All The World (January-March 2017)

Keeping dreams alive across INDIA MOBILISING – moving forward!

Welcoming refugees in GERMANY UK – realising children’s potential

Enriching LIVES

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2010 JANUARY–MARCH 2017

VOL VOL 55 48 NO NO 14

EDUCATION PROGRAMMES MAKE AN IMPACT IN LATIN AMERICA

CONTENTS

JANUARY–MARCH 2017

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

03

UPFRONT From the Editor

04

INDIA Keeping dreams alive

06

HOME AND AWAY Thoughts from here and there

08

GERMANY Welcoming refugees

10

FACTFILE Vital statistics from Costa Rica

11

LATIN AMERICA NORTH Education – a weapon for change

17

THE WHOLE WORLD MOBILISING Passion for the local community

18

UNITED KINGDOM Seeing potential in young lives

22

SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

4

8 11

17 20

18

22 Front cover photo by Major John Murray

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Time to shine

I

’ve written before about my love of facts and knowledge. This has a flip side, though – I have an irrational aversion to not knowing things! If I am aware of what’s going on, even if it’s not affecting me personally, I’m able to stay calm and in control, filing information in the back of my mind for future use. The minute I feel I’m being kept in the dark, my inner control freak starts to panic!

For instance, my youngest son (Zachary, aged 11) mentioned in passing a special merit he’d received a few weeks back for exceptional work at school. This should have been a source of praise and parental pride but – me being me – my first response was: ‘Why didn’t you tell me at the time?’

Writing this now, I feel a little foolish.

Poor Zach! Instead of a deserved ‘well done, keep up the good work’ he got grumpy dad picking up on a pet peeve!

I was, I admit, in the wrong – but there are times when I believe I am right to be annoyed at not finding out about good news straight away. This magazine, which I’ve now been editing for 18 years, should be too small to contain the stories of what The Salvation Army is doing around the world. Instead, I often find myself hearing about things in passing that I then chase up to turn into articles. Too many stories turn up as happy accidents (or God-led, you could argue) rather than through people wanting to share what God is doing in their lives and communities.

Why, I wonder, are we not better at sharing some of the remarkable things God is doing through The Salvation

Kevin Sims, Editor

Army? Even on social media, where people share all sorts of personal details, I see plenty of verses of the day but very few personal examples of God at work.

Salvationists and people linked with the Army may be over-eager not to be seen as boastful or big-headed, but they need to be reminded of Jesus’ words: ‘Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father’ (Matthew 5:15 The Living Bible).

‘Don’t hide your light!

Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see’

UPFRONT

FROM THE EDITOR

Major Nigel Bovey puts it well in the ‘Home’ column on page six: ‘A Salvationist is simply someone trying to know Jesus and make him known.’

Do we concentrate too much on the ‘knowing’ and sometimes forget or ignore the ‘making known’?

This issue is full of examples of how people are making Jesus known, from lightbox images in London to education programmes, from cycle-repair training schemes to helping refugees, but such stories are far too rare for my liking!

The launch of The Whole World Mobilising in 2017 should take ‘making known’ to a whole new level across The Salvation Army. This initiative encourages people to make Jesus known through practical and evangelistic outreach – and then, importantly, to share what is happening through a new website and app.

At its heart lies a simple idea – that the people of The Salvation Army should be reaching out to their communities.

Where it happens successfully, they need to share their experiences for encouragement and inspiration. Where it doesn’t happen – it should!

As this year progresses, I hope to see a steady flow of good stories that show how God is using The Salvation Army to change people’s lives. I can assure you that it’s better to let me know straight away before ‘grumpy dad’ becomes ‘grumpy editor’!

I pray that the year of Mobilising will be the year of doing, sharing and shining. May you all let God’s light shine out ‘so that [everyone] will praise your heavenly Father’.

EDITOR Kevin Sims

FOUNDER William Booth

DESIGN AND ARTWORK Berni Georges

GENERAL André Cox

EDITORIAL OFFICE The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom

COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Major Brad Halse

© The General of The Salvation Army 2017

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Martin Gossauer

Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101; fax: [44] (0)20 7332 8079

Published by André Cox, General of The Salvation Army

Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

3

DEVELOPMENT

INDIA

Dreaming in the downpour

I

T is Mumbai, India, in July 2016, and the heavens have opened ‘like God tipped a bucket’, according to Major Heather Poxon (International Projects Officer, International Headquarters), who is visiting project locations such as the Sion Girls’ Home, where the girls find refuge from broken and sometimes abusive homes, and the Aruna centre where children from the slums are cared for while their mothers ply a dangerous but relatively lucrative nocturnal trade.

Would we expect those young children to be traumatised and inhibited on account of their grim and sometimes distinctly unsavoury start in life? Not a bit of it! As the officers and staff welcome them to these havens for overnight accommodation, food, clothing and affectionate care, these children display smiles as wide as the Ganges, revelling in the generous love of Salvationists who impart news of the one they love the best by way of Bible stories, games, lively action-choruses and activities.

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As the rain outside proves relentless, so too does the love of God demonstrated in traditionally pragmatic Salvation Army ways through hot dinners, fun and friendship offered to youngsters whose mums sell themselves nightly in order to stave off poverty.

Heather listens, fascinated and encouraged, as the girls are asked to outline their hopes and dreams. One wants to be a hairdresser, another a doctor, and so on, and the perfidious myth of inevitable lifelong insufficiency is cleverly and deliberately dismantled. None want to follow in their mothers’ footsteps.

The world’s subtle lie that ‘the poor don’t have a big enough purse to dream’ is gently but persistently challenged, as flickering ambitions are fed hope and

by Stephen Poxon

young hearts are claimed or reclaimed for Jesus. Major Poxon silently applauds the beautiful ministry of those who faithfully nurture the glimmers of courage God has placed in the hearts of these children; glimmers he longs to help blossom into wonderful, victorious, against-the-odds fruition.

In the midst of a sensory overload of stifling heat, roads and lanes occupied by wandering goats, cows and chickens, beggars and insistent salespeople clamouring for attention, with locals performing their ablutions in makeshift bowls on noisy, crowded pavements, Major Heather marvels at the Army’s steady and untroubled witness.

Glancing across Mumbai, India’s fourth most-populated city, which is coping with

‘The world’s subtle lie that “the poor don’t have a big enough purse to dream” is gently but persistently challenged’

INDIA Opposite page: Sushmita (left) with the mother of the boy for whom she gave blood; below: children at the Aruna children’s shelter; right: showering in the fresh air on the streets of Mumbai

a daily influx of 5,000 people searching for a future, where flimsy, unclean plastic and cardboard ‘rooms’ are rented out for the equivalent of £50 per month, it is not difficult to remember the Incarnation, when ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Timothy 1:15 New International Version), and to do so with fresh wonder and appreciation.

In Orissa, too, Salvation Army personnel live, move and have their being in modest and unassuming ways, taking the beloved tricolour Salvation Army flag to villages where belief in Hinduism holds sway; where to be a Christian is to be an outcast, a suspect; where to be a woman is to be one of the poorest of the poor, whose menfolk have departed to work in the bigger cities and who send money home only infrequently.

Gracious ingenuity is the order of the day. A loan collective, for example, whereby villagers unite to support a scheme that not only preserves their threadbare dignity but secures regular small amounts of money for them to launch mini-businesses and, thus, survive, doing so with the satisfaction of independence.

Village women are invited to contribute from their meagre resources, and then to decide between them which nominated scheme should receive their backing. This is an important triumph of democracy for people whose rights are all too often violated or ignored.

The blind are helped to see that Jesus loves them. Those who might otherwise struggle to find employment are enabled to earn a living in a paper recycling plant.

Sushmita, a Salvationist, is questioned regarding the absence of Hindu marriage markings on her skin, and explains that she follows Christ. ‘Do you have a holy book?’ she is asked, and she begins to tell people of her faith via the printed word, little realising that she will soon need to demonstrate that faith – and love – when the son of a village woman becomes so ill he requires a blood transfusion. The woman in question is utterly desperate, but shunned by her neighbours as she has converted to Christianity, almost the ultimate taboo, making her and her son untouchable.

Sushmita not only speaks for Jesus, not only distributes Bibles, but now gives blood, volunteering as a donor in order to help the rejected mother and son. Her blood is shared, and the entire village is won for the Saviour, for the one who shed his blood for Orissa, for Mumbai, for India. Her sparkling example of authentic devotion in the midst of suspicion, hostility and ignorance wins a community for the Kingdom, and the toolkit of the devil is exposed for what it is; merely a tatty collection of lies unable to withstand purity and truth.

In such ways, in the slums, the work of The Salvation Army continues; a throwback to the original essence and spirit of the movement. The unloved are loved, the hungry are fed, the gospel is demonstrated, and precious souls are salvaged.

Back in Mumbai, on the rough and dirty streets, the rain refuses to give way.

So, too, does God.

J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

5

HO U MN E TARNYDOARWTAHYE M E C

A 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 NIGEL BOVEY IS FROM AND WORKS FOR THE SALVATION ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

HOME

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Editor of The War Cry in the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland. I have worked on The War Cry as a journalist since 1994, becoming Editor in 1999. Before that, my wife, Margaret, and I served as corps officers for 15 years in England and Northern Ireland. When time and inspiration collide, I also write books and song lyrics.

What would be your typical day?

Leading a team that responds to current events to build a weekly newspaper means that there are few typical days. Routine tasks include deciding the contents for each issue, ensuring each article is of the highest quality, making sure my team members are gainfully employed, helping staff develop their gifts, writing the week’s leader column, conducting and writing profile interviews. Having fun. Enjoying my wife and children!

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I learnt to draw during the meetings. My parents are Salvationists, as were their parents. I had a teenage rebellion but God, it appears, has a greater sense of humour than me.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

I am possibly the longest-serving Editor of The War Cry, which was established (without me) in 1879.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

One of my most treasured interviews for The War Cry was with Zimbabwean cricketer Henry Olonga. Inspired by his Christian faith, during the 2003 Cricket World Cup Henry made a televised black armband protest against an oppressive regime. As a result, he faced death threats. He then escaped to England and, shortly after arriving, faced my questions. That’s heroism!

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Acts 8:35 has become something of a mission statement: ‘Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news of Jesus’ (Revised Standard Version).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

I love playing guitar to Graham Kendrick’s ‘Rejoice!

Rejoice! Christ is in You’ (389 in The Song Book of The Salvation Army). Rocky rhythm. Solid-rock lyrics.

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What do you like most about the UK? I can speak the language. The variety of beautiful scenery.

The values of freedom and tolerance. Sense of humour.

Cricket.

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in the UK? As a commuter, I greatly admire the Swiss ability to make trains run on time.

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

To ensure that the Army does not condemn gay people as the Church once condoned slavery.

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

No need, I already have the job that best suits my wiring and God’s gifting.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Word-handling, decision-making, leadership, strategising, teaching, creativity, listening.

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

Teaching. Prior to being an officer, I was a schoolteacher.

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who could be trusted.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

I’m not sure the Army is particularly special. Strip away the trimmings, the military metaphors and the trappings and a Salvationist is simply someone trying to know Jesus and to make him known.

&

away

MAJOR DREW RUTHVEN Originally from Australia, Drew currently leads The Salvation Army in Romania with his wife, Major Leanne Ruthven

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am regional leader and projects coordinator for the Romania Region of the Eastern Europe Territory.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

A friend of mine from school invited me to join the brass band he played in. After six weeks of band practice they told me I had to go to Sunday school, so I did and here I am! I did not know what Sunday school was, but we rode in the back of a truck to get there so it was an adventure for an 11-year-old.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

Our family has an interesting Scottish history when you go back far enough. [Ed: The major is being modest. As International Emergency Services Coordinator at International Headquarters (IHQ) he was involved in some large-scale responses, particularly in Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Japanese visitors to IHQ used to treat him with touching awe and deep respect. He was also a great advocate for and witness to the success of emergency responses in leading people to come to faith.]

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

I don’t have many big-name heroes – that’s not how it works for me.

My heroes include an old soldier at my first corps (church), Brother Morris, who never missed a meeting and was always praying for the young ones, always ready for a testimony, proud to wear his uniform and always giving when the collection was taken. Or (then) Captain Robert Paterson, one of my corps officers, who was, and is, so far beyond me in knowledge of things of faith but has the God-blessed ability to bring such things to a level of understanding that I can cope with.

&AWAY

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Matthew 11:28-30 in the New International Version (‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...’) or The Message (‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life...’).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘He Leadeth Me’ (645 in The Song Book of The Salvation Army). I love this song, even with its oldie-world words. I think the songster arrangement (‘By His Hand’) that has been around for a few years now works so well.

What do you like most about Romania?

The people. Even without knowing much of my language (English) they get their questions or comments across and are mostly patient enough to try to get my words and meaning worked out. The work the Army is involved in is exciting and progressing. It is great to be involved in this. Stunning scenery would have to rate highly as well.

How do you think that working in Romania differs from Australia?

There are vast differences. These days, contact with the business and government in Australia can mostly be done online. Romania still has a face-to-face way of dealing with business and the paperwork is incredible! Time taken up by bureaucracy is a frustration, but it is getting better, apparently.

&AWAY

What would be your typical day?

Typical days for me are answering emails, meetings with staff, practical matters like building maintenance, working through and planning around developments and activities here in Romania.

Often the office day starts early and finishes a bit early, but the work continues at home into the evenings. Much like most officers in the Army.

Majors Drew and Leanne Ruthven with new soldiers at Craiova Corps – Cristi Stoica, Cornelia Stoica and Viorica Cherciu – and corps officers Captains Roxana and Ionuts Sandu

What particular challenges does The Salvation Army face in Romania?

The Salvation Army in Romania is still mostly unknown. We get strange looks when we are out in uniform, and the name ‘Armata Salvarii’ draws a few questions when we use it or people see it on our cars. The tried-and-tested ways of working around the world are unfamiliar here, so finding new ways or introducing some of the known ways is a challenge.

What do you miss most about Australia?

I miss our family in Australia, our new grandson (six months old now). I miss being able to relax when I am driving (traffic here is a hazard) and I miss deeper conversations with people (my fault for not having the language at the level needed for this).

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

I think it would be working with people on how the Army can be even more relevant, and stay relevant, in such a changing, dynamic world.

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

If I could choose where I was working it probably would be here, but I would like Romania to be closer to Australia and the family!

What skills do you use most in your work?

My skills are very practical ones. Process and planning are most used where I am now. I find myself looking ahead a lot to see what might be coming or what we might need to be ready for.

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

Working directly with people is where I like to be and this does happen, but not as much as I would like.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as a person who looked after his family, worked well with people (can’t say perfectly) and one who helped others in their relationship with God. What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

I love the Army because it gives ways for people to connect with God. If you want to be out there with people getting alongside them with their struggles you can do this; if you want a quiet, reflective way of moving with God you can do this. I would hope that the relationships people have within the Army let them be with God as they need or want.

&AWAY

NUA UARY RY RC 2017 ALLTHE THEWORLD WORLD | | JJAANM ON TH––MMAA ON RC TH HH 2017 2012 | | ALL

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REFUGEES

GERMANY

Welcoming Refugees

T

owards the end of 2014, growing numbers of people were making dangerous journeys to Europe by boat and then on foot to flee violence and war. Many were from Syria, which had already suffered an influx of refugees from Iraq and was in the grip of civil war.

In Germany, Captain Ollie Walz and his wife, Captain Christiane Walz, heard a news report about refugees. The couple are corps officers (pastors) of a Salvation Army church congregation – or ‘corps’ – of around 30 people in Solingen, near Dusseldorf.

‘We said to each other that it was clear this would be a big thing in Germany,’ Ollie recalls.

The following Monday, the local newspaper ran a story saying The Salvation Army was receiving donations of clothes for refugees – even though Christiane had not been asked about this!

She and Ollie only found out when a TV station phoned to ask how the clothing appeal was going. But despite the shock, says Ollie, ‘We felt this was God’s way of saying to us that we must care about the refugees.

‘Our first problem was what to do about receiving the donated clothes.

‘When a balloon pops and children huddle together in fear, you have to think about what they have experienced’ 8 | ALL THE WORLD |

JAN U ARY–M ARC H 2017

by Christina Tyson

We started by putting out a basket in our second-hand shop with a sign that said: “For refugees”. But in just over one week we received two tonnes of clothes – too much for our small shop to handle. So we moved our Volkswagen out of the garage and stored the clothes in there. Within a week our garage was full. The German people were so generous. They gave us good, new stuff for the refugees. Not rubbish. It was amazing!’

Initially, Solingen turned its school gym halls into refugee camps. ‘The men were on the right-hand side, the women on the left. It was just bed, bed, bed – no privacy.

And kids were running everywhere. It was a very strange atmosphere.’

In August 2015, with the gym halls full, Christiane and Ollie went to a new refugee centre set up in an old government building just 200 metres from their house.

GERMANY

Opposite page: Major Ollie Walz makes balloon animals at a party to open the children’s play room at the home for refugees; below: corps members lead a multilingual sing-along!

‘We simply asked, “What can we do to help you?”’ says Ollie. ‘The man we talked to did not know The Salvation Army, but he was happy we came. I told him we could help with clothes and toys for the children. We also offered to create a children’s room at the centre – to paint and fit it out for the kids.’

Members of the Salvation Army corps were eager to show their support. One suggested their brass band could play for the refugees, and the refugee centre said yes. ‘So we went, taking helium balloons for the kids, and our band played. We decided not to wear Salvation Army uniform because the refugees don’t understand it and some come from countries where the military is not friendly. A few of us wore clothing with Salvation Army branding.’

Almost 200 people attended the outdoor concert. ‘They were dancing, clapping and laughing – they had a great time! And our Salvation Army people were really touched by the refugees as well.’

They went ahead with transforming a room at the centre for children, and even ran a children’s programme. The aim was to give the children a good time and a touch of normality.

Ollie says you don’t have to scratch below the surface very far to see the

effects of trauma on these young lives.

‘When a balloon pops and children huddle together in fear, you have to think about what they have experienced.’

The children are now so familiar with The Salvation Army, they will often simply walk in our Army hall whenever it’s open.

Initial support for the refugee centre was extended to providing clothes and toys to five centres. The hall where Sunday church services are held was emptied and clothing moved in. A table was laid out with coffee and cake to help people feel welcome, with a separate area for children to play.

Those distributing clothing soon learned the blessing that comes from helping others. ‘To give a man a pair of trousers, or a child an old teddy bear – they’re so happy! It’s really amazing how grateful people are.’

A recent development is that, on Fridays, women from the refugee centre have an open invitation to bring their food (purchased from a small allowance they receive) and cook a meal at the Army hall.

‘We look after the kids while the women cook together,’ Ollie explains.

‘It’s not just about food and cooking; it’s about fellowship. They have great

fun, chatting and laughing. It’s like being a “normal” person again, enjoying something they would have been able to do in a more peaceful past. They can also enjoy food that has the taste and smell of home.’

Ollie is excited that, as the refugees have come to know The Salvation Army, the first step in a relationship has been formed. ‘They will look for us again,’ he says, with certainty. ‘Besides, this is really the work The Salvation Army has to do: to see the needs of people and be there to respond.’

Unsurprisingly, Ollie now has a far greater empathy and compassion for the plight of refugees. ‘Their lives were in danger,’ he says, struggling to find the right English words to explain what is in his heart. ‘When I think about what they’ve done to reach Germany ... you talk to people and they are crying as they share their hard stories. Some have children just one or two years old, and they’ve put them in small boats and then carried them hundreds of miles.’

Those who attend the corps have also benefited from serving. ‘A member of our music team had a child come and give her a big hug to say thank you. So we have given, but we have received back love. You can see the heart of our people, some of whom had to leave their own homes after the Second World War and were helped by The Salvation Army. Now they are supporting and praying for the refugees – they are giving back.’

Ollie understands why some people are not happy to see an influx of refugees to their country. ‘It is a challenge to support refugees,’ he says, ‘even for a wellorganised country like Germany. But we have welcomed them anyway, because it is the right thing to do. Now we will support them to integrate, helping them learn the language and culture and get work, so they become part of Germany.’

Since this article was written the arrival of refugees in Solingen has slowed down, and the home near the corps has closed. Ollie says they are staying in contact with some of the refugee families, particularly through the corps kindergarten, and continue to offer clothes to those who are in need.

Major Christina Tyson is Territorial Communications Secretary in The Salvation Army’s New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory and also Editor of the territory’s War Cry, which originally featured the full version of this article J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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N FACTFILE

CARIBBEAN SEA The Costa Rican flag was created in 1848 by Pacífica Fernández, wife of thenpresident José María Castro Madriz. She was inspired by France’s 1848 Revolution and so used the same colours as the French flag. The blue stands for the sky, opportunities, idealism and perseverance; the white for peace, wisdom and happiness; and the red for the blood spilt by martyrs in defense of the country, as well as the warmth and generosity of the people.

PACIFIC OCEAN

COSTA RICA

• Costa Rica is Spanish for ‘rich coast’. Some

reports credit the name to Christopher Columbus, who noted the natives’ gold jewellery while others say it was given by conquistador Gil González Dávila, who landed on the west coast in 1522, met with the natives, and took some of their gold.

• Costa Rica is one of the narrow ‘bridge’ of

countries that join North and South America.

Its northern neighbour is Nicaragua and to the south it joins Panama.

• Four main mountain ranges, including a number of active volcanoes, set the geographic tone for Costa Rica and also cause a wide variety of weather conditions over a relatively small area. The Pacific north-west receives less than 20 inches (50cm) of rain per year while in the rainforests of the Parque Nacional Corcovado on Osa Peninsula just 190 miles away (less than between the USA cities of Boston and New York) annual rainfall is eight times larger!

• The population of Costa Rica is around 4.8

million people, nearly a quarter of whom live in or around the capital, San José.

del Monte – now known as San José – in 1737.

• In 1821 Costa Rica was granted independence from Spain. After a brief civil war, Costa Rica was declared a state in the Federal Republic of Central America, and the capital was moved to San José.

• In the mid-1800s, wealthy coffee growers, or

cafeteleros, used their economic strength to oust the nation’s president, José Castro, and replaced him with Juan Rafael Mora, one of the wealthiest growers.

• President José Castro was not a popular figure (he rigged an election, led a coup and failed to control a cholera outbreak that took the lives of 10 per cent of the population) but he is seen as a hero to many for leading the fight against William Walker, an American who – with the backing of the then-President of the USA – tried to conquer much of Central America.

Having conquered Nicaragua, a well-armed force led by Walker set its sights on Costa Rica, only to be beaten by Castro’s army of everyday people.

• Cost Rica is – by constitution – the only country • The country remained relatively peaceful until, in the Western Hemisphere without an army.

(Unless you count The Salvation Army!)

• Little is known of Costa Rica’s earliest

inhabitants but it is thought that as many as 25 distinct groups lived there, each maintaining its own unique identity and culture.

• The first European to reach Costa Rica was

Christopher Columbus, who arrived in 1502.

• In 1562, Juan Vásquez de Coronado

became governor of Veragua (the eastern coast from Honduras to Panama). Part of his success came about because he was more compassionate in his treatment of the native people than previous governors.

• In 1723 Volcán Irazú erupted, almost

destroying the city of Cartago. Over the next half a century, three new cities were built in the Central Valley, including Villanueva de la Boca

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following a disputed election, a 44-day civil war began in March 1948 – during which more than 2,000 people lost their lives.

• Costa Rica’s main income used to come

from bananas and coffee. While these still play an important part in the economy, the country has used its well-educated population to attract investment from technological and manufacturing companies such as Intel, which employs nearly 3,500 people at its custom-built US$300 million microprocessor plant.

• Costa Rica is known for its progressive

environmental policies, being the only country to meet all five UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) criteria established to measure environmental sustainability.

• The average life expectancy is 79.6 years. This is higher than the USA.

The coat of arms of Costa Rica was also revised in 1848 and placed in the centre of the flag. In 1906, when the coat of arms was modified, the update was placed in a white disk on the flag’s red stripe, and later on an oval, set toward the hoist side.

THE SALVATION ARMY IN COSTA RICA The Salvation Army began work in Costa Rica in 1907, although its roots go all the way back to 1896. (It could even be argued that the country-wide ministry only began in 1973.)

In 1896, Mr and Mrs Fred Moules left The Salvation Army’s farm colony in Hadleigh, Essex, UK, to settle in San Pedro, Costa Rica. They managed a large market and flower garden but when their employer died they found themselves alone and unable to speak Spanish! They were joined by another Salvationist from Hadleigh and, in 1907, were visited by Major John H. Clifford, General Secretary of the West Indies Territory.

Major Clifford returned to Costa Rica towards the end of the year, arriving in Port Limòn with Captain Eduardo Palací, a Peruvian, and Lieutenant George Stewart from Jamaica, to officially open the work.

The English-language ministry in Port Limòn spread no further because the town had no road connection to the rest of Costa Rica!

In 1973, Major and Mrs Bernard Smith – USA Eastern officers – were sent from Santiago, Chile, to begin Spanish-language ministry in San José. Having met with the country’s first lady, they decided to start work in the redlight district of San José and then branch out to work with alcoholic men.

The country is part of The Salvation Army’s Latin America North Territory, whose headquarters are in San José.

The latest figures for The Salvation Army in Costa Rica show that there are 43 officers (including nine who are retired), 555 soldiers, 408 adherents and 283 junior soldiers.

There are three Salvation Army social service centres in Costa Rica, along with four day care and seven feeding centres.

EDUCATION

LATIN AMERICA NORTH

Education – changing the world

by Major John Murray

O

NLY 100 miles from Key West, Florida – the southernmost tip of the USA – lies Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean and home to 11 million inhabitants. For many years it has been a geopolitical hot bed and, for decades, a long-desired destination of diplomats, as the Cuban capital Havana is home to 94 foreign embassies and consulates Today, the country is in the midst of profound change, thanks in a large part to President Barack Obama’s desire to see the two countries normalise political relations now the Cold War is long over.

It is an interesting time for the region, particularly with the recent death of long-time leader Fidel Castro.

Above: a student at Leon XIII School in the Leon XIII barrio, San José, Costa Rica

Cuba is also the gateway to The Salvation Army’s Latin America North Territory – which comprises 10 countries situated across Central America. The leadership team at territorial headquarters in San José, Costa Rica, is keen to enhance ministry across this diverse and culturally unique part of The Salvation Army world.

Recently, the territory partnered with the School for Continuing Studies at The Salvation Army’s Booth University College (Winnipeg, Canada) to better equip its officers and cadets in Cuba and Costa Rica in Wesleyan Distinctives. If education is ‘the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’, as Nelson Mandela said, then Territorial Commander Colonel Tito Paredes clearly sees the potential to change the world for God through the promotion of ‘lifelong learning’. He is committed to resourcing his personnel in an effort to make them more effective for mission.

Booth University College (BoothUC. ca) was established in 1981 in the geographical centre of Canada, Winnipeg, by Commissioner John D.

Waldron. The commissioner, originally from the USA Eastern Territory, was a visionary leader who understood the importance of education. In celebrating Salvation Army Founder General William’s Booth dream of a ‘university of the humanities’, and in recognition of The Salvation Army’s 100th anniversary in Canada, he established Catherine Booth Bible College.

Thirty-four years later, the college has expanded its syllabus, enjoys university college status and has its sights set on full university designation.

Education has long been an important part of The Salvation Army’s international ministry. A cursory review of its history reveals that for more than a century the organisation has been committed to investing in the lives of children and young people around the world through the provision of education. Today, it operates more than 7,000 schools internationally, and in excess of 650,000 students will be CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Scenes from around the Latin America North Territory Photos by Major John Murray

Cadets at the college for officer training in San José, Costa Rica, study in the library

‘The ministry of education enriches the lives of children and strengthens families and communities’

A common sight in Havana, Cuba – beautiful old cars

Recipients of the street feeding programme in San José

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Cadets share in a Bible ‘sword drill’ at San José Central Corps

Salvationist teacher Yenifer Diaz is greeted by former students at the Leon XIII School

Students at the Leon XIII School, located in the barrio of the same name

Happy kids at Madre 3 Hijo daycare, San José, in cultural attire

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LATIN AMERICA NORTH Right: students jump for joy at Leon XIII School; below right: shy youngsters at Leon XIII school wait in line

taught by 20,000 Salvation Army teachers on any given day.

Former teacher Howard Dalziel, now International Schools Coordinator at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters, says: ‘The ministry of education enriches the lives of children and strengthens families and communities. It is an integral part of the holistic mission of The Salvation Army around the world – be it elementary, middle or high schools. I am personally delighted to see Booth University College exploring new international partnership opportunities. The potential for leadership development is extraordinary.’

For Colonel Tito Paredes and his team, leadership development is the key to personnel growth across the region.

In May and June 2016, USA Central Territory officer Major Phil Davisson, then Associate Dean for the School for Continuing Studies, travelled to Cuba and Costa Rica to teach a Wesleyan Distinctives course. Taught in Spanish, courses were run at the colleges for officer training in Havana and San José and were attended by 45 officers and cadets, including members of the territory’s leadership team.

It’s the goal and prayer of territorial leadership that Booth UC’s School for Continuing Studies will engage in a broader and more comprehensive educational leadership development programme across the territory in the days ahead.

‘Booth University College is an important partner,’ says Colonel Paredes. ‘We value and appreciate their investment of time and personnel and are hopeful that, together, we can build a stronger Army in the Latin America North Territory through continued educational development.’

Meeting the officers and cadets of the Latin America North Territory was an inspiration. Sharing in worship,

fellowship and ministry in Havana, San José and Managua in Nicaragua was fascinating.

The ministry across Havana is impressive. Extensive social service work, growing corps (churches) and the recent commissioning of 12 lieutenants are proof that God is at work.

In San José the North American influence is significant, with Starbucks, McDonald’s and other fast food establishments a common sight. However, The Salvation Army’s daily street feeding programme in the heart of San Jose, not far from territorial headquarters, is where the rubber hits the road.

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The addiction treatment centre located about 40 minutes outside of San José, operated by Major Magaly Hidalgo, is a powerful illustration of God’s transforming grace. The young children at the Madre 3 Hijo daycare, pre-school and elementary school adjacent to divisional headquarters were delightful, and the teachers and students who attend the Leon XIII School, located in the barrio of the same name in suburban San José, are brave.

They share stories about gun shots regularly ringing out in the neighbourhood, with the principal matter-of-factly sharing the emergency procedures plan for this all-too-common occurrence. Together we prayed for God’s protection for the children, teachers and the lieutenant who leads the ministry.

A 35-minute flight from San José is Managua, Nicaragua, where we were

LATIN AMERICA NORTH

Above: cadets study Wesleyan Distinctives at the college for officer training in San José, Costa Rica; above right: a beneficiary from the San José street feeding programme; below: the college for officer training in Havana, Cuba

greeted by husband and wife Lieutenants Alvaro Vargas and Vanessa Osorio – the only Salvation Army officers in this vast country. The Army ‘opened fire’ in Nicaragua on 1 March 2010. Today Managua Central Corps enjoys full corps status and recently purchased land for a new corps ministry centre. Thanks to the support of USA Eastern cadets and the Latin America North Territory, they are also about to open their first outpost, complete with a new brick building and quarters in a welcoming, rural community

about 35 minutes outside of Managua.

With the establishment of the outpost, the young corps officers are excited about the potential of ministry partners being appointed to Nicaragua. They are keen and committed, but also understand that they are The Salvation Army to the community, government officials and leaders of other denominations across Nicaragua. It’s a sobering thought to be the only leaders in a country – daunting, even for more seasoned officers.

However, they understand they are not

alone in ministry as they receive support and mentoring from colleague officers at territorial headquarters in Costa Rica.

The ministry across the Latin American North Territory is vast, varied and complex, yet the opportunity for expansion is significant – thus the desire to continue to invest in personnel through education. Lieut-Colonel (Dr) Susan van Duinen, the Dean of Booth UC’s School for Continuing Studies, understands firsthand the challenges and demands of leadership development, having served in Germany and the Czech Republic and as a divisional commander in Canada. She says: ‘Leadership development is vital to personnel and mission growth. We are grateful to the Latin America North Territory for their partnership and look forward to formally exploring additional educational programming designed to suit their needs.’

The Latin America North Territory and Booth UC School for Continuing Studies are uniquely positioned. Theirs is a symbiotic relationship that affords each partner rich learning and insight. Time will tell how this opportunity develops, but it certainly connects with Booth UC’s promise of ‘education for a better world’.

One thing is for sure – The Salvation Army’s long history of using education to build bridges, strengthen communities and provide people with opportunities will continue, as it has for more than 100 years.

Major John Murray is Vice President Advancement at Booth University College, Canada J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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SALVATION BOOKS NEW TITLES

£6

Plus Postage

THE SALVATION ARMY YEAR BOOK 2017

Filled with historical information, statistics, reports, lists and areas of service, the Year Book is much more than dry facts.

It is a story about people, the places where they serve and the work they do in the name of Jesus. It is not just informational, it is also inspirational; for beyond its pages is the hand of God.

CONTENTMENT

COMING SOON

£6.50 Plus Postage

by

UK pe £3 3 o 6.4 Eur W£ RO

KEITH BANKS

Contentment contains a selection of devotional and topical poems written over a number of years, many born out of deeply personal circumstances. Commissioner Keith Banks hopes that the devotional poems will be a source of spiritual strength to many readers.

SHENG FANG

OUT NOW!

by

GE TA OS P S k) PLUr boo e 1 p ( £1.0 .88

JAMES A. GILMAN

James Gilman’s task? To bring the gospel of Christ to people of a different culture, language and religion in China – a region ravaged by flood, famine and political turmoil. His story is one of heartache, joy, adventure, terror, isolation, fellowship, faith, doubt, the clash of cultures and meeting of minds.

Previously published in Chinese, this English edition celebrates the centenary of the commencement of Salvation Army ministry in China.

e abl pay ’ s e Y u heq ARM DE OR ke c ON TO se ma LVATI a A Ple HE S ion T ect o t ‘ O: ions S T at ND my ters SE munic ion Ar dquar et m lvat a e r o e C H St Sa ria nal The natio Victo r H n Inte Quee 4V 4E C 101 on E gdom d Lon ed Kin it Un

FOR ENQUIRIES TELEPHONE [44] (0)20 7332 8087 OR EMAIL IHQ-Communications@salvationarmy.org

R:

T H E W H O LE W O R LD MO BILIS ING

Mobilised for God

I

N 2015, The Salvation Army from around the world gathered together in London for its 150th anniversary international congress, Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming. Five days of meeting together at The O2 venue were backed up with Bible and prayer programmes called The Whole World Reading and The Whole World Praying. In 2017, The Salvation Army is not being brought together again. Rather, Salvationists and everyone linked to The Salvation Army are being sent out – out into the world, out into their communities, out onto their streets – under the theme The Whole World Mobilising.

Writing in The Officer magazine, General André Cox repeated the challenge that he has been giving to Salvationists and friends around the world since the congress: ‘An army without conviction or commitment, lacking in drive and firepower, unwilling to move forward with boldness, in effect confined to barracks, is of little use to the world!’

The Whole World Mobilising is a clarion call to Salvationists and to all who believe in The Salvation Army’s mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in his name without discrimination. The General adds: ‘This has to be more than a symbolic action of taking to the streets and marching with

‘It is about being mobilised in the communities in which we are placed’ flags and bands ... [it is] about being mobilised in the communities in which we are placed and responding to the evident human need around us.’

The coordinator of the initiative, Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, says that the hoped-for outcomes are ‘to have countless Salvationists trained and equipped in skills and strategies for outreach; to have the global Salvation Army passionately involved in creative local mission expressions; to experience a true sense of unity across The Salvation Army world as Salvationists join together in marching, praying, sharing the gospel and serving both the powerful and powerless within their communities; and to motivate and inspire as we celebrate both the work and transformation of God in the lives of individual Salvationists,

The Whole World Mobilising website is mobilising.salvationarmy.org The app will be available to download from the Google Play and Apple App stores from early 2017

corps, divisions, territories, regions and commands.’

The campaign is for everyone linked to The Salvation Army, but in particular it is aimed at people for whom The Salvation Army is their church. The commissioner hopes it will encourage people ‘sitting in the pews’ to ‘move out and win the world for Jesus’.

The Whole World Mobilising will be launched on 12 January at International Headquarters with an event hosted by the General that will be streamed live around the world. Other significant events during 2017 will be a particular focus on young people during the last weekend in March (‘Mobilise: Go Children and Youth!’) and a gathering together and sharing event on Sunday 8 October at Regent Hall Corps (church) in central London (‘Mobilise: Go Forward!’). This event, led by the General and international leaders, will also be live-streamed.

At the heart of the campaign will be a website and smartphone app.

Commissioner Peddle says these will contain a wide variety of resources, and that they will be ‘interactive, relevant, informative and user-friendly so that every part of our global Salvation Army will be able to connect, participate and celebrate how God is blessing and using the Army for his glory and honour!’

This is the first time that interactive online content and connectivity have been used by The Salvation Army to bring together a global campaign and focus.

The commissioner concludes with a request for prayer: ‘Pray that the global Salvation Army will be inspired to move beyond its comfort zone, to dream big and impact the world for the Kingdom.’

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COMMUNITY

UNITED KINGDOM

d e r sto

d e e w r e n d an Re

by Lieutenant Mark Read

T

here is a story about a man who falls in a hole. He calls for help and a doctor writes a prescription, drops it in and walks away. The man calls again and a priest silently prays for a moment then carries on by. The man calls out once more and a politician replies with a promise to create a policy concerning holes in roads. After one final cry for help a friend appears and jumps into the hole.

‘What are you doing?’ cries the bewildered man. ‘Now we’re both stuck in this hole!’

‘Yes,’ replies the friend, ‘but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out!’

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I like the story about the man in a hole because within it I hear echoes of a calling to be Christlike: echoes of the incarnation, where God stepped in to the world as a vulnerable child, and echoes of educating a way out to those trapped by the world’s pitfalls. I also hear a warning against tokenistic action, against prescriptive advice, hollow prayer or distant and impersonal responses. Instead I am encouraged to jump in and struggle for justice together with those who are marginalised and oppressed.

In the words of the educator and philosopher Paulo Freire: ‘There is only one way to peace and justice; to work for them, shoulder to shoulder.’

Recycles Education is a short-term

project we at The Salvation Army in the Cornish town of St Ives have been running in partnership with our local school. Each Friday students who have experienced challenges in mainstream education join me in the Recycles workshop to learn bicycle maintenance skills. I’ve been taking bikes apart, putting them back together, riding and racing them since I was a young teenager, working parttime in a local bike shop while I studied and spending most of my spare time out cycling. Looking back I can see it was my fascination and enjoyment of cycling that kept me out of trouble, mostly.

In a couple of months my students will go from fixing a puncture to fully stripping a bike and rebuilding it. However, there

UNITED KINGDOM

Opposite page: testing out a restored bike; left: a student in the early stages of rebuilding his mountain bike after a full strip-down and respray; below: a student sitting in a soap-box racer built by the whole group

is much more going on than just tuning gears and adjusting brakes.

The students involved are registered as ‘at risk’. That is, they are ‘at risk’ of dropping out of, or being permanently excluded from, education. To those at a distance, they may simply appear to be badly-behaved boys, disaffected and disengaged students. Perhaps the more charitable may see them as young men who have had more than their fair share of challenges.

However, to me they’re something else. They’re not just their behaviour, or their context. They’re not even just their personal stories. They are what they might become. On the Fridays when I see progress – when they’re patient with themselves and with their tasks, when they’re focussed and engaged – they step into a broader and more hopeful future.

The gap between the affluent and the impoverished has greatly increased in recent decades. I see this acutely in

‘When I see progress – when they’re patient with themselves and with their tasks – they step into a broader and more hopeful future’

St Ives, a popular holiday destination with beautiful beaches and a thriving arts community. In this town, people living in £1 million beach-front houses live just a few streets from those struggling in inadequate social housing. The town’s wealthy don’t need work and the poor can’t find it.

If, as Brian Wren wrote in Education for Justice, a ‘just society is marked by a continuing redistribution of wealth and power towards its poorest and least favoured members’ then we can say we live within a deeply unjust society. Our schools are working hard to close the gap. At their best, schools can be great equalisers, with students not separated by their background but known as individuals within a community – each different and each valued. A great effort is made to enable each student to succeed, to progress and to attain at school.

It was this effort that initiated Recycles Education.

The reasons that my students are ‘at risk’ of disengaging with their education J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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are complex and usually the students themselves are blamed. Often, the patience, temperament, resilience and confidence to learn have been denied students by a society that has caused them to have fear for their welfare, disillusionment with their situation and no hope for their future. For a couple of them, instability in their temper is a result of an almost permanent anxiety about what may happen in their home situation at any moment. For others their disbelief that they can achieve is a result of never being encouraged to try or, even more, that trying but failing is unacceptable.

I believe every student has been made in the image of God. They all have the potential to live full and valuable lives.

Recycles Education is not just a response to a school’s request but is a mandate of our Salvationist commitment to serve the most marginalised and oppressed in our community. It is a response to Jesus’ call to be good news for the poor, to liberate

the oppressed and announce freedom for the captive.

As I’ve worked with the students, I’ve learned that at the heart of many of the issues is confidence and identity. They’re unsure of who they are and how they are supposed to be. They don’t value themselves because they exist in a society that doesn’t value them. When I glimpse the effects of this on a Friday; when they give up, lose their patience or their temper or can’t be motivated, it challenges me.

Many people reading this article will have grown up believing – and been encouraged to believe – that they could do or be anything. The converse is the case for some young people today. They struggle even to believe they can do or be something of worth, let alone anything!

Recycles Education goes beyond just teaching mechanical skills. As I said, there is much more going on than just tuning gears and adjusting brakes. The bikes we repair have been thrown away

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Opposite page: students in the Recycles Education workshop; left: students with their certificates at the end of the project; below left: Lieutenant Mark Read gives a student one-to-one tuition on headset bearings

and are often in very poor condition.

Recycling them tells an important story to the students about redemption.

Even though the world may regard something as worthless it can be renewed and restored.

The workshop environment teaches them patience and gentleness and the reward of work. The dignity of work is an important idea in a culture that devalues work, often seeing it only as a means to a material end. In Genesis, work is a meaningful, creative endeavour to participate in God’s will to bring order and beauty to the world For the students – and me – a carefully repaired and repainted bike is a thing of beauty with the potential to bring great joy.

In engaging with and enjoying Recycles Education the students may reshape their existence. It is a day of school they enjoy; a day when they give energy and attention to achieving their potential. The purpose of school is not merely to impart necessary information to students; it is to ‘make it possible for the students to become themselves’.

In hosting the project, the school has shown a courageous attitude of inclusion and belief in its students. Our partnering

relationship with the school is important.

The local church may be the hope of the world, but that hope is only meaningful if the local church is enmeshed in its local community.

We can sometimes focus on the activities that fill our buildings, where we are the host offering our hospitality, but there are so many instances of Jesus leading and teaching as a guest that we should take clearer notice of his methods.

As we are hosted by the school our relationship is strengthened with young people from our youth project, with staff members we work with and the entire fabric of our town’s community is woven tighter together to prevent individuals slipping through.

Our objectives for Recycles Education are to support and teach students who may otherwise experience further social exclusion. We may never know the results of our intervention; it may be a long time until the seeds of justice, dignity and grace that have been sown develop.

However, I am convicted that shortterm, instantly gratifying results do not reflect the Kingdom that Jesus spoke about in Mark 4:30-32 – the mustard seed that secretly grows, quietly spreading until it even provides a shelter for the birds.

To return to the story I began with, jumping into the hole may seem like a strange course of action. But, by being with those that are marginalised, excluded and oppressed we emulate God’s incarnation for them. Or, as it says in Philippians 2:7, ‘He gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us’ (Contemporary English Version).

The temptation can often be to react with pastoral expertise, religious authority or institutional power, but in doing so we would run the risk of reacting like the doctor, priest or politician in the story.

First we must be the friend in the hole.

Then we can, with authenticity, lead the way out.

Captain Mark Read runs St Ives Corps in Cornwall (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) with his wife, Captain Ellie Read J A N UA RY – M A RC H 2017 | ALL THE WORLD |

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COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

HAITI

Solid foundations WHEN Hurricane Matthew swept across the Caribbean in early October 2016, it caused huge devastation across Haiti – particularly in the south of the country. Around 2.1 million people were affected, with 1.4 million people needing humanitarian assistance, of whom more than 800,000 required urgent food assistance. The Salvation Army in Haiti reacted quickly, providing cooked meals for several days for 800 people in emergency shelters. This was soon followed by the provision of rice, beans, oil and corn to approximately 4,000 people.

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Some brought bags to carry home the vital provisions but others used more imaginative methods, transporting their goods by motorcycle or even mule!

Almost 1,700 schools were damaged by the hurricane, including some run

by The Salvation Army, so another part of the recovery programme will be to repair or reconstruct schools, and also to provide school materials and uniforms to some students. Major Bill Barthau and Carolynn Barkhouse, both from Canada, are deployed by International Emergency Services to support the local relief effort.

Carolyn says: ‘According to UNICEF [the United Nations Children’s Fund] there are almost 900,000 affected children.

We are planning to provide notebooks,

schoolbooks, pens and uniforms to some of these children in order for them to return to school. Provision of these items will allow the children to continue their recovery process to what will be a new “normal”.’

Amid all the destruction there is some good news. The Salvation Army undertook a major schools building programme after the earthquake of January 2010, and the construction was of such a high standard that none of the new buildings suffered significant damage. Some lost roofing sheets but all were able to be quickly repaired, meaning that the children’s education was able to continue with little disruption.

SNAPSHOTS

CANADA

Hidden poverty The Salvation Army in Canada’s Christmas 2016 advertising campaign has received high praise from advertising website Adweek.com. The site says the campaign makes ‘impressive use of Facebook 360 [virtual reality] photos to give users a more rounded view of poverty’.

The adverts, created for The Salvation Army by ad agency Grey, show a traditional scene of a happy family’s Christmas photo but then give viewers the opportunity to see for themselves what is out of sight – the reality of the family’s life, with mounting bills and poor living conditions.

What makes the ads particularly powerful is that none of the sets are created – they are all real homes.

INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

#LoveCameDown

THE 2016 International Headquarters (IHQ) Christmas display sought to place a traditionally-dressed Mary, Joseph and Jesus into a variety of 21st-century situations. Using the theme ‘Love Came Down at Christmas’, the 2.5 metre by 2.5 metre images are designed to encourage some of the thousands of people who pass IHQ every day to think again about the Christmas story and its relevance in today’s world.

The vibrant images, created by Berni Georges with Kevin Sims – both from the IHQ Communications Section – have three very different settings. One puts the Holy Family on a commuter train, another sees them alone in the midst of a bombed-out city, and the third places them among a group of homeless people. Each contains a Bible verse that speaks of Jesus coming into the world.

A print advertising campaign with the same strapline – ‘Poverty isn’t always easy to see. Especially during the holidays.’ – uses a similar approach, placing a Christmas card frame around the family while allowing the reader to see the difference between the life they are portraying and the harsh reality.

One new feature for this year is the inclusion of a hashtag – #LoveCameDown – that Kevin and Berni hope people will use when sharing the images. ‘We want to encourage people to use the hashtag to share their “God is with us” and “God is with me” stories,’ explains Kevin. ‘Using it to show friends and family where we see God at work in our lives or communities provides an easy opportunity to share something life-changing.’

The images are all available to download from the IHQ Flickr stream at http://sar.my/ christmasdisplay2016. They are free to use for Salvation Army corps (churches) and centres (in multimedia displays or as printed posters up to 50cm wide), or to share on social media. Anyone wishing to use the images for large-scale, commercial or other purposes is asked to contact IHQ Communications (email: IHQ-Communications@salvationarmy.org).

Berni says he was consicous that, despite the settings, he didn’t want the images to be depressing. Kevin agrees, adding: ‘They recognise that life isn’t easy but we hope people will realise that this is a positive message – Jesus is with us whatever our circumstances.’

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