Walking with Others

WHO WE ARE | PEOPLE

April Foster, Salvation Army Eastern Territorial Director of the Others Trade for Hope ministry, talks about discovering a new love of the outdoors, being obedient to God’s plan, and why life is meant to be spent in good company.

After attending a missions conference in college, I applied to the Salvation Army program that is now known as Hands On and went to St. Thomas for eight weeks with my team. We ran a day camp, hosted vacation bible school, and helped clean the local Salvation Army corps. After college, I applied to begin working overseas full–time, and that was the start of 29 years living and working internationally. I was in the Caribbean, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya, in which I lived for 20 years. Eight years ago, I came back to the states to focus on the Others Trade for Hope ministry. All my experiences of living in different places and meeting people in my youth, was God using small, planned opportunities to work on something for the future. At first, I didn’t always see the bigger picture. But when I look back and see His hand at work, I say, “So that’s what God was up to there.”

I always knew that, when my father, a Salvation Army officer, sat in his chair and called my brothers and me to “talk,” it meant that we were moving someplace new. My brothers adjusted well to moving so much, but I found it hard; I was shy, and it took me longer to make new friends. But looking back, those experiences of living in new places and meeting new people prepared me for what would come later in life. It gave the word home a new meaning for me; it’s more than just a physical place. It’s about the connections I make and carry with me. They are never attached to just a single place.

We hear the word calling a lot in The Salvation Army, whether it’s to officership, volunteering, or any other role. I’ve grappled with the concept of “calling” myself. For me, it wasn’t so much as a calling to a role, but an obedience to what the Lord was saying to me. Sometimes we feel that we must fit into boxes and meet the expectations of our groups or organizations. Instead, if I am being obedient to God, I am staying true to what God is saying to me, and still open to changes in His plan. If the Lord is pointing you towards a direction that doesn’t make sense to you, simply being obedient brings a peace that wouldn’t come otherwise. God orders our steps and our plans.

During the COVID–19 lockdowns, I began to push myself towards the outdoors; hikes, and eventually, overnight camping. I was surprised by how much I loved doing it. At a certain age, we all probably have a good idea of what our hobbies and interests are. Camping was something completely new for me, and I found enjoyment in little things like making a fire, setting up tents, and just slowing down my pace. It reinforced the importance of finding something new to enjoy. When you find that new interest that you love, work to make it a part of your life.

“If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk with others.” That African proverb sums up much of what I’ve learned and value. From living in different parts of the world, I learned that relationships are created when you change your rhythm. We can spend so much of our time rushing, chasing, and not knowing our ups from our downs. Living like that may get a lot of work done, but we may notice that in doing so, there are not many people with us in our lives. Going through life needs to be done in the company of others. I’m not impressed with myself in how much I get done, or how fast I do it. But I want the work to go far, and I want to be sure I’m doing it with others.

interview by HUGO BRAVO