah’s dad said again, “Yeah, Buddy, she can keep the books.” With relief, Micah said, “OK. Mrs. Dowd just wanted me to double–check.” Five– year olds process things literally. This sweet story got me thinking about the way I process messages. I’m a slow learner. Sometimes, I need to hear a request or statement a few times before it sinks in. Just like Micah, I occasionally need to double–check or even triple–check to make sure I’m hearing what I’m supposed to hear. Nowhere in my life is this truer than in my study of the Word, and I don’t think I’m the only one. In fact, it’s the slow–simmering processing of a truth that gives it more meaning and helps it stick. It’s often after hearing it a second
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or third time that I finally experience that meaningful “Aha Moment.” I’m in good company when it comes to being a slow learner. I read throughout the New Testament how Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, struggled with his Rabbi’s teachings. The process of sorting through them wasn’t always pretty! “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31–34 NIV) Peter’s quick, no–holds–barred response was evidence that after three years of following Jesus, he still needed to process the demands of discipleship. Peter did deny Jesus three times and went through the excruciating experience of watching Jesus be tortured, die on the cross, and buried in a borrowed grave. Three days following His death, the body was declared missing. Fast forward to the beach scene where Peter processes this turn of events in the best way he knows how— he goes fishing with his buddies. This is when Christ appears and gently and lovingly helps Peter triple–check all he’s
been through. While he’s doing that, Jesus also cooks a hearty breakfast of fish and bread for the guys. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15–17 NIV) Commentators have discussed why Jesus triple–checked Peter’s answer. Yes, he denied Christ three times so it makes sense that he restate his devotion to Christ for each denial. Yes, there is something to be said for itemizing Peter’s earthly loves: his skill as a fisherman, his fishing tools, and his fishing buddies. For all the slow learners of the world, I’d like to draw another possible conclusion. When I don’t quite get what the Lord is trying to tell me, He will use His Holy Spirit—working in me—to ask and ask and ask, until I get it. I relish the fact that God has all the time in the world and is willing to spend as much of it as needed to help me get it right.
No Room for SATAN The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” —JOHN 21:17 NIV
Richard Wurmbrand spent 14 years in a Nazi concentration camp. He spent several years in solitary confinement, often tortured by brutal prison guards. One day, he said that he had learned something from the guards. He said, “As they allowed no place for Jesus in their hearts, I decided I would leave not the smallest place for Satan in mine.” How about you? Have you left a place for Satan, for sin, in your heart? If you have, do you think it pleases God? For you see, God has called us to live a holy life. Perhaps you think it sounds good for someone else, but you could never do it. You may say any or all of the following ideas to yourself: • There is no way I could live a holy life! I am weak and unreliable.
• I have tried so many times and failed. • Without a doubt, I could never be holy as God is holy!
You are right! It is not about what you can do on your own. It is about what you and I can do with our Lord’s help! With our Lord’s help, I can say with outright confidence that you can live a holy, clean, and Christ–centered life! We all know, but we hate to admit that we have tried for so long to be holy and to live a clean and Christ–centered life from the outside in, but it has not worked. It won’t work that way because it’s backwards. True holiness is an inside job. It begins on the inside. It is an inward transformation which works its way outward. There will be evidence on the outside of a person who has experienced this inward transformation through the continuing work of the Holy Spirit. We do not need more rules. Instead, we need to keep falling in love with Jesus and give space to the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. We can then live a holy, clean, and Christ–centered life, which will help us to love God and people wholeheartedly. Holiness and spiritual transformation will help us say, “I am sorry.” They help us to be truthful at all times. They safeguard our tongue and help our words to be encouraging and edifying to people around us. Our Lord’s transforming power will help us guard our hearts and minds. Without a doubt, holiness can sound scary—it need not be. In Chuck Colson’s book, Loving God, he had this to say about holiness: “Holiness is the everyday business of every Christian. It evidences itself in the decisions we make and in the things we do, hour by hour, day by day.” As we strive to live holy, clean, and Christ–centered lives, we will be able to say at the end of the day as Richard Wurmbrand said, “As they allowed no place for Jesus in their hearts, I decided I would leave not the smallest place for Satan in mine.” —by Major Marie Larrinaga
to your health
ANCIENT GRAINS FOR MODERN TABLES
by Elizabeth Smoots, MD
The overall cancer death rate in the U.S. is declining, and the number of cancer survivors is increasing, according to the American Cancer Society’s 2016 cancer report. A major reason for the decline is early detection. Recent statistics: •S ince 1998, death rates in the U.S. for the four most common cancers, prostate, lung, colorectal, and breast, and all cancers combined have been gradually declining. Death rates are also declining for brain, leukemia, ovary, stomach, and bladder cancers. • The number 1 cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. is lung cancer, in both men and women, primarily due to smoking. •E xcess body fat is connected to 11 cancers, and considered the second leading risk factor for cancer after smoking. •A lcohol consumption likely causes several forms of cancer, including those of the larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and female breast. Cancer treatment is most successful when the disease is found early. Discuss cancer screening with your health care provider. Scientists hope their immunotherapy research will eventually lead to a universal cancer vaccine. Until then, a substantial number of cancers could be prevented by avoiding tobacco, by limiting alcohol use, and by maintaining a healthy weight.
PROSTATE CANCER RISKS? Cancer of the prostate is the most common cancer in U.S. men, and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. It occurs in the walnut–shaped prostate gland beneath the bladder in men. Older age ranks as the No. 1 risk factor; all men older than 50 are at increased risk for developing prostate cancer. A family history of prostate or breast cancer also elevates the risk. Several other factors may contribute to prostate cancer. For unknown reasons, the cancer starts earlier and occurs more frequently in African–American men. Research also has linked a diet high in fat and low in vegetables to prostate cancer and excess weight to more aggressive disease. Best ways to reduce risk: eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, lose excess weight and get moderate exercise most days of the week. Ask your health care provider about screening for prostate cancer.
© 2018 Ebix Inc. dba Personal Best. All rights reserved. Not intended as a substitute for professional care.
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FARRO: This grain is popular in Italy and is related to wheat. It comes in three varieties: farro piccolo (einkorn), farro medio (emmer), and farro grande (spelt). Whole–grain farro berries are high in fiber and are great in soup, risotto, and salad. They cook faster if you soak them overnight. You can also try farro pasta.
MILLET: This tropical, yellow–hued grain is a small seed. It cooks to a grainy or creamy consistency, depending on cooking time and how much liquid is added. Enjoy as a morning porridge with cinnamon and raisins, or as part of a pilaf mixed with quinoa. Millet is gluten–free and high in magnesium.
QUINOA: This Peruvian native is also a seed rather than a true grain. Quinoa cooks quickly (15 minutes), is a complete protein and is high in iron and B–vitamins. It’s also gluten–free. It comes in tan, black, and red varieties.
SORGHUM: This gluten–free grain is popular in Africa and is the 5th most important cereal crop globally. The small circular orbs are about the size of peppercorns and hold their shape well when cooked. The nutty flavor makes sorghum perfect for savory side dishes. Bonus: Sorghum pops like popcorn when heated with oil. —by Cara Rosenbloom, RD iStock (5)
Cancer Update: Facts and Figures
Farro, millet, quinoa, and sorghum are all ancient grains, which is the name for cereal crops that have been largely unchanged in the past several hundred years. Here’s a variety of nutritious ancient grains to add to your plate.
USA E A STE R N TE R R I TO RY
I N TE G R ATI N G MI S S I ON W I TH V I S I O N S O C I A L M I N I ST R I E S CO N FE R E N C E 2 0 1 8 PLENARY SPEAKERS
O ctob er 28—3 1
Lancaster, P.A. Commissioner William A. Bamford
Commissioner Israel L. Gaither
Dr. Roger J. Green
Dr. Jonathan S. Raymond
SPECIA L TR ACKS (L I MI T E D GEN E R A L SE AT I N G ) on earth, as it is in heaven
Co n ta ct y o u r Di v i siona l Socia l Serv ices Secreta ry f or registra t ion inf ormat ion.
Look, I tell you, open your eyes and observe that the fields are ready for harvesting now! John 4:35 (ISV)
USA Eastern Territory Commissioners William A. & G. Lorraine Bamford. Territorial Leaders