SAconnects, Volume 5, Number 4 — May 2019

VOL. 5, NO. 4 • MAY 2019

On Our Way! Family–friendly vacations SACONNECTS.ORG

the magazine

July 27 – August 2, 2019

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rchard Beac O ld

in Ann t e ua l Ca mp Me with special guests

General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle

Including:

New York Staff Band Eastern Territory Staff Songsters Daily Corps and Beach Bible Studies

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contents VOLUME 5 | NUMBER 4

in every issue 3 from the editor 6 an active army 7 relevents 22 snapshot 30 wholly living

Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Ky. Noah’s Ark is 510 feet long (1.5 football fields), 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high (five stories).

It is the largest timber frame structure in the world — taking just two years to build using wood from Utah that was milled in Colorado.

In contrast, AiG estimates it took Noah 50 to 75 years to build the real one. read more on page 12

departments 5 LEAD Discover how SALT seasons evangelical relationships with communities, families, and the hearts of individuals.

24 FAITH in ACTION Josh Linder’s life was saved through the Salvation Army Family Caring Center.

26 Q & A Who are your “blood” relatives?

Learn how Christ has redefined “family” for every believer, says Commissioner Clive Adams.

28 profile

8 The Refugee Crisis

This worldwide and harrowing scourge against humanity is the worst it’s been in recorded history. How does The Salvation Army help people caught up in it? Read these fascinating testimonies for the answer.

12 Family Vacations

DACA “Dreamers” share how God, through The Salvation Army, has helped them realize their dreams.

32 20/20 vision highlights Grassroots, corps–level ministry is the foundation of the Salvation Army’s outreach to communities. See how it’s happening in your neighborhood.

“Faith for the Whole Family” takes a look around the country at some God–honoring, family–friendly vacation spots. Enjoy days of relaxation at Sight & Sound Theaters, the Museum of the Bible, and the amazing full–sized replica of Noah’s Ark. Rest assured that your children are safe, fed, and having a good time!

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

2019 MAY

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True

N rth

“...This is the way; walk in it.”

People everywhere are talking about God and who He is, but do we ever get confused and wonder if what we’re hearing is the actual truth? Everyone is saying “live your truth,” but shouldn’t we be searching for God’s truth?

True North is more than a Bible study— it’s a combination of resources designed to help us in thinking critically about the so–called truths that we have accepted from our culture.

Geared toward younger women, but open to everyone. www.saconnects.org/truenorth

from the editor the magazine

your connection to The Salvation Army

USA EASTERN TERRITORY TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford

Double Whammy

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, Joe Marino, Mabel Zorzano STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Love CIRCULATION Doris Marasigan COMMAND NEWS CORRESPONDENTS PENDEL Major Kathryn A. Avery EMP Jaye C. Jones GNY Major Susan Wittenberg MASS Heather MacFarlane 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. 5, No. 4, May Issue 2019. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAconnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. SAconnects accepts advertising. Copyright © 2019 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

SACONNECTS WINS SAConnects magazine won four more awards at the Evangelical Press Association’s (EPA) annual convention this April.

The awards for writing, graphics, and photos, include: •F IRST PLACE, General Article Long: Hugo Bravo (“Pain, Miracles, and a New Mission,” Nov. 2018.)

•T HIRD PLACE, General Article Short: Robert Mitchell (“Mootivated to Serve,” June 2018).

•T HIRD PLACE, Typography and Lettering: Lea L. Greene, Alaina DiGiacamo, Warren L. Maye, Robert Mitchell, Reginald Raines (“Freedom for the Captives,” Oct. 2018.)

•T HIRD PLACE, Single Photo Controlled: Ryan Love (“Hands Holding Clovers,” Nov. 2018).

SAconnects magazine has won nine EPA awards since the publication began four years ago.

One judge said of this year’s first place win, “An outstanding profile, presented with an amazing combination of vivid detail and incredible sensitivity. Masterfully done.”

“Baby, I’m going to make your life better than it is right now,” is a popular line used by predators to lure unsuspecting women into lives of sexual slavery. At the time of this writing, even Allison Mack, TV star of “Smallville,” pled guilty for her role in trafficking women under the guise of helping their business careers.

This case is just one of many examples that illustrate just how pervasive the conspiracy to commit forced labor has become in our society. Promises of belonging to a family, knowing real love, and having financial security can seem irresistible to women who have painfully struggled to survive in the absence of these things. The additional flow of opioids into every community is a double whammy that leaves many women physically, emotionally, and spiritually broken.

In our next issue, we’ll explore how The Salvation Army is attacking these problems on many fronts. You’ll read testimonies from women who have survived “the life” and who’ve emerged as advocates for women still caught up in it. We’ll visit Salvationists who courageously and tirelessly serve such women, offering them a way out.

You’ll also discover the Army’s long history on this battlefield. From the legendary Major Betty Baker, who in the 1970s rescued women from the streets of New York City, to Major Sue Dunigan, who today leads the USA Eastern Territory’s outreach to victims of sexual trafficking, you’ll see how these soldiers are beating the odds and winning souls for Christ.

SAconnects ranks among the top five denominational magazines in the U.S., which includes a field of 31 magazines. saconnects.org/epa19awards

— Warren L. Maye, Editor in Chief

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A learning event and retreat for soldiers, local officers, and other leaders—novice or veteran. Registration is $120.

saconnects.org/lead

LEAD

MOVERS and SHAKERS

by Isaiah Allen

S A L T

STORY Listen to your neighbors’

stories. Ask yourself, “What is happening in their lives?"

(Struggles, concerns, joys, griefs)

AFFIRM, Acknowledge, Appreciate, and Ask questions.

LISTEN to what people are sharing. Doing so affirms their personal value.

TEAM effort is a major

component. We are taking these steps together!

Every neighborhood has its assets. Caring about families and neighbors is a tremendous asset. Do people share in community by helping each other in times of trouble? Do they embrace and facilitate change as people find new jobs, welcome new family members or graduate from school? Can they imagine what "better" looks like for them and their loved ones? Can they embrace hope, the most crucial asset of all?

Through the practice of SALT,* the Salvation Army’s neighborhood outreach strategy, soldiers have found these and other strengths in neighborhoods. They get to know the ordinary people who make a neighborhood vital and strong. They see God at work.

Salvationists espouse John Wesley’s doctrine of prevenient grace, which basically holds that God is already at work in people’s lives—even before they come to a saving faith.

Consider these biblical foundations: “No one can come to me [Jesus] unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44 ESV); “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4 ESV); “God works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 ESV); “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 ESV). Each verse portrays God as the initiator of relationships.

SALT practices, which are becoming more common among Salvationists in the USA East, are predicated on prevenient grace. One implication is that Christians don’t need to devise a preset agenda for talking with people about faith and conversion. We can assume that God has already been active in the lives of each person we encounter. The task of evangelism, then,

involves prayerfully discovering what God has been doing and then participating wholeheartedly in that endeavor.

The process is formative for everyone involved. Soldiers, “armed” with such gratitude for God’s grace in their lives and with a grasp on God’s grace toward others, walk through neighborhoods assuming that grace–filled encounters are just waiting to happen.

SALT teams are composed of people with diverse backgrounds.

Formal education, socio–economic status, and other tokens of prestige have little value compared to divine grace. A soldier’s presence and social connections in the neighborhood are the currency of greatest worth.

Take a recent SALT outing in Portland, Maine, for example. About a dozen people divided themselves into small teams and moved through one neighborhood. Some of them, by virtue of their relationships with neighbors, had doors, conversations, and lives opened to them. Relationships are what made people more receptive, rather than high social rank, personal wealth, or clever techniques.

In practicing SALT, people emerge as true leaders and as team assets.

A scrappy young adult in Portland, Maine; an elderly man in Lexington, Ky.; a teenage girl in Geneva, N.Y.; a quiet grandmother in San Juan, Puerto Rico—such people become MVPs when the mission is disciple–making (“The Great Commission” of Matthew 28:18–20). Praying quietly while walking closely, they recognize each other’s immense, God–given value. Rather than sizing team members up by their education, income, and appearance, they discover and participate in the ongoing movement of God’s grace.

iStock

*To learn more about SALT or to invite a team to your area for training, email Major Ismael Correa at ismael.correa@use.salvationarmy.org.

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an active army

SUMMER CAMP

by Hugo Bravo

For Sarah Newell, a native of Northern Ireland, summer camp was something that she saw only in European countries such as France or Italy. But at 18, she wanted to see the world and was enthralled by the idea of working a season at an American camp.

“A friend in Belfast knew someone who had worked at Camp Tecumseh eight years before,” says Sarah. “She still had contact and sent my information to them. The next day, someone at Camp Tecumseh reached out to me, and I was hired.”

In 2012 on a hot June day, Sarah arrived in New Jersey to work as a counselor at the Salvation Army’s Camp Tecumseh. “My first thought was, how beautiful the grounds are,” remembers Sarah. “I’ve returned every year since then to be part of the Camp Tecumseh staff.

When I arrive in Pittstown, N.J., I say to myself, I’m finally home for the summer.”

As junior staff coordinator, Sarah

works with the teenage counselors and shows them how they can each impact the ministry of Camp Tecumseh.

“Counselors, who are younger than I was my first year here, have a chance to invest in the lives of children. They can show them that they are loved, even if only for one week of camp,” says Sarah.

“The more these counselors put themselves into their roles, the more they will get back.”

Sarah knows this better than anyone.

She arrived at Camp Tecumseh without any knowledge of The Salvation Army or any sort of faith. Though her father was a Presbyterian and her mother a Catholic, Sarah had grown up outside of church. Sarah’s mother had encouraged her to discover faith for herself.

“This allowed me to have an open mind when I arrived at Camp Tecumseh. I learned that Jesus loves me, and the Holy Spirit is present in my life at this very moment. I wasn’t an

CAMPING TIPS FOR PARENTS For children and their parents, any trip away from home has the potential to be scary. These suggestions may help get your family ready for camp.

■ T alk to your children about all the fun they will have at camp, the friends they will make, and the activities they will enjoy. If you are excited about camp, they will be too!

■R emind them that there will be adults to teach them and watch over them every day.

■ S ince you are unable to visit the camp during the week, mail letters to your children.

You may want to send the letter a day or two before your children leave for camp to ensure it arrives while they are at the camp. In your letter, encourage them to have fun and to enjoy everything camp has to offer.

■A s a parent, YOU may become “camper sick.” If you feel that you need more time to prepare yourself to be separated from your child while away at camp, it’s okay to wait.

■C hildren who come home from camp will want to talk about the adventures they’ve enjoyed with new friends. Take time to listen as they share these priceless memories.

For more information on Camp Tecumseh, please visit www.camptecumseh.com.

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outsider looking in, but rather an active participant in a joyful, relevant ministry that focused on young people.”

Camp Tecumseh ignited and shaped her faith, says Sarah. After her first summer at the camp, she returned to Northern Ireland and became a Christian at Central Belfast Presbyterian Church. She also began undergrad studies in youth work and theology. She credits this decision to the counselors and staff whom she met at Camp Tecumseh.

“They were mentors and surrogate leaders who didn’t just express their faith, but also acted on it every day,” says Sarah. “I wanted to live how they lived and love the Lord like they loved Him.” “The summer camp experience is one of the most impactful ministries that The Salvation Army has,” says Sarah. “Campers come to Tecumseh from big, bustling places like Trenton or Newark, where they are surrounded by pollution, noise, and very limited green space. Yet, something awakens in a child who sees a silent, starry night sky for the first time; surrounded by God’s creation. We sometimes overlook how nature can impact someone’s faith and spiritual life.”

“When a new camper arrives at Tecumseh, it reminds me of my first day as a counselor. You see them come to life and you see who Christ is calling them to be.”

relevents

Lieutenant Mhairi Smeaton, assistant corps officer at the Salvation Army’s Hazlet Outpost in New Jersey, talks about exploring other cultures, feeling victorious in community, and how God’s perfect love is also His perfect humility.

by Hugo Bravo

In 2008, I led a “Hands On” mission team to Estonia. I had prayed for this opportunity to see Europe again after living in the United States for five years. Our team represented a mesh of cultures: me, a Scottish woman, led Americans to a country that none of us knew much about. But in the process, I learned that each of us can find God’s heavenly culture within earthly ones. When we engage in a new society, it may cause us some discomfort, but we also discover traces of God’s glory. There is beauty in seeing how the Lord presents Himself through a culture different than our own.

God is so good to us that His love actually surrounds us and becomes His beautiful humility. The Lord is perfect, yet He is not arrogant. An arrogant god would say that we could never be like Him. Instead, He tells us the complete opposite; we are all made in His image, we can absolutely be like Him, and it’s the best we can possibly be. None of us are ever so flawed that we cannot be in the presence of God.

My favorite verses in the Bible speak to the superiority of God. “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act?

Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19). This Scripture reminds me that God is not a boss that goes back on His word or one that raises you up just to break you down. He is intentional in every word He speaks. Another verse, Deuteronomy 6:4, says, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is your God, the Lord alone.” That short verse is the most basic and most correct description of God. He is the One who sends us forward and the only One who can guide us.

As a candidate on my way to becoming a cadet, I spoke to God about my future as an officer. I asked Him to help me to never be negative or feel ungrateful for the opportunity to serve. I openly confessed a whole list of tasks that I did not particularly love doing, but if I had to be a Salvation Army officer, I would do them. God said, “Mhairi, you don’t have to be a Salvation Army officer. You get to be a Salvation Army officer.” I realized that I was fortunate to be given this opportunity. I’m not beholden to it; it’s a privilege. It’s a complete gift from God to be an officer in His Church.

I measure every achievement in my life by how it has benefited others. Real victories go beyond the four walls of where I am right now. If I am about the Lord, my success will be His success, and the success of the community I serve. It can be easy to feel jealous when other people win. But when I see others win, and I celebrate their triumphs, it becomes a triumph for all of us. This was a hard lesson I learned from my past, even as a cadet.

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THE REFUGEE CRISIS

by Warren L. Maye

Rohingya Muslims, who recently fled government–sanctioned violence in Myanmar, squat outside their shelters at Jamtoli refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (October 26, 2017).

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CAPTAIN VINCENT, HOW HAS THIS CRISIS CHALLENGED YOUR HEART, YOUR PERSPECTIVE, AND YOUR WORLDVIEW?

Today, the worldwide refugee crisis is the worst it has been in recorded history. Captain Swetha Vincent, an officer assigned to the Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) in New York City, and Captain Paula Mendes from Brazil, currently serving in the ISJC's Officer Capacity Building Program, talk about how the Army helps people caught up in this harrowing and often tragic scourge against humanity. First and foremost is the restoration of their worth and dignity as human beings.

My first year of public high school in Chicago shaped my perspective about people seeking refuge.

Mirsada, my friend from Bosnia, was 15 and I was only 12 when we were freshmen. I wondered why she was so much older than me, but still a freshman.

That was when I heard the term “refugee” for the first time. It was 1994 and Mirsada, like the rest of the Bosnian community at the high school, had fled the Bosnian war. My young mind could not comprehend all that my friend had already endured. She told me that she witnessed her sisters gang raped and assaulted by soldiers in the middle of a detention camp. Her father and brothers had been killed. She and her mother were the only survivors of their family.

Refugees long for home, a place to belong, and a place that is safe. Such a familiar place becomes a part of our identity. Refugees are often discussed in terms of an “issue” to deal with. I do not think of them as an “issue.” To me, they are people with faces, names, and stories. They are human beings made in the very image of God.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE REGARDING THIS CRISIS? Many people assume refugees are poor, are looking to take advantage, are violent, and are uneducated.

WHO IS A REFUGEE? Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.

They often have had to flee with little more than the clothes on their back, leaving behind homes, possessions, jobs, and loved ones.

iStock

Refugees are defined and protected in international law. The 1951 Refugee Convention is a key legal document and defines a refugee as: “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well–founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.”

By the end of 2017, there were 25.4 million refugee men, women, and children registered across the world.

—The UN Refugee Agency

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CAPTAIN MENDES, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH REFUGEES? In my current appointment in Brazil, we have a large group of Haitian refugees in the city. Feeling that our building was being underutilized, I contacted a church whose members were helping the refugees.

Several other Salvationists and I attended a meeting with the church people and the Haitian association.

We brainstormed how The Salvation Army could support this cause. After a few meetings, we decided to host classes on Saturdays to teach them Portuguese, baking, and sewing.

In 2018, we officially started the program with a group of about 14 volunteers from the nearest corps, Home League, Catholic church, and friends of the Army.

The program included a nursery for children and a lunch program for around 80–90 people every Saturday.

I was also appointed to support the Army’s emergency response to the Venezuelan refugee crisis. I went from the south (Joinville) to the North (Boa Vista)

“ I rejected this label of 'refugees.' They became my brothers and sisters; people who I pray for, hope for, and support any way I can.” to take part. I joined four officers from Brazil and Argentina. Team members rotated monthly.

In partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we had access to shelters and offered help. We developed workshops for children that focused on health and social issues such as the prevention of violence. The shelters also provided recreation for children by offering something as simple as watching a movie. The reality of their lives as displaced people is that they had no entertainment and no access to schooling. So we also started some arts & crafts activities.

I spent five months in Boa Vista, helping to recruit and train staff who now work on The Bridge Project.

This initiative helps many women refugees.

Also assisted by this project are members of the LGBTQ community, the elderly, and other “vulnerable” groups. This is the preferred designation, rather than “refugee.” It helps avoid xenophobic reactions, particularly to the Venezuelans.

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WHAT IS YOUR PASSION IN THIS REGARD? I must be sincere and say that I never thought about working with refugees. That was never my passion.

Last year though, they came into my life in such a strong way that I could not ignore them. I was just trying to use our building better, but then I started to know their names. I heard their stories and I saw that sometimes the only thing they needed was my friendship as a “welcoming Brazilian.”

I rejected this label of “refugees.” They became my brothers and sisters; people who I pray for, hope for, and support any way I can. Everybody who is vulnerable must somehow receive our full attention as the Church.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GREATEST NEED AMONG REFUGEES WORLDWIDE IS TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK TO BECAUSE THEY FEEL SO ALONE. HOW IS YOUR TEAM ADDRESSING THIS NEED? CAPTAIN MENDES: In the shelters, they have a lot of people around them—social workers, employees from other Non–Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and the military. They are not “alone” in the sense that they have nobody around; the problem is most people see them as a number; a “need” to address or a part of an issue, but not as humans with faces, names, and stories. When we were there, we would ask their names or talk about their tastes and ordinary things like the weather, the food, and their children. They needed to be seen as people, not as “refugees.”

CAPTAIN VINCENT: While the ISJC is not directly involved in working with displaced people, I feel that it is our responsibility to raise awareness and teach others about this group of vulnerable people. The first step is awareness, which leads to further action.

The Refugee Summit coordinated by the ISJC in 2018 was an attempt to share how The Salvation Army is responding to the crisis. Lt. Colonel Dean Pallant, then the ISJC director, was involved in establishing the connection between the UN and Brazil and Argentina. This allowed the officers to respond to those Venezuelan refugees who were crossing the border into Brazil.

The ISJC is in contact with Salvation Army territories or commands that are serving refugee communities to see how we can support or advocate for them.

The Salvation Army distributes solar lamps at the refugee camp near Bangladesh. Light is needed for practical purposes in a camp where there is no electricity. Light is needed to be able to move around freely, safely, and to be able to function after the sun sets. Many refugees, before arriving in camp, suffered tremendous traumas at night — these lamps help ease anxiety and provide safetly during the nighttime hours.

WHAT DO REFUGEES TYPICALLY TALK ABOUT? We have conversations that go beyond the basic “refugee” topics. We talk about Brazilian culture, the World Cup, food, music, places to go, hairstyles, tattoos, and so on. They are just people like you and me. Some Venezuelans are in shelters for months.

They don’t think about it all the time. The shelter becomes their house where they develop a routine.

At the refugee camp near Bangladesh, Lieutenant Richard Bradbury’s team distributes solar lamps to the people living there.

It is interesting that The Salvation Army handed out solar lamps. Light is needed for practical purposes in a camp where there is no electricity. Light is needed to be able to move around freely, safely, and to be able to function after the sun sets.

How many times do we think of light being necessary to relieve psychological stresses? Imagine the trauma that a person experiences, especially in the Rohingya community where murders (ethnic cleansing) takes place in the dead of the night. A post by Richard sheds light on the plight of the survivors. He wrote: “One man told us that night time was a time of significant psychological stress for many people in the camp due to their experience in Myanmar. Most of the violence, the murders, and the rapes had taken place in darkness. He told us he was anxious at night time. He humbly told me how the simple light we had supplied helped relieve and avoid psychological stresses for him and many others who had lost family members in the night.

"Often we are so busy trying to meet the immediate, practical needs of people who are victims that we forget they are people, first. In doing so, we devalue their feelings, their relationships, and their pain. We rob people of their dignity. We somehow make out that they are some sort of subcategory, less worthy and less vulnerable.”

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WHAT ACTION CAN WE TAKE? We must ask ourselves, “What does it mean to be a Christ follower?” What does it mean to pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth…?” What does it mean to love our neighbor? Verses such as Deuteronomy 10:18 state, “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”

We must ask ourselves, "what does it mean to live out this principle?" Our response must be motivated by the love of God and not by the fear of people.

PRAY… • for refugees to be resettled • for healthcare and basic needs • for their children who are left without education and other necessities • for governments to be open to receiving people

DO… • Go out and seek opportunities to serve.

Be proactive and don’t wait for someone to knock on your door.

• Listen to the voices of refugees and use your voice to raise awareness and advocate.

• See how others are already engaged in working with refugees and join them.

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w e h h o t l e r o f f a m h i it

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by Robert Mitchell

Y

Ark Enco unter Creation museum Old Orc hard Be ach

ou can catch a glimpse of the full–sized replica of Noah’s Ark from the parking lot, but you don’t really see it until you get closer. That’s when the “wow–factor” kicks in for most visitors to the $100–million Ark Encounter exhibit in Williamstown, Ky. Captain Luva Blakely, a retired Salvation Army officer, visited the Ark Encounter shortly after it opened two years ago with a group from the Lexington, Ky., Corps. The ark, built to the exact dimensions described in the Bible, is billed as the largest timber–frame structure in the world.

“It’s a masterpiece,” Blakely said. “I found it to be very educational. It just takes your breath away. When you get down under the ark, it’s just so massive. It really puts it in perspective.

“It gives you kind of a new insight into how big it was. I don’t think you realize it until you get there and see that thing. It’s huge.”

Attractions like the Ark Encounter and the nearby Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., both operated by Answers in Genesis (AiG), the young earth creationist ministry, are drawing crowds to America’s heartland for family–friendly vacations. The two attractions are off I–75, about halfway between Cincinnati and Lexington.

“Northern Kentucky has been dubbed ‘the religious vacation place to be in the United States,’” says Patrick Kanewske, AiG’s director of ministry and media relations. “There’s just lots of stuff to do.”

That includes the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Ky., operated by Herschend Family Entertainment (see sidebar).

The main attraction these days is the full– sized Noah’s Ark, which is 510 feet long (1.5 football fields), 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high (five stories.) It took just two years to build using wood from Utah that was milled in

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Colorado. In contrast, AiG estimates it took Noah 50 to 75 years to build the real one.

“This was the lifeboat for all of mankind,” Kanewske said. “Without the ark, mankind wouldn’t be here.”

POPULAR DESTINATION Anticipation builds as guests ride shuttle buses from the parking lot to the vessel.

“It’s a ‘wow–factor’ for every age,” Kanewske said. “When people come around the corner on the bus, and the ark is displayed in front of them, they say, ‘Whoa! It’s really amazing!’

“When you get inside and see the sheer size and how the timber framing is done, it’s another ‘wow–factor.’”

The ark, which has three decks of state–of– the–art exhibits, opened in July 2016, exactly two years after the groundbreaking.

“In our first two years, we had more than 2 million people come through here,” Kanewske said. “I’ve seen people here from every continent but Antarctica. It’s been something that people really, really want to see. They’re just in awe of what this is all about.

“Our organization is here to proclaim the truth. We’re a Bible–believing apologetics organization and we present the gospel here and at the Creation Museum.”

The exquisite woodworking and craftsmanship inside are as awe–inspiring as the ark’s size. The timber–framing was done by a crew of 100 Amish craftsmen from Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.

One of the unique features of the interior is that 62 large tree trunks, mostly Douglas fir and Inglemann spruce, serve as beams and extend all the way to the roof.

Visitors, who move between decks via long ramps through the center of the ship, are immediately greeted by a sign explaining the creative

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license AiG took with some elements of the ark.

“What we did was a lot of hypothesis,” Kanewske said. “We didn’t take leaps of faith, but how can we answer a question before we have the question? For example, ‘What is an animal kind? How many animals did that equate to on the ship? How did just eight people feed all those animals?’ We tried to answer questions like that.”

EVERYONE GETS A NAME

Herschend Family Entertainment

Newport, Ky., Camden, N.J. additional locations

hfecorp.com

www.newportaquarium.com www.adventureaquarium.com Daily Tickets $17.99 – $34.99 infants under 2 are free

The company behind the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Ky., and Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J., promises to greatly exceed visitor expectations, serve others, create emotional connections, and constantly improve, “all in a manner consistent with Christian values and ethics.”

Herschend Family Entertainment bills itself as the nation’s largest family–owned themed attractions corporation with a trademarked theme of “Creating Memories Worth Repeating.”

“We work daily to create wholesome, immersive entertainment experiences with soul and depth,” the company’s website says.

Herschend, which is more than 50 years old and was founded by Jack and Pete Herschend, owns, operates, and manages 23 theme parks, water parks, aquariums, dinner shows, lodging, and other attractions in six states.

Herschend’s owns and partners in leading several attractions in Branson, Mo., including Silver Dollar City. They also partner with country singer Dolly Parton in leading the “Dollywood” theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

The company also owns Stone Mountain Park in Georgia, the original Herschend family theme park.

For example, AiG theorizes that God would have brought younger animals to the ark, Kanewske said.

“Noah didn’t have to worry about going out and collecting the animals,” he said. “They came to him. God would have probably brought adolescent animals. God wouldn’t have brought a big, older elephant, for instance. Maybe it wouldn’t have survived the trip. Maybe it was too big and too hard to care for. It was probably an adolescent and that way it would have reproduced after it got off the ark.”

The first deck features models of some animals that AiG believes could have been on the ark (there are only a few live animals on the attraction). Many of the caged animals were made by AiG artisans and are quite realistic, but don’t move.

“A lot of the animals you’ll recognize and some you won’t,” Kanewske explained.

“That’s because they’re extinct. We didn’t make any animals for the ark unless we had a fossil record for them or something that dated them back to the time of Noah.

“I think what people appreciate and we’ve heard this from all people groups and walks of life, is that it’s just ‘well done.’ There’s quality in the exhibits. They’re well–presented. We’re not cramming our theology down your throats, but at the same time we’re telling you what the truth is and then we contrast that to maybe what an evolutionist would say. We put both views on there and you decide. To me, the most compelling argument is what God’s Word says.”

The second deck contains more animal models, along with dioramas of Noah and his family feeding the animals and cleaning the ship. You can even ask Noah

questions as he sits in his “office” and see his library and wood and metal shops, which are not described in the Bible.

Noah and his three sons are named in the Bible, but not their wives. AiG decided to give them names; Noah’s wife was named Emzara.

“We wanted to humanize them and give them some personality,” Kanewske said.

TAKING IT ALL IN One exhibit showcases several children’s books about Noah’s Ark and warns against allegorizing the biblical account. If you can do that with Noah, you can do it with heaven and hell, the warning reads. AiG offers free admission for all of Kentucky’s 175 school districts and overnight youth group trips are also popular.

“If we’re just telling our kids it’s a fairy tale, that’s probably not the right message,” Kanewske said. “It’s a biblical account of really a lot of destruction.”

Another dramatic exhibit shows Noah and his family praying together as the rain falls outside.

“I’ve seen people moved emotionally by what the exhibits display,” Kanewske said.

“I go around and talk to people and ask what they think and by far the majority are positive comments.”

The exhibit of Noah’s family in prayer made an impression on Kyle Vogelmann, who drove from Campbellsport, Wis., with his wife, Hannah, and brother, Darryl, to see both the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum.

“That scene of Noah praying with his family really hit home,” Vogelmann said. “It’s like this is the end of the world, but they were being saved. They didn’t know what the future held. We know it as the past, but they didn’t know what it was going to be like.

“Hearing about the ark as a kid, you always see these cartoon pictures and it’s like this little boat with a few giraffes and lions hanging out of it, but then when you see how big it is and you think about the water and the food that was needed, this was a real journey.”

Vogelmann said it was definitely “worth the drive” to see the ark.

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Nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and in the family–friendly Ozark town of Branson, Mo., the Sight & Sound Theaters offer spectacular live shows that are beyond Broadway–quality amid the backdrop of Amish buggies, Wild–West styled diners, and Christian spirit. Since 1976, Sight & Sound Theaters has been called the premier destination for faith–based theatergoers.

The Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory often holds its annual commissioning of officers in nearby Hershey, Pa., and trips to Sight & Sound have been a part of the weekend.

“Jesus” is now playing until Oct. 5. (See chart at right for more shows and dates.)

In April, Sight & Sound took its new production “Noah” on the road to 700 movie theaters for a three–night event.

“That’s very intentional for us,” Katie Miller, brand development team designer for Sight & Sound, told SAconnects. “We want to create a shared experience for families, for churches, and for youth groups. Our shows are designed for kids of all ages—from 2 to 92! We don’t want it to be just something where people come and watch, we want people to share it with people they love and to feel part of these Bible stories.”

Sight & Sound’s unique theater experience begins with a 2,000–seat auditorium, a 300–foot wrap–around stage that surrounds the audience on three sides, state–of–the–art technology, and live animals.

“Christ is at the center of what we do,” says Josh Enck, the CEO and creative arts director of Sight & Sound. “It’s really about who we are and about bringing His Word in this dramatic way. We focus on excellence, craftsmanship, quality, integrity, and authenticity, thanks to many hardworking individuals who invest their time.”

Sight & Sound Theaters

Lancaster Pa., Branson, Mo.

sight-sound.com

PERFORMANCES Lancaster, Pa. location Tickets $26 – $79 children 2 and under are free Jesus now through Oct. 5, 2019 Miracle of Christmas Nov. 2–Dec. 28, 2019 Queen Esther March 14–Dec. 31, 2020 Branson, Mo. location Tickets $23 – $49 children under 3 are free Samson now through Oct. 12, 2019 Miracle of Christmas Nov. 2–Dec. 28, 2019 Noah March 7–Dec. 31, 2020 Reserve your tickets online or call (800) 377–1277.

2019 MAY

15

Ark Encounter Williamstown, Ky. arkencounter.com

The Ark Encounter features a full–sized replica of the ship and a zoo with nearly double the amount of animals it originally carried. The attraction has even bigger plans for the coming years (see page 18).

Daily Tickets $15 – $48 children 4 and under are free

Creation museum Petersburg, Ky. creationmuseum.org

Seeing everything in the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, located about 40 minutes away, can take a full two days. About a third of the museum is undergoing renovations and will reopen in November 2019.

Daily Tickets $15 – $35 children 4 and under are free

“It’s amazing and bigger than I would have guessed,” he said. “It’s hard to put it into words.”

His wife agreed, adding, “Obviously we grew up hearing the biblical account about the ark, but it’s very different seeing it than just reading about it.”

MORE THAN ANIMALS Darryl Vogelmann said the sheer size of the ark impressed him, as did the storage for the provisions to feed the animals and Noah’s family. All three of the visitors from Wisconsin grew up on farms.

“When you see it in person, it’s just incredible,” he said. “It’s amazing thinking about the work that not only went into building it but stocking it.”

The third deck includes dioramas of the living quarters and more exhibits, including one showing what life might have been like outside the ark in the time of Noah.

“What we want to do is paint a picture for the guests about what was going on before the flood,” he said. “We start in the Garden of Eden and everything is fine, but then sin enters the world, and things get pretty dark.”

Visitors can also see displays on flood geology, the ensuing ice ages, the Tower of Babel, and two videos, “The Noah Interview” and “As in the Days of Noah.” The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., (see sidebar) also has a small exhibit on the ark.

“There’s a lot of science in here and a lot of educational things going on,” Kanewske said.

“It’s not just animals in cages.”

2019 MAY

17

There’s also exhibits on flood legends and the scientific evidence for a global flood.

“People groups throughout the world have stories about a global flood,” he said.

The Ark Encounter has Emzara’s Kitchen, a restaurant named after Noah’s wife. The eatery includes an impressive taxidermy display.

“As near as we can tell, it’s the largest seating–capacity restaurant in the United States with 1,500 seats,” Kanewske said.

The ark, restaurant, parking lot, zip line, and the outdoors Ararat Ridge Zoo cost just over $100 million, about 40 percent of which came from donations, Kanewske said.

“There are a lot of generous people out there who really want to see us succeed,” he said.

BIG PLANS AHEAD

Old Orchard Beach Maine

oldorchardbeach maine.com

www.seasidepavilion.org www.saconnects.org Catch the fireworks every Thursday night at the Pier.

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MAY 2019

Since 1885, Salvationists have gathered for their annual camp meetings in this picturesque beachfront town. The camp meetings serve as a time of rest and relaxation, as well as spiritual renewal and edification.

The meetings start with a weekend of high–profile guests and music. This year’s camp meetings are July 27–Aug. 2 and the special guests will be General Brian Peddle and his wife, Commissioner Rosalie Peddle.

The Seaside Pavilion at OOB hosts concerts and shows throughout the year.

The town’s population swells during The Salvation Army’s camp meetings, when there are Bible studies during the day, camp meetings at night, and plenty of beach time in between.

One highlight this year will be a performance of the musical “Peter Pan” by the USA Eastern Territory’s Creative Arts Service Team (CAST), a group of traveling young actors.

Each night, a team of evangelists, dancers, singers, actors, and others perform at the Pier and share the love of God with the crowd under the direction of Envoys Sharon and Steve Bussey.

AiG is already expanding on the 800–acre site in Williamstown and has plans for more.

The Answers Center, with its 2,500–seat auditorium, opened this spring for conferences, movies, speakers, and concerts.

“It’s going to explode our capabilities here at the Ark Encounter,” Kanewske said.

The zoo reopened this spring with about double its original 80 animals, including larger species.

AiG also has plans for a walled city from the time of Noah, a replica of the Tower of Babel, a children’s adventure area, a first– century Jerusalem village with live actors, and an amusement ride featuring the 10 plagues of Egypt from the story of Moses.

“We’re building as we get funds,” Kanewske said. “This is all basically being done with donations, which is really amazing.”

AiG founders Ken Ham, Mark Looy, and Mike Zovath relocated from San Diego to Florence, Ky., just outside Cincinnati, in the mid–1990s. They chose the area because two–thirds of the U.S. population is within a day’s drive.

The ministry started a magazine and began to build support for the Creation Museum, which opened in 2007.

“As the Creation Museum opened, the Ark Encounter dream kept going up the to–do list,” Kanewske said. “They started looking for land and seeing whether it was engineeringly

feasible to do something like that.”

AiG first looked at putting the ark near the Creation Museum, but there would have been little room for parking or expansion.

The ministry got a good deal on the land in Williamstown about 40 minutes away.

As Kanewske wanders the ark, he urges people not to skip the Creation Museum, which is laid out to address history through what it calls the “7 C’s in God’s Eternal Plan: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation.”

‘I AM THE DOOR’ The museum includes a life–like Garden of Eden and takes guests through the life of Christ. There’s also a walk–through insect collection; a dinosaur den; a planetarium; and an 800–seat, 4–D special effects theater, which shows the film “In Six Days.” The museum also offers movies and speakers during the week.

About a third of the museum is undergoing renovation and will reopen in November, including sections contrasting God’s Word with man’s word and highlighting the authenticity of the Bible and the book of Genesis.

“We’re making it more relevant and giving it a facelift,” Kanewske said. “The exhibits at both locations are world–class and we make no bones about presenting the gospel as well.”

For example, one of the more touching parts of the ark is the large “door,” where visitors like to have their picture taken. A sign quoting John 10:9 reads, “I am the door.

Whoever enters through Me will be saved.” It is just one of many references to Christ.

“The door is really a metaphor for salvation,” Kanewske said. “How did the family and the animals reach safety? That was through the door, so we really play up the door quite a bit.”

The ark’s last exhibit, called “Why the Bible is True,” is another example of Jesus permeating everything.

“One of the things that’s really great about this organization is we don’t equivocate on our stance,” Kanewske said. “We’re presenting and proclaiming the truth and the gospel from the Bible’s very first verse.”

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The 43,000–square foot museum opened in November 2017 just two blocks from the National Mall and was nearing its 1 millionth visitor just a year later.

“We have much to celebrate as nearly 1 million people from around the world have come to experience this one–of–a–kind museum aimed at inviting all people to engage with the Bible,” the museum’s CEO Ken McKenzie said as the calendar neared 2019. “In the year ahead, we look forward to welcoming new and returning guests to engage with the history, narrative, and impact of the most influential book ever written.”

The museum includes eight floors of exhibits, gallery space, the Manna Restaurant (including a 6th floor view of Washington, D.C.), biblical garden, performing arts theater, grand ballroom, and event space.

Visitors enter through the Gutenberg Gates, three 40–foot high structures containing the first lines from Genesis in Latin from the Gutenberg Bible. The first floor includes exhibits from the Vatican Library and subsequent floors allow guests to study the impact, stories, and history of the Bible.

“Museum of the Bible aims to be among the most technologically advanced and engaging museums in the world,” the museum’s website says. “Showcasing rare and fascinating artifacts spanning 3,500 years of history, the museum offers visitors an immersive and personalized experience with the Bible, and its ongoing impact on the world around us.

Museum of the Bible Washington, D.C.

museumofthebible.org

Tickets $14.99 – $24.99 buy online to save $5/ticket children 6 and under are free

2019 MAY

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Family Trip Tips IN MY FAMILY, we joke that my mom always managed to make our family vacations “educational,” despite the moans and groans of us kids. For example, my siblings and I still cringe at the mention of Williamsburg, Va., and Sturbridge, Mass.

Today as a mother, I plan vacation trips for my own family of four.

There’s no denying that traveling with children is a challenge, whether to Disney World, Sturbridge Village, the Creation Museum or Jerusalem.

Do you remember in the Bible (Luke, chapter 2) when Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph, traveled together to the Festival of the Passover in Jerusalem? Following the festival, they left without Jesus.

For more than a day as they traveled home, they were unaware that He was somewhere else!

Sounds like enough anxiety and stress for one vacation! Of course, they soon reunited with Jesus in the temple. I’m guessing that, before their next trip with this pre–teen, Mary and Joseph did some extra planning.

Parents, we’re not alone and we’re definitely not the only ones who know how hard traveling as a family can often be. But it is possible to have a fun, enjoyable trip with your whole family and even incorporate some learning too, (right, Mom?).

No doubt about it, traveling as a family can be challenging. However, family vacations are also a beautiful part of family life that will create memories for everyone. Yes, these trips will require parents to do some extra work and planning, but your children will receive the priceless gifts of new experiences and time spent together.

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MAY 2019

by Nicole Love

A few tips to make your family trips a success: Do your research and plan ahead—There are many details and logistics that can be researched ahead of time. Some ideas include planning your rest stops for a road trip. Find those stops that also have a play area or a park. Call ahead to your hotel and make sure you know what facilities are included and are actually available (crib, refrigerator, coffee maker). Check if you can bring a stroller into the amusement park or museum. A few phone calls or Google searches may end up saving you much stress and money.

Timing is everything—Remember that children need to rest.

Go to the museum when it opens at 9:00 am and leave around lunch—just in time for naps! I love to arrive at museums and amusement parks right as they open; the crowds are smaller, lines are shorter, and the kids and parents are happier.

Make the trip kid–friendly—Many children’s museums will have hands–on activities and exhibits. Encourage your kids to participate in these and be ready to participate yourself. If the location is less than kid–friendly, find creative ways to engage them. For instance, bring a small polaroid or disposable camera or give them your smartphone and have them do a scavenger hunt, taking pictures of things they find throughout the trip.

Be flexible—Without fail, traveling with your family will require flexibility. Weather changes, traffic incidents happen, and kids get bored. Keep a positive attitude and make adjustments. When you respond with a positive attitude, chances are your children will follow.

Let your children know what to expect—Children tend to function better when they know what’s coming. At the beginning of the day, tell them what you plan to do. This understanding can help avoid meltdowns and give kids things to look forward to. If it’s helpful for your child, make a short checklist or a schedule for them to follow.

Safety first—When you and your children arrive at your destination, review safety expectations with them. Make sure they know what to do should they get separated from you. Remind them that staying close by is important. For example, our family has a whistle tune that we can use if we are separated. It’s familiar enough that our young children recognize it and know to look for us when they hear it.

FAITH in ACTION

A Mother’s LOVE

by Robert Mitchell

His name is William Robert Hughes, JC Miller offers to take him out of the to work and but everyone at the Lexington, Ky., chapel so Debbie can enjoy the service. care for him Corps knows him as “Boo.” “The Salvation Army has been won- at the same Boo, 35, suffers from severe autism derful to us,” Debbie says. “They love time. and sensory issues. He is often hyper- Boo. I couldn’t ask for a better church.

Her advice active and doesn’t want to sit for long.

I love it there and I love all the people to parents with “It makes it real hard to take him there. They’re really nice. It’s like another special needs children places like church and someplace home. They’re like family. is to lean on God’s strength. where he has to sit down,” says Boo’s “I’ve always been close to God. I’m “I don’t know what to tell people mother, Debbie Hughes. “He doesn’t probably closer to Him now than I’ve except to hang in there,” she says. want to do that.” ever been because I’m going to church “Sometimes it’s rough. I mean, we have Debbie tried to take Boo to church more. I love going to church and to our bad days and sometimes we have when he was young, but Sunday Home League and to Bible study.” good days.” school teachers found him disruptive When she was young, Debbie was Debbie has been an advocate and and “didn’t want him.” After Debbie and baptized in a small Baptist church in fighter for her son. When he wanted Boo paid several visits to one preacher’s Lexington. After her children were born, a dog, but the local housing authorchurch, he came to her home and sug- she tried other churches but found them ity denied pet ownership, she fought gested they tie Boo in a chair to keep too large and impersonal. Many people for his right to have a dog. She won. him from disturbing the service. Debbie there saw Boo as a burden and avoided Then there was the time a doctor told refused to tie up her son. rather than helped him. her to put Boo in an institution. She had “I actually stopped going to church “No one in the other churches were just read a newspaper article exposing for a long time after that,” she says. friendly or talked to us or anything like abuse at that facility.

Debbie’s aunt invited her to the The Salvation Army does,” she said.

“I told him, ‘This is my son. I’m not Lexington Corps and she started attending “When we come to The Salvation Army, having him put in an institution.’ He told church again, along with Home League. they talk to us and they hug us. It’s really me I’d be sorry. I told him, ‘I’ve had this “We had been trying to get her to a whole lot different than all the other baby since the day he was born, and come to church, but she I’ve never been sorry, and I wouldn’t because she had will never put him in a place “ When we come to The Salvation Army, been told by members of like that.’ I never saw that they talk to us and they hug us. It’s really doctor again,” she said. another church that she was not able to come Life has been difficult for a whole lot different than all the other because her son was too Debbie who said she could disruptive,” says Major churches. At The Salvation Army, they do write a book about her expeSusan Hinzman, the corps riences while caring for Boo. try to help, and they do understand.” officer in Lexington. “It’s so “I can’t really say what sad. We told her that we God’s plan is,” she said. “I would all do what we can to help and that churches. At The Salvation Army, they don’t know. I’ve never questioned God Boo was welcome to come. do try to help, and they do understand.” or anything. I’ve always just taken care “Debbie came to church and, sure Rather than drive, Debbie rides The of Boo. I’ve never asked why. I don’t enough, he was disruptive. But not one Salvation Army bus to activities. When know why. I’ve just accepted him as he person in our congregation flinched. We she’s not at the corps, she can often is and taken care of him. have absolutely incredible people!” be found at home, caring for her son.

“It helps when people come up Debbie said her daughter and Debbie, now 60, worked in restaurants and tell me they have a child like Boo others sometimes watch Boo so she and a warehouse before she quit those or they know someone who does and can attend church or Home League jobs to care for her son, full time. When that I’m doing a great job taking care of meetings. When she does bring him, Boo was born in the 1980s, day care cen- him. It feels good when people say nice sometimes he sleeps, or a man named ters rejected him. Debbie found it difficult things.”

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2019 MAY

21

snapshot

STANDING AS COMMUNITY At the corner of 137th Street and Malcolm X Blvd., members of the Salvation Army’s Manhattan Citadel and Harlem Temple Corps gather, march, and minister in music. They’re accompanied by the New York Police Department’s Police Band.

Community residents, who eagerly anticipate the opening of the Army’s new senior apartment building on 125th Street and Third Avenue, also join in the festivities.

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Photo by Stephen Ditmer

FAITH in ACTION

FINDING A

HOME

by Josh Linder

I am one of four children. My mother is a recovering alcoholic and my father struggles with a heroin addiction. I know they both love me. However, their problems created what I can only describe as a destructive lifestyle. As a result, our family has been spiritually and emotionally devastated.

From as early as I can remember, we were evicted from apartment after apartment. At age 15, I started working to help pay the rent and other bills so our home could have some semblance of stability and security. Eventually, we moved into a house in Pittsburgh, Pa. That house was the first time we were able to plant some roots, so all things considered, it was a happy time in my life. I had school friends and even a crush on Carly, a girl who lived a couple of houses down the road.

EVICTED AGAIN But just like always, that stability and happy time was short lived. My father started to secretly keep our rent money to support his addiction; the same destructive cycle raised its ugly head again.

In time, all our utilities were cut off

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and we received yet another eviction notice. Having no money and nowhere else to go, my father broke into the basement of the house so we could have a place to sleep.

As we slept one night, we heard a knock on the door. It was a police officer. He immediately escorted us out of the house; he forced us to leave behind everything that we owned. I left little of real financial value, but a lot of sentimental items from my childhood.

Later, I found them in a dumpster— broken and destroyed.

When I reflect on that night we were evicted, I remember something else the officer did. He paid for a hotel room and a pizza so we could eat and stay together. In the midst of the most demoralizing night of my life, his amazing act of selflessness would later impress me greatly.

At the time the officer evicted us, I viewed him as someone who was destroying our lives. But when I became a man, I began to see his selfless act of compassion as something that dramatically redirected the course of my life.

I am forever grateful for the kindness that officer showed my family. I can only assume that he was also the person who gave my dad contact information for The Salvation Army Family

Caring Center because that’s where we found ourselves the next day.

background iStock

FOOD TO EAT, A PLACE TO SLEEP To be completely honest, I hated the circumstances that found us living in a homeless shelter. Back then, it was easy for me to feel ashamed and victimized. Now as an adult, I see what my child’s eyes missed; thanks to The Salvation Army, I had food to eat. We ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Much to my surprise, the food tasted good and the meals were hot. I had a sense of security knowing that the constant threat of eviction was behind us.

Rather than dread people knocking on the door, I looked forward to it.

Someone else held my father accountable for his behavior, which lifted a huge burden off my young shoulders.

I was able to see the benefit of a structured schedule. Our lifestyle shifted completely from the chaos that I knew.

Something else that seemed small at the time but impacted me later were all the trips The Salvation Army provided. I went to baseball games, museums, and parks. These outings allowed me to be a child; something I so desperately needed.

For sure, the biggest blessings The Salvation Army gave my family were

renewed relationships with each other.

Without the Family Caring Center, we would have surely been put into foster care. I can only imagine the inevitable cycle and rift of separation that would have taken place among us all. But because of The Salvation Army, my father received helpful resources for housing. This helped us remain the strong siblings we are today.

SHARING OUR STORY At present, my wife and I have recently started sponsoring monthly birthday parties for the children at the Family Caring Center. Throughout the past three months, we’ve had the privilege of getting to know and seeing firsthand what an amazing job Envoy John Barnett, his wife Envoy Nancy Barnett, and all the staff are doing at the center.

The amount of compassion and heart they have for each family who enters the building is truly remarkable.

We continue to share with parents and children our personal testimonies of how God transformed our lives. In life, everyone is faced with mountains, giants, and storms. Actual trials and circumstances will look different, but the One who brings us victory over them remains the same.

I stand here today because of the

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grace of God and my faith in Jesus.

God used what I once saw as the most devastating and terrible times in my life, to save, strengthen, and bless me more than I could have imagined.

My story is just a tiny paragraph in a giant book full of testimonies that tell how God uses The Salvation Army to shine a light on people who are living in spiritual darkness. I give all glory and honor to God. It is only by His grace that my eyes were opened.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE I also thank Carly, the girl who lived down the road from me when I was 15. Although we lost touch with one another when I went into the shelter, we later reconnected in our 20s. Today, I am honored to call her my wife. She has stood by my side through the worst storms and when circumstances seem impossible. Her love is truly unconditional.

Then there are my children, Elijah and Isaac. Because of them, I am reminded daily to be a better man. I know they are looking to me to lead them.

And finally, I thank The Salvation Army Family Caring Center for giving my childhood family the help, resources, and opportunity to stay together during hard times.

2019 MAY

25

Q & A

Commissioner

Photo by Tom Pilston/Panos

During last year’s Old Orchard Beach Camp Meetings in Maine, Commissioner Clive Adams, commander of the Salvation Army’s Sweden & Latvia Territory, moved his audience with a thoughtful message entitled “The family that eats together.”

Adams, born in South Africa, spoke eloquently on the topic of “blood” relatives, saying that Christians are related to each other by the blood of Jesus because He shed His blood for us all.

In his message, Adams revisited the adage, “blood is thicker than water” and said that in its original form, it meant that blood shed on the battlefield is thicker than the water of a mother’s womb. For a family to be a family, he said, there needs to be a blood connection, there needs to be a bonded and covenanted community, and there needs to be a boundless commitment to the family and to its survival.

Adams said that, in the Church, Christians tend to put biological family ties above those formed in covenant with the blood of Jesus.

“Sometimes families leave their covenant family over disputes. But we are blood relatives in Jesus Christ!”

In the following interview, Adams elaborates on how Christians need to live and eat together—as family.

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Clive Adams How can the Christian family strengthen its bonds across cultures, bloodlines, and nationalities? There are two principles which underpin any specific responses I give: 1. We must be grounded – that is, made secure – in our identity in Jesus Christ. It is to the extent that I grasp who I have become in Christ – including my belonging to God’s family, with all the elements and expectations that this truth entails, that I will be able to prioritize Jesus’ values and virtues even, if necessary, over cultural biases, expectations, and demands.

2. We must also know who we are culturally.

There will always be an element of insecurity about cultural interaction if I am uncertain about my own identity. I have personal experience of this, both as a South African and as a member of the cultural or racial group to which I belong in South Africa. The Apartheid system caused me to be both confused and insecure about my cultural identity, and this resulted in complicated and challenging intercultural relationships based on suspicion, fear, and dislike.

It was only when I understood who I was, and, even more importantly, accepted who I was, that my ability to relate to others improved.

The important thing to remember is that cultural biases are best broken down through establishing relationships rather than in holding seminars. So, it is important that the church community creates space where cultural interaction can take place. Initially, this should occur as informally as possible: meals, sport, and working together on projects are examples of simple ways such space is created. Even formal events such as sharing an important national celebration across cultures, hosting an evening where information and food from a particular culture is shared or when the objective is to understand peculiarities of a culture in the formal setting of a lecture should be built on developing relationships between the various cultural groupings.

by Warren L. Maye

What is an example of how the family of God has triumphed? There are many examples of this indeed, wherever a local church or corps has a multi–ethnic, multi–cultural congregation and live out their discipleship not only in harmony (which can be misinterpreted to be a passive approach to co–existence), but in warm and meaningful common engagement in Kingdom building—congregations where the whole is always more important than the part. I expect that your territory would have examples of such a “Kingdom of God grace–community!” However, specifically, South Africa and Rwanda are countries where racial and cultural divisions have been systematized and brutal in their impact. One is able to see that where people, who were on opposite sides of “the wall” (Ephesians 2:14) understand who they are in Christ, and what Christ has done (including the tearing down of artificial walls that divide!), they become a brand new, beautiful community of grace—together! I’ve seen it in the Army as well as in other denominations.

What is the greatest challenge to His family and what must we do to meet it?

There is a movement sweeping across the Western world, which I believe, in the context of this subject, contains an inherent danger for the believer. It is too wide a subject to address here; it deserves its own focus. But the whole question of nationalism and patriotism, and especially how these are employed as political tools, is a subject about which we, as the Church, should reflect deeply. I believe many believers all over the Western world are being enticed away from foundational Christian values: the dignity and humanity of all, everyone is equal before God, neighborly love, care and concern, putting the other first, to name but a few, by what sounds like solid and patriotic posturing about our nation’s status in relation to other nations.

There is a significant difference between

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my being proud of being South African and my regarding South Africa as being so special that I end up being disdainful of other nations. The political right is gaining ground in many European countries as it has in the U.S. I believe that we must guard against being lulled into believing that other cultures are inferior, that we are better, and that integration means “them becoming like us.”

When we hold such views—and I have heard them, and several similar to them, expressed within the ranks of the Army—our identity in Christ, an identity which is common across national and cultural barriers, is usurped by our nationality and our cultural biases, and makes “there is no Jew nor Greek” mere rhetoric rather than glorious reality.

What can be done about this danger?

• Know who you are in Christ – disciple believers so that they understand their foundational identity and live it out. Know who you are as Swede/American/Angolan so that you are secure in your culture. Thus, I am far from advocating that we deny our national and cultural heritage, but I am claiming that I become a better South African when I live out my foundational identity as a follower of Jesus Christ.

• Challenge the kind of xenophobic hate speech which parades as patriotism these days. We have no right remaining silent in the face of attitudes and actions which are unlike those of Jesus Christ, let alone supporting them. Our opposition will help to pave the way for us to develop better relations with other cultures, because we will gain respect and credibility.

• Reach across national and cultural divides and be intentional about building relationships rather than having projects. This way we model the incarnational approach of Jesus— being with, sharing life together. This would be a testimony to the truth that love and understanding is always better than jingoism and division.

2019 MAY

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profile

In God’s Hands

interviews by Hugo Bravo

As the controversy regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) legislation continues, two “Dreamers” from the Salvation Army’s Queens (Temple) N.Y., Corps, share their stories. They talk about coming to the United States; the mentors who helped them succeed; and how, through God and The Salvation Army, they discovered their destinies.

LUCAS URBINA In 2007, my mother and I arrived from Santiago, Chile to visit family. At six years old, I didn’t pay much attention to the problems my family was having back home; I was too fascinated by New York City. I also didn’t notice that my mother was quietly making plans for us to stay permanently. Not long after that, my father, a pastor in Santiago, left some money for our extended family in Chile and came to New York to be with us.

Around 9th or 10 thgrade, I began to understand what it meant to be undocumented. Ms. Karcher, my high school Spanish teacher, held a discussion on immigration and the meaning of deportation. After class, I was on the verge of tears. I told her I was undocumented, and I knew that my status meant that I could never travel out of the country, have a real job, or even get help for school.

Through Ms. Karcher, I contacted a community center where I applied for DACA. I understood it would allow immigrants, who came to the U.S. at a young age, to stay. A school counselor also informed me about the Dream Scholarship, a scholarship for young undocumented Dreamers in the process of applying to DACA.

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I received my DACA acceptance a few weeks before being awarded the Dream Scholarship. The scholarship was accepted in my school of choice, City College of New York. I was in such shock when I heard the news; this was real, and this was happening to me. Today when I look back on it, I feel a sense of overwhelming love, both from God and from those people who helped me achieve it.

Before going to college, I spent a summer with the Salvation Army’s Creative Arts Service Team (CAST). I remember thinking that I wasn’t good enough to be a member of CAST, even as I prepared my audition tape. The thought was similar to that of being undocumented. I’m not there yet, I don’t belong here, none of this is for me. But I took a leap of faith, knowing that God had already done miracles in my life with DACA and with my scholarship. If it was His will, He would do miracles here, too, I thought. Why should any of us doubt ourselves, when it is God who chooses us? My summer with CAST was the best of my life; it prepared me to study theater in college.

Theater can be a hard place for a believer. Many productions display the secular side of society, and there

are aspects of an actor’s world that will test you. But my faith in God is what makes me stand out among others. It’s a privilege to stand out as a Christian. There are people around you who may have a negative understanding of what a believer is. God can fix that, and it starts with you.

I trust the government to do what’s right. I also know that all it takes is one president or one senator to change things and DACA could be gone forever. DACA is in God’s hands, as is everything in life. Every day is a gift, and we live them by His mercy.

Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus.”

I was anxious so many times in the past, beginning with my future as an undocumented immigrant. But I also found the peace of God in thanking Him as I was asking for his blessing. We should be as intentional in praying as we wish our prayers to be answered.

When I ask God for something, I finish my prayer with, “Lord, thank you, because Your answer is on its way.”

DAMARIS PORCHETTI On the first day of her visit to the United States, my mom was invited to the Queens Temple Corps. When she returned to Argentina, she and my dad discussed plans for our family to move permanently to the U.S. My mother was the first to move, followed by my father a short time later.

In seven months, my brothers and I joined them. When I arrived, everyone welcomed us at my uncle’s house with gifts of toys and clothing. At nine years old, I didn’t understand what was happening. I was just happy to be with my parents again.

In high school, my friends traveled out of the country for vacations and Sweet 16 celebrations. Being undocumented, those were things I could not do. When I began planning for college, my mother warned me that opportunities would be limited for someone like me. I felt angry and trapped in my situation. After graduation, I volunteered at the Queens Temple Corps rather than attend college. I also worked the front desk of a doctor’s office for less than minimum wage. Nonetheless, I was grateful because I knew so many undocumented people who needed a job.

My next job became a turning point in my life. I worked at a law firm, and my boss Neil, an immigrant like myself, mentored me. He became a second father to me, took me under his wing, and taught me everything he knew about his business. With his guidance, I

was promoted within the firm. Neil saw my potential and was determined to help me have a real future.

I had heard about DACA, but I didn’t give it much thought because of the uncertainty surrounding it. One day as I walked to work, I prayed to God. I said that I would accept any plans He had for me, but confessed how afraid I was of my own situation being undocumented. Then I got a call from Neil.

He said he had news and I needed to come to work right away. When I arrived at the firm, everyone was watching our conference room TV as a newscaster announced the passing of DACA. Neil hugged me and said that I would finally have real working papers. I went to the bathroom and cried. I called my mom and I thanked God; I was seeing how His hands had worked through all this. Through the firm, Neil handled my registration and paid my application fees for DACA. He also paid the registration and fees for my two brothers, so we could all apply for DACA together.

Later, I pursued my dream of becoming an event planner. As I studied hospitality in college, I hoped to one day own an event planning business.

I eventually worked for a large event planning company where the hours were long, and the work was hard. In time, my dream became a nightmare.

I left that job and returned to the Queens Temple Corps, this time as an employee.

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I went from throwing parties for football team owners to serving the homeless community of Queens. As a youth pastor, I also worked with children. It was a humbling change, but it lit a fire inside me. I realized that this was the best way to serve others.

After speaking to my corps officers, I decided to enroll as a cadet in the College for Officer Training. My idea of hospitality had been to serve drinks at parties; today it’s to welcome lost souls into the house of God. It’s a blessing to be under DACA. It opens opportunities and takes away so many indescribable fears. There are immigrants here who are much younger than I was when I arrived. The only country they know as home is the United States. This nation has always believed in opening its doors to others.

Taking DACA away would essentially close those doors.

There’s no immigrant who gets exactly what he or she expected. My plans and God’s plans have never been on the same page. But Proverbs 16:9 reminds me that, although I plan my course, only the Lord establishes my steps. Through prayer and confirmation, God has shown me each of those steps and along with them, brought me His peace.

2019 MAY

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wholly living

Cultivate Continues

by Joanna Polarek

C U LT I VAT E

WIDIAWATI TAMPAI

Lt. Colonel Women’s Ministries, Indonesia

KRIS HEVENOR

Corps Sergeant Major Lowell, Mass., Corps

LISA COLLIER

Spiritual Formation Secretary Philadelphia, Pa. (Citadel), Corps

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MAY 2019

CULTIVATE, a Spiritual Life Development (SLD) course of the Eastern Territory, is entering its 6th cohort. The desire and need for going deeper with God are evident as this spiritual formation course continues to grow and evolve. There is something beautiful about a community of believers who spiritually root themselves through personal growth, discussions, retreats, and creating a rule of life as they deepen their relationship with God. Their rootedness in CULTIVATE is evident in how cohort members continue to thrive in their personal lives, in local communities, and in the broader Salvation Army world. The modules for the program include: spiritual disciplines, personal retreat, devotional classics, community, social justice, helps to holiness, cohort retreat, healthy self, Christmas reflections, and planning forward. This structured program provides support to each cohort member and thrives by bringing soldiers and officers together during the 11–month program. Here are some of the stories of transformation shared by past cohort members beginning with an excerpt from Lt. Colonel Widiawati Tampai, territorial secretary for Women’s Ministries in Indonesia.

“I have seen the changes in my life through this course. I have more self– control. I have developed my reading habit, particularly of spiritual formation books. I have more hunger for God and for an intimate relationship with Him. I meditate more on Scripture, restoration, and renewal. I have more confidence in my true identity in Christ.

“As this course has been done online, I am encouraged and inspired that it is really important to keep myself accountable.”

Transformation, restoration, renewal and a deeper relationship with God are just some of the experiences encountered in CULTIVATE. Kris Hevenor, corps sergeant major at the Lowell, Mass., Corps, shared this thought.

“This year, I have decided to join the Renovaré Book Club.* I realized that I have really missed the accountability and guidance of CULTIVATE, so this seemed like a good next step.”

Once you commit to embracing a deeper spiritual formation in your life, it becomes part of the natural rhythm.

Taking the next steps to seek ways of staying in that rhythm are not only important, but essential in building our relationship with God. Lisa Collier, spiritual formation secretary for the Philadelphia, (Citadel) Pa., Corps, and cohort member, shared how CULTIVATE has taken root at the divisional and corps levels in Philadelphia.

“The Philadelphia Citadel corps has made the spiritual development of their soldiers a priority. Majors Eduardo and Janet Zuniga, corps officers, expressed their desire that soldiers be spiritually grounded and seeking to go deeper in their walk with the Lord. To achieve this, the corps established two new ministries. The first is a Spiritual Formation seminar, which started with a four–week foundational workshop in February 2018 and has been followed up with a monthly meeting focused on the practice of spiritual disciplines.

Many who attend these workshops have experienced traditional disciplines such as solitude, silence, and fasting for the first time and have grown in their practice of other disciplines such as study, prayer, and meditation.

Through these workshops, members of the corps have deepened their personal relationship with God, which has poured into their congregational lives.

“At the monthly meetings, the corps will be using many of the texts from CULTIVATE. At present, we are completing The Celebration of Discipline (Foster). Just at last week’s meeting, we had a time of sharing how we have been impacted by these monthly gatherings. Many said that they can see how God is using the practices of disciplines, once unfamiliar, to transform areas of their lives, such as being more attentive and listening to what God has to say and in their interaction with others.”

Lisa also shared that, at the divisional level: “In January 2019 we started a divisional Spiritual Formation Book Club

using CourseSites (by Blackboard).

While this is a small group, we do have a mix of soldiers, officers, and even one retired officer in the group. The format is very much like CULTIVATE. However, I have slowed down the pace of the books to make it more accessible to those who may not have as much time to commit to the material. For instance, The Celebration of Discipline will take us 13 weeks; 1 week for each chapter. I have replaced Wilderness Time with Invitation to Retreat (Barton). I have also added Sacred Rhythms (Barton). In addition, I am adding some material, such as links to web articles, videos or podcasts that offer more insight into the topic.”

CULTIVATE is flourishing as a program and as a way of introducing spiritual formation to anyone who

has a longing for a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. This intimate, small group interaction nourishes this community of believers and allows for meaningful connection throughout the course. Many lifelong relationships have come from CULTIVATE and encourage a bond in the Christian community.

God has designed us for holistic growth physically, mentally, emotionally and most definitely spiritually. If you are hungering for more of what the Lord has to do in you and through you, CULTIVATE will help give focus to what is needed to “have the roots of your being firmly and deeply planted in Him…” Colossians 2:7. *R enovaré publishes print and online resources including books, articles, messages, and podcasts.

BOOK LIST available on Amazon.com

Subject: Spiritual Disciplines

Subject: Community

Subject: Devotional Classics

Celebration of Discipline

by Richard Foster

Devotional Classics

by R. Foster & James B. Smith

Subject: Personal Retreat

Life Together

by Deitrick Bonhoeffer

Subject: Social Justice

by T. Campolo & Mary A. Darling

by Emilie Griffin

Subject: Advent Reading & Reflection Subject: Holiness

The God of Intimacy & Action

Wilderness Time

Helps to Holiness

by Samuel Logan Brengle

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Subject: Healthy Self

Advent & Christmas

by Henri Nouwen

The Life of the Body

by Valerie Hess & Lane Arnold

2019 MAY

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20/20 vision highlights Do you know that The Salvation Army is a church?

Its corps (churches) and Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs) are places of worship and social service, located throughout the United States and in 131 countries worldwide. Below are just a few examples of what’s happening in the USA Easern Territory!

LANCASTER, OHIO CORPS 228 WEST HUBERT AVENUE

Louella, a woman at the corps, has come here every day to help in the food pantry. In the process, she has learned how to use the food bank’s computerized data entry system. Her confidence has continued to grow as she is now a women’s ministries program leader. Louella has even expressed a desire to lead devotionals. Today, she regularly attends the Aqua Fit class and reaches out to other women through that class.

To find a Salvation Army location near you, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org and click ‘locations’ on the upper right hand side of the page.

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, CORPS 15 SOUTH PLUM STREET

COVINGTON, KY., CORPS 1806 SCOTT BLVD.

Captains Malcolm and Victoria Daniels, corps officers, asked a woman who is passionate about teaching and studying the Bible to teach the Bible studies class.

She was excited and eager to lead women in worship. She was also willing to take leadership training sessions for women’s ministries.

It was a blessing to see her grow out of her comfort zone!

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A woman who had been attending the corps made a commitment to Jesus through the Married Women’s group. The group also helped save her marriage. In September 2018, she enrolled as a senior soldier. All glory to God!

THE SEAFORD, (SUSSEX CHAPEL), DE., CORPS 22318 SUSSEX HIGHWAY

Ministry leaders here have encouraged children and young adults to help break generational poverty and addiction in numerous apartment complexes and trailer parks. Lieutenants Kathryn and Miguel Alban, corps officers, along with other corps members, reach deep into these communities. Three nights of programming are available to local youth, including troops, music & arts, fellowship, and discipleship programs. Young people report that the programs have inspired changes in behavior and a desire to grow in Christ.

Through these experiences, some young people have begun to reconcile with their families.

—Lisa Collier, Spiritual Formation Secretary, Philadelphia (Citadel) Corps

Do you have a ministry story that excites you? Share it with our readers. Show us in pictures! Tell us in words! at saconnects.org.

FUNDR AISE FOR GOOD. FUNDR AISE FOR FUN. CREATE YOUR OWN FUNDRAISER AND HELP THE SALVATION ARMY SPREAD HOPE.

BAKE A DIFFERENCE

MAKE THE YEARS COUNT

FUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Organize a bake sale at your workplace, school or church and exchange treats for “payment” to your fundraising page.

Commemorate a special anniversary with a new tradition by asking your supporters to give $1 for every year you’re celebrating.

Invite your family and friends over for the big game and encourage guests to donate the amount of points scored.

Whether you start your own fundraiser or join someone else’s, it’s never been easier (or more fun) to raise money for a cause you care about. Start a fundraiser at

FU N D R A I S E FO R G O O D.O R G

Gathering ATION AR ALV ES

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FACEBOOK.COM/WOMENSMINISTRIESUSAEASTERNTERRITORY

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#GATHERING2019 SACONNECTS.ORG/GATHERING #ENCUENTRO2019 SACONNECTS.ORG/ENCUENTRO

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GATHERING is a movement to cultivate authentic community. It’s a group of women who commit to meet monthly for a meal and guided conversations that go deeper than our usual chatting. What will emerge when we gather intentionally to explore life themes? Maybe encouragement, love, and healing?

See your Corps Officer for details.

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