Programs Kids are learning the importance of volunteering.
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People Janette Romero helps people accomplish their goals through Pathway of Hope.
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History A teenage girl led the Army into Philadelphia.
FEATURE
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Because He Lives Scripture provides clues about the truth of the Resurrection—if you’re willing to dig.
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Thrift Store Finds
Available at your Salvation Army thrift store: comics and graphic novels.
LIVING
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Spiritual Life Development
The greatest story ever told.
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Editors’ Picks Take a Bible app with you wherever you go.
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Health How to keep your spring allergies under control.
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Volunteer Spotlight
Phil Clark is always happy to help out at The Salvation Army in Perth Amboy, N.J.
Faith in Action
Kathleen Virgalla may have found her calling the day she walked into a Salvation Army soup kitchen.
YOUR PLACE, YOUR POTENTIAL, YOUR POSSIBILITIES
There’s Something for Everyone at the Kroc Center. Be a Part of the Community.
As an expression of The Salvation Army’s mission, the vision of a Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center is to provide opportunities for all to discover and develop their full potential through Christ-centered, professional quality programs.
FOUNDER William Booth
GENERAL Lyndon Buckingham
TERRITORIAL LEADERS
Commissioner Ralph Bukiewicz
Commissioner Susan Bukiewicz
CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Ivan K. Rock
DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Joseph Pritchard
EDITOR IN CHIEF / DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
Warren L. Maye
MANAGING EDITOR Robert Mitchell
EDITOR / HISPANIC CORRESPONDENT
Hugo Bravo
COPY EDITOR / PROOFREADER Donna L. Ng
ART DIRECTOR Reginald Raines
PUBLICATION CONTENT
MANAGER AND DESIGNER
Lea La Notte Greene
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Dave Hulteen Jr., Joe Marino, Karena Lin
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lu Lu Rivera
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, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
L. MAYE Editor in Chief
“So with old age is wisdom, and with length of days understanding.”
—Job 12:12 (NABRE )
I remember the moment when I truly realized I was getting older. At a family gathering, I felt joy seeing many of my relatives. “Hi, Uncle Warren,” said my nephew’s daughter, giving me a warm hug. She was excited about a scheduled overseas trip, but in my eyes, she still looked too young for that. Some important people were missing from the room—my aunts, uncles, parents, and grandparents who had passed away. It hit me: I was one of the oldest in attendance. Instead of me greeting my elders, now the teenagers and children approached me.
With this realization came a sense of responsibility. These young individuals looked up to me not just for my words but for my actions and reactions as well. They sought guidance on how to behave and what paths to follow by observing adult behavior.
Age is subjective, with biological, theological, social, and cultural contexts that reflect various levels of maturity. One undeniable truth is that we eventually outgrow certain experiences and life itself.
As I write this, I’m preparing to attend the funeral of General Paul A. Rader, who served as The Salvation Army’s 15th General and as president at Asbury University. To many, he embodied kindness and empathy, and his desire to make a difference was evident in his Christian faith. He has aged out of this life, but his legacy will endure through the virtuous qualities we aspire to embody as disciples of Jesus Christ.
In this issue of SA connects, you’ll find stories about individuals aging gracefully (p. 16) and others striving for spiritual growth (p. 12). Life is our most valuable asset. Once time is spent, it cannot be regained like material possessions. Use yours wisely. Engage in spiritually uplifting activities and support the people around you. Prepare for the day when you are recognized as one of the oldest individuals present; may it also be said that you are among its wisest—caring and loving—in Jesus’ name. Amen.
WARREN
Love Beyond Inflation
Utility and rental financial assistance.
The goal of The Salvation Army’s Love Beyond campaign is to increase public awareness of our year‒round services. We love beyond hunger, homelessness, destruction, fear, loss, loneliness, despair, overdue bills, and so much more. We love beyond the circumstances of those we serve, seeing and valuing each person.
WHO WE ARE
Donor Corner
Members of the Ethics Board of Trenton, N.J., helped make birthday celebrations brighter with a donation of 35 party kits to The Salvation Army Trenton, N.J., Citadel Corps. Each birthday kit came with party decorations and ingredients to prepare a birthday cake, including cake mix, vegetable oil, frosting, candles, and a baking pan. The kits were distributed to the
Do the Hustle
Today, “hustle” might bring to mind the 1970s-era disco dance craze, or the practice of having one or more “side hustles” to make money. But way back in 1896, War Cry featured the term on its cover to describe The Salvation Army’s extensive, vigorous ministry work.
“children of the corps’ afterschool youth program.
“When a family is short on money, the special birthday extras such as cake, candles, and decorations are all expenses that they might not be able to afford,” says Captain Ling Porchetti, corps officer at the Trenton Corps. “These donations go above and beyond to make sure that every child who receives one will feel special on their birthday.”
We’ve come a long way regarding women’s rights in the workplace. We’ve come a long way regarding women’s rights in ministry. But the fact remains, for every glass ceiling in the corporate world, there is a stainedglass ceiling in the Church. We must never allow women of the Army to be ‘ceilinged.’
—Commissioner Kay Rader
Did you know?
The Canadian Rocky Mountains have three peaks named after the founders of The Salvation Army: Mount William Booth, Mount Mumford (Catherine Booth’s maiden name), and Mount Bramwell (William and Catherine Booth’s oldest child).
“ We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”
—EPHESIANS 2:10
At the Lancaster, Pa., Citadel Corps, a sewing club for seniors offers a welcoming space with regular sessions on Mondays from 1 to 6 p.m., Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m., and Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. There are ample opportunities for participants to come together, work on projects, and share their knowledge. Extra sessions are scheduled on certain Saturdays or during special events to ensure that those who may have other commitments during the week can still join in the fun.
“During the Super Bowl, women can come to sew while the men enjoy watching the football game,” said Major Susan Hinzman, who serves as both associate city coordinator and corps commanding officer of the Lancaster Citadel Corps.
Seniors make up the primary group in the club, but it has become a popular gathering place for working women and young adults looking to explore their creative sides too. Some women have also taken on roles as mentors teaching children during a “Summer Fun Series” dedicated to making pillows.
Recently, several participants celebrated winning first, second, and thirdplace sewing awards—sharing the joy that comes with stitching together the fabric of God’s love.
Going M.A.D. About Volunteering
by HUGO BRAVO
BIBLE VERSES ON VOLUNTEERING
“ The greatest among you will be your servant.”
—Matthew 23:11
“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
—Isaiah 58:10
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak.”
—Acts 20:35
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
—1 Peter 4:10
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
—1 John 3:18
Teens and young adults who volunteer at The Salvation Army might be seen helping in a corps after school program or wrapping toys at Christmas. But at The Salvation Army in Harrisburg, Pa., volunteer events with Families Go M.A.D. (Make A Difference) are showing that anyone, at any age, can serve.
“The Harrisburg area has a lot of events for children’s growth, but very few programs that show how to be ‘othersfocused’ by putting your neighbor’s needs above your own,” says Toni Mark, resource development director for The Salvation Army in Harrisburg. “At the same time, we want to welcome families eager to serve and make them aware of the work and services of The Salvation Army.”
Sarah Vielot, community engagement coordinator at Harrisburg, says, “For many volunteer activities, such as ringing the bell at Christmas, you need to be at least in your teens. But that doesn’t mean we can’t adapt and create opportunities for younger volunteers too.”
Families Go M.A.D. meets four times a year for volunteer activities tailored to kids. Elementary school a ge children are shown the importance of giving back as gestures of kindness. There are ways to uplift others in your own classroom, your neighborhood, and, of course, at The Salvation Army.
“After our discussion on ways to volunteer, the children help pack hygiene kits for our pantry and color Christmas cards for gift boxes that we give away in December,” says Mark.
Middle school children at Families Go M.A.D. are given more involved tasks, such as preparing utility packets from UGI, Harrisburg’s local gas and energy distributor and a partner of The Salvation Army. The packets have information, utility assistance applications for lowincome families, and return envelopes stamped by the preteens.
“Doing this work introduces the love of Jesus to young people. Volunteering is a way that we can all emulate Him, who He is, and stress that
He came to serve, not be served,” says Mark, referencing Matthew 20:28. “Some of the work may seem repetitive or tedious, but we stress that when someone volunteers to do this job, it means that a task is getting done without us having to pay. That money can now go to help others. That’s the impact that volunteers are making when they pack that kit or stamp that envelope.”
Another activity M.A.D. volunteers have taken on is packing spices for the food pantry. “We had a girls soccer team that helped scoop up a variety of spices in mini bags for our fullt ime pantry,” says Vielot. “They’re helping add flavor and variety to the meals that can be made from our pantry and learning about how different cultures use different spices.”
Harrisburg’s local kids’ sports teams, mom groups, and homeschooling households are among the biggest supporters of Families Go M.A.D. And when they walk into the corps, they learn that volunteering is work that directly benef its their community.
“We want to motivate our volunteers early and show them how what they do impacts others and the mission of The Salvation Army,” says Vielot. “I was telling a family about our holiday volunteer opportunities, and the daughter turned to her mother and said, ‘Mom, it would be so fun to go shopping for another child who might not have anything for Christmas.’”
With minds and hearts like that young girl’s, it’s clear that Families Go M.A.D. has found a way to create lifelong volunteers.
Steps Forward
Interview by HUGO BRAVO
Janette Romero, Pathway of Hope case manager for The Salvation Army in Meriden, Conn., talks about studying theology, why helping her clients is like having a one-on-one classroom, and the importance of starting her morning with prayer.
GOAL-ORIENTED
I relocated from Puerto Rico to Meriden to be closer to my sick sister. After some time, both my husband and I found ourselves unemployed and looking for work. I was a deacon at my church, so I needed a job that would allow me the flexibility to continue serving. I also wanted to be somewhere I could share the Word of God with the people around me. When I interviewed for The Salvation Army Meriden Corps, they were looking for someone who would be dedicated, believed in the Lord, and open to helping a little more around the holidays. I talked about what I did as an active Christian in my church; they said that’s what they needed here too.
The programs of The Salvation Army succeed because God is at the center of them. When a client asks me about a path to the Lord, I don’t talk about my work in my own church, though I am still active in it. Instead, I introduce them to the congregation and pastors of the Meriden Corps. There are people right now in our building who are ready to pray and guide them toward Him.
I pray in the morning. Philippians 4:13 says we can do anything through God who gives us strength. That includes the strength to simply start your day. When I hear the difficulties that my clients are going through, they tell me that they’ve tried talking to their mom, their dad, their best friends, but nothing works. I say, “OK, now have you tried talking to God?”
Pathway of Hope is based on goals. The people we help bring their goals and hopes to us, and from there, we take steps to accomplishing them. For someone who feels like they can’t get anything done, that may mean showing them how to write down all the chores they want to get done today, putting them in order of importance, and finishing them one by one. For a client who wants to get a driver’s license, we go down the list of requirements and information that they will need. But the most important thing is that I stay engaged in the lives of people I help. It’s a work in progress, not a handout or a program that changes a life immediately. But it’s all worth it when they return with their new driver’s license or proudly tell me how they finished everything on the list we made together.
I love being inside a classroom. It doesn’t matter if I’m the oldest student in there, because there is always something new to learn. In Puerto Rico, I got my bachelor’s degree in business administration. Years later, I took classes in Hartford for another bachelor’s in theology. I wanted to learn theology because so many people distort the message of the Bible. If someone comes to me asking about the Word of God, I don’t want to mislead them. I want to have access to those lessons and information. I saw my theology professor recently. She said she was waiting for me to go back for my master’s. But before that, I want to learn to speak Italian.
Janette Romero shows her clients a pathway to hope in Meriden.
J. FIERECK
YOUNG BLOOD AND FIRE
Eliza Shirley held Salvation Army meetings in Philadelphia months before the Army’s “official” start in America.
Who Was Eliza Shirley?
A Salvation Army teenage hero
by ROB JEFFERY
Recently at the Philadelphia Kroc Center, affectionately known as the “Philly Kroc,” I was managing a historical display and had the privilege of talking about one of my favorite Salvation Army characters—Eliza Shirley. How appropriate in the “City of Brotherly Love” to share a tale about a teenage firebrand who showed Philadelphians the love of Christ in a such a powerful way. A lot of visitors to my booth were community members who knew a little Salvation Army history in general, but they were amazed to learn about young Eliza and how a teenager was responsible for bringing The Salvation Army to their city.
New York or Philly?
There has at times been a goodnatured debate within Salvation Army circles: Should Philadelphia or New York get credit as the city where the Army got its start in America? According to International Headquarters in London and the timeline established by the annual yearbook, The Salvation Army’s official beginning in America was March 10, 1880, in New York City. That was when Commissioner George
Scott Railton and the seven “Hallelujah Lassies” walked down the gangplank of the SS Australia in Battery Park and declared, “America for Jesus!” Sometimes the story of Eliza Shirley gets relegated to the back seat of our official history. But it shouldn’t be.
The events that led to Eliza Shirley and her family holding Salvation Army meetings in Philadelphia—five months before Railton and his group came to New York— are an integral part of our founding. Her story deserves to be celebrated with equal enthusiasm. When I looked through the old accounts, describing all the setbacks she faced, I was impressed that she did not give up in exchange for a more comfortable and easy life. The modern saying rings true: “Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Eliza Shirley was born in 1863 (some sources say 1862) and joined the ranks of The Salvation Army in England in 1878, at a tender age. She displayed an unusual zeal to win souls for someone so young and immediately caught the attention of William and Catherine Booth. She was commissioned as a lieutenant and served as an assistant corps officer.
Youth on the move
The early Salvation Army was a movement primarily led by young people. Our first officers were in their late teens and early 20s. The Army’s first commissioner, George Scott Railton, was 30 when he brought the movement to New York, a relatively older leader in comparison. Eliza’s youth was not considered unusual at the time, but her dedication to the cause made her quite exceptional, then and now.
Her father, Amos Shirley, immigrated to Philadelphia to work as a silkmaker for the firm of Adams and Company, then sent word to his wife, Annie, and Eliza to join him as soon as possible. Amos, also an ardent Salvationist, believed it was God’s will for The Salvation Army to come to Philadelphia—and that his family could play a part in making it happen.
Fifteen year old Eliza approached William Booth and asked for a transfer to Philadelphia. General Booth tried to dissuade her, not because he doubted her
abilities but rather because he prized them so much and wanted Eliza to continue the work of the Army in England. The Salvation Army in England was exploding in growth. The Army’s missional outreach was drawing people in, and the Booths needed capable officers on the home front. The prospect of expanding the work to America was not yet on the horizon. Even Booth’s son Herbert tried to discourage Eliza from going to Philadelphia, saying she was needed in England and should just fall in line in accordance with the strict obedience the early Army required from its officers. Yet Eliza kept pushing.
A family ministry
Deciding that he shouldn’t stand in the way of the Shirley family reunifying on American soil, Booth relented. He gave Eliza permission to start work in Philadelphia “along Salvation Army lines.” Ever the pragmatic franchise owner, General Booth said of her mission, “If it is a success, we may see our way clear to take it over.” Permission and a blessing seem to have been the only things given to the Shirley family to commence operations. All the financial resources needed were entirely provided by the Shirleys’ hard work and ingenuity.
Annie and Eliza were reunited with Amos in August of 1879. While Amos spent his days working at the silk factory, mother and daughter scoured the city for a hall they could rent. On Oxford Street, between Fifth and Sixth, they discovered an abandoned chair factory that they could use to host meetings. With its unfinished floors and holes in the roof, they lovingly compared it to the manger in Bethlehem. But lumber was required to build benches, and wood cost money. Amazingly, a man showed up on the premises with funds in hand, claiming that God told him in prayer to deliver this money to the Shirleys for their evangelistic work.
On Sunday, Oct. 5, 1879, four days before Eliza turned 16, the Shirleys held their first meeting in the old chair factory, which they rebranded as the “Salvation Factory.” They produced a poster for the occasion announcing that there would be “Two Hallelujah
Females.” A small crowd of 12 people attended the inaugural meeting, mostly fellow Christians from supporting churches.
Standing for Christ
Another meeting in the open air resulted in the trio being targeted by vicious bystanders who threw mud and garbage at them. When they asked for protection from the mayor of Philadelphia, they were told to stop meeting outdoors.
For four long weeks, the Shirley family held Salvation Army meetings with virtually no one from the public in attendance. How depressing! But Eliza kept praying. Finally, at one of their meetings, God convicted a riotous and uncouth man known as “Reddie” to take a stand for Christ. Word of Reddie’s conversion spread throughout the community, and more people started coming to the meetings. Later, Eliza would recall the once empty Salvation Factory being filled to overcapacity with 800 or more people!
God was blessing the faithfulness of Eliza and her family, and The Salvation Army of Philadelphia was growing. The Shirleys would eventually meet up with George Scott Railton and the Hallelujah Lassies as Booth’s Salvation Army officially absorbed their factory, becoming the Philadelphia No. 1 Corps, which later became known as Pioneer Corps.
Leaving a legacy
Eliza Shirley, of course, did not stay a teenager for long. She married another officer and became Eliza Symmonds. Commandant Eliza Shirley Symmonds faithfully served God her entire life and lived for the salvation of others. She was Promoted to Glory in 1932. Her legacy lives on in places like The Salvation Army’s Eliza Shirley House, which has helped families and children escape homelessness in Philadelphia for over 30 years. Her legacy also lives on in the young people of today’s Salvation Army. May they be emboldened to cross oceans, neighborhoods, and cultures to share the love of Jesus Christ with the “whosoever.”
Rob Jeffery is director of the USA Eastern Territory’s Heritage Museum.
BIG GOALS Kathleen Virgalla in the sanctuary of the Bristol, Conn., Salvation Army. She has attended Salvation Army leadership seminars in hopes of being a leader someday.
A family finds a
family
At a Salvation Army soup kitchen, Kathleen Virgalla and her children found practical help—and more
by ROBERT MITCHELL photographs by J. FIERECK PHOTOGRAPHY
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
—2 Corinthians 1:3–4
When Kathleen Virgalla and her eight children walked into a Salvation Army soup kitchen two years ago, she was just looking for a meal. She found that and more—love, support, and maybe even her future as a leader.
At the corps in Bristol, Conn., Virgalla heard about youth programming for her children, and they soon began participating. Today, she often puts her culinary arts degree to use by serving in that same soup kitchen.
“We just instantly knew there was more that could happen there,” Captain Shareena Echavarria, a corps officer in Bristol, said of that first meeting. “We invited her to church, and we invited her kids to our programs.”
Some of Virgalla’s kids started learning musical instruments and went to Star Search during The Salvation Army’s annual Commissioning Weekend in Hershey, Pa. They also are active in Bible Bowl and youth group, while Virgalla has immersed herself in women’s ministries and Bible studies at the corps.
“They really put themselves into everything we have,” Echavarria said.
Turning the tide
Virgalla, 38, has gone allin because she wants a better life for her children than the upbringing she had. As a child, Virgalla said, she was sexually abused and spent her formative years in foster care in Connecticut, bouncing around between five different homes from the age of 8. God was not a part of her life.
“Some of the foster homes were good and some were not,” Virgalla said. “I really
didn’t go to church when I was younger. I just started going a few years ago at The Salvation Army.
“I was going through a rough patch and didn’t trust and didn’t know which way I was going, and I joined the church. It gave me a hope that everything was going to be OK. He’s there whenever I need Him and He’s like a father to me. I can call on Him for anything.”
She started seeing God move mountains.
Virgalla had been separated from her younger siblings, including twins James and Katie, since childhood, but she reconnected with them both last summer when her sister found her on Facebook. The twins, who are six years younger, also went to foster care when Virgalla’s family fell apart, and she lost track of them. Now, they text one another daily, and last year, they spent Christmas together.
She has now been reunited with most of her family, and Virgalla believes she has hope to offer others who feel disconnected from their families.
“I was happy and excited to find my brother and sister,” she said. “I knew the Lord would one day help me find my brothers and sisters—in His time.”
Finding their way
“God made that happen,” she said of the unlikely reunion. “You can overcome things like that. You just have to talk about it and there’s help out there for it. You’re never alone. You can pray to God that He stays with you and heals you. You can talk to Him
about anything. He’s your friend. I tell my kids all the time, ‘He’s your friend.’ You can tell Him anything.”
That spiritual guidance seems to be rubbing off on her children, especially Jordan, 17, Heaven, 16, and Summer, 14, who has talked about becoming a Salvation Army officer even at her young age.
Jordan is involved in Bible Bowl, Corps Cadets, Sunday school, and the soup kitchen at the corps.
“We just help out the community with the soup kitchen,” he said. “I like meeting people and all the experiences. I learned to help people in my community, and it was definitely a good experience.”
Heaven learned to play the cornet and is involved in Bible Bowl, while Summer has joined them in Bible Bowl and served God through drama and dance. “I’ve learned a lot about God, things I didn’t know before,” Summer said of her experiences.
Everyone in church
Virgalla, Jordan, and Heaven became Salvation Army soldiers, a form of church membership, on Resurrection Sunday two years ago.
“I enjoy having my whole family go to The Salvation Army,” she said. “They’re all doing a lot better in school. It’s helping them to have a more positive attitude and teaching them selfrespect and selfdiscipline.
“They’re like family to me at The
Salvation Army and they still call to see if I’m OK. I want my kids to know He’s the one that put them on this earth, and you can go to Him for anything and He’ll answer your prayers.”
The feeling of family was never stronger than when Virgalla felt overwhelmed and needed help cleaning and organizing her home. Echavarria showed up to clean and organize, and Virgalla’s entire family cried because they were so grateful.
“I wanted her to see that we are the hands and feet of Jesus, and we really do care about the family,” Echavarria said. “She needed a little bit of a lift, and it jumpstarted her spiritually. She came back with a bounce in her step knowing she had some help.”
Virgalla also took three of her older children to the LEAD 2024 Leadership Training Conference last year at Camp Allegheny in Pennsylvania.
“I wanted to learn more about Jesus and to become a leader one day, and maybe even an officer,” Virgalla said. “I was hoping my kids would become leaders and learn different leadership skills and I think they did.”
Bowed but not broken
Echavarria said the family faced financial hardship recently and moved to nearby Middletown, Conn., after their landlord raised the rent, but she sees Virgalla as someone striving to grow in Christ.
“Despite all the difficulties she’s faced in her life, she really has risen above them,
IN A GOOD PLACE Virgalla with seven of her children, including soldiers Jordan and Heaven, at the corps in Bristol, Conn.
and we praise God for that,” Echavarria said. “We’re really proud to have her as a member of our team.
“She’s asking more questions and digging deeper into God’s Word. She is trying to put her all into everything we have to offer at the corps like Bible study and Sunday school. She’s hungry for the Word and to learn more and I think that’s going to have a big impact as a spiritual influence over her children. That’s our prayer.”
Virgalla and her husband, Victor, who does not attend the corps, have five other children, including Jaden, 12; twins Jasmine and Destiny, 8; Serenity, 5; and Roion, 3. Jaden is on the autism spectrum and has occasionally been hospitalized for behavioral issues. The entire family has learned to lean heavily on God.
“I needed God to direct me down the right path and which way to turn to get help,” she said. “Jaden’s doing a lot better now. A friend of mine from church had similar issues with her grandson. I was there to help her.”
Helping others through life
Being a mother of eight is a lot to deal with sometimes, but Virgalla prays over her children each night and believes she can help other young mothers just trying to cope.
“I’ve learned to never give up and to keep going in life,” she said, “because there is a reward at the end of the tunnel.”
Virgalla sees Echavarria and others at the corps as encouragers as she makes her way through life and grows as a mother and Christian woman.
“Whenever you need something, they’re there for you,” she said. “If you’re feeling sick or you need anything, you can go to them and talk to them and not feel ashamed. They will talk to you about anything.”
The Bristol Salvation Army has also sent Virgalla to divisional and territorial events to grow in her faith, and she is buoyed about the future.
“I’ve learned a lot of things since I joined the church,” she said. “I’m a lot happier. I want to be there to help people and bring them into the church that need to be saved. I can tell them how Christ helped me overcome many obstacles in my life and helped me overcome my past.”
The Salvation Army has worship services every Sunday at hundreds of locations. Scan the code to find one near you. We’d love for you to come join us!
LEGACY Three generations of Robert Mitchells. The author’s father was also named Robert Mitchell, stretching the tradition back to a fourth generation.
ever so
gracefull
Aging isn’t easy, but our responsibility to serve the kingdom of God never grows old
by ROBERT MITCHELL photographs by L U LU RIVERA
It was the Monday after Thanksgiving in 2023, a day like most others. I was sitting in front of my laptop doing what I usually do: writing.
Nothing earlier in the day had given me any hint of what was ahead. I suddenly got a huge headache and had trouble concentrating. My fingers felt weak trying to type. My lips burned and my face felt frozen. It was close to dinnertime, and I went downstairs, where things didn’t get any better.
When I tried to express how I felt to my wife, I slurred my speech and sounded as if I were in a tin can. She asked me to repeat simple phrases like “We had a nice Thanksgiving.” Nothing came out of my mouth but slurred gibberish. She asked me to repeat Bible verses I’ve known my entire life like Romans 5:8 and John 3:16. Nothing but slurred gibberish again. Worse, I couldn’t even remember the verses. Something was seriously wrong, but I was in denial and hoping it would disappear.
I remembered the signs of a stroke we’d recently published in SAconnects and I had 90% of them, but this couldn’t really be happening to me, could it? My mother had lived in fear of a stroke and never had one. Was
it possible that it was happening to me?
“We should go to the emergency room,” my wife pleaded before we sat on the couch to pray.
“No! I’ll be fine,” I protested, praying the symptoms would pass. “No way I’m going to the hospital.”
I kept dismissing it all and hoping I would soon return to normal.
“Let me go lie down,” I suggested. I went back upstairs, but the headache was pounding too hard for me to lie down or sleep. I sat on the edge of the bed and continued praying.
The great unknown
The next sound I heard was a siren and an ambulance right outside my house. My loving wife had called for help against my wishes. Before I knew it, a team of paramedics was in my bedroom, and then I was on my way to the ER. I walked to the ambulance and even chatted with the crew, but I privately feared what was ahead and how my life might forever be changed.
An MRI and other tests at the hospital confirmed that I had two minor strokes, or TIAs. I also had to undergo an angiogram to determine the cause. As someone who hates needles, hospitals, and everything of that nature, I leaned heavily on my faith. My pastor and friends from church texted me prayers and Scripture about courage and trusting God, and that kept me going more than anyone knew at the time.
Every test was inconclusive in search of a cause, but doctors found that I had a narrow blood vessel in my neck and suspected that perhaps a temporary spike in my blood pressure was the culprit.
Doctors ordered a battery of tests over the next several days and found I had suffered no cognitive decline or physical side effects. I was fine and would recover. They sent me home a week or so later with “no restrictions” except to get my blood pressure under control and keep it that way.
They also told me if I had tried to go to sleep that fateful night, I might have died or been seriously debilitated. Going to the ER saved my life, and I thank my wife every day for her quick action.
Lying in my hospital bed and thinking about the future, I had to face the fact that I wasn’t 25 anymore. I had to come to the realization that I was getting older (61) and would have to do a better job of taking care of myself. One doctor asked, “Do you want to see your grandchildren grow up?” Well, yes. A doctor who attends my church visited me in the hospital and said, “Brother, you’re going to have to get used to eating rabbit food.” I had never read a food label before in my life. Now, I’m the guy blocking the supermarket aisle reading the label on every product I buy.
Big changes ahead
Aging is something that we all must deal with. It’s not easy, physically or spiritually. In my younger days in the news business, I worked 50 and 60hour weeks and didn’t give much thought to the toll it was taking on my body. There was always another story and another deadline to meet. The days and weeks were a blur. You would work a 12hour day, finishing one day’s newspaper, and the next one was staring you in the face. Editors would ask you what stories you had for the next day before you even left the building. “Tomorrow will worry about itself,” I would tell them in jest, quoting Matthew 6:34.
Getting the next story was all that mattered, not my body or health. My diet was terribly unhealthy. On the rush all the time, I was a master at eating fast food in the car as I sped to a train derailment, a plane crash, or more likely a government meeting. Like a lot of men, I went to the doctor only when I was sick and couldn’t get better on my own.
I knew that all had to change for a variety of reasons, but one big one was that I wanted to spend any remaining time I have serving God now and in retirement. While I recuperated, I was constantly reminded of a quote from one of my former pastors: “Whatever time I have left, I will dedicate it to God.”
Another verse that grabbed my attention: 2 Corinthians 4:16. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” I knew I had more to give to God.
As Christians near retirement age, which provides them more time to serve
God, many have questions about how to spend their “golden years.” Should they spend the time relaxing, traveling, and luxuriating, or in Christian service? The thought of retiring to the proverbial rocking chair is anathema to many.
Sage advice
Last summer, I covered the LEAD 2024 Leadership Training Conference near Pittsburgh, where one of the speakers was the venerable Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, a former national commander for The Salvation Army who has been retired for 14 years. A powerful speaker, Gaither continues to preach and serve God in retirement, and I wondered if he had any wisdom to offer about aging gracefully since he seems to be doing it so well.
“Whatever time I have left, I will dedicate it to God.”
“We cannot hold off the aging process, but we can—through a strong relationship under the blessing of our Lord and with determined intention—manage it,” Gaither told me (see “Advice on Aging,” p. 20). “Personally speaking, it begins with receiving every day as a precious gift. Gratitude
and grace are always embraced in sacred gifts. Look for the best. Believe for the best … that is held in the gift of each day.
“And with the power of the Spirit, I refuse to believe lesser things, embrace lesser beliefs, or submit to lesser values. Love and live for Jesus under His authority.”
For those who remain healthy, the New Testament doesn’t discuss a specific retirement age; many Salvation Army officers,
especially through The Salvation Army,” Gaither said. “I’ve often asked God: ‘What do you want me to do?’ I do not undertake any opportunity to serve without the assurance of the Spirit that it is God’s will.”
They’re not done yet
In my local church, we often refer to our older congregants as “senior saints.” The Bible is replete with accounts of people
like Gaither, continue to serve in postretirement. That’s a principle gleaned from Numbers 8, where the Levites who served in the temple did so from ages 25 to 50, but they could “assist their brothers” after retiring.
“Through the years and experiences, especially in this phase of my life journey, I intentionally seek to know what it is God would have me do for Him and His mission,
serving into old age, including Simeon and Anna, who continued to help in the temple in Jerusalem until they saw the Messiah as a monthold child (Luke 2:22–38).
In the context of discipleship, the Apostle Paul outlines in Titus 2 how the “older men” and “older women” in the early Church were to teach younger believers how to live a devout Christian life and set
the example. The message is that Christians never retire from Christ’s service and are to share their faith journey with others.
Major A. Philip Ferreira, the USA Eastern Territory’s retired officers’ representative, said the territory had 712 retired officers as of 2024 and 95 had signed postretirement agreements to keep on serving and using their spiritual gifts.
“It is important because we have more officers retiring than are being commissioned right now, and there’s a need for officers to serve postretirement,” Ferreira said.
“The other side of that is when officers retire, they don’t cease being officers and ministers in The Salvation Army. There are opportunities, and many of them look for ways to be of further service.”
One of those retired officers is Ferreira’s own brother, Major John Ferreira, who is 71 years old and serves as the property secretary in The Salvation Army’s Northern New England Division.
“Officers are coming out of retirement to help because there’s a shortage, and officers my age are retiring in big numbers because we’re baby boomers,” Ferreira added.
The U.S. Census Bureau says that the number of older Americans (65 and older) reached 55.8 million or 16.8% of the population in 2020. In fact, the U.S. population is older than ever before. Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) began turning 65 in 2011.
Serving and being served
The mass retirement of baby boomers has been well documented in society, and some of them have found a home serving with The Salvation Army. Major Jacki Blanchard, the territory’s former community cares ministry secretary, said The Salvation Army works closely with older adults.
It’s not uncommon to see retired seniors reading to young children at a Salvation Army day care center, cooking for various ministries, or volunteering at soup kitchens, food pantries, backto school events, afterschool programs, and a host of corps music and youth programming.
“Many of our programs have senior volunteers who are retired but still want to
SHARING THE WORD The author and his grandson.
Advice on Aging
from Commissioner Israel L. Gaither
• Remember that you are a child of God. He will never abandon those who trust Him.
• Be resolute. God remains faithful, especially in the dark places of life’s journey. And He will not fail.
• Don’t go it alone spiritually or physically. Don’t isolate. Let other like-minded people into your life … a trusted believer friend.
• When health issues arise, refuse to give in to the fear of what you imagine life might look like. Worry damages the mind, heart, and soul.
• What you can’t figure out—surrender to God. Give it up.
Getting
another chance
Blanchard said The Salvation Army also works with veterans in 43 different locations in USA East, and many of those helping are older adults.
“Seniors are a wealth of information,” she said. “They’re a wealth of experience, and that experience is invaluable in all our programs. I encourage corps officers to put their knowledge to use. If they want to help, let them do something. I know when I retire, I don’t want to sit and do nothing. If I’m still physically able to help do something, I’m all for it.”
God,” Blanchard told me during our interview. “No matter what your age.”
A plan for the future
I have long thought about going to China as a missionary or on regular shortterm trips. I might even find a ministry closer to home, like visiting shutins from my local church and those stuck in the hospital like I was. I want to volunteer and play out whatever days I have left to the glory of God.
help,” Blanchard said. “In many corps, their best volunteers are seniors who are still involved. They’re retired, but they’re not retired in the sense that they don’t want to be doing anything.”
The Salvation Army does far more than take from seniors, however, because it’s in the organization’s DNA to serve.
Just one example: The Salvation Army’s New Jersey Division boasts a vibrant ministry to older adults, including multiple nutrition programs in Camden. Breakfast, lunch, and educational and recreational offerings are available in Newark. The division also offers a foster grandparent program for families with young children and senior companionship for shutins and fragile elderly, along with camping at Camp Tecumseh.
From June to October, The Salvation Army also helps seniors recharge by offering oneweek respite sessions at Camp Ladore in Pennsylvania. The sessions draw over 2,000 people a year who are 50 and older.
“I don’t like referring to it as camp because it’s kind of like a resort really. It’s a very nice stay,” said Mark Scott, Ladore’s operations manager.
The camp provides meals, chapel, and activities, including boat rides on the lake.
“Folks come and relax and just pull back from society and recharge and forget about the concerns of the world for a week,” Scott said. “I also tell them it’s a chance to get recharged spiritually, too.”
Lt. Colonel C. David Kim, who retired from Salvation Army service in 2003 and is now 86, agreed that older adults have something to offer. One of the areas where Kim contributes is editing the Korean edition of SA connects magazine.
The aged are sometimes dismissed in Western culture, but the opposite is true in Kim’s home country of South Korea, where older adults are revered. Kim said in Eastern culture, and particularly Korea, many who have retired from professional positions run their own businesses or are reemployed at companies in the same field or in related occupations. Others are invited to be advisers or counselors.
“In recent years, the average age of retirees is increasing. Those who are physically and mentally healthy are engaging in more social activities and their contribution in various fields seems to be expanding,” Kim said. “As a Salvation Army officer, I consider it a blessing from God that I can use the experience I gained while serving on active duty even after retirement. I’m doing my best with the opportunity I’ve been given.”
With a lot of time to think, I began to ponder my own future in that context. I used to dream of retiring and playing golf every day or becoming a season ticket holder of the New York Mets and spending my golden years watching baseball. Those aren’t my priorities anymore. I’m encouraged by a quote from one of my favorite authors and speakers, Paul Washer, who wrote, “Each passing year increases my conviction that all I have is Jesus.”
“There’s no retirement from serving
During my recuperation, I read a lot about the sovereignty of God, and it gave me both rest and peace. I can’t control the things I often worry about. We like to think we’re in control as humans, but we aren’t. Whatever God has planned for me is what will happen anyway, so why worry and fret? It’s not a platitude to say, “God is in control.” It’s the truth. I see one piece of the puzzle. He sees it all put together.
Another principle I learned during this journey is that everything that happens to us is a lesson to help others on their spiritual journey. I’ve learned that being a church elder is impossible without the spiritual gift of encouragement as I spend most of my time building into people’s lives—praying with them, helping them meet practical needs, and offering advice on how to grow spiritually. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:4–5 that He “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” The passage continues, “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
I’ve been able to help many others with their health challenges—thanks to my own experience. A longtime friend of mine recently suffered a stroke, and I shared practical tips to help his recovery. I’ve also helped others in my congregation with simi lar health issues as mine. I make sure to share the heavenly hope that lies ahead for those in Christ Jesus.
“What we experience now is not what will always be,” Commissioner Gaither said. “Our best life, through Christ, is on the way. And aging, with its implications, will not be a factor!”
“Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.”
—Psalm 71:18
FAMILY TIME The author with his two sons, two of his three grandchildren, and his wife.
BECAUSE HE LIVES
The Scriptures offer some intriguing clues about the truth of Christ’s resurrection
My earliest introduction to the resurrection of Jesus Christ was sitting on my grandmother’s lap as she flipped through her Bible and showed me photos of medieval paintings depicting the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.
While I was only about 5 years old, she explained how Jesus Christ had died on the Cross for the bad things I had done in my life and then rose from the dead three days later. The graphic images left an indelible mark in my young mind; I often think of them even to this day. My grandmother died a few years later, and I sadly wasn’t raised in a Christian home.
Looking for ways to make money as a preteen, I mowed lawns, and my life forever changed the day I stumbled upon an overgrown yard along my route. The elderly woman who lived there, Esta Storm, invited me in for lemonade when I finished cutting the grass and asked me if I knew anything about Jesus Christ. “Not much,” I said with a shrug. She went on to explain how I was a sinner and deserved to go to Hell. Any works of righteousness I might do wouldn’t get me to Heaven, but because Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead, I could have
by ROBERT MITCHELL
eternal life through faith in Him.
I bowed my head at her kitchen table and welcomed Christ into my heart that day, but I didn’t investigate any of the claims about His resurrection. I only cared about sports and the other things boys did at that age. She started taking me to church, and I heard many sermons about the empty tomb and Christ’s postresurrection appearances. I became a firm believer that the Resurrection was true.
When I got older, I went on to become a journalist and decided to investigate the claims of the Resurrection for myself. I was no Lee Strobel, a journalist and avowed atheist who set out to disprove Christianity and later became a Christian, but I approached it with an open mind.
Trained to be skeptical in journalism school, I became obsessed with devouring every book written on Christian apologetics. I talked to many pastors and experts and skeptics. I also read the gospel accounts
over and over and over. What keys were there in the Bible itself?
Dying for their faith
Long story short, the evidence was overwhelming from a historical standpoint. I studied the objections and the alternative theories, but I kept coming back to one thing: the dramatic change in the apostles.
The apostles lived with Jesus for three years and heard every sermon. When trouble came in the Garden of Gethsemane, they fled like cowards. Peter denied knowing Him multiple times. When Jesus was crucified, only the disciple John stood at the foot of the Cross, along with Jesus’ mother and many of His female followers.
Where were the rest of His disciples?
Hiding behind locked doors. They were scared. The man they had put all their hope in was gone, and they were marked men and afraid they would suffer the same fate if the Romans found them.
A funny thing happened a few days later. John and Peter, after getting the news from Mary Magdalene that Jesus
had risen from the dead, ran to the tomb and found it empty. The disciples also claimed the resurrected Jesus appeared to them. The Apostle Thomas, who originally doubted, said he would only believe if Jesus appeared, and he could put his fingers in the nail holes and Jesus’ side. He got his wish, declaring, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).
The change in the apostles was remarkable. This ragtag group of misfits, empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly changed the world. They traveled far and wide preaching His message, and all but John died a martyr’s death, many crucified like their Savior.
Peter was crucified upside down, Matthew was impaled by spears, James the son of Zebedee was beheaded, Simon the Zealot was cut in half with a saw, Philip was hanged, Bartholomew was flayed to death with knives, Thomas was speared to death, and James the Son of Alpheus was stoned to death. Knowing human nature, that convinced me that what the apostles claimed was true. How else do you explain it?
Could they all have been delusional liars? That didn’t make sense given how they died. Someone would have recanted and exposed the whole thing if it was all just an elaborate hoax.
Eyewitnesses
they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”
Major Martina Cornell, the administrator of The Salvation Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Dayton, Ohio, saw the same thing I did.
“What really convinced me was what I read about how the apostles lived and how they died,” she said. “Many of them lived very difficult lives teaching the gospel and died horrible deaths. When I really thought
he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNDER VARYING CIRCUMSTANCES AND
BEFORE INCREASING NUMBERS OF
IMPEACHABLE WITNESSES, JESUS
As a newspaper reporter, I was never satisfied with secondhand sources. I always tried to get a source as close to the actual events as possible. Ideally, I wanted eyewitness testimony. What jumped off the page to me was Paul telling his readers that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time—and the apostle essentially dares his readers to fact check the claim. He challenges them by saying, “most of whom are still living.” My reporting instincts kicked in and I got it. Paul was essentially saying, “Oh, you don’t believe me or the word of all these people? Go interview them yourself.” No one would have done that unless they were sure of their claims.
SHOWED HIMSELF, UNTIL THE LAST VESTIGE OF DOUBT THAT THEIR LORD HAD RISEN VANISHED FROM THE DISCIPLES’ MINDS.”
Christian author Charles Colson, the infamous Watergate figure and later the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, was a firm believer in the Resurrection based on human nature.
“I know the Resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me,” Colson famously said. “How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world—and
about this, I found it highly unlikely that they would live and die this way for something that they knew was a lie, or at least weren’t sure was true. This fact tells me that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is real.”
I found more convincing proofs in 1 Corinthians 15, one of the Bible’s most compelling chapters. Paul quotes one of the earliest creeds of the Church dating to just after the Resurrection: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that,
Seeing and believing
Cornell also noted the testimony from 1 John 1:1–2, where the Apostle John writes that the earliest Christians indeed proclaimed eyewitness testimony: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”
The apostles were again saying: We’re eyewitnesses and we’re telling you what we saw.
“Their encounter with the risen Christ shows that His resurrection is real,” Cornell said. “By sharing this, they invite us to experience the same joy and connection with Jesus. Their story proves that the Resurrection is a true and lifechanging event.”
Salvation Army Commissioner Samuel
Logan Brengle, in his book Resurrection Life and Power, says the eyewitness testimony recorded in 1 Corinthians 15 is crucial evidence for the Resurrection.
“Again and again, under varying circumstances and before increasing numbers of impeachable witnesses, Jesus showed Himself, until the last vestige of doubt that their Lord had risen vanished from the disciples’ minds,” Brengle wrote.
Brengle also mentioned how the apostles, though they were poor, unlearned, despised, and hated, were not scattered like John the Baptist’s followers after his death. Jesus’ apostles banded together to build His Church, which stands to this day.
“Such an institution as the Christian church could not have been built upon a falsehood,” Brengle wrote.
Brengle goes on to say that “in the presence of Jesus’ resurrection, all other miracles pale like the stars before the rising sun. It is the crowning evidence that He is the Son of God.”
Connecting the dots
The reality of God’s power convinced Captain Shakai Drigo of the Resurrection.
“I thought, if Jesus claimed his Father is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of Israel, and that same God created the heavens and the earth, it was easy to believe that God’s power could resurrect His son,” said Drigo, who leads The Salvation Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Boston.
Nearby in Salem, Mass., Major Ruth Thomas commands The Salvation Army’s North Shore Corps. What helped her believe in the Resurrection was “connecting the dots” found in Scripture: “Reading about Jesus foretelling his death, the struggle of getting there, and then it does happen,” she said. “Even after He returns to His disciples, there was a doubting Thomas. It brings home the idea of having a choice. To choose to believe in Him and all of His promises.”
It’s sometimes easier to make those connections when you see where Jesus walked, lived, taught, died, and rose from the dead. Several Salvation Army officers
have traveled to Israel to witness the words of the Gospels come alive.
For Major Lydia Pearson, the USA Eastern Territory’s education secretary, a trip to the Holy Land wasn’t necessary for her to believe, but she enjoyed seeing the homeland of Mary Magdalene and other sites.
“I’ve actually never doubted the Resurrection because I’ve heard about it since I was 4 years old,” she said.
Still, a compelling passage for Pearson is Acts 4:13, where Peter and John testify to the Resurrection and the power of God before the Sanhedrin. The Jewish leaders recognized the apostles were unschooled, ordinary men, acting through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“To me that shows you don’t have to have a lot of knowledge or education, but being in Jesus’ presence makes a difference in a person’s life,” Pearson said. “That’s powerful to me.”
Walking in His steps
To Major William Furman, seeing where Jesus lived, walked, and taught was an opportunity to affirm his faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection.
“That’s a belief and conviction I hold in my heart and I’m sure and certain of it because not only does God’s Word say it, but it’s been evidenced by believers in the body of Christ for years,” said Furman, the USA Eastern Territory’s assistant personnel secretary and a Christian for 50 years. “It’s more of a personal and private celebration of what I’ve always believed in.”
Furman has been to Israel four times. Whether it was at the Garden of Gethsemane, in the city of Capernaum, or standing along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he said it was easy to envision Jesus healing the sick and preaching to large crowds.
“Once you start walking in these footsteps, you start to realize exactly what it meant for Jesus to be committed to His Father’s will,” he said.
“You don’t have to go to Israel to believe in any of this, but while you’re there, I think everybody has these personal reflections that bring to bear what they’ve long believed in, what they see, and what they start
Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; HE HAS RISEN! —LUKE 24:5–6
connecting within their own spirit and soul.”
Though she has not been to Israel, Connie Correia has always believed in the death and resurrection of Christ, and that belief became “more real and personal to me,” she said, when she accepted Christ at age 16. Correia, an administrative assistant at The Salvation Army in New Bedford, Mass., pointed out that all 66 books of the Bible tell a consistent story told by 40 authors over a span of 1,500 years. The Old Testament predicted Christ’s coming, and the New Testament lays out His life and story, including the Resurrection.
“How can anyone refute that? Jesus fulfilled all prophecy predictions in His life, in death, and in His resurrection,” she said.
“I can sit and debate the issue of the resurrection of Jesus forever, but until one finally meets the risen Savior [personally], and knows within their heart the true reality of a heart set free by this risen Christ, they will never understand, or accept the love, grace, and sacrifice that was bestowed on us by so great a Savior.”
Seeing the power
Growing up, Steve Bussey, now a Salvation Army envoy and historian, never questioned the Resurrection. He always loved going to sunrise services—watching the sun rise to mark the “Son rise.”
“Being brought up in a Christian home, my worldview was shaped by the reality of the Resurrection,” he said. “I always believed God came to redeem humanity, and not only did He die for us, but He was resurrected, and in that resurrection is life and power.
“Christ’s resurrection bears witness to the fact that one day, when Christ comes, we will experience the resurrection of our bodies. There will be a work of glorification, and not only will we have a new Heaven and a new earth, but we will have new bodies just like Christ’s resurrected body.”
Like Bussey, many Christians find hope in this life and the one to come through the Resurrection. Major Gregory Hartshorn, the divisional commander of The Salvation Army’s Western Pennsylvania Division, was raised Catholic and said he always believed
Jesus rose from the dead. But he often asked, “Why?”
“I learned that I was a sinner, and it was my sin that separated me from God,” Hartshorn said. “The Scriptures revealed to me that Jesus died for my sins—to remove them from me—by taking them on Himself. But the power of God was revealed over my sin because God raised Jesus from the dead, victorious over His death and the death sentence that sin brings. Jesus died and rose again to bring me victory over sin!”
For Envoy Anne Rich of The Salvation Army in Plymouth, Mass., the Resurrection brings renewed hope of eternal life. Believing in the Resurrection has been profoundly personal and life changing for her.
“When I began to understand and believe in the Resurrection, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders,” Rich said. “The idea that Jesus conquered death gave me a new perspective on my own struggles and fears. I found hope in knowing that my challenges are temporary and that there is a greater purpose beyond this life.
“I’ve come to see the Resurrection not just as a historical event, but as a living reality that shapes my daily life. It has transformed my outlook, my relationships, and my purpose in ways I never imagined possible.”
Born again
Transformation also happened for Major Mayra Vasquez of the Albany, N.Y., Temple Corps. A native of the Dominican Republic, she would hang out with people who were a bad influence before Christ changed her life and she met the church and eventually The Salvation Army.
“The old Mayra died, and I became who I am today,” Vasquez
said. “I had to leave who I was to be close to Him. He was the only one who could pay our sin debt. His shed blood and His resurrection gives us new life. He’s the only one who came back from the dead—the only one. ‘Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.’”
She quoted the famous hymn based on John 14:19. In the Scripture, Jesus says, “Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”
“Without Jesus dying and His resurrection,” said Vasquez, “I would not be who I am today.”
Made alive in Christ
Every Resurrection season, like many other Christians, I go back and read 1 Corinthians 15 again and again because there’s so much rich theology to dwell on. In verse 17, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” In verse 19, he goes on to say that Christians are to be “pitied.”
Just one verse later, he boldly proclaims, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” The Resurrection—the empty tomb— is the heart of the Christian faith, and we serve a risen Savior.
I never forgot Mrs. Storm over the years as I married, moved to New York, and raised children. I returned to my hometown church in Indiana in 1992 and asked around, assuming the woman who pointed me to Christ had passed away. Some of the oldtimers told me she was very much alive but suffering from Alzheimer’s. I got the phone number of her daughter, who was thrilled to hear from me, and we met for breakfast the next morning.
The Alzheimer’s had taken its toll and I’m not sure she recognized me, but I got to say “thank you” to the woman who cared enough to lead me to Christ.
It didn’t seem likely that day I cut her grass, but the seeds Mrs. Storm planted within me took hold. I’ve taught Sunday school and youth programs in my church for decades and introduced many children to the resurrection of Jesus Christ for the first time.
As the Apostle Paul might say, whatever else I do in this life I consider rubbish.
Go to sastores.org
by HUGO BRAVO
Up, up, and away! Go comic book hunting at The Salvation Army!
Whether you’re a longtime collector or a curious first-time buyer, comic books and graphic novels are waiting for you at your local Salvation Army store. You can find tales for young readers, adaptations of classic literature or movies, and hardcover coffeetable books that showcase the art of the comic medium. You might even come across a rare, out-ofprint volume from your favorite superhero series. As the great Stan Lee would say, “Excelsior!”
Every purchase you make at a Salvation Army thrift store helps fund local Adult Rehabilitation Centers, where people who are struggling from a variety of social and spiritual problems can find help and hope. Learn more at gethelp.salvationarmyusa.org
Based on a True Story
Fictionalized stories cannot compare to the greatest truth of all
by MAJOR LAUREN HODGSON
I recently saw One Life, a movie based on the true story of Sir Nicholas Winton. The British stockbroker helped rescue 669 Jewish children facing murder by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, relocating them from Czechoslovakia to be fostered by citizens of Great Britain. It was an amazing story of compassion and overcoming insurmountable odds. The words “Based on a true story” appeared after the opening credits. Fictional stories cannot compare to true-life accounts.
There have been many movies about Jesus’ life, yet we never see the phrase “based on a true story” in the credits. Holy Week is more than based on a true story—it is the true story. His final week on earth can hold the moviegoer riveted to the screen, for the days are full of intrigue, betrayal, tragedy, and victory.
We hear the term “Holy Week,” and we know it is the week before Easter, but do we know all the highs and lows of it? Let’s look at how Christ’s mission unfolded.
Palm Sunday
Jesus had been teaching about the kingdom of God and His identity as the Messiah for three years when the time
came for Him to formally and publicly make that claim in Jerusalem (John 12:12–15). When He arrived, people greeted Him with an ancient symbol of victory—palm branches. Thousands of Jews celebrated Jesus’ teachings about God’s kingdom and saw His miracles. Many believed He came to usher in the new kingdom promised in the Old Testament.
Holy Monday
Jesus walked through the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus became angry that the holy place of worship had become a place for buying and selling—and taking advantage of the poor. In His zeal, He overturned tables, enraging the vendors (Matthew 21:12–16). It
is here that Jesus increases and intensifies His public messages. The Gospels record the outrage of the leaders of the day and the further plotting of Jesus’ death.
Holy Tuesday
Jesus becomes bolder in His messages and the revelation of His identity as He speaks in the temple courts. The religious leaders are upset at Jesus for establishing Himself as a spiritual authority. They organized an ambush with the intent to place Jesus under arrest. Scripture indicates that this Tuesday was also the day Judas Iscariot negotiated with the rabbinical court of ancient Israel to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16).
Holy Wednesday
The Bible doesn’t say what the Lord did on the Wednesday of Passion Week. The day is sometimes referred to as “Silent Wednesday.” Scholars speculate that after two exhausting days in Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of Passover. Some say Jesus spent the hours in solitude with
God, resting, praying, and reflecting on the week that had passed and the week ahead.
Maundy Thursday
The week takes a somber turn. Jesus sent Peter and John to the upper room in Jerusalem to prepare the Passover meal. That evening, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet as they prepared to share in the Passover. By performing this humble act of service, Jesus demonstrated by example how believers should love one another.
Later that evening in Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss by Judas Iscariot and arrested by the religious leaders. He was taken to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the whole council had gathered to begin making their case against Jesus.
Meanwhile, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed (Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12–72, Luke 22:7–62, and John 13:1–38).
Good Friday
After multiple unlawful trials, Jesus was sentenced to death by crucifixion, one of
the most horrible and disgraceful methods of capital punishment known at the time. Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body down from the cross and laid it in a tomb.
Saturday in the tomb
Jesus’ body lay in its tomb, where it was guarded by Roman soldiers throughout the day on Saturday, which was the Sabbath. When the Sabbath ended, Christ’s body was ceremonially treated for burial with spices purchased by Nicodemus (John 19:39–40).
Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, is not considered part of Holy Week. This day holds its own spectacular significance in history and stands on its own.
Holy Week is not “based” on a true story. It is the truth—and the most extraordinary story ever told!
Major Lauren Hodgson is the head writer for the Spiritual Life Development Department at The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory Headquarters.
Praying Through Holy Week
Would you like to personally go deeper into Holy Week? Feel the emotion and weight of what Jesus endured for you? Praying Through Holy Week is a resource that helps you insert yourself into these holy days and spend time asking the Lord to help you understand the Father’s heart. Praying Through Holy Week leads you into the day-by-day account and invites you to journey with Jesus in His final week of sacrifice, sorrow, victory, and joy.
Each day shares Scripture from an event that took place on that day and then prompts you to spend a few moments in silence, quieting your soul to discover its greater meaning for you. Through prayer each day, God helps you find your place in the biblical story through a word or phrase that speaks to you.
Allow this resource to help you find deeper meaning in Jesus’ mission to bridge humankind to God the Father.
Bible on the Go
Get instant access to Scripture and much more during private devotions or group study
With an outstanding roster of pastors, popular evangelists, and actors who narrate a wide variety of Bible stories, reading series, and bedtime stories featuring legendary Bible heroes, Pray.com offers a captivating experience. The app also offers sermons, podcasts, music, and 21-day prayer plans. For example, a meditative health series eases anxiety while encouraging self-reflection and mental healing. The platform showcases testimonies from skilled, heartfelt speakers. But many features are only available by in-app purchase or a $15 monthly subscription, and even then there are some distracting ads. Multiple languages are supported: English, Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese.
Bible Gateway provides over 57 English translations and eight Spanish, along with many other languages. The free version also includes audio Bibles, some that let you choose from different voices, and a selection of resources. But to access a deeper, ad-free library of study Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, maps, sermons, and devotionals, you need a $5 monthly or $50 annual subscription. The navigation experience also suffers somewhat from an outdated interface compared with sleeker Bible apps.
YouVersion from Bible.com is installed on more than 755 million unique devices worldwide. The completely free app (no ads) provides over 3,000 Bible versions in 2,000 languages and enables you to highlight passages in myriad colors, take notes, and compare multiple translations in parallel mode. Many audio Bible versions are available for listening, and a text-to-speech engine can even read devotionals to you. You can share the verse of the day on social media, and add friends and build community as you study the Word together. The Salvation Army offers a selection of devotions through the app, which is all about user-friendliness.
Logos is an amazing in-depth study tool. There is a free version that offers a solid foundation for users looking to enhance their biblical study experience. A premium subscription, which may be more suitable for small group leaders or pastors than everyday Bible students, starts at $10 a month or $100 a year. Logos supports a wide range of Bible translations, catering to diverse preferences and theological perspectives. Users can access their notes, highlights, preferred Bible translations, an atlas, and more from anywhere at any time. The extensive array of features may overwhelm new users.
The Olive Tree Bible App has an attractive, intuitive interface and abundant tools and resources available. Popular Bible versions are free; more may be purchased individually. You can easily view two translations side by side to aid in deeper understanding and enhance comparative study of different interpretations. For $6 a month or $60 per year, you can access a curated study pack for your favorite translation. There’s also a starter pack for $3 a month or $30 annually. Or try a free trial, then purchase just the resources you like the best.
PRAY.COM
LOGOS BIBLE APP
OLIVE TREE BIBLE APP
BIBLE GATEWAY
SPRING ALLERGIES
PROTECT YOURSELF THIS SEASON
by HUGO BRAVO
After cold months of snow and winter, the longer, gentler days of spring are a welcome change. But for many people, spring is also the start of suffering from runny noses, stuffy heads, and watery eyes. Springtime brings about seasonal allergies, or hay fever, from the reemergence of pollen, an airborne substance released from grass, flowering plants, and trees. Pollen is an allergen, a term for any element or food that can cause an allergic reaction.
When someone who is allergic to pollen breathes it in, the particles get trapped in nasal passages and stick to mucus membranes in the nose or eyes. The body’s immune system treats pollen as an intruder and releases chemicals that cause symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, or swelling. In more serious cases, allergens can affect breathing and even trigger asthma. Your symptoms will depend on how much of a threat your body perceives the allergen to be. This is why different people have different reactions.
While tree and grass pollen are common in the warmer months, mold and ragweed can also trigger allergies in the fall. Some people also have perennial allergies that affect them yearround, no matter the weather. If you get the urge to sneeze inside a dusty room, or in a house that has cats or dogs, it means you suffer from perennial allergies.
KEEP YOUR ALLERGIES IN CHECK
Here are some ways to minimize your exposure and reduce seasonal allergy symptoms:
z Check weather reports for daily pollen and mold spore levels. If the numbers are high, try to avoid being outside, especially on windy days.
z Keep windows and doors closed in your home, office, or car to keep pollen out.
z If you must do outdoor chores during allergy season, wear a facemask, hat, and sunglasses. Change the mask after each use.
z Wash your hair before bed. Pollen from your hair can fall on your pillow and travel to your eyes, nose, and mouth while you sleep.
z Change your clothes after being outside. Pollen sticks to materials such as cotton, wool, and even latex.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR
“ The Lord will take all sickness from you. He will not let any bad diseases come upon you that you have known …”
—Deuteronomy 7:15 (NLV )
Your doctor may suggest taking medications before spring allergies begin. The most common allergy medicines are antihistamines, which block the effects of histamine, the chemical released by your immune system that causes symptoms. Antihistamines in pills, eye drops, or nasal sprays are available over the counter and through prescription. Immunotherapy can also help people with serious allergies. This involves receiving weekly or monthly injections of a tiny amount of allergens. By introducing allergens to your immune system in low doses, you can build antibodies that can limit or eliminate symptoms.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
by HUGO BRAVO
FAITH COMMUNITY “Latino families like the ones in our community are very set in their church, sometimes going back generations. It can be hard to introduce them to a new place to worship,” says Phil Clark. “But I want everyone in Perth Amboy to know what The Salvation Army is doing here.”
On some days, Phil Clark’s volunteer work at The Salvation Army’s Perth Amboy, N.J., Corps starts before the building’s doors open.
“I have keys to the supplies at the corps, so if they need me to cut the grass, I’ll come early to get it done,” says Phil, a retired postal worker. “Then I’ll trim the bushes around the corps, if I see them getting too big. No one needs to ask me to do it.”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Phil was introduced to The Salvation Army in New York through friends who attended. They always invited him, and he occasionally went along.
“But I didn’t want to be pushed to do so,” says Phil, who had been raised in the Catholic Church. “I felt that when it was the right time for me, I would find my own way.”
Phil says he enjoyed the practices of the Catholic Church, like the prayers and lighting the candles for those they prayed for.
“That’s where I first got good with the Lord in my life. I still pray every day,” he says. “But it always felt like church sermons were going over my head, and I needed to have builtin knowledge of the Bible to really apply the lessons in my life. Even
worse, on some days folks were more worried about how I was dressed. I could feel eyes staring at me.”
Three years ago, Phil and his wife, Beverly, who’s from Puerto Rico, attended their first Spanishlanguage service at the Perth Amboy Salvation Army. He felt welcomed in a way he hadn’t felt at any church before, despite not speaking Spanish.
“It was a smaller congregation, which I liked, and both of us were accepted in like family,” says Phil.
He started attending the church’s adult Sunday school. Corps Sergeant Major Ernest William, whom Phil had known for years, was the teacher. During the lessons, “Brother Will,” as he is known at the corps, broke everything down to the basics, which made Phil finally feel more engaged.
“Will shares the Word in a way that’s accessible for me. It tapped into the curiosity I’ve had for years. The Bible’s messages of family, unity, patience, and treating your neighbor as yourself all spoke to me, because that’s how I’ve tried to live my life too.”
Phil has become a devoted volunteer at
The Salvation Army. Aside from helping maintain the corps’ grounds, he also helps during food deliveries and pantry days and can even do repairs in the building. He always knows someone to reach out to for bigger jobs.
“Sometimes the pastors here are surprised when they see that I know the mayor, people from other churches, and the faces that come to our food pantry, all from being a mailman.”
Phil, who has coached youth baseball and basketball in the city, says, “I always tell the Perth Amboy officers to let me know if they ever need a coach for a sports program. I’m ready to volunteer for that too. Retirees like me have a lot of downtime. My wife and I like to take cruises and visit her family in Puerto Rico. But we obviously can’t do that every day of the year. That’s why I enjoy giving my time and volunteering at the church.
“Just like when I decided to start coming to The Salvation Army, I don’t ever need to be pushed to volunteer. When it’s my time to help, I do anything I can.”
