All The World (Jan 2011)

PAKISTAN – after the floods A global call to 24-7 PRAYER MALI – early developments Message from the GENERAL

A better world

JANUARY–MARCH 2011

VOL 49 NO 1

LEAH ROBINSON’S SEARCH FOR JUSTICE

COUNTRY OR THEME

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JANUARY–MARCH 2011

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CONTENTS

Visit ALL THE WORLD at: www.salvationarmy.org/alltheworld

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03

UPFRONT From the Editor

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FROM THE TOP A message from the General

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DEVELOPMENT Mali projects

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HOME AND AWAY Reflections from here and there

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FACT FILE Pakistan facts and figures

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EMERGENCY Pakistan floods

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PRAYER Global call to 24-7 prayer

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EMERGENCY Uganda landslides

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FOCUS ON ...

The fight against injustice

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SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

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2 ALL THE WORLD JULY–SEPTEMBER 2010 An Adventure Shared

Practical Religion

Purity of Heart

The Common People’s Gospel

What and Why We Believe

The Desert Road to Glory

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by Catherine Booth

by William Booth

by Gunpei Yamamuro

by Harry Dean

by Clarence D. Wiseman

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Well-chosen deeds EDITORIALS are strange things to write. Sometimes there’s a clear theme but on other occasions it’s like trying to juggle with custard – you don’t know how to start and there’s a likelihood that things will get messy!

I admire Salvation Army officers and other ministers who try to say something new, interesting and inspiring from their pulpits every week. How do they manage? Are there not weeks when they sit to write a sermon, only to find that the well of inspiration has run dry?

(I suspect the answer is ‘yes’, by the way.)

Writing an editorial, like preparing a sermon, is both a privilege and a burden.

How personal should I be? How much should I refer to the articles that I hope people will read anyway? Should I be subtle or should I drive my point home with a metaphorical sledgehammer? It’s a conundrum, I can assure you!

There’s a Salvation Army song called ‘Tell Me the Old, Old Story’ that includes a line I take inspiration from: ‘Tell me the story simply, as to a little child.’ I don’t want to patronise anyone but I’d much rather explain most things fully than leave words, phrases or situations unexplained and potentially causing confusion.

Seeking to be clear becomes even more troublesome when working on an international magazine such as All the World. England and the USA were described, probably by George Bernard Shaw, as ‘Two nations divided by a common language’ so you can imagine

the angst I face when trying to use a version of English that will be understood clearly around the world. After all, everyday words such as football (soccer) or nappies (diapers) need to be used differently depending on which country you’re writing for – and it could be very confusing if you mixed them up!

I admire people like Majors Mike and Teresa Hawley, who began Salvation Army work in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, or others who have opened the work elsewhere (see the General’s article and the piece about development in Mali for more examples).

Such pioneers must take what they understand about the Christian faith and The Salvation Army and present it in a way that makes sense in a whole new culture.

Let’s face it, if it’s tricky enough for me to work out how to explain something in a language I’m comfortable in, how difficult must it be to gain people’s trust and understanding in an alien culture, using an unfamiliar language?

I move on to another favourite quotation, this time attributed to Francis of Assisi: ‘Preach the gospel

design and Artwork Berni Georges Editorial Office The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 8084; fax: [44] (0)20 7332 8079

Founder William Booth General Shaw Clifton

at all times. Use words if necessary,’ he said.

This is how so much Salvation Army work spreads. Around the world Salvationists are using the universal language of love-in-action to speak to people who would not understand any amount of well-chosen words.

Perhaps it’s a good principle for me to take on board – I need to worry less about the rightness of my words and more about the rightness of my deeds. As an editor, that’s a hard lesson to learn.

And talking of deeds, I’d better go and clear up my badly-juggled metaphorical custard before anyone complains.

An editor’s work is never done!

‘I need to worry less about the rightness of my words and more about the rightness of my deeds’

Editor Kevin Sims

Email: IHQ-AlltheWorld@salvationarmy.org

Kevin Sims, Editor

UPFRONT

FROM THE EDITOR

Editor-in-Chief Lieut-Colonel Laurie Robertson Annual subscription from Salvationist Publishing and Supplies (periodicals), 66-78 Denington Road, Denington Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2QH, United Kingdom Cost: United Kingdom £3.00 Worldwide surface £3.50 Worldwide airmail £4.50

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WELCOME TO THE 2011 HIGH COUNCIL and RETIREMENT Salute to General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton

JAN UARY–M ARC H 2011

FROM THE TOP

ALL BUT NOT THE QUITE WORLD YET!

by General Shaw Clifton

M

Y heart is full of thanksgiving to God as I write this short farewell article for All the World readers. I praise God for the constantly recurring miracle of divine grace that enables and energises the compassionate, social outreach of The Salvation Army in so many lands. I am particularly grateful to God for the expansion he has inspired in recent years so that the 111 countries in which the Army was working when I became General is now 122.

In 2007 God led us to open the work in Burundi and Greece.

We can hardly imagine more contrasting locations! The following year saw the Army ‘opening fire’ in Namibia and Mali, bringing to 115 the number of countries having official work. We had been in Namibia from 1932 to 1939 but were expelled when war broke out. How good it is that we have returned and how gracious the welcome has been in that place. Mali, a mainly Muslim nation, is the most northerly part of Africa in which the Army has an official presence.

Then who could have predicted that we would find ourselves opening the work officially in Kuwait as our 116th country? Soon thereafter the 117th opening occurred with the appointment of officers from Korea to Mongolia in the persons of Captain Lee, Min-ho and Captain Chang, Mi-hyun. It was my privilege personally to commission and send these fine comrades to Mongolia during the celebrations in Seoul to mark the centenary of our work on the Korean peninsula.

Then came Nepal. This 118th official opening resulted from inspired and energetic vision and planning in The Salvation Army’s India Eastern Territory. After a year of exploration and evaluation in 2007, permanent officer appointments were eventually made in 2009 when Majors Lalsangliana and Lalnunsangi, with their children, were assigned to live and work in Kathmandu.

West Africa saw work opened in country number 119 when officers were appointed to Sierra Leone in January 2010. Captains John and Roseline Bundu from Liberia are carrying out this imaginative pioneering work.

Soon afterwards, in March 2010, our work was officially recognised in the Central American country of Nicaragua, with Majors Enrique and Ana Molina – Costa Rican officers – appointed to lead the new work in country number 120.

In June 2010 the international focus shifted back to the Middle East with the official opening of our work in the United Arab Emirates. This brought our total to 121 countries. Majors Mike and Teresa Hawley have supervised this pioneering endeavour, assisted by Lieutenants Robert and Glenis Viera.

Finally, I have been able to approve officially the 122nd opening of our work and witness in the Caribbean country consisting of the Turks and Caicos islands, supervised from our territorial headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.

I feel sure that God will continue to open new doors to his Army, if we remain faithful and obedient to his divine guidance. I invite all readers of All the World to join me in praying that this may be so.

The General prays with Captain Lee, Min-ho and Captain Chang, Mi-hyun during Salvation Army centenary celebrations in Korea, shortly before the captains opened the work in Mongolia

‘It was my privilege personally to commission and send these fine comrades to Mongolia’

General Shaw Clifton is the international leader of The Salvation Army

Editor’s note: When I took over as Editor of All the World in January 1999 the first article I commissioned was from the then Territorial Commander in Pakistan, Colonel Shaw Clifton. The now General Clifton retires on 1 April 2011 and I take this opportunity to thank him for his support for All the World then and in recent times as the Army’s international leader.

J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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DEVELOPMENT

MALI

From Vision to Reality

by Hanna Ferguson

T

HE story of The Salvation Army in Mali is a story of God’s love breaking through, overcoming barriers and distance to reach a nation literally ‘as far away as Timbuktu’, as the saying goes.

Unbeknown to many, this mythical and legendary city actually exists in the west African country of Mali, which reaches deep into the middle of the Sahara Desert.

An estimated 90 per cent of Malians are Muslim with the remaining 10 per cent split between indigenous beliefs and Christianity. Establishing The Salvation Army in an Islamic country ‘as far away as Timbuktu’ sounds like the idea of someone truly brave and visionary. In this instance God provided André Togo, an ordinary Malian with an extraordinary vision.

In 2007 André received a vision through his grandmother to start The Salvation Army in Mali. He had never had contact with the Army before but he knew that God had provided him with a special calling to help bring The Salvation Army to Mali.

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Three years later, as my plane touched ground in the Malian capital, Bamako, The Salvation Army in Mali was already a reality. Stepping out of the airport, with the intense heat of the country engulfing me, I searched the crowd to catch sight of the familiar Salvation Army uniform.

The man waiting for me was Major Eugene Dikalembolovanga, originally Above: a forest caretaker with a young tree in Kassela; below: a widows’ group

from the Democratic Republic of Congo Territory. Two years ago he and his wife, Major Odile Dikalembolovanga, were appointed to Mali to establish the Army’s work. For a week they would be my guides and hosts in this desert land.

Officially the purpose of my visit was to provide support for community work in general and for specific development

MALI

Above and below: a community meeting to celebrate The Salvation Army’s work in Kassela; left: Salvation Army soldiers are enrolled during a Sunday meeting

initiatives in particular. During my week in the country I spent time in various communities, learning about people’s lives and their experiences of The Salvation Army’s work with them on water, forestation and literacy.

Anyone who thinks being a pioneer is easy should talk to Majors Eugene and Odile. They can confirm from personal experience that starting new work is never easy or straightforward. In a country where Christians are a minority, they often have to break through prejudice, false beliefs and cultural barriers to establish meaningful relationships. Over the week I was excited to witness how Eugene and Odile creatively use social ministry and community work to create bridges with people and communities.

A planned literacy project, for example, will help to transform the lives of marginalised Muslim widows

‘Trees are life. We seek shade under them when the sun is high. We enjoy their fruits and produce’ in three communities, along with other illiterate men and women who live there. The problem of illiteracy in Mali is widespread. It is estimated that 70 per cent of the population cannot read or write.

One woman who will benefit from the project described how being illiterate affects her day-to-day life. She told us about the challenges of not being able to read important things such as prescriptions if her children are sick and needing to take medicine. ‘I am happy’, she said, ‘that because of The

Salvation Army I will no longer be living in darkness.’

In Kassela, a village about an hour’s drive from the capital, community members now consider The Salvation Army as family after receiving assistance to improve access to safe water and to fight deforestation by planting young trees.

Deforestation is one of Mali’s main environmental challenges and community members in Kassela are proud that with the help of the Army they have been able to preserve forests around the village for future generations. More than 2,000 young trees have been planted.

As one of the elders explained: ‘Trees are life. We seek shade under them when the sun is high. We enjoy their fruits and produce. We use their leaves and roots for medicine. We need to protect the gifts of nature.’

Besides the people benefiting from water, forestation or literacy programmes, the young Army in Mali is reaching out to many others through small social initiatives such as a feeding programme in prisons and the provision of free medical consultation for poor communities on the outskirts of Bamako. The initiatives may be small in scale but their impact on people’s lives should not be underestimated.

During my week in Mali I witnessed how lives are being changed and relationships are being strengthened. I cannot but agree that small is beautiful.

Overall, the official objectives of my visit were achieved. I visited the projects I came to see and helped to plan for new ones. But more than that, I was reminded how God’s love breaks through even in the most remote corners of the earth – through acts of love, kindness and sacrificial service.

Hanna Ferguson is Community Development Coordinator (Africa) at the International Headquarters of The Salvation Army J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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HOME AND AWAY

A new series looking at the thoughts and experiences of people working for The Salvation Army in their country of birth and others giving service abroad

Major Damian Ojeda, Paraguay Left: Major Damian Ojeda with his children, Dan and Damaris; below: Major Ojeda dedicates a child to God

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

My wife and I are corps officers (church ministers) of the glorious Capiatá Corps in the Paraguay District of The Salvation Army’s South America East Territory.

HOME

What would be your typical day?

I am in the habit of rising early – at 5.30 am – first of all to seek the face of God, to receive from him strength, grace and direction for the day. Each day I have a different programme but in the morning I usually do office work, perhaps some visitation, pay bills, a little property maintenance and help my wife with housework or with the children. In the afternoon I prepare for house meetings, corps meetings and other groups. In the evening we visit those who work away from their homes during the day.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

Through one of its children’s homes, ‘El Redil’ [The Sheepfold], here in Paraguay in 1987 when I was an intern for a year.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

I think God gave me the gift of being a missionary. This is the third corps appointment my wife and I have opened.

I’m known as an ‘opener of corps’.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

William Booth (Founder of The Salvation Army) for being a visionary – he was 100 years ahead of his time. He was a man of faith, wise and – above all – he had a passion for souls.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Exodus 34:10: ‘Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world.

The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.”’

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘Amazing Grace’.

How do you think The Salvation Army in Paraguay differs from the rest of the world?

As with all countries, Paraguay has its particular identity – its people are receptive to the gospel and very hospitable, but with a strong Roman Catholic tradition.

What particular challenges does The Salvation Army face in Paraguay?

The biggest challenge must be to overcome lethargy and the lack of growth. We have just celebrated 100 years of the Army in Paraguay yet we still have only three corps and two outposts. I know of another church which after only 60 years has more than 100 churches in Paraguay.

In the past 10 years I feel there has been greater

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emphasis within the South America East Territory on the work in Paraguay and the Army in the country is now growing.

If you were appointed General, what would you change?

I would try to give a clearer vision of the basics, giving more emphasis to evangelism and striving to see that each member of our beloved Army would seek the experience of complete holiness. This Army can only be revived by the Holy Spirit – no human strategy will do.

Also, I would try to remove any traditions that get in the way of people meeting God, allowing more freedom to be directed by the Holy Spirit. Some aspects of European Church culture don’t translate to a South American setting, for instance.

What skills do you use most in your work?

The gifts that God gave me are evangelism and pastoring – these are the ones I use most.

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

Perhaps to be pastor to the pastors or to conduct marriage counselling or family counselling – this is something that is often neglected and can lead to rebellion in our children.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a soul-winner.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

It is a part of the body of Christ, raised up and sustained by God. He created it with a purpose for the extension of his Kingdom and it is a huge privilege I have as an officer to be part of his great enterprise.

&

away

Ò Major Mike Hawley,

originally from the USA Southern Territory, is Regional Commander of The Salvation Army’s Middle East Region and lives in the United Arab Emirates

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

My wife, Major Teresa Hawley, and I were sent to Kuwait in 2008 along with another couple to start the official work of The Salvation Army in the Middle East. In 2010 we moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to start the work there.

&AWAY

What would be your typical day?

Much of our time is spent meeting people, learning about the country we live in and securing supplies for our programmes.

The schedule isn’t the same as it was in my home country, the United States. Weekends begin on Thursday, primary worship is on Friday and everyday life is much more active after dark due to the heat. An invitation to dinner is typically at 9pm or later.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I used to walk past a Salvation Army building as a student.

One day I stopped in to ask what they did. That visit led to my conversion and decision to serve as an officer.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

I have a real fascination for the first and last books. From ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ in Genesis 1:1 to ‘Behold I am coming soon!’ in Revelation 22:7 it’s an incredible story.

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

Hard to select only one, but certainly among them would be ‘Nothing But Thy Blood’.

How does The Salvation Army in the UAE differ from the rest of the world?

We moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2010 after gaining some experience in Kuwait. We discovered that much here is similar to there but also much is different. Not only are the two countries different, we are discovering that each of the individual Emirates has its own distinctive features as well. The people we serve are familiar and of course so is how we serve. What remains to be seen is how effective we can be in developing the community services we are known for in so many other countries in a place which as yet doesn’t know or trust us.

&AWAY

What particular challenges does The Salvation Army face in the UAE? We are a Christ-centred organisation in a Muslim country. We have been given tremendous freedom to work within certain parameters, including holding church services and related activities, but evangelism and proselytising is against the law.

The indigenous population on the whole doesn’t know who we are and any attempt to translate our terminology into Arabic would be misleading because terrorist groups have adopted the name.

With time, and taking advantage of God-given opportunities, I believe the government will see we are the kind of neighbours it wants inside its borders.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

The Army promised me a roof over my head and a work to do when I signed on more than 30 years ago. It has been true to

Above and right: Major Mike Hawley with new Salvation Army soldiers

its promise and under God’s leadership my life in the Army has been personally rewarding, demanding my very best and challenging me continually to go beyond my own borders.

What skills do you use most in your work?

The skills used most in this ministry involve working with people.

Empathy, understanding and Spirit-led caring help accomplish what needs to be done.

How would you like to be remembered?

On my tombstone I have often said – half in jest – I would love to see the following inscription: ‘Holy Hawley, Wholly His’!

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

I’ve fallen in love with the Army over and over again in my life.

First as a college student I loved its mission to the least, the last and the lost. Then later I appreciated it once again as a movement of God not confined to the interests of one family or even one people group but truly embracing the entire world.

&AWAY

OC TOBE J A N UA R–RY DE–C MEAM RC BEHR2011 2010 | | ALL ALLTHE THEWORLD WORLD | |

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FACTFILE

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Above: the Pakistan national flag; below: the Pakistan coat of arms

PAKISTAN = The estimated population of Pakistan is 165 million people = In August 1947 East Pakistan and West Pakistan separated from India and gained independence from Great Britain, being established as a country for ‘Indian Muslims’. Modern Pakistan came into existence in 1971 when – after a civil war – East Pakistan became Bangladesh

= According to government statistics

Christians form only 1.59 per cent of the population, slightly less than the number of Hindus (1.60 per cent) and completely dwarfed by Muslims, who make up 96.28 per cent

= The flag of Pakistan symbolises not

only the country’s commitment to Islam and the Islamic world (through the large amount of green) but also its commitment to minority religions, which are symbolised by the white stripe down the hoist side of the flag.

The star and crescent represent light and progress respectively

= A 7.6-magnitude earthquake in

northern Pakistan in October 2005 killed an estimated 80,000 people but received little media coverage

= The floods that swept across Pakistan

in 2010 affected at least 22 million people, making it by far the largest- scale disaster in recent times

Information from The Salvation Army Year Book 2011 and internet sources including www.un.org

Top: a street scene in Lahore; above: K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth (there is some dispute as to whether K2 is actually in India!); right: cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan

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The Salvation Army in PAKISTAN

The Salvation Army began work in what is now Pakistan in 1883 (the country was then part of British-ruled India) Languages used by The Salvation Army in Pakistan: English, Punjabi, Pashto and Urdu There are 52,112 senior soldiers (full Salvation Army members), 8,988 adherents and 14,586 junior soldiers. Based on the number of soldiers Pakistan is the fourth-largest Salvation Army territory or command, behind Zimbabwe, Kenya West and Kenya East Territories The Salvation Army has 390 officers (full-time ministers) and 171 employees The Salvation Army in Pakistan runs 134 corps (churches), 544 societies, 7 institutions, 3 schools and 2 training and resource centres

PAKISTAN FLOODS

The young take care of the youngest in a camp for displaced people on the edge of Karachi

W

HEN I hear the familiar words, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to start our descent …’

I am usually flying to a situation where I have no true idea what I am being dropped into! My work in International Emergency Services, based at International Headquarters, is one that brings challenges that are difficult to prepare for. I know I can rely on strategy and plans that work in most disaster situations but every time there is something unique.

I am usually very conscious that I am heading into a disaster zone, with all the unknowns that are involved. The thought that many people are expecting me to be the person who will know what to do is rather daunting.

The reality is that disasters bring panic, confusion, uncertainty, hopelessness and extremes that are not normal within everyday living. International Emergency

Order out of chaos

by Major Drew Ruthven

Services’ task is to bring order, calm and a sense of normality and hope.

I need to be the opposite of what is happening around me for the sake of others. In truth, being opposite to my surroundings is how I cope in these situations as well.

In any calamity we expect that the people who respond are professionals

‘The land submerged was larger than the area of the United Kingdom’

and have expertise. We believe we will be in good hands when the police, medics or other professionals reach us. We rely on these people to bring order out of the chaos that is around us. I hope that I and other emergency services workers bring such hope and order to the situations we respond to.

Pakistan is the most recent country that caused me to buckle my safety belt as I prepared to descend into chaos. Floods had affected a huge area in the country, the land submerged was larger than the area of the United Kingdom and more J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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PAKISTAN FLOODS

than 22 million people were affected.

I had to help local Salvationists as they decided what The Salvation Army was going to do and where the relief effort would start.

The task was overwhelming for the country and far too big for The Salvation Army to have any large impact in the recovery. The United Nations has said it is the largest disaster they have had to work with in recent times, including the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2005.

Knowing all this does not, of course, stop us acting on the imperative built into our faith to help – we need to do what we can.

When the plane touched down I was met at the airport by staff from the Pakistan Territory. Between the airport car park and territorial headquarters I was given a quick overview of the situation and discovered how the local Salvation Army had started the response.

This, by the way, was three o’clock in the morning! By 2pm that day I was getting a better picture of the response during a meeting at THQ with the local

disaster management team.

This small group was starting on a response that was to have contact with and influence on more than 25,000 families. The questions came: Did I think the plan in place was a good way to go?

Were we using our resources the best way possible? Did I have ideas as to what should happen next? Did we have any word on how we would cover the costs of the initial response? Would there be more funds for further work? Oh, and how soon did I want to visit the affected areas?

The next day I headed north from Lahore to Islamabad and Peshawar. We met with the Minister for Agriculture and we talked about the needs of the area and

how The Salvation Army might help local communities to recover.

Soon I was on my way to see one of the many distributions of household goods we were organising. So many families had nothing. It seemed to me that even before the floods most people had only basics and that the communities looked after each other as a normal way of life, but even this way had been turned upside down by the huge level of destruction.

Everyone in many villages had been so affected that normal life of any sort was not possible. I noticed the watermarks on the houses near our distribution. The water had reached five metres high.

Only well-constructed homes or those fortunately situated on hills had survived.

I met one lonely woman who was sitting on a bed outside what remained of her house. She told me she and other villagers had been warned that the water

Left: before the floods this view would have taken in dozens of houses; above: two photos of the tent and food distribution in Multan, central Pakistan

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PAKISTAN FLOODS

Left: this photo, taken from a destroyed village, shows that the river which flooded the community is usually almost out of sight; right: putting up the first Salvation Army tent in Multan, central Pakistan; below: Major Drew Ruthven talks to a woman who spent all day on her bed in front of what used to be her house; bottom: a policeman who tried to evacuate the village

was coming but they had not worried too much. The river was three kilometres away so they thought it was far enough away for them to be safe.

They even continued to ignore the warnings when police came with loudhailers and told everyone to move out quickly.

The water eventually came quickly and they all had to run to higher ground to escape the flood. Not one house was still standing.

This woman’s children were having to live with relatives until something was done for them. Her husband had been imprisoned for murder and she did not know where any help was likely to come from.

The story was similar for all 100 families in the village, where people struggled to make a living when conditions were normal, let alone in these circumstances.

What struck me as particularly tragic about this story was that the village had relocated after being flooded and washed away five years ago. They thought they had moved to a place of safety.

The Army’s distributions to people in this village and the surrounding area were happening in the time of Ramadan, and the Muslim people were fasting each day, with no food to be eaten in daylight

‘The water eventually came quickly and they all had to run to higher ground to escape the flood’ hours.

The Salvation Army is part of the minority Christian population but with 96 per cent of the population being Muslim we have to pay attention to the culture and religious laws of the majority.

I expected that we would not be eating during daylight and wondered how we were going to last the day! To my surprise we were fed by the local Muslim community out of thanks for the help we were bringing to their people.

They would not break Ramadan but they were not going to watch us go hungry by following rules that did not apply to our faith.

I felt we were doing so little in what was an incident with a huge impact on the lives of these people, but they were so obviously grateful for even the smallest help.

Visiting Peshawar and a couple of communities nearby I was aware that we were 20 kilometres away from the Afghanistan border. We were very close to the Khyber Pass and there were constant reminders of the fact that the area is in conflict.

Police escorts, protective sandbags the size of small cars and the common road blocks were all around us. Some of these are normal aspects of life for those who live there.

I have come to expect that these reminders of conflict will be in many of the places emergency services staff head into. I am aware that we live in a world that is not at peace and that I usually have to go to places that are not exactly nice and peaceful!

Even so, I was taken by surprise when, as we were leaving Peshawar early in the morning, three fighter planes took off just 200 or 300 metres away from us yet the driver and local Salvation Army officer did not seem to notice.

I wondered how the local people get used to living under this cloud of risk and insecurity.

I mentioned this to Lieut-Colonel Yousaf Ghulam, Chief Secretary of the Pakistan Territory. He told me: ‘Everywhere in Pakistan is safe, but everywhere in Pakistan is dangerous,’ meaning that you simply do not know where the danger is or will be.

Back at THQ the team met to see what would happen next. We learned that the water was moving south, the north had been devastated and the country was waiting to see how bad it would be as the floods moved on.

There was nothing that could be done in terms of stopping the passage of the J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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PAKISTAN FLOODS

Left: Major Drew Ruthven and Salvation Army team members at a gateway which was all that remained standing in one village; below: Salvation Army tents in a temporary camp near Hyderabad; bottom: a tent that is home to the only family to return to this village

water. Stories of dammed water being deliberately released into overflowing rivers were appearing in local newspapers and the government was under pressure, facing accusations of looking after systems and not people.

This seeking for someone to blame added to the tension already in the country. There were protests and marches that seemed to let off some pressure but the floods were still working their way through the country.

We were busy trying to decide where best to use our resources. It was not hard to find devastation – it was all around us.

It was one of those cases where the most difficult decision is to work out where The Salvation Army can use its limited resources to have the best impact on the lives of affected people.

The work continues today, several months after the initial response. Teams in Pakistan are still delivering help to affected families.

What I witnessed was that The Salvation Army in Pakistan, from THQ through to

the local corps (churches) came together and responded in a way that should make the whole Salvation Army world proud.

The worldwide Army and other donors provided resources for this response, with money coming in from many parts of the world. But it was local people who provided the effective response.

Many questions come to mind, like: How much did we achieve in comparison to the size of the disaster? Did we make families feel safer in a country where security issues are a constant part of life? How was God represented by The Salvation Army in all of this?

I was invited by the Minister of Agriculture to pray at one of the distributions. It was good to do this. I wondered if my prayer was going to be acceptable in the Muslim community – it was, and if anything it seemed to make me personally more accepted.

There is also no doubt that, while there were many millions of people who we couldn’t assist, the ones that we did help were so grateful. It is always this way but every time I witness how much our little help means I am so grateful that we do this work.

I was taking part in relief work that really did help; this is why I do what I do. My faith makes sense to me when something like this takes place – God who is always with me in the suffering and in the rejoicing in all of life was and is in the middle of what was happening.

More than 5,000 tents have been distributed in both the north and south of the country. The provision of household goods has helped many families get back into some semblance of routine. At the time of writing we are in the process of getting winterised tents to 700 families living in the cold northern areas. We are also looking to supply nearly 400 families with a goat each to help restart their normal way of life.

Close to 30,000 families – well over 100,000 people – will have been helped

by The Salvation Army in Pakistan by the time this is published. This is ministry at the raw edge of life, and God is present in it.

Later, I was back in a plane and being told: ‘Please fasten your seat belts ready for take-off.’ I was on my way home, which is always a good feeling, and I was heading back to the familiar after weeks of being in the unfamiliar.

I always leave wondering if I have helped or hindered, always leave wondering how the local people will stay safe.

I am reminded that God who is with me as I leave is also with them as they remain. I hope a few more people know of God’s presence and care because of what we have done and continue to do.

Major Drew Ruthven is Emergency Personnel Officer of the International Emergency Services team, based at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London 14 | ALL THE WORLD |

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CALL TO 24-7 PRAYER

Let

us

! y

a r p

by Lieut-Colonel Janet Munn

‘And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? ... I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly’ Luke 18:7-8 New International Version

W

HY should weak human beings (like us), facing seemingly insurmountable injustices, cry out to a God we cannot see to take action on behalf of the poor and oppressed? Isn’t there a better strategy? Something we can do that is more proactive? More practical? More effective?

Yet Jesus chose the example of a widow, one of the powerless class of people in his day, to teach us ‘to always pray and never give up’ (Luke 18:1). Throughout the Bible we read of human beings like us crying out to a loving God, of whom the

psalmist writes: ‘Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne’ (Psalm 97:2).

In response to these prayers God takes action, especially on behalf of the suffering, the vulnerable, the poor: ‘A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling’ (Psalm 68:5).

In the light of this the international leader of The Salvation Army, General Shaw Clifton, announced a ‘Global Call to 24-7 Prayer – A Day and Night Cry for Justice’, starting 1 January 2011 and continuing indefinitely. For those who have not heard of the concept, 24-7 Prayer seeks to coordinate people in various locations so there is never a time when someone is not praying, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The purpose of the Global Call is to motivate and focus considerable attention to prayer being given throughout The Salvation Army internationally, with a

united purpose in intercession – the need for justice for the oppressed.

It is now possible on the Centre for Spiritual Life Development’s website (www.SAglobal247.org) to show a global map of where people have said they will pray, thereby allowing an international perspective on The Salvation Army at prayer. This offers information as well as encouragement to praying people the world over.

The great need of the times in which we live and serve urges us onward in day and night prayer.

So how can people join in? = Visit our website, www.SAglobal247. org, where you can read the General’s announcement and other information. = Reflect on Commissioner Christine MacMillan’s January prayer focus on justice, written from her perspective at the J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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CALL TO 24-7 PRAYER

International Social Justice Commission in New York. = Watch videos about 24-7 Prayer (see www.24-7prayer.com) to learn how to set up a prayer room and more. = View the Global Prayer Calendar where you can see the many countries, where The Salvation Army is serving, that have already signed up – representing their commitment to non-stop prayer in a specific location for a set period of time, ranging from a weekend to a full year of non-stop prayer.

The General’s letter and the videos can be shared with anyone you are inviting to join in the 24-7 Prayer effort. As interest, understanding and enthusiasm grow, we hope that people will commit to a set period of time to pray, in a fixed location, around the clock. This can be done by one group of people or in a wider faith community, by several groups working and coordinating their efforts together.

Additionally, workplaces of all sorts, social service centres, schools, etc can establish a prayer room and commit to non-stop prayer.

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and answers to prayer from around the world to further unite us in intercession.

These will serve to strengthen our global response and global resolve to cry out to God for justice, day and night.

Pray and get others praying. God is listening and responsive. Things will change. Miracles will happen. We will see justice on the earth. Let’s pray!

When you sign up online at www.

SAglobal247.org you’ll receive a confirmation notification of your participation. Then when you are actually in your period of 24-7 prayer, your part of the world will ‘ignite’ on the Global Prayer Map which is also on the website.

Eventually the whole world, or at least every nation where The Salvation Army serves, will be enflamed with prayer for all to see and celebrate.

If all goes to plan the website will allow people to post prayer requests, testimonies

‘God is listening and responsive. Things will change. Miracles will happen’

Lieut-Colonel Janet Munn is Secretary for Spiritual Life Development at The Salvation Army’s International College for Officers and Centre for Spiritual Life Development in London, UK

UGANDA LANDSLIDES

EMERGENCY

E

ASTERN Uganda is fertile, green and luscious. On the slopes of Mount Elgon people grow all kinds of vegetables and fruits, including bananas or coffee. Or rather, they used to.

A family in the region would typically have around an acre of land to grow a mixture of crops. Some had a cow but, as my colleague the Ugandan projects officer Major Emmanuel Sichibona tells me, in this area this means ‘zero grazing’ livestock farming. The whole area is used for agriculture which means a family cow stays in a little hut and the family has to go and cut fodder every day.

In February 2010 it started to rain. That is not so unusual – it happens every year around that time. But this year it rained mud came down, covering around 200 more heavily than normal. The overly houses, the local health centre and the cultivated land couldn’t absorb the water trading centre. and the rains caused soil erosion and Michael and George both got covered landslides. in mud but at least they were still alive.

On 1 March, Wabomba Michael had Most of the children, along with the gone to the trading centre in Nametsi patients and staff in the health centre, village. He needed to do some shopping weren’t so fortunate as the buildings before heading home. The trading centre became deeply buried. was busy on that day. Because of heavy It was getting dark but people tried rain a lot of school children had sought to recover survivors and after several refuge on their way back frightening hours both from school. They were and George were ‘After several Michael waiting for the rain to stop rescued by friends. Around so they could continue their frightening 350 people lost their lives on journey. But they would the day of the landslide but hours both never reach their homes. when I visited in September Bukoma George owned Michael and only 104 bodies had been a small eating place in the recovered. The Ugandan trading centre. He was George were Army is still excavating the having a busy day selling rescued’ area to search for bodies, cheap meals to many and that’s where we had customers. Suddenly they met Wabomba Michael and heard a noise and people started running Bukoma George. out of the shops. But for most it was too After recovering from their injuries late. A landslide had started further up they now come up to the location of the slopes. It increased in power and the disaster regularly to see if bodies of width and took everything in its way with friends or family members are found. it. Huge rocks and massive amounts of George shows me where his shop used to be. Nothing is there anymore. The Above: children go about their daily lives in a temporary camp for people displaced by the whole trading centre has disappeared. landslides His livelihood has gone.

Out of the darkness

by Damaris Frick

Like 8,000 other people Michael and George are now living in Bulucheke camp. The Salvation Army in Uganda reacted quickly and met with the Ugandan Red Cross, which manages the camp, to discuss needs. Food items were then distributed to the residents.

The government has plans to relocate the people of Nametsi and the neighbouring villages. But these plans don’t seem to materialise and people in the camp or the ones living with host families are getting increasingly desperate and frustrated. They can’t go back, they say. Life in the camp is unbearable but so far no solution has been found for relocation.

The Salvation Army is on standby and when these families move to their new location Major Emmanuel will go for a visit to see and understand the situation.

People will have to restart their lives in a completely new environment.

There will certainly be a lot of needs – The Salvation Army hopes to have the means to meet at least some of them.

Damaris Frick is a member of the International Emergency Services team at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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‘The purpose of the tour was to allow my heart to be broken by the things that break God’s heart’

John and Innocent, two residents at The Salvation Army’s ‘Home of Joy’ Home for Children with Physical Disabilities in Kampala, Uganda

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JANTOBER-DEC OC U ARY–M ARC EM H BER 20112010

Leah with children from Katanga Village, Uganda

F CUS ON

The fight against injustice

by Leah Robinson

When Leah Robinson wanted to discover more about The Salvation Army’s fight against poverty and injustice she set off on a four-month trip of a lifetime and saw God’s hand on programmes and people around the world. She shares with All the World readers some of the things she witnessed and felt.

I

NCREDIBLE, eye-opening, life-changing, heartbreaking, joyous and breathtaking.

These words only begin to describe my journey around the world to witness The Salvation Army’s fight against injustice. The truth is that no words could ever fully describe what I experienced.

My journey really started more than 13 years ago when, aged 12, I clearly heard God’s voice while watching a video of Salvation Army Aids orphanages in South Africa. It was so clear that I had to ask the girl next to me if she had heard it!

‘Leah, this is where I want you,’ I heard God say. ‘One day Africa will be your home and there you will bring my love and compassion to my hurting children.

You will be my voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.’

Even before that day I had a fascination with Africa and a passion for people who are forgotten by the world – people who are broken and hungry, people who are lost and people the world sees as unlovable. I learned this from my incredible parents and, as I grew, God fostered this love and passion to save a hurting world.

I believe I was born into The Salvation Army for a purpose. And at the very heart of me I am moved to action by God’s

‘You will be my voice for those who cannot speak for themselves’

calling upon The Salvation Army.

After I had participated in many different mission trips and ministries God brought me to work as the Social Justice Coordinator for Central and North Queensland Division in Australia Eastern Territory. In this role I am forever reminded that The Salvation Army is an international movement.

This knowledge was made even more real during an incredible four months I spent travelling the Salvation Army world. The purpose of the tour was to allow my heart to be broken by the things that break God’s heart. I wanted God to challenge me. I wanted to see the work The Salvation Army is doing to fight poverty and injustice.

I started my adventure in Los Angeles, California, USA, where I spent time with USA Western Territory’s new human trafficking team and saw amazing afterschool programmes in communities rife with gangs and violence. I attended childcare centres attached to the most J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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welcoming community-minded corps (Salvation Army churches) and visited a little community of homes for people with HIV/Aids and their families. The officers and workers I met were incredibly godly people. For me they were the very example of what The Salvation Army was called to be.

From LA I headed to beautiful New York for a month. I saw one of the world’s largest women’s shelters, a soup kitchen, homeless shelters, music and dance programmes in impoverished communities and homes for mentally and

physically disabled young people.

‘Women from all walks of One highlight was working in the United Nations and at the Army’s life ... find love, acceptance International Social Justice and value at Faith House’ Commission offices with Commissioner Christine MacMillan learning at International Headquarters, and her team. It was an honour to sit under UK Territorial Headquarters and in their leadership and see the amazing local corps. I worked with anti-humanwork they do, including spending time trafficking programmes, soup kitchens, at the United Nations where I sat in on outreach to sex workers, homeless briefings. shelters, kids clubs run by corps, childcare Next I headed to London, UK. While and employment training. I also had a in London I spent time working and taste of what happens internationally

A ballet lesson at Times Square Corps, New York, USA. Leah writes: ‘This is an amazing programme where children are exposed to music and dance. Many of their families could not afford to give them such an opportunity if it was not offered by the corps. It has opened up great avenues of contact.’

through IHQ. My highlights were spending time with the UK Territory’s Anti-Human-Trafficking Response Coordinator Major Anne Read and Graeme Hodge, the UK’s Assistant Director for International Development.

I also loved my time with Major Estelle Blake who runs Faith House, a drop-in centre for women in the King’s Cross area of London. Women from all walks of life – from single mums to drug addicts and sex workers – find love, acceptance and value at Faith House. The team there has made some incredible contacts with local brothel owners and team members meet and pray with sex workers on a regular basis. They are being the hands and feet of Jesus.

I also saw some of the first Salvation Army corps. They are still having an impact on their communities – some with programmes or centres that were started in Salvation Army Founder William Booth’s day.

After a break in Europe and a magical white Christmas in Amsterdam it was time to head to the home of my heart – Africa – and five weeks in beautiful Uganda. This was the high point of my trip.

Above: Leah outside the Royal Albert Hall in London, one of the locations she visited in the UK that has played a significant role in the history of The Salvation Army; above far left: a session on child soldiers at the United Nations, New York, USA; below far left: the soccer field at Katanga Village, where hundreds of children can enjoy sport in a safe environment; above left: a huge Salvation Army women’s shelter in New York; below left: when Leah was ill in Uganda, the children at The Salvation Army’s ‘Home of Joy’ helped to look after her

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A GRANDMOTHER’S STORY The Worth programme, first used in Washington, USA, but now operating all over the world, aims to empower women to know their worth and also to increase their financial worth so they can support their families and provide an education for their children.

The programme has three components : 1 Literacy and numeracy – the majority of women in the programme have not been to school 2 Community banking – every week each member of the group brings a small amount of money to deposit into a joint fund 3 Microfinance loans – after six months women can borrow from the community bank in order to start or fund businesses. The group decides who can take out a loan.

I saw this programme a few times in different communities and met many women whose lives had been changed drastically. But there was one grandmother who stands out.

Mama, as she is known, was tall but tiny and looked fragile but once she started to share her story it was quite easy to see she was incredibly strong. Mama lives in a rural community in Uganda with no electricity or water. She cares for her nine grandchildren plus other family members. Most of her children died from Aids, leaving her – in her late 70s – to care for their children.

Before joining the Worth programme Mama struggled to put food on the table. Her family was lucky to have one meal a day which was usually just greens or ground-up maize. None of the children went to school.

She told me that when she joined the Worth programme she didn’t realise how quickly it would change her and her family. She says she did not know how to read or write or how to care for her money. But within a year of joining she could read and write and was still learning.

The biggest change came when she borrowed money for a cow.

Now she could feed her family something good and nutritious and she also sold milk to make enough money to pay the loan back.

Mama shares her story with other members of her community group

As she continued to sell the milk she was able to buy chickens so the family could eat or sell eggs. In time she had enough money to send her grandchildren to school.

When I met her most of her nine grandchildren were getting some form of schooling. She had a cow and numerous chickens. She also had a goat and planned to buy another cow. She shared that God was very good to her. She said that the Worth programme had changed her life.

I was humbled to hear her story and witness her love and sacrifice for her grandchildren. To learn about the difference in her life since The Salvation Army had brought the Worth programme to her community was so uplifting.

Preparing dinner for children at ‘Home of Joy’, Uganda

I helped with programmes for children in slums and shack communities and I worked with staff at territorial headquarters as they handed out sponsorship.

Again I was reminded how life changing sponsorship is – especially when I met two of my sponsorship girls. I saw The Salvation Army’s work in orphanages, homes for young physically and mentally disabled children, hospitals, feeding programmes, schools and much more. I witnessed the reality of human trafficking and slavery and the Aids epidemic that is wiping out whole generations.

I was also reminded that my happiness and joy and love for God should not be determined by my circumstances. I saw people who literally have nothing, who are sick, disabled and orphaned, but who have the most incredible love and joy for Jesus.

When my time in Africa had finished I flew back to London for a few more weeks.

Over this time I was able to witness more amazing programmes, sightsee and catch J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Roberts Watasa’s story The officers in charge of The Salvation Army’s Tororo Children’s Home in Uganda told me I ‘had to meet’ Roberts Watasa – and they were right!

When Roberts was six years old his life was turned upside down when first his mother died in childbirth – along with her baby – and soon after his father was taken ill and died within a day. Roberts and his five siblings had lost both parents in less than three months. The children were split up, going to live with various family members.

When Roberts was settled he made connections with a local Salvation Army corps (church) whose officer (minister) was kind and compassionate. He saw something special in Roberts and put in a recommendation for the young boy to live at the nearby children’s home. Soon Roberts was accepted and at seven years old, a year after his parents had died, he started his new life at Tororo Children’s Home.

Roberts told me that even at the age of seven he knew that going to the children’s home was a privilege and that he would have more opportunities than his other siblings. He understood that he could now have an education and hope for the future.

Not long after being at the home he gained a group of sponsors.

Roberts quickly made friends at the home and felt loved and valued. He wanted to make his sponsors proud and show God and The Salvation Army how grateful he was for all they had given him.

I asked Roberts about his siblings. They are all over Uganda and he sees only some of them on very rare occasions. None of them, he says, has had the opportunities he has been given.

At age 20 Roberts moved to Kampala to start university to be a doctor. I asked him why he chose this particular career path.

‘I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, to be able to help others,’ he said. ‘I wish there had been good doctors to help my parents.’

He actually considered studying to be an engineer but when he filled out his university application he automatically wrote ‘medicine’ instead of ‘engineering’! When he saw what he had

Above: Roberts (pictured left) tends a child’s wounded foot

written he said he realised ‘this must be a God thing, so I decided to do medicine. I knew then that it was what I was supposed to do.’

The Salvation Army and his sponsors are covering his university fees. Without this support, he would not be able to afford his education. He told me that some sponsorship schemes end when a child reaches 18 but that this can cause problems for those who want to go to university.

I sponsor some girls and I believe God used Roberts to challenge me to do all I can do make sure they continue to have funding after they turned 18.

When I met Roberts he was halfway through his five-year course.

During his holidays he returns to the children’s home, saying that the people there are his family. He likes to spend time with the children and to encourage them all to be the best they can be.

I know God is going to use Roberts to heal and to bring God’s light and hope to hurting people.

Village children from Katanga, Uganda

up with friends. It was also a good chance to try to process some of what I had seen over the past few months.

Coming home was a joyous and sad occasion. I was excited to see my family and my foster daughter, who I had missed so much, but I was also saddened to know that the journey had come to an end. But 22 | ALL THE WORLD |

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God keeps reminding me that my journey has only just began.

I know more than before how people around the world are stuck in poverty and circumstances beyond their control. I find myself continually thinking of these people and situations. I struggle more often than not with the feeling of restlessness and the guilt of not having done more.

But I know God doesn’t want me to get stuck in the guilt mode or the mindset that ‘this is so big, what can I do?’ so I am trying to work through all I saw, listening to hear what God wants me to do. I want this experience to be the life-changing journey I planned.

After this journey I realise more than ever that God has a purpose for me – that he has a purpose for everyone. We are

to be a voice for the voiceless and fight on behalf of those who cannot fight for themselves. I am now considering ways in which we in Australia can support the life-changing programmes and centres I saw. We’re raising money and even looking at how we can do similar things here in Australia.

I must say ‘thank you’ to my territory and my division and to all who supported me before, during and after my tour.

I am grateful to God for reminding me that The Salvation Army was called to be a truly loving, international movement – that it was called to be set apart, to be a light in the darkest places and to fight on behalf of those who are enslaved by corruption and poverty.

Leah Robinson is Social Justice Coordinator in The Salvation Army’s Central and North Queensland Division, Australia Eastern Territory

COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Iraq THE Salvation Army continues to provide support and encouragement to the Iraqi Salvation Humanitarian Organisation (ISHO), an Iraq-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) that took over The Salvation Army’s humanitarian work in Iraq when the Army left the country.

A donation from an American citizen gave ISHO the opportunity to brighten the lives of 200 orphaned children in Baghdad (100 Christian and 100 Muslim). A day of celebration was organised for the children, including a party at which gifts were distributed (right). For a short time the children were able to forget that they were surrounded by the reminders of war and enjoy being a child.

The event proved a great success. The children enjoyed being able to play in a safe environment, feeling that somebody cared and was bothered about them.

USA THE Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Appeal is a tradition that, for many Americans, is an integral part of Christmas. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in Dallas, Texas, where the Red Kettle drive is lauched each year by the Dallas Cowboys American Football Team, which hosts a spectacular event during the half-time interval of its Thanksgiving Day match.

Not content with giving their corporate support on national TV, however, Dallas Cowboys players and cheerleaders competed against each other to see who would raise the largest amount of money for the Red Kettle drive over a few hours.

Cowboys players Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode took on two cheerleaders at one

Walmart store, and Anthony Spencer (left) challenged two other Cowboys cheerleaders at another Walmart.

Anthony Spencer recalled his contact with The Salvation Army as a young boy.

‘When I was growing up my grandmother was always around The Salvation Army trying to help out and do stuff for people less fortunate,’ he said. ‘It helped me really realise that pretty much everyone’s the same, we’re all just in different situations in life. So when you’re able to help out, it’s always good to do so. That’s how I was brought up and that’s how I live my life.’

The players came out victorious in the end, raising a combined total of $692.11, while the cheerleaders raised $161.62.

International Headquarters WITH an estimated four million people a year walking past the front door of The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, it’s important to give them something bright, eyecatching and thought-provoking to look at. This was the thinking behind the display for Christmas 2010 which utilised two-metre-square illuminated light-boxes that shine out through the headquarters windows. The three striking images shown here, designed

by Berni Georges and Kevin Sims (the team behind All the World), combine ancient and modern elements to remind passers-by that the love, peace and joy of Jesus Christ are timeless. The images are available to download from www.salvationarmy.org

J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2011 | ALL THE WORLD |

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