SAconnects, Volume 5, Number 7 — September 2019

VOL. 5, NO. 7 • SEPTEMBER 2019

Answering the Call Emergency Disaster Services is in it for the long haul. page 19

SACONNECTS.ORG

Give rest to the weary

you can help.

The Salvation Army continues to aid survivors of natural disasters throughout the recovery process.

We collaborate with local, state, and federal governments to develop and execute a long–term disaster relief and recovery plan, including restoration and rebuilding initiatives, meeting basic needs, covering medical expenses, helping with funeral costs, and distributing in–kind donations to help survivors rebuild their lives.

The Salvation Army does not place an administrative fee on disaster donations. During emergency disasters, 100 percent of designated gifts are used to support specific relief efforts.

SEPTEMBER

contents VOLUME 5 | NUMBER 7

in every issue 3 from the editor 4 an active army 5 relevents 24 snapshot 30 wholly living

departments 6 to your health Get a move on. Six foods to lower your blood pressure.

7 what’s the digital

“BREAKTHROUGH” the movie.

26 Q& A Captain Danielle Hopping’s amazing journey of faith.

29 testimony Sign language can be a powerful ministry.

32 20/20 vision highlights

10 I Stand for Jesus

See how the 20/20 Vision campaign is showing up near you!

Pastor Andrew Brunson spent two years in a Turkish prison because of his faith. While there, he strengthened his walk with God. Today, Brunson has a warning for this generation of believers.

14 Opening Doors

At the Boston Kroc Corps Community Center, The Salvation Army and Chef Timothy Tucker prepare men and women for careers in the culinary arts.

19 More than a Sandwich Gone are the days when Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) personnel simply give out sandwiches to first responders and survivors. Today, EDS meets an array of practical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

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

2019 SEPTEMBER

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YOU CAN

HELP

The Salvation Army has an Overseas Child Sponsorship Program! You can sponsor a Salvation Army School, Children’s Home, or After–school Program in one of many countries around the world!

For $25 per month you receive newsletters and updates from your center. Donations are tax deductible.

Phone 845–620–7435 email OverseasChild@use.salvationarmy.org Applications available on the website www.ocs.use-salvationarmy.org 440 West Nyack Road West Nyack, NY 10994

Use your smartphone to scan the QR!

from the editor your connection to The Salvation Army

USA EASTERN TERRITORY

Worship with us!

TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Kenneth O. Johnson, Jr. COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Lt. Colonel Kathleen J. Steele EDITOR IN CHIEF Warren L. Maye MANAGING EDITOR Robert Mitchell EDITOR / HISPANIC CORRESPONDENT Hugo Bravo KOREAN EDITOR Lt. Colonel Chongwon D. Kim HISPANIC EDITOR Minerva Colon–Pino ART DIRECTOR Reginald Raines PUBLICATION MANAGING DESIGNER Lea La Notte Greene GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Keri Johnson, Joe Marino, Mabel Zorzano STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Love PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN Ben Glassman CIRCULATION Doris Marasigan

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.

Member since 2015 Award winner 2016, 2017, 2019

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Major Tonie Cameron (center, standing) with members of the SAconnects editorial, design, and photography teams as they display this year’s EPA awards.

In our next SAconnects magazine, we’ll examine some of the ways the Salvation Army’s unique ministries are demonstrating what the word of God looks like—on the streets, on athletic fields, and in homes. We’ll tackle tough topics such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, and missing persons from the perspective of what is possible when believers in Christ take action.

You’ll also be surprised to learn how a mission trip to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands resulted in one young man earning his pilot’s wings. Join us for these stories and more!

By the way, as the SAconnects magazine staff celebrated receiving four more awards at this year’s Evangelical Press Association (EPA) Convention (nine in four years), Major Tonie Cameron, communications secretary, offered her sincere congratulations.

Cameron also said “goodbye.” She recently assumed a new role as general secretary in Northern New England.

During her appointment in the Communications Department, the message she most wanted to convey to you and to the world is that The Salvation Army is a church. Our “Worship with Us!” ad (July/August 2019, back cover) expressed her heartfelt sentiments.

We invite you to join our worship service every Sunday.

Each Salvation Army center provides a sanctuary from the world. We also offer programs designed to enrich your life and the lives of your family members. We have music and arts programs for children, food and shelter for people in need, Bible studies for others who want to know more about Jesus, and rehabilitation programs for people struggling with addiction.

You are our neighbor. We want to meet you. Join us!

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. 7, September Issue 2019. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAconnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack,

— Warren L. Maye, Editor in Chief

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.

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an active army IN 2019, THE SALVATION ARMY EDS RESPONDED TO THE CALL:

EMERGENCY DISASTER SERVICES (EDS)

Quincy, Illinois, feeding meals to national guardsmen assisting with floods in southern Illinois.

by Hugo Bravo

Dayton, Ohio, where four canteens, two ATVs, and a resource center were established to help the community after tornadoes. An emergency canteen and family support at a nearby Family Reunification Center was also set up after the recent mass shooting.

Last September Chris Farrand, then the director of Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) for The Salvation Army in Massachusetts, was alerted that two homes were on fire in the Merrimack Valley Region. That initial report soon changed.

Calls about the Merrimack fire began coming in from across the country—Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and even Texas. The number of homes on fire had reached 70. They stretched across the towns of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. All of them had homes that caught fire and exploded. There had been major fires in the area before, usually from businesses such as factories. But the magnitude of these fires was unprecedented.

“No one had any idea why dozens of homes were blowing up. Many of us thought it was a terrorist attack,” said Farrand.

The reality was less of a sinister nature, but nonetheless gravely serious. Over–pressured gas mains had caused leaks that triggered explosions

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from pilot lights in residential kitchens.

At one point, as many as 18 fires were blazing simultaneously. The pipelines responsible for the emerging disaster also ran into New Hampshire and in other neighboring states where they could potentially cause more explosions. Officials completely shut down the power grid of the three affected towns. Residents were told to evacuate their homes.

As EDS trucks drove in, residents drove away from the towns. Other dwellers too afraid to go inside, but unwilling to flee, simply stood outside their homes. “Everyone was still in doubt about what could immediately be done. Would any spaces that the Army set up be at risk of exploding too?” wondered Farrand. Within two hours of the explosions, as many as 400 to 600 people had come to Salvation Army shelters and staging areas for help.

“There were thousands of others who had not lost their homes, but instead lost perishables, food, and possessions. These weren’t destroyed by fire, but by water from hoses used to put out the fires. These people needed help too,” said Farrand.

The recovery center was also staffed by chaplains who provided emotional and spiritual guidance. Almost everyone who

Alto, Texas, providing a 130KW generator to operate a temporary kitchen for the school district, and donating school supplies for students affected by storms.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, serving meals at Crosstown Church of Christ, for evacuees displaced by floods.

came in had a story to tell about their current and future situation. Many were crying, frightened, and worried about their loved ones in town. The Salvation Army had planned to serve around 70–80 families. During the six days the EDS trucks were in Merrimack Valley, they had helped 500–600 families. In less than a week, as many as 10,000 individuals received assistance from the Army.

“When people lose so much so suddenly, the first thing to do is immediately show the community that they are not alone,” said Farrand. “The second thing is to remember that you are there to listen. It’s not about what you can say; it’s about the ministry of your presence. Being a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, or a voice of prayer can be just as important as putting food in one’s mouth. You give hope to someone that they could not have had if they were dealing with this alone.

“At that moment you are the hands and feet of Christ. You become a conduit through which that broken person is connecting with God, whether they realize it or not.”

relevents

Captain Kevin Zanders, administrator at the Salvation Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Philadelphia, Pa., talks about the music mentors in his life, how he remains faithful to his home state of Ohio, and the way a personal injury transformed his perspective on visiting people in hospitals. interview by Hugo Bravo

I’m grateful for the music leaders God has given me throughout my life.

When I was young, my family would go to the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Youngstown, Ohio every Sunday to have lunch with the officers.

I met Richard there, an ARC beneficiary who played the drums. He gave me lessons after every Sunday lunch. When he bought a new drum set, he gave his old one to me.

Later in life, Captain Jon Jackson opened my ears to R&B and funk musicians such as Al Green, Parliament, When my daughter Zoe received a skateboard and Earth, Wind & Fire. Hearing their basslines made for Christmas, I offered to help her learn how to ride it. me want to pick up the bass guitar myself. Jon played I had been a good skateboarder myself 25 years ago. drums, and we played together for fourteen years. When But that day with Zoe, I hit the curb, fell backwards, and I first played bass during a service at the Kroc Center in landed on my head. Perhaps wearing a helmet would Philadelphia, they thought it was strange to hear basslines have saved me from getting a serious concussion. I also in gospel music. But we broke down barsuffered some memory loss. For a while, riers to communication. When people I could not remember the family vacation Philadelphia is a great share common musical tastes, it makes we had taken only days before my acciplace to live, but my them want to know what else they have dent. The doctors said that my injury was heart stays faithful to Ohio in in common with each other. as serious as it could be without being some ways. My staff at the life–threatening. That day, I taught Zoe a Kroc always get on my case valuable lesson—always wear a helmet. because I refuse to wear James 4:8: “Draw nigh unto God, Philadelphia Eagles green. and He will draw nigh unto you.” While But they know I’m loyal to I was in the hospital, my wife, Captain the Cincinnati Bengals.

When visitors came during my Tawny Cowen–Zanders, kept asking me hospital stay, some sat next to me and what my favorite Bible verse was. Despite talked; others stood. I’m not a prideful all the confusion that day of the accident, those words person, but I didn’t like the feeling when people stood I learned in Sunday school remained in my mind. As a over me or surrounded me or looked down on me. I Christmas gift, Tawny gave me a cornet mouthpiece with thought about all the hospital visits I had made as an James 4:8 inscribed on it. It was an emotional moment; officer. Had I done the same to the people I had come because of my injury, I thought that I would never play to comfort? From that time on, I made sure to always sit cornet, my first instrument, again. next to rather than stand over the person whom I visited.

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to your health

“ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” —1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

Get a Move On With 206 bones and more than 600 muscles, our bodies are made to move. However, we now spend the majority of our waking time sitting in a constricted posture that prevents our bodies from functioning well.

In fact, sitting is now considered a health risk leading to several diseases, including heart, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis and some cancers — even when we meet the minimum exercise guidelines.

Begin to actively avoid sitting. Think of it as part of your physical fitness goals for health protection. In addition to getting 150 minutes weekly of moderate–intensity exercise (such as brisk walking), you can stay active throughout each day. For example: •W alk whenever you can around your workplace, home, and neighborhood.

• Walk after meals and during your breaks.

•G et up and move about while viewing TV, talking on the phone or eating lunch.

• Do more chores.

• Pace while watching sporting events.

• Stand as you read or use your smartphone.

• Explore standing desks for work (with your employer’s okay) or home.

TIP: Schedule several 10–minute action breaks each day; set a timer to remind you to get up and move. When you sit less, you’ll be motivated as you experience less stiffness and more energy.

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foods that lower blood pressure

If your health care provider says you need to change how you eat to control your blood pressure, check your grocery list. Make sure it has these foods.

Fatty fish such as salmon and trout: aim for 2 to 3 portions each week to get omega–3 fats, which help improve blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Leafy greens: kale, spinach, and other vegetables in this group are nutritious, low in calories, and add beautiful color to stir–fries, salads, and soups. Enjoy green vegetables daily.

Low–fat dairy: aim for two daily servings of milk and yogurt (without sweetener) for added calcium and magnesium.

Beans: with a winning combination of fiber, potassium, and magnesium, enjoy beans such as edamame, navy beans, and chickpeas. Enjoy them in soups, on salads or as a dip.

Nuts and seeds: snack on an ounce of nuts and seeds instead of salty chips or pretzels. They provide a satisfying crunch with potassium and other nutrients, and less sodium.

Berries: people who eat more antioxidant–rich berries have a lower risk of high blood pressure.

Eat them by the handful daily.

DID YOU KNOW? The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan uses these foods.

Studies show it can lower blood pressure by up to 14 points and protect heart health.

Remember — it’s the combination of all foods that helps lower and control blood pressure.

© 2018 Ebix Inc. dba Personal Best. All rights reserved. Not intended as a substitute for professional care.

“ BREAKTHROUGH,” has grossed $50 million since its worldwide release in April 2019. It’s now available on DVD, Blu–Ray, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Redbox, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, and Vidangel.

what’s the Digital

BREAKTHROUGH

Allan Fraser / © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

by Warren L. Maye

“BREAKTHROUGH” is based on the incredible true story of one mother’s unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. When Joyce Smith’s 14–year–old adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. But as he lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up.

Her steadfast belief inspires people around her to pray for John’s recovery—even in the face of every case history and scientific prediction.

From Producer DeVon Franklin (“Miracles From Heaven”) and executive producers, Pastor Sammy Rodriguez and Stephen “Steph” Curry, and adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte (“Seven Pounds”) and from Joyce Smith’s own book, “BREAKTHROUGH” is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle.

DeVon Franklin, Pastor Jason Noble, and John Smith recently sat down with SAconnects for an exclusive interview to talk about the movie, their ministries, and building deep relationships through faith in Christ.

Chrissy Metz (Joyce Smith) and Marcel Ruiz (John Smith in bed) star in “BREAKTHROUGH.”

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what’s the Digital | Q & A

John, how did this event influence your relationship with Pastor Jason?

John Smith: I actually didn’t know Pastor Jason; we had never formally met. He was new at the church and had only been there for three months. But when the accident happened, he stuck by my family’s side and by my side. There were moments when I knew he was called to mentor me and ever since then, he’s been doing a great job of it. It’s just been a growing brotherhood throughout all of this.

Pastor Jason, what surprised you about this event and the way it has affected your ministry?

Pastor Jason Noble: Afterward, we had 150 healing miracles in our church. God just started us on fire. This crisis has brought families, church members, and communities together. Since last February, we’ve been going full–time on the film.

The movie is absolutely mesmerizing.

How does it match what really happened?

John: That person Marcel Ruiz portrayed is what I went through. It was really accurate.

From the point of the crisis to everything else, what he portrayed was true.

Pastor Jason: We’re thankful for DeVon. He told

us from the beginning that we were going to do the best we can to maintain the integrity of the story and that’s exactly what happened. The timeframe may have been a little different, or in a different context.

The movie shows Joyce and I had a tense relationship, but we really never had an argument. Those were composite characters designed to show what we were facing as a 90–year–old Assemblies of God church with a 39–year–old pastor coming in and trying to change things around. At the end of the movie a teacher says to John, “My husband died, but you lived. Why?” Some people say, that didn’t happen, but it actually did.

DeVon, your work as a studio executive, Christian author, and now movie producer has most recently included live clips of you praying on social media.

How has this influenced your ministry?

DeVon Franklin: In the movie, you see Joyce Smith go into that emergency room and she prays. Then John comes back to life. She demonstrates the power of prayer. Throughout the whole experience, prayer is an integral part of John’s recovery. We portray that in the film.

So, organically and ironically, as I’ve been

praying for people through Instagram, Facebook, and other social media, the response has been unbelievable. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve gained more than 100,000 followers. A lot of it has to do with the power of prayer.

I’m not saying this as a judgement, but so often our prayers are self–centered. So much of social media is “me, me, me” or “selfie, selfie, selfie.” But my prayers are about other people, rather than about me. I think people are deeply moved by that because so few people in their life are concerned about them, are praying for them, and praying over them. I think that is where I’ve seen the power of prayer and social media come together. It wasn’t intentional. It’s just something that started organically. I’m just so grateful. In many ways, I’m subconsciously inspired by Joyce because she is a praying mother—every time I’m around her, she prays!

John, when you realized that the whole church and community were praying for you, how did you react?

John: I was in awe because at that time people were seeing Missouri in two lights; as a destructive light, and as a beacon of hope.

The Michael Brown tragedy in Ferguson, Mo., was happening around the same time my breakthrough was taking place. So, they saw

“ I’ve been praying for people through Instagram, Facebook, and other social media… It wasn’t intentional.

It’s just something that started organically. I’m just so grateful. In many ways, I’m subconsciously inspired

by Joyce because she is a praying mother—every time I’m around her, she prays!”

—DeVon Franklin

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On the set are (l–r): Pastor Jason Noble, Topher Grace, Joyce Smith, Chrissy Metz, Roxann Dawson, Josh Lucas, Marcel Ruiz, John Smith, and DeVon Franklin.

Allan Fraser / © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (2)

the destruction in Ferguson, but they also saw the hope coming from St. Louis. Families came together to pray for me; all of St. Louis came together with open arms, praying for me. From churches to schools to everybody in this community, people were praying for me.

During that time, I was struggling with thoughts like, what if I don’t get all my strength back? What if I’m not 100 percent anymore? But having St. Louis, my church, and my family pray for me and tell me it’s going to be okay, and walk with me through that, made the difference.

If there was anything else you’d want in this movie, what would it be?

John: I think DeVon captured the key points that needed to be told to make this story complete and to make “BREAKTHROUGH” what it is today—and that’s family. Within the film, you see everybody experience their individual breakthroughs: from my mom to me to Tommy to everyone. I think that’s so important because, if I would have seen heaven, it would have been just about me. But the story is about everybody’s individual story within the story—their own breakthrough. That’s what

you see, and I think that’s what’s truly amazing throughout the film.

It’s interesting how in a breakthrough, something or someone has to be broken.

Pastor Jason: that’s the hardest part of it.

Everyone wants a miracle, but to get to one is hard. There has to be something you need a miracle for. All the stuff God took Joyce through really happened. A month into my pastorate, we had a long conversation.

What would be your advice to a young pastor coming into a church?

Pastor Jason: I would have more advice for the congregation: give him grace, take time to know him, give him the benefit of the doubt, and give him a clean slate. Churches have many expectations, but the reality is, if we don’t replace the pastors who are retiring with young pastors, who do we have? So, back him up 100 percent and give him grace—be his cheerleader!

John, how do you think this event will impact your future?

John: I don’t know my future, but I do know that

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God has a great plan for my life. He’s brought amazing people into it, from Pastor Jason to Pastor Sammy Rodriguez to President Scott Hagen to DeVon Franklin. He’s brought all of these great mentors into my life. We’ve been building relationships, building a brotherhood, and building a family. They’re going to walk me through this because God has brought me here for a reason.

So, is college your next step?

John: Yes, I’ve met Scott Hagen, president of North Central, a Christian university in downtown Minneapolis, Minn. That’s where I’ll be attending this fall to study to pursue life as a pastor.

DeVon, what do you want people to take away from this film?

DeVon: It released April 17 all across the world. It’s now available on other platforms.

We’re excited to see what God wants to do. My hope is that their faith will increase and that they’ll tell people about it. I want them to walk out of the theater saying, “you gotta go see ‘BREAKTHROUGH’! It was amazing and here’s why.” We, as producers of the film, have done all we can. It’s on the people now!

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‘I STAN

A

t least a year before he would be arrested and languish 735 days in a Turkish prison, Pastor Andrew Brunson began to hear the rumblings of an impending storm.

Praying friends told Brunson and his wife Norine, as early as 2015 that a difficult trial was ahead that would so test the couple’s faith that they would want to leave the Muslim–dominated country, where they had preached the gospel for 23 years. One person even told the Brunsons they would stand before “rulers and politicians,” a proposition Norine dismissed as “ridiculous.”

Just prior to his arrest in October 2016 after a coup d’état attempt in Turkey, Brunson heard God tell him, “It’s time to come home.”

He remembers asking, “Are you calling me to heaven, Lord?”

Brunson’s calling included two years of brutal imprisonment after Turkish officials accused him of terrorism and spying. Brunson saw it as Christian persecution. His imprisonment spawned tremendous growth in his personal faith, and an international movement of prayer as “Pastor Andrew” became a cause célèbre.

Brunson was finally released in October 2018. By this time, his plight had captured worldwide attention.

News media carried his story throughout the United States. Seizing the moment, religious leaders embraced him; political leaders claimed him. At a meeting at the White House, he literally stood before “rulers and politicians” and actually laid hands on and prayed for the president.

The 51–year–old Brunson will present his powerful testimony in a new book, God’s Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance, to be released next month.

“What I told the Lord in my struggle is, ‘If I ever get out of here and can speak or write about this, I will have a testimony of weakness.’ I actually came out strong, but I’m going to be very open with the brokenness and the struggles because I think there are a lot of other people out there who actually struggle in these situations,” Brunson said.

Brunson, who pastored the Izmir Resurrection Church in Turkey, had been shot at and threatened before. He fancied himself a “toughened–up

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Getty Images / STRINGER

ND FOR

missionary,” but nothing could have prepared him for what was coming when he and thousands of others were arrested.

THE TEST BEGINS

by Robert Mitchell

While most Americans may think of the movie “Midnight Express” when they hear about a Turkish prison, Brunson said his situation was different. While the prisoners in that film were largely kept in a common area, Brunson spent eight months crammed with 21 other inmates in an eight–person cell. He was mostly in the cell 24 hours a day. There was one shower and one toilet.

Norine could visit for 35 minutes a week, but only after getting permission from the government and undergoing an eye–scan before entering the prison.

Their conversations were monitored, and because of Brunson’s high–profile, a convoy of heavily–armed soldiers accompanied him whenever he was transferred.

“I never left my cell except to go out and see a lawyer or have a visit. Even then, there was a glass between us,” Brunson recalls. “Other than that, I’m in that cell.

You could be there for years and never meet anybody from another cell. It’s claustrophobic, contained, tight, and intense.

“One of the reasons that I had such a hard time in prison is because I didn’t have the right mindset. I hadn’t been prepared to pay that price because it wasn’t an option anyone thought about at that time. I’m really the first person to be put in prison like this in Turkey for a long time. My mentality wasn’t ready for it, and my expectations were different.”

Brunson says his book will outline the “existential crisis” and spiritual struggles he faced. He has read about other people imprisoned for their faith, especially those in communist China, but found nothing similar to what he endured.

“This is one thing that really surprised me,” Brunson said. “I’m expecting there will be joy, there will be all this strength, maybe encounters with God. Some of these people saw angels, Jesus appeared to them, they even heard the voice of God. I thought, None of this is happening to me. At one point, I even asked, ‘God, do You exist?’

“I said to God, ‘I could die in here. They could keep me here for the rest of my life. I may never see my family

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again. Yes, You exist because if You didn’t, I wouldn’t be in prison. The fact that I’m here is confirmation that You exist because they put me in here to punish me because of You.’”

GOD SEEMS DISTANT Brunson, who earned two seminary degrees and a doctorate before becoming a missionary (and is an admirer of Salvation Army Founder William Booth), found himself asking fundamental questions about his Christian faith.

“I had all of this spiritual wealth and theological training, and yet I go into prison and I’m just devastated and I’m really struggling through the basics. I’m asking myself, Does God love me personally or is it more

that song every day. It wasn’t intended to go out in the public. It was just my love song to Jesus and a declaration of His character.”

Norine said Andrew faced several highs and lows as his case—often in the headlines in the U.S. and Turkey— proceeded. He was suicidal after one high–stakes negotiating session failed to result in his release.

“In prison, I was really broken, but by the time I got to trial, I said, ‘I really want to make a stand for Jesus, and I want to declare with pride that I belong to Christ. This is my identity. You can call me a terrorist and evil and all these things, but it doesn’t matter. I stand for Jesus.’

This is what we need our generation to do, in a loving way,” Brunson said.

“I passed the test of seeking Him in difficulties, of not giving up, but rather enduring. I didn’t turn away from Him, but toward Him.” Getty Images / BULENT KILIC

of a collective thing? How does this work out with what He’s allowing to happen to me? I didn’t see His kindness.

I didn’t see Him intervening for me. Not that setting me free is necessary to prove His love, but where is He in this? I was questioning.”

While in his cell, Brunson wrote a song called “Worthy of My All.” The lyrics include: “ You are worthy, worthy of my all This is my declaration in the darkest hour Jesus, the Faithful One who loves me, always good and true You made me yours, You are worthy of my all.”

Brunson began “leaping” in his cell. “It was this intentional choice to declare the truth about God’s character and I did it again and again,” he said. “I sang

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FREE AT LAST Brunson would often quote 2 Timothy, which was written near the end of the Apostle Paul’s life. The themes of enduring hardship, suffering, running, finishing the race, and being poured out like a drink offering resonated with Brunson.

“I prayed, ‘Lord, I want to be able to finish like Paul did.’ I was consciously saying, ‘Lord, I am in darkness, but I need to learn to stand in the dark, even when I don’t see or understand my future,’” Brunson said.

In July 2018, Turkish authorities granted Brunson house arrest. They subsequently found him guilty of aiding terrorism and sentenced him to time served.

Three months later, they released him in the midst of great international fanfare.

“I came out of prison feeling more confident in my relationship with God,” Brunson said. “I didn’t have all these questions and trauma left because I had come to this point of surrendering and saying, ‘I’m going to follow You no matter what.’ Because I went through these things, endured, and won some victories spiritually, I have a different sense of confidence rather than feeling like a victim—no answers, but confidence.

“I didn’t betray the Lord. I passed the test of seeking Him in difficulties, of not giving up, but rather enduring.

I didn’t turn away from Him, but toward Him. “Until my love for God is tested, it’s an unproven love. Once it’s been tested and I’ve come through and kept that love, it’s proven.”

The Brunsons are grateful for the tsunami of worldwide prayer on their behalf and believe it is going to pay eternal dividends in Turkey.

“We’re aware that this happened because of the prayers,” Norine said. “It spread to other countries; total strangers were praying. People we didn’t even know were saying, ‘I’m waking up in the middle of the night to pray for you.’ It was just supernatural.”

Brunson said he thought the prayers would stop, but they only gained momentum the longer he was in custody.

“It was really a God–movement,” Brunson said. “It was clearly not a normal thing. God had a bigger plan and He was just using me to accomplish it. It wasn’t because I’m important or well known, it was because there was something God was accomplishing.”

Brunson explained that Turkey, the backdrop for much of the New Testament, was for centuries, home to the Ottoman Empire and the Muslim world and spearheaded the spread of Islam. He said only one of out every 116,000 people there are Christians.

A HEART FOR MUSLIMS “In a spiritual sense, Muslims are a key to the Middle East,” he said. “There’s a spiritual legacy there. When many more people come to Jesus in Turkey, and there is a breaking of spiritual power, I think that will influence the countries around it.

“I think God raised this huge prayer movement to bring change to Turkey. That will then bring change to the Middle East spiritually. Setting me free happened to be the immediate cause for it, but it went so far beyond that. It’s an investment for the Middle East. That’s how I see God’s hand in it.”

Despite the risks, the Brunsons feel God is drawing

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them back to the Middle East. They’ve been married for 30 years and have three grown children. The couple is now living in North Carolina.

“It’s our calling,” Norine said. “I don’t think we can say ‘no.’ We’re waiting on the Lord and seeing what He has for us next.”

“We do have a calling to Muslims and the Middle East,” Andrew said. “We do expect to return there someday. It’s not that we’re attracted to the Middle Eastern culture as much as we believe God wants us there and that He’s preparing for an awesome move. We want to be a part of that. We had no desire to leave Turkey. We were there for life.”

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS Norine had been released 13 days after the couple was arrested, however Andrew was not assigned a lawyer for two months. For this violation of his rights, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions took his case and decided in his favor. The group said Turkey should publicly expunge his record and award him compensation. Brunson called their decision stunning.

“I don’t expect the Turkish government to acknowledge this or accept it in any way, but I feel like there’s some outside vindication at least that this was religious persecution,” Brunson said.

Brunson said he has a “real feeling of urgency and heaviness for this generation” of Christians who he says can expect persecution.

“I think there’s such an acceleration toward marginalizing Christians in this society, ministry is going to become more and more difficult,” he said. “There will be a price to pay to stand unapologetically for God, and for truth, and for His standards. We need to prepare.

If we’re not ready for persecution, and perhaps prison, then these events will surprise us, and we won’t have the right mentality or perspective to deal with them. I think the possibility needs to be talked about more.”

God’s Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance will be released on Oct. 15 by Baker Books.

The 256–page book can be purchased at Amazon.com or wherever books are sold.

2019 SEPTEMBER

13

Opening Kitchen Doors

by Hugo Bravo

F

or the past two decades, the foodie culture (people who have an avid interest in the latest food fads) has taken over the world; everyone is searching for something healthier, sweeter or different than their routine meal.

“Those expanded palettes have taken a toll on the culinary industry,” says Timothy Tucker, a chef who has worked in upscale restaurants, culinary academies, and the Salvation Army in his native Louisville, Ky. “It has caused the price of culinary school to go up to the point it’s no longer affordable. People from lower–income backgrounds that want to follow this career cannot attain it anymore. The ones who do so end up in debt. This situation has created a shortage in cooks and chefs across the United States and in Europe.”

At the Salvation Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Boston, Mass., adults from the Dorchester/Roxbury community who are eager to work in culinary arts have the chance to start their career.

The Kroc Center’s Culinary Arts Training Program is more than a simple cooking class. During the course, students become familiar with each other’s cuisine and cultures. They visit local markets and bakeries to learn about the food business. They memorize food terminology and practice safety standards needed to manage a professional kitchen. When the ten weeks are over, they will have the certification and experience necessary to succeed in the culinary field, which needs such graduates today.

SELF–WORTH AND NET WORTH In 2009, Timothy Tucker was executive chef at the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope Meal Service in Louisville, Ky. He cooked for as many as 400 low–income individuals and their families. He also

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gr

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created a ten–week course to teach a select group of them how to begin new careers in the kitchen.

“Just as The Salvation Army can feed someone, it can also teach someone to feed others. In doing so, the Army helps people to become independent. It’s a whole new approach to ministry,” says Tucker.

Salvation Army administrators in Boston asked Chef Tucker to come to Massachusetts to teach his course at the newly–built Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. Today, after five years at the Boston Kroc, the Culinary Arts Training program averages a 90 percent graduation rate. Many of its graduates get high–paying jobs at local restaurants, casinos, and supermarket kitchens. Some are even able to secure positions before graduation day. The program also prepares students to take the ServSafe manager exam, a difficult but crucial test for anyone who wants to grow in the industry.

“Passing the ServSafe test is telling an employer that you are a professional who is able to monitor safety and sanitation requirements at a manager’s level,” explains Tucker. “Whether you want to run a restaurant kitchen, own your own food truck, or work in a school cafeteria, you need to pass the ServSafe exam.”

“We want our graduates to earn more than the minimum wage, because Boston is an expensive place to live.

Realistically, if you’re trying to support a family here, and you’re not making around $20 an hour, you may be coming to a place like The Salvation Army for help,” says Tucker.

“Our classes have welcomed immigrants, single mothers, and people coming out of prison. No one works harder in our program than folks like them,” Tucker says. “They know that their path to success can be limited, and we know that restaurants are good places for entry and re–entry into the work force.”

“Our students see both their net worth and their self–worth increase,” says Tucker. “The heart of this program is a goal of The Salvation Army: to help people become self–sustainable.”

TEN WEEKS OF OPPORTUNITIES Britis Holguin had been in the country for only a few days when she applied for the ten–week course. She became one of 11 students in the Spring 2019 class. “This opportunity suddenly presented itself to me,” says Holguin, who had studied baking in the Dominican Republic.

“Being part of this program has been a blessing,” says Holguin. “After only a few months, I feel like every door is open for me.”

Arnulfo Imbrechts came to the U.S. from Colombia

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five years ago and went straight to work in restaurants.

But despite having experience in preparing Middle Eastern and Japanese cuisine, he always saw other employees around him getting promoted. His bosses then asked him to train those same people promoted over him. Determined to get his certification, Imbrechts took a ten–week unpaid leave to attend the Boston Kroc Center’s culinary arts program.

“No chef had ever taught me like Chef Tucker did,” says Imbrechts. “Through him, I became a better cook. I understood the mechanics before, but here I learned the safety procedures and the textbook rules of cooking.”

“Those unpaid ten weeks are not lost. I will make that money up in no time!” says Imbrechts, smiling.

He is considering a job offer to work in Encore Boston Harbor, a nearby luxury resort and casino.

FOOD TRUCKS AND FENWAY Johnnie Barnwell’s mother was the most talented cook he knew, but baking was his biggest challenge in the course.

“Baking was a different process than cooking, but that’s why I came to the Kroc; to learn to do what I love better,” says Barnwell, who hopes to one day have his own restaurant. Currently, he’s saving up to invest in a more mobile strategy for feeding people.

“I want to have a food truck waiting outside Boston nightclubs, ready for people who are hungry after a night of dancing. No more going to the house of pancakes after parties. I’m taking all their business!” says Barnwell, laughing.

Kamari Boseman, who is just 18–years–old, had the highest score of the class in the ServSafe test, and will work for Whole Foods after graduation. “With this job, I can keep expanding my knowledge of what I learned under Chef Tucker,” says Boseman.

Before the program, the only food experience Sabastian Holden, also 18, had was a love of TV cooking shows and helping his mother in the kitchen.

“Now, my dream is to travel the world to meet great chefs like Chef Tucker, and work under them,” says Holden, who has found a job at Fenway Park’s VIP Pavilion Club, preparing meals such as lobster and filet mignon in one of the baseball stadium’s most luxurious boxes.

“Chef Tucker showed us how to prepare that type of food; he gave me a head start,” remembers Holden. “The employers liked that they didn’t have to train me; all they had to do was give me a tour of Fenway, and then point me towards the kitchen.”

“ After finishing the program, I now have the luxury of choosing where I want to go work.”

— Arnulfo Imbrechts

“I told Chef Tucker how grateful we all are.

These lessons are gold to us. It’s the biggest open door we could have prayed for.”

— Jackeline Tennyson

“We built this program to be replicated in other Kroc locations. I teach it here in Boston, but it really isn’t mine. It belongs to The Salvation Army, and we hope it continues to grow.”

— Chef Timothy Tucker “ By the grace of God, I’m here, and it’s exciting to be so close to graduation.”

— Britis Holguin

2019 SEPTEMBER

17

FAMILY INFLUENCES Keyona Howard comes from a line of chefs, cooks, and caterers, but sees her certification from the program as a way to work behind the scenes of the food business. She now has a five–year plan for her career, which begins with working for the Wegman’s supermarket chain.

“Part of our training is learning how to market ourselves and our skills beyond the qualifications of the jobs we want,” says Howard. “I can cook, but now I want to be part of the business aspect of culinary arts.”

Jerome Brown hoped to one day play professional basketball. When a knee injury derailed his goal, he saw it as a sign from God to take him on a different path.

“I was raised by my grandmother, who was one of the greatest cooks in the neighborhood,” says Brown. “I have all her recipes saved in my brain. Now, with this career path, I also have the lessons and tools to bring her recipes to the world.”

From a young age, Davidson Debrosse, an immigrant from Haiti, watched his father impress others with his culinary skills.

“Guests thought my father was professionally trained because a man that knows how to cook is rare in Haitian culture,” says Debrosse, who says the culinary program helped him improve his own cutting and dicing skills. Though he’s now a personal chef, Debrosse hopes to one day work in Boston’s newest French restaurant. “French cuisine is my favorite, and I can already speak the language,” he says.

BLESSINGS IN THE COMMUNITY Kevin George is the only student of the Spring 2019 session with prior connections to The Salvation Army.

An employee of the Boston South End Corps Community Center, he was offered the position of kitchen cook when the previous cook left.

“I did not have the training the last cook had,” says George, “but I wanted to improve my skills to better serve and move up in the job.”

George says he will return to the South End Corps with his certification. “I guess I could look for something bigger and new, but my roots are here with The Salvation Army. I can’t leave those people in South End; I love them!”

Jackeline Tennyson had a lot of practice cooking before she took the course. She enjoyed feeding her family and the needy at her local church.

“But I always cooked by eye, never measuring,” says Tennyson. “Here, I learned that it’s much different to

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cook for your friends or loved ones than for your business or your restaurant.”

“I want to come back and teach future students about Honduran food,” says Tennyson. “This program and these skills are blessings from God, and I want to share those blessings.”

MASTERING OUR GIFTS The graduation ceremony for the Spring 2019 Culinary Arts class began with Chris Sumner, chief operation executive for the Kroc Center, thanking the graduates’ families for entrusting their loved ones and their futures to The Salvation Army.

“The only way we change the world is if we are mastering the gifts God has given us. Today, we celebrate 11 graduates who are doing just that,” said Sumner.

Guests dined on food prepared and served by the graduates, including Jerome Brown’s grandmother’s BBQ ribs. Chef Tucker proudly introduced each of his students and shared a glimpse of the careers they had in front of them.

“This is bigger than just a cooking program. Here, we change lives, we increase paychecks, and we help our students reach the next level,” said Chef Tucker.

Joyce Leveston, general manager of the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, was the guest speaker at the graduation. She shared her own beginnings as a telephone operator in San Diego, Calif., to becoming the most sought–after woman of color in event production and management.

“Every time I took the next step in my career, it was because someone opened the door for me, and pulled me through,” Leveston said to the graduates. “Remember where you were and know where you are going. You all now have a responsibility to open the door and pull someone through it, just as you were pulled too.”

Leveston’s message resonated with graduate Andre Gomez. Andre, who owns a Portuguese restaurant, took the program to expand his own knowledge and be influenced by the students he learned alongside.

“From the first day up until graduation, I was revising and improving how I run my own business, thanks to this course,” says the Cape Verdean–born entrepreneur. He hopes to open his own kitchen doors to someone from the culinary program and pull them through.

“I’m going to come back, meet students, and say to Chef Tucker, ‘When these students graduate, send them to work for me. They’ve been trained by you, and they know what I know.’”

Emergency Disaster Services offers long–term recovery

by Warren L. Maye

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was the third in a consecutive series of above–average and damaging seasons, featuring 15 named storms, and 8 hurricanes, including Florence and Michael, both of which were Category 5. Overall, they caused as much as $50 billion in damages and cost many people their lives.

This year, a record number of tornadoes have swept across the country, many of which have touched down in the Eastern Territory. “I think our work is going to increase,” said Tameka Sharp, an Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) logistics officer at the Salvation Army’s National Headquarters (NHQ).

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2019 SEPTEMBER

19

“The good thing is that a lot of people are starting to pay attention now to the frequency of the floods and tornadoes. Prior to this year, only the hurricanes or the wildfires were making the big news. But now, the floods and tornadoes are making news, I think because they are happening so frequently. For example, this month, we’ve had more than 90 tornadoes,” she said.

The Salvation Army’s response to such emergencies is complex. Gone are the days when mobile feeding unit (canteen) personnel would simply give out sandwiches and cups of hot chocolate to first responders and survivors. Today, the Army offers an array of services that cover the full scope of needs, be they practical, emotional or spiritual.

Said Michael Orfitelli, former EDS director for the Eastern Territory, “Even when you go back to WW2, you see what the Army lassies did was more than just dunk donuts, they also read letters from home to the soldiers. While in a horrible place, they offered a soft touch during a hard and difficult time.”

EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL CARE “When you go back through any of the

disasters, you see that there has always been this compassion for people that has set the Army apart from other agencies that may have had more people on site, more equipment, and other resources,” Orfitelli said. “It’s really not just about what we do; it’s about who we are in the process.

“We try to infuse and synthesize emotional and spiritual care into everything that we do.

We’re not a drive–by service. We’re also someone to talk to, someone who gets it, someone who cares. So that has been my focus for the past 16 years,” he said. Well documented is the fact that, after other agencies and the media are gone, The Salvation Army typically stays on site for the long haul.

Indeed, Emotional and Spiritual Care, one of the seven core services of EDS (see sidebar), is a ministry component that people such as Orfitelli and Sharp have cultivated in their professional and personal lives. In 2012, with the events of 9/11 still in his psyche, Orfitelli, who was a music teacher in public schools and a communications refurbishing company owner, also became the Eastern Territory’s emergency disaster coordinator with an interest in curriculum development.

“ I want us to become a

leading—edge

provider in the EDS world.”

Photo by Ben Glassman

— Bob Myers

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SEPTEMBER 2019

SEVEN SERVICES

“Major Charles Dietrick had asked me to oversee three warehouses during 9/11. Afterwards, he asked me to consider working for the Army,” Orfitelli remembers.

As a teen, he had driven his dad’s ice cream trucks and had become uniquely familiar with their operation. Many years later, and after seeing a 1964 Boyer truck as a Salvation Army canteen, his instincts kicked in. “I was drawn to the work, so I agreed.”

Orfitelli, along with colleagues from the Salvation Army’s southern, central, and western territories, developed a national plan. “We spent more than a year together,” remembers Orfitelli. “A National Vision for A Local Effort” became their motto as they organized a curriculum for the Army, which was initially funded by the Lilly Foundation.

“No doubt, Emotional and Spiritual Care (ESC) is one of our seven core services,” said Sharp. “We’re not just handing out water or food, we also tend to the emotional and spiritual aspects of a survivor. Being able to have workers out in the field praying with and speaking to people is sometimes more valuable than a plate of food.

“This is not just an add on, it’s a core service. A lot of times, we have ESC workers in the canteens, so they are out in the community being a presence. They hug and speak with people. It really pays big dividends.

We’re also trying to develop a cadre of more deployable ESC Strike Teams.”

A MINISTRY OF PRESENCE A ministry of presence is Chris Farrand’s EDS focus. As a seminary graduate and mental health professional, his experience in working with people who have suffered mental illness, trauma, and loss has taught him valuable lessons. “Sometimes, there’s almost nothing else between this person and their grief or hurt except me,” he said. “Frequently, I’m in a role where I’m put into incredibly terrible situations, and yet I can be the presence and comfort of God and bring hope in a way that changes lives; just being there can be life transforming.”

Farrand’s journey to EDS began with a dream to fly planes. “I’d gone to Moody Bible Institute for my undergrad and I was studying to be a missionary pilot. I was in their missionary aviation program. While I was there studying to fly, I got my first exposure to studying the Bible and I realized I wanted to be someone who taught the Bible instead of someone who flew people around who taught the Bible,” he said.

“I wanted to get a master’s of divinity degree. So, I came to Gordon– Conwell in Massachusetts and finished my masters. I did clinical guidance chaplaincy work at Beverly Hospital and really learned a ton about the ministry of presence.”

He later met a Salvation Army volunteer who opened his eyes to the possibilities of serving people in the midst of disaster. “There was a woman at my church who was volunteering for The Salvation Army and she was in the Disaster Services Program,” said Farrand. “She shared a story about how she deployed to Utah to help in a mining disaster to provide emotional and spiritual care.”

Bob Myers, the new EDS director for the Eastern Territory, said, “Ministry is a core mission of what we do as The Salvation Army. We

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The Salvation Army Disaster relief efforts focus on seven core services.

These services may be modified based on the magnitude of the disaster and adapted to meet the specific needs of individual survivors.

TRAINING In partnership with other agencies, the Salvation Army’s disaster training program offers a variety of courses designed to help individuals and communities prepare for emergency events and become trained disaster volunteers.

FOOD SERVICE When a disaster strikes, one of the first signs that help is on the way is often the arrival of a Salvation Army mobile feeding unit that offers meals, snacks, and drinks, to rescue workers and survivors.

EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL CARE Motivated by Christian faith, The Salvation Army deploys specially trained individuals to offer emotional and spiritual care to rescue workers and disaster survivors.

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) includes a worldwide network of volunteer amateur radio operators and other communications specialists, who may be mobilized to transmit emergency information during a disaster event.

DISASTER SOCIAL SERVICES After a family has lost everything in a disaster, The Salvation Army is there to provide emergency assistance to help meet survivors’ most urgent needs for food, clothing, shelter, and medical services.

DONATIONS MANAGEMENT The Salvation Army is one of the nation’s leaders in responsibly collecting, sorting, and distributing donated goods.

The Salvation Army encourages cash donations as the best and most flexible way to help and solicits only those in– kind donations which can be effectively received and efficiently distributed.

RECOVERY The Salvation Army supports long–term disaster recovery operations with flexible programming that is adaptable to the unique needs of individual communities. source: salvationarmyusa.org

MILESTONE EVENTS

in EDS history

1900 Galveston Hurricane launches the Salvation Army’s formal response to the need for disaster services.

1900 San Francisco earthquake 1914–18 WW1 The Salvation Army donut girls 1939–45 WW2 The Salvation Army donut girls 1960–70 hurricane and tornado responses 1970 Jonestown, Pa., flood response; a major undertaking for the USA Eastern Territory 1992 Hurricane Andrew The Salvation Army’s ARC truck convoy transports supplies from the Manhattan ARC to Stewart AFB. 1995 Oklahoma City bombing 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks on NYC, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania 2005 Hurricane Katrina Salvation Army sends teams to New Orleans, Louisiana.

2011 multiple flooding events in the Eastern Territory 2012 Hurricane Sandy 2017 Hurricanes Harvey and Maria 2018 Above average Atlantic hurricanes (8), including Florence and Michael (C5)

have brought our emotional and spiritual care to the forefront and made it a focal point,” said Myers. “We’ve gone from having officers who were thrust into it, to having a highly skilled, highly trained staff that is considered by the community to be a critical piece of crisis counseling.

We view our work as a ministry rather than just as a service.”

Sharp grew up playing basketball in a Salvation Army gymnasium in Tupelo, Miss. “So, I was familiar with the organization, and I knew that its credibility is amazing, and its integrity is awesome, and being able to merge my profession with the faith aspect was really a wonderful opportunity,” she said.

“In Tupelo, I was young, and faith hadn’t really been the center of my life, even though everyone went to church. But after moving to New York, I committed to be Christian in word and in deed—to live it out.”

Sharp, who had become a member of the Times Square Church, continued, “Once Christianity became a priority, I was happy to bring EDS alongside of it. That bond was important. I believe it’s not just work, but it is also ministry. Marrying those two became a win/win!”

BLUE SKIES A familiar adage says, “fix your roof when the sun is shining.” That advice undergirds much of the work EDS professionals do between disaster events. “There’s a misnomer that says when disasters are not happening, there isn’t much to do,” said Myers. “The truth is quite the contrary. Some of the most fruitful, tedious, and challenging work we do isn’t during the Grey–Sky times when disasters are happening, it’s during the Blue–Sky times.”

Debriefing, training, preparing, as well as building relationships, systems, and protocols, keep EDS workers busy. Sharp added, “We host the Disaster Services Committee (DSC) once a year, which happens during the first week of December. That’s when we bring all the four coordinators to NHQ as well as representatives from the Adult Rehabilitation Centers Command (ARCC), the Salvation Army World Services Organization (SAWSO), and social services. We talk about national policies and partnerships and ways to create a national minute or policy or partnership.”

TRAINING FOR THE WORST Training volunteers is particularly important. Doing so encourages their retention and increases their effectiveness. For example, the need for such trained emotional and spiritual care workers was what brought Farrand to EDS in the first place. “During 9/11 in Massachusetts, we tried to send our Salvation Army officers to Logan Airport to help with the crisis,” said Farrand. “But they were turned away because certain roles required an understanding or training. We needed to hire someone who could help us build our emotional spiritual care program in Massachusetts, so we wouldn’t get rejected again.”

Sharp, who came to EDS two years ago after having worked in the healthcare industry, says training volunteers and encouraging donors is a big part of Blue Skies. “We’ve had a very busy two years, with the

2017 Hurricane season, 2018, and 2019 with all the flooding.

“My concern is that donor fatigue will become a factor. Future efforts will require more volunteers and more partnership support. So hopefully, other individuals and corporations will step up and donor fatigue will not stop our ability to garner the resources to help survivors.”

THE FORECAST As the territorial EDS director, Myers works with the 11 divisions. “We are the emergency management wing of The Salvation Army,” said the son of an EDS director in Pennsylvania. “So, what we do includes preparedness, response, and recovery. We focus on strategy at the territorial level; we focus on the big picture. Whereas on the divisional level they’re more ‘boots on the ground’ focused, executing day–to–day goals.”

Myers said his 17 years of experience with his boots on the ground gives him a relevant perspective. “At THQ, we ask, ‘how do we

support the divisions?’ ‘How do we grow the program?’ ‘How do we continue to engage our partners on a regional and national basis?’ It’s the same type of work, just a different perspective on it.”

Myers measures growth in terms of program development, effective collaboration, added equipment, and more hands–on–deck.

In reflecting on his previous work in EDS, he said, “We started as a staff of one; when I left, we had seven of us on staff. We positioned ourselves as a resource both territorially and nationally. We tried to be forward thinking in putting plans on paper and engaging the community, as well as building relationships with the corps, the division, and the neighboring divisions. We also built relationships with government, nonprofit, and profit partners.

Aims for the future? “Not to rest on our laurels, but continue to grow to meet the needs of survivors of disasters with personnel who are trained and vetted for service,” said Myers.

“I want us to become a leading–edge provider in the EDS world.”

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Keys to the future: Bob Myers EDS director (left), and Michael Orfitelli, former EDS director, symbolically pass the keys.

“ We’re not a drive—by service. We’re also

someone to talk to,

someone who gets it,

someone who cares.”

— Michael Orfitelli

2019 SEPTEMBER

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snapshot

WHEN ALL SEEMS LOST ... ...the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services personnel offer a ministry of presence that includes practical, emotional, and spiritual care to survivors of both natural and man–made disasters. The Army’s commitment to such people in recovery lasts for the long–term, thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers, employees, donors, and uniformed officers. Shown is a mobile feeding unit assisting Ohio residents in the aftermath of a recent tornado.

2019 SEPTEMBER

25

Q & A

Captain Danielle Hopping

(and Nadia) interview by Warren L. Maye

In the morning when they come into the office at the Salvation Army’s Territorial Headquarters (THQ) in West Nyack, N.Y., Captain Danielle Hopping and her service dog Nadia step through a little white retaining gate mounted at the bottom of the door.

Hopping takes her seat at a desk, boots up her computer, and turns on a videophone.

The THQ finance officer checks her messages by watching a recording showing a person who’s facial and hand motions are indicative of the American Sign Language.

Nadia, a black labrador, walks quietly to her pet bed and gets comfortable, but pays close attention to Hopping’s activities. A dear companion for five years, Nadia also serves as Hopping’s “ears” by responding when the phone rings, the door chimes or a fire alarm sounds.

When did you lose your sense of hearing? I’m 41 and have been deaf since birth due to my mother’s sickness with Rubella, a viral disease better known as measles and whose symptoms can include fever, rash, and birth defects in pregnant women. Although over time I’ve learned how to talk, all sound is beyond my ability to detect.

How did you manage, day to day? As a child, I relied greatly on my close–knit family.

My mother lived with her parents and the three of them helped me and my brother Dave after my dad passed away. My mother died in 2016.

When did Nadia become a part of your life? During a hotel fire, I had a portable strobe light smoke alarm in my room, but it failed to function. I couldn’t hear anyone banging on my door or what was going on outside of it.

That escape convinced me to seek additional help. I contacted an organization called Canine Companions for Independence, which has been in service for 50 years. After 22 months of training, Nadia was ready to address my needs.

It was the best decision I ever made in my life.

She’s my best friend.

Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” but you’ve clearly developed and maintained strong faith. How did you do it? My faith is stronger than it used to be. For many years, I had a hard time accepting my deafness because I felt lost in this world where people can hear. I didn’t think I had a positive future; I felt like my deafness might hold me down.

But while growing up, my gram, Major Mae Beck, always reminded me not to give up hope.

She always said, “Don’t give up hope because God knows what He is doing in your life and future.” She believed that God had a plan and purpose for me to be deaf to show others that He is with me and all of us, every step of the way.

Five years ago, God showed me why I should not give up hope and to keep my faith strong. He brought Nadia into my life. When I found out that her name actually means “hope,” I felt she was a

gift from God. He was saying to me, “I got you.”

Today, I truly believe that my gram asked God to send me Nadia as a sign. As the Scripture says, “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18).

She must have been your mentor and role model. Yes, my gram, who was promoted to Glory on January 1, 2005, knew me the best and could put up with me. She was my best friend. She was a strong, real, Christian woman.

She was not afraid to speak her mind and express her feelings.

For my whole life, Gram was my cheerleader.

She always told me that I could do things and always reminded me not to give up. She also reminded me of my favorite childhood story, The Little Engine That Could. She would always tell me to say, out loud, “I know I can! I know I can!” as the little engine did, going up the mountain.

Are there any other people who come to mind? My deaf role model is Sue Thomas.

She is awesome, strong, stubborn, and a Christian woman who reminds me so much of myself. She grew up in a solid Christian home with strong family support. She did struggle for long time, but she found God and realized that He was with her every step of her life. It was Sue who told me about service dogs who help people with severe hearing loss. Sue also gave me words of advice, which I still use in my ministry.

What is your message to people reading this story? I want them to know that, whatever your disability or issue is, don’t let it define you; don’t let it hold you back. Our disabilities don’t have to be disappointments. Like everything else, they are part of God’s plan.

We might not know why we have this disability, and we might not see it as a good thing, but I do believe that, in the future, God will show us the reason. God is using us to show others how to be positive, living testimonies.

That’s why I believe God wants me to stay alive and continue in His ministry. I thank God for using me for His purposes. My favorite quote is “Don’t Give Up! There is always Hope!”

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WORLD SERVICES 2019

Reveal THE BIG

“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”

—Isaiah 40:5

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

testimony

Speaking the Language of the Deaf

by Major Arlene DiCaterina

Twenty years ago, before I joined The Salvation Army, I attended Robles de Justicia Christian Church in Puerto Rico. During a Tuesday service, I saw a beautiful young woman walk in with her boyfriend. The woman sat down and began to carefully watch the pastor speak. My friend Betsy Morales, a sign language interpreter for the government of Puerto Rico who also attended the church, walked up to the couple, sat next to the woman, and began interpreting what the pastor was saying.

That was the moment I became captivated by sign language. For a year, I joined Betsy in taking sign language courses. I will always remember the day she announced to the ministry that she would start a program for the deaf and people who wanted to learn sign language. I prayed to God for His guidance on this endeavor, and He responded with Isaiah 29:18 “In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.”

I served as an interpreter and a sign language teacher in our new ministry for the deaf. Eventually, our ministry had grown so much that we no longer needed to have an interpreter, but rather an entire service for the deaf

ministry itself. One of our deaf members took on the responsibility of being the pastor for the service.

AN UNWRITTEN LANGUAGE Sign language is used primarily by the deaf, and it is more accessible than the act of “reading lips.” Sign language is visual and is aided by expressions of the hands and face that will help the deaf understand and perceive description and details such as smells and colors.

It is easy to forget how much information one who is not deaf attains through hearing. Every aspect of information that deaf people gather is because they either read it or because it was translated through sign language. Today, many schools and colleges offer courses on American Sign Language (ASL), the primary language of the deaf in North America.

Dance groups, including those from The Salvation Army, incorporate sign language into performance routines.

USING OUR TALENTS Today, members of our old Puerto Rico ministry continue to work with the deaf.

One of them founded the Department of Languages for the Deaf at the University of Puerto Rico. Two others work as

find us on facebook / estamos en facebook www.facebook.com/saconnects

interpreters through Skype for schools and hospitals. My husband, Major Guillermo DiCaterina, and I became Salvationists and enrolled in the College for Officer Training in Suffern, N.Y. But even as an officer, I have used sign language to spread God’s message.

In 2012, during my officership at the Buffalo (Temple) N.Y., Corps, a couple named Luis and Ileana arrived in the United States from Puerto Rico just as winter was approaching. Luis was deaf and their family, which included daughters Paola and Alana, needed help with social services.

When the family noticed that there was someone at the corps who could communicate with Luis through sign language, they attended services regularly. To better communicate with Luis, Ileana became more serious about learning sign language. Their daughters also participated in the corps music program.

Eventually, the family became soldiers. My husband and I were asked

by Luis and Ileana to officiate their marriage. Today, they all still attend the corps. Welcoming them to God is a testimony to the wonderful things that the Lord can do using our talents and gifts for His Glory.

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wholly living

When God is

Silent

by Major Young Sung Kim

So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six when Hagar bore him Ishmael…. …When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.”

—GENESIS 16:15-16; 17:1–5

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I

f we carefully read the transitional lines between the last portion of Genesis chapter 16, and the beginning of chapter 17, we will discover that there was a 13–year period in which God seemed to be silent; He appeared absent from Abram’s life.

The truth is that God never was completely absent. In fact, He used those years to teach Abram the cost of trying to live his life without God. What appears to have brought such silence to their relationship? Abram had been a man of obedience and gratitude (see sidebar), but then his priority and commitment to God shifted.

Abram had his first son, Ishmael.

However, the circumstances of his birth destined him to live a difficult life outside the line of covenantal descendants God had promised Abram.

IS GOD ABSENT? Today, are you struggling with what seems to be God’s absence from your life? Most of us have had such periods in our relationship with God. What or who is the “Ishmael” in your life or ministry that prevents you from experiencing God’s presence? What preoccupies your heart these days?

What is turning you away from an intimate relationship with Him? As one commentary by Ray Stedman points out, we cannot deny that “when God has allowed you to have your own way, the results have been most distressing. You were permitted to go your own headstrong way in order that you might learn the folly of acting apart from God. One of the most frightening things about life with

God is this fact: that, if you insist upon having your own way, He will often let you have it, till you are sorry you asked for it.”

The most important thing to consider in this passage is to sense God’s mind and His approach to Abram.

During the silent period, God patiently waited for Abram to return to Him with a whole heart. God then gave Abram a fresh invitation to restore their relationship.

Instead of judging or punishing Abram, the Lord raised the most urgent spiritual matter in Abram’s journey—to daily walk with God. It meant God required Abram to pursue a continual movement toward the life of holiness based on a willful and obedient relationship with Him.

A NEW RELATIONSHIP Our God, who renamed Abram “Abraham,” wants us to hear His command, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless.” He wants us to reaffirm that we need Him more than anything else in this world.

If we accept this blessing of assurance by simple faith, we will change our hearts and our life’s journey. God also wants to give us a new identity as He did Abraham.

Our new identity in our daily walk with God should be measured by how we will fulfill His commands. Humbly walk in holy anticipation of His presence in your life. Freely step toward Jesus Christ, our Savior. He already knows your burdens.

He wants to take your cross—no matter how long you have carried it. Receive His restoring grace.

— Major Young Sung Kim is the territorial ambassador for holiness

Abraham’s gratitude Genesis 16:15–16 portrays Abram as an immigrant who, at age 75, heard God’s call and went to the land “he would later receive as his inheritance…even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).

At that time, Abram was relatively unknown and the head of a small tribe.

When God called him, Abram accepted His divine intervention and obediently and courageously followed the call.

One reason for Abram’s obedience was his deep awareness of God’s grace.

At this point in Abram’s life, it seems that without a doubt, his decision to follow God was based on a heart of unselfish obedience and gratitude for every blessing he received and experienced in life rather than being motivated by personal ambition.

Abram, who God renamed “Abraham,” demonstrated a heartfelt attitude of gratitude to God that is an essential aspect in an authentic spiritual walk.

20/20 vision highlights Imagine: a block party becomes the spiritual launch pad for a new life in Christ; the sound of music convinces a child to return for more Club 3:16; a corps officer turns a Boy Scouts meeting into a Salvation Army history session; families take away Easter gift bags filled with eggs, books, and brochures. Have you caught the vision? Read below to discover what some people are doing near you.

ROCHESTER, NY LIBERTY POLE WAY CORPS & MINISTRIES 60 LIBERTY POLE WAY DAYTON, OHIO KROC CORPS COMMUNITY CENTER 1000 N. KEOWEE ST.

The Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center was the place to be this past Fourth of July. The corps conducted its third annual block party, complete with fireworks provided by the city. The parking lot of the Kroc Center is usually a “front row seat” to the event, said Major Gayle A. Senak, associate Kroc Center administrator. “We thought, because all the people are already here, why not make this a community event?” she said. In 2017, the block party drew 200 people and close to 800 last year. “It brings the community together in a safe, fun environment,” Senak said.

“It also provides an opportunity to evangelize neighborhood residents and invite them to other Kroc Center activities.”

NEW CASTLE, PA WORSHIP AND COMMUNITY CENTER 240 W. GRANT ST.

The corps has started a Club 3:16 on Wednesday nights with electives such as guitar, drama, brass, and other activities. Lieutenant Matt Stacy, corps officer, called Club 3:16 a simplified version of the existing children’s programming that provides faith-based approaches to life skills, learning, and play. Club members learned how to build a fire, create an electrical circuit, sew a fabric patch, administer first aid, work as a stagehand, play a song, make friends, and create artwork. “We saw an immediate increase in attendance during our transition to Club 3:16 and we are excited about improving the quality and impact of our programs on children,” Stacy said.

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Captain Andrew Ferreira recently introduced the Boy Scouts of Rochester, N.Y., to the Salvation Army’s missions and symbols. “It was an opportunity to inform scouts and their parents about Salvation Army mission, history, place in the Christian faith community, and its local activites,” he said.

LOCK HAVEN, PA CITADEL CORPS 119 E. CHURCH ST.

In April, Captain Holly Johnson and her daughters Gabby and Livvy, helped employee Holly Bilbay distribute 200 Easter gift bags. In the process, they told people about Christ. The bags included a “Jesus Lives” book, eggs, a corps brochure, and information about upcoming events.

“We are excited to see how the community will respond to this outreach,” Johnson said. “The parents and children who received them seemed excited about the things we had to offer as well as the little treat bags. We are hoping to grow our corps through these efforts. We know God will honor our faithfulness.”

What excites you about ministry at your Corps, Adult Rehabilitation Center or Kroc Center? Tell us about it at saconnects.org.

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