All the World (July 2015)

THE SALVATION ARMY

JULY–SEPTEMBER 2015

VOL 53 NO 3

SPECIAL ISSUE

5

CONTENTS

JULY–SEPTEMBER 2015

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

03

UPFRONT From the Editor

05

FROM THE TOP The General writes

06

TRADE FOR HOPE Boundless by-products

08

DESIGN Congress artwork

10

HOME AND AWAY Thoughts from here and there

12

INDIA An epic journey

18

UNITED KINGDOM Chaplain forms relationships

21

REWIND The birth of an Army

22

VANUATU After Cyclone Pam

25

SOCIAL MEDIA What NOT to do!

26

SNAPSHOTS Anniversary tasters AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

Subscriptions All the World subscriptions can be ordered online from www.sps-shop.com. Go to http://sar.my/atwsubu (UK subscribers) or http://sar.my/atwsubo (rest of the world).

OR fill in this form and send to: Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd 66-78 Denington Road, Denington Industrial Estate Wellingborough Northants NN8 2QH United Kingdom For enquiries telephone [44] (0)1933 445451 or fax [44] (0)1933 445415 or email teresa.souch@satcol.org

All the World may also be ordered through many territorial headquarters. In the UK, subscribers can purchase All the World through the local Salvation Army corps at just 80p per copy.

6 8

18

12

25

20

22 Name

(Miss, Mrs, Ms, Mr)

Address

Postcode Email Annual subscription rates (including postage) UK £5.60 Non-UK £12.50 (Costs will be lower if ordered with UK publications) Total: £

I enclose payment by cheque

(Please make cheques payable to: SP&S) Please debit my Switch/Mastercard/Visa/American Express/Maestro card Card No Start date

/

Expiry date

Issue No (Maestro and Switch only)

/

Security No

Boundlessly thankful SO, after months if not years of build-up, here we are. All together in early July to celebrate a significant milestone.

Please join me in wishing a happy 70th birthday to my mum, Hilary Sims.

(Hope you appreciate the five-day party we’ve arranged!)

Oh, and there’s also The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary congress, Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming! Years in the planning, over in five days. But (and there had to be a ‘but’) how much influence will these five days have on the lives of the thousands of Salvationists and friends who gather in London’s The O2 arena to share fellowship, worship and praise together? History would suggest ‘plenty’!

Many people speak about previous international congresses being turning points, occasions when they have felt the prodding of God, and times when they have been inspired to represent The Salvation Army better in their own corner of the world or far from home.

Actually, this congress is already making an amazing difference in the lives of people from Pakistan and Bangladesh who have produced items for delegates through the Others trade programme. But that’s just a start.

One question put to people who participate in the ‘Home and Away’ section of All the World is: ‘What aspect of another country’s culture do you wish were present in your home country?’

Many westerners wish for the sense of community and family they witness in the developing world. I’d like to update my answer from two years ago – I wish we in the UK, and others around the

world, had an equivalent of American (or Canadian) Thanksgiving.

‘An annual national holiday marked by religious observances and a traditional meal’ is one definition, while other sources mention the importance of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest. I believe that similar celebrations take place in Grenada, Liberia, Norfolk Island (near Australia) and the Dutch town of Leiden.

I love Christmas, which has a similar sense of family togetherness, but it’s also got so many other aspects – presents, carolling, parties, children’s activities

– that Christmas Day itself is greeted with an equal measure of joy and dread, followed by a sense of relief when it’s over!

No – Thanksgiving is what I want.

Little build-up, no frantic busy-ness, just a time to meet up and appreciate each other. The most important things are being together and being thankful.

Kevin Sims, Editor

UPFRONT

FRO M T H E E DITOR

Of course, if you view The Salvation Army as an extended family then an international congress is very much like Thanksgiving, but without the shared meal. (Imagine the size of turkey needed for 16,000 people ...!) This year, ‘brothers and sisters’ from at least 126 countries across the world have made plans to join together in London.

Yes, there will be wonderful, exciting worship and yes, there will be moments of spiritual awakening. But mostly there will be fantastic opportunities to meet – and be thankful for – other members of the Salvation Army family.

This issue of All the World will, I hope, also help people in London and around the world to get to know a few ‘family members’ a little better. Throughout the magazine are articles about people and programmes that feature in Boundless 2015.

My hope is that telling their stories will help to deepen the experience and understanding of those who are attending the congress while also providing those who watch online at www. boundless2015.org – or even those who know nothing about the congress – with a small taste of what it might be like to be in London in the first week of July 2015.

As the Salvation Army family gathers at its home and birthplace in London, let’s all be thankful for each other, for what God has done through his Salvation Army and for the amazing things he will continue to do through the lives of his people.

Be thankful. Be boundless!

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 John Murray

© The General of The Salvation Army 2015

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 UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

3

ADVERTS

Words of Life

NEW!

September-December 2015

£3.00 Postage: UK £0.76/Eur £3.13/ RoW £4.75 PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES PAYABLE TO ‘THE SALVATION ARMY’, ADDRESSED TO: Communications Section The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH United Kingdom

AVAILABLE FROM THE SP&S SHOP

Please include your name and address and be clear what you wish to buy.

Also available from territorial trade/supplies departments and online as both print and Kindle editions from www.amazon.co.uk, though prices may vary.

Email: IHQ-Editorial@salvationarmy.org

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

NEW TITLES by retired international leaders of The Salvation Army

Available at Boundless 2015 for

£10

EACH

For postage costs, please email IHQ-Editorial@salvationarmy.org

THE GENERAL

Towards a deeper commitment As international leader of The Salvation Army, General André Cox will be at the heart of the Boundless congress, with the seven main sessions based on different aspects of the vision for The Salvation Army (see below) he shared with the 2013 High Council that elected him to office. He shared with All the World his hopes for the outcome of the international congress – and its influence on the ongoing mission of The Salvation Army.

T

he anticipation has been mounting and finally we have come to this significant milestone event in the history of The Salvation Army – our 150th anniversary international congress, Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming.

As Commissioner Silvia and I have travelled around the world we have had opportunity to feel a sense of excitement and anticipation as people have been preparing to come to London for the Boundless congress.

But why is such an event important for The Salvation Army? This is an incredibly significant event for the nurturing and reinforcement of our Christian faith, but also it provides an opportunity for

Salvationists and friends to renew our commitment to be ‘salt and light’ in the communities where we live and serve.

Unfortunately, in many places it would appear that we are more known for our social programmes, emergency disaster responses etc than we are for our spiritual beliefs and motivation.

As we look back to past international congresses, it is undeniable that there has been a significant spiritual impact from each of these gatherings. Boundless 2015 is an opportunity for the people of The Salvation Army to respond to God and to deepen their spiritual commitment to be ambassadors for the Kingdom of God in this world. For some it will be the moment when they will respond to a call for full-time commitment as Salvation Army officers. And while we cannot rely on such events such as this congress to deepen our spiritual life,

I Dream …

I dream of a committed, effective and joyful Army, rooted and confident in the Word of God and on its knees.

I dream of an Army that truly reflects the mind of Jesus in our commitment to the poor and the marginalised.

I dream of an Army that practises what it preaches from the top leadership down, an Army that is a visible and living example of Kingdom values.

I dream of an Army that values its youth, where our young people feel that they have a voice.

Above: the General spends time with young Salvationists in his country of birth, Zimbabwe

FROM THE TOP

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

either as individuals or as an Army, they undoubtedly have a significant impact.

It is right that we should invest in our spiritual development, for without a specific emphasis on this we are in danger of becoming only a humanitarian or social agency.

At Boundless 2015 I want to see a deeper commitment to the development of our spiritual life. I am looking to see Salvationists celebrating God’s goodness to us but also to see a strong desire and commitment to make a positive difference through the lives we lead and through the service we offer.

I dream of an Army with strong, relevant and streamlined administrative structures and a much more effective use of our financial and material resources.

I dream of an Army where all cultures are equally accepted and celebrated through the spiritual ties that bind us all together.

I dream of an Army that shuns the dependency culture.

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

5

OTHERS

ENTERPRISE

Photo by Faysal Yaqoob

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

More than products Bo Christopher Brekke explains how orders of products for the international congress have done more than ensure an income for producers in Pakistan and Bangladesh – they’ve provided independence, hope and dignity.

R

EFERRING to Salvation Army Founder William Booth’s poetic description of God’s boundless grace, the tagline for the Boundless 2015 international congress – The Whole World Redeeming – could also refer to The Salvation Army’s global mission. And even before it starts, the congress has already had a transformational impact on Shabana, Samuel and many other people thousands of kilometres away from the congress venue, London’s The O2 arena.

Early in the planning process, the Congress Office at International Headquarters (IHQ) made contact with Others – a Salvation Army-run international social enterprise – to discuss partnership opportunities. So while Salvationists and friends from around Above: Shabana and Samuel with their two daughters in their home outside Faisalabad, Pakistan, which now has electricity – thanks to the production of lanyards for Boundless 2015

6 | ALL THE WORLD |

JU LY–SEPTEM BER 2015

the world have been gearing up for the celebration, producers affiliated with the Army’s social programmes in Pakistan and Bangladesh have been busy making bags and lanyards to supply to all full delegates of the congress.

The stories behind these producers are an encouraging embodiment of the main goals of Others – providing opportunities for independence, hope and dignity.

Independence The request for 15,500 customised lanyards was one of the largest orders ever received by Others in Pakistan. For about five months, more than 300 people were involved in their production. Behind the numbers are stories of genuine impact and transformation – redemption even – such as the story of a couple from a village outside Faisalabad.

Shabana and Samuel, along with their two young daughters, had been living in extreme poverty for a long time.

Samuel is a carpet maker but didn’t have

his own carpet-making frame, which meant he had to hire a frame whenever he received an order. As a result, most of his profit would go to cover the rent of the equipment. The remaining resources were barely sufficient to buy food and necessities. The family could not afford electricity – a particular challenge during the very hot summers.

Shabana is one of the producers who made lanyards for the Boundless congress. Income from this work not only supported the family’s household needs but she was also able to set money aside and eventually bought a carpetmaking frame for her husband. This brought a revolutionary change in their lives as Samuel has now been able to start working in their home. Now all the profit from carpet orders goes straight to the family.

Samuel and Shabana have also been able to install electricity in their home, bringing about a significant and lasting improvement to the family’s situation.

Hope The order for 15,500 bags was one of the largest ever received by The Salvation Army’s counselling and development centre (CDC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The

Photos by Jan Aasmann Størksen

OTHERS

Photos on this page show a lanyard and bags made by Others in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The income from these special orders is making a huge difference in the lives of their producers

Boundless bag is not just a product,’ he says. ‘It’s a combination of our passion, labour and love!’

There can be no clearer example that Others is about more than income. It’s about dignity.

CDC provides rehabilitation and training to former sex workers, many of whom are also victims of trafficking. As part of the programme, participants have the opportunity to link up with production for Others.

Most of the bags for the congress have been produced by 15 women, each of whom has produced hundreds of bags.

Income from the production has been very significant – helping the women to start savings, buy their own sewing machine, or repay outstanding loans. All have been able to send their children to school and provide them with good food.

For these women, the Boundless order, along with the support received through their time at the CDC, has strengthened their hope of a future with opportunities outside the sex industry.

Dignity Besides the income itself, being an important supplier to a major event like Boundless 2015 is something that instills pride – both at the individual level, and collectively for Others teams in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

‘Everyone in the production team – at any level – was so excited to learn that they are producing these items for such a large Salvation Army event, and that people from all over the world will use these lanyards,’ says Faysal Yaqoob, General Manager of Others Pakistan.

‘The producers feel part of this congress and it was exciting for them to know that their handiwork will be acknowledged at an international level.’

Arick Biswas, Project Manager at the CDC in Old Dhaka, agrees. ‘The

Boundless opportunities The Boundless congress order is a great example of the Army living out its global mandate – seeking every opportunity to translate its international reach into transformed lives. The impact of the international congress on Shabana and many other producers and their families will last well beyond July 2015.

To learn more about Others, go to www.tradeforhope.com Every fully registered delegate to Boundless 2015 will receive a bag and lanyard produced by Others. More will be available to purchase – with a selection of Others products – at the SP&S shop in The O2.

Bo Christopher Brekke is General Manager of Others Norway and Administrative Manager of Others Global. During the congress he will sometimes be available at the Others stand in the Boundless Experience area of The O2.

‘For these women, the Boundless order has strengthened their hope of a future with opportunities outside the sex industry’ J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

7

CONGRESS AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

Boundlessly creative

Top left: the entrance to International Headquarters, complete with Boundless artwork; an infographic about The Salvation Army’s roots and fruits!; opposite page, top right: the cover of the official congress programme. The rest of the images on these two pages show computer-generated estimations of billboard posters, enormous banners, the entrance to The Boundless Experience (created by Corporate Magic) and cartoon boards

8 | ALL THE WORLD |

JU LY–SEPTEM BER 2015

CONGRESS

‘I DON’T know what we’ll do when the congress is over!’ It’s a familiar story across parts of The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) in London, but probably – outside of the Congress Office itself – the biggest workload has fallen on the IHQ Communications Section. Working in conjunction with the Congress Office and congress producers Corporate Magic, the IHQ Communications designers, Berni Georges and Jooles Tostevin, have worked with other members of the team on more than 100 projects, from small-scale items like postcards, right up to four-metre-high banners that will hang in the entrance to The O2.

These two pages give a sample of what will be seen at The O2 and what is already on view at IHQ itself, where even the lift (elevator) doors have had a Boundless makeover!

The distinctive Boundless logo will be everywhere, whether as a round whole – with its symbolism of unity – or separated into its elements, forming joyful patterns of swooping doves, carrying God’s message of peace and love.

There is even a sense of fun, with images from The Salvation Army’s past and present turned into cartoon boards which delegates – and members of the public who visit The O2 – can look through to have their photos taken. Even the toilets are not forgotten, with the back-page artwork from the April–June issue of All the World featured in picture frames, giving a clear but visually interesting reminder of where The Salvation Army has come from and where it is today.

Congress delegates will be amazed at the transformation that has overtaken the O2, with largescale billboards making it clear not only that The Salvation Army has taken over the venue, but also giving a sense of what the Army is and of what – and who – it stands for.

Every Salvation Army zone is featured, with displays giving a sense of the movement’s past, present and future.

Thanks to the hard work, imagination and talent put into everything that has been planned, it should be clear to everyone who enters The O2 during the first week of July 2015 that this isn’t just an ordinary event – this is a Boundless congress!

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

9

HO U MN E TARNYDOARWTAHYE M E C

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

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

Louise Rutterford INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

Louise Rutterford, from the UK, is Delegate and Volunteer Coordinator for The Salvation Army’s international congress, Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming. For the past two years she has worked in the congress office at International Headquarters in London

HOME

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I look after the delegates and volunteers taking part in The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary international congress. For the most part, this involves managing the sponsored delegate programme, fundraising and making arrangements for 1,500 sponsored delegates from the 126 countries in which the Army works. I also manage the Boundless volunteer programme and the congress workforce – around 300 people in total – as well as helping to ensure our website, www.boundless2015.org, contains helpful information for delegates to plan their trip to London or get involved from wherever they are in the world.

What would be your typical day?

Emails and talking to people! The sponsored delegate programme enables me to be in contact with all the supported territories as we work together to bring their people to London. The Boundless workforce incorporates Salvation Army staff from International Headquarters (IHQ), the UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland and further afield. We have volunteers coming from all over Europe so I get to talk to or email lots of different people. An event the size and scale of Boundless 2015 involves lots of planning so I also spend my days making and updating plans to finalise the logistics.

In my work with many, many different suppliers and partners I find myself in a lot of meetings to finalise the arrangements for the congress but also help them learn more about The Salvation Army.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

Through a schoolfriend Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

I’m not sure this is a claim to fame but having delivered lots of training to our various workforce teams – some of which was videoed – I’ve discovered I’m definitely a ‘hand- talker’! I hope it shows my enthusiasm for Boundless 2015 and reiterates the important messages I’m trying to impart!

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

I’m new to The Salvation Army so Boundless 2015 has been a really exciting opportunity to learn more and discover new things.

Who knew the Army was so musical?! I’m still learning the songs but I really like listening to the bands and enjoyed being part of the IHQ Lunchtime Gospel Choir.

How do you think that working at IHQ differs from working elsewhere?

The sense of family and community at IHQ is not something I’ve ever experienced in a workplace but I think it’s a really great thing.

As we get closer to Boundless we’re working longer hours and things have picked up in pace, but not once do I leave without someone having asked me how I am, how my day was and – with a smile – reassured me that I’m doing a great job!

What do you like most about the UK? Whenever I travel away for a long period of time I always miss roast dinners and my awesome family barbecues. I also really like cake, so love afternoon tea!

10 | ALL THE WORLD | 10

JULY–SEPTEM J ULY–SEPTEMBER BER 2015 2015

Louise, with Web Graphics and Electronic Data Coordinator Peter Haskew, taking part in an interactive webchat for prospective congress volunteers

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in the UK? The sense of family and community. Living in London can actually be really lonely in spite of its millions of residents. Everyone tends to keep their heads down and doesn’t make eye contact! I think we could all do with just saying ‘Hi!’ to a person walking down the street.

Someone said ‘Hi!’ to me recently as I was rushing to work and it made me smile and stayed with me throughout the day. So I think community could be done better in the UK. If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

I’d make it compulsory to bring in cake at least once a week to share around the workplace. A great opportunity for fellowship, a sugar kick to help productivity – and who doesn’t like cake?! I think everyone would be much happier!

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

Canada. I really love this part of the world so would jump at any excuse to go back! I don’t know too much about the work of The Salvation Army in Canada so it would be a great opportunity to see what the focus and projects are.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Speaking (whether it’s on the phone or delivering training) and planning.

The logistics for the congress are vast – there are so many events and projects.

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

I’m actually lucky enough to use all my skills and experience working as part of the congress team – events, project and volunteer management, training, public speaking and marketing. My job is so diverse that I’m involved with loads of different projects, events and people that all need different skill sets.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a friendly, helpful person – someone to turn to when people need answers or things sorted.

In this, The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary year, what are you most looking forward to?

Seeing the efforts of more than three years of planning come to fruition at The O2 in July 2015 when we bring 15,500 people together for five days to commemorate The Salvation Army’s past, celebrate its present and innovate for its future. I hope it has an amazing impact not just on those that attend in person but the workforce that makes it happen and those that join us online at boundless2015.org from all over the world.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

The ability to respond to all sorts of needs: natural disasters, local issues, faith matters, children, youth ... the list is endless.

&

away

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

Gavin Schofield-Smith Gavin Schofield-Smith will become a familiar face to people attending Boundless 2015 and to those watching online, through the live preand post-session shows (see www.boundless2015.org). Gavin was born and raised in the UK but now lives and works for The Salvation Army in the USA

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am a host and producer for SAVN.TV (Salvation Army Vision Network) based in Los Angeles, California, USA. My family and I worship at Pasadena Tabernacle Corps (Salvation Army church) and I also sit on a number of Army advisory boards, including for a camp in Malibu and the Entertainment Committee in Hollywood.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I am a sixth-generation Salvationist, raised by active Salvationist parents at Southport Citadel Corps in the United Kingdom.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

My career in the entertainment industry continues to open up many amazing opportunities, including roles on British national TV programmes Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. Also, performing as a clown in a Blackpool Tower circus was a lot of fun, although this was for a Salvation Army event!

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

I found this a hard question to answer as I have many, but the Old Testament story of Joseph’s unshackled faith through the many challenges he faced is a real encouragement in my daily walk with Christ.

I am reassured that no matter how many times I mess up, he is always there to pick me up and give me yet another chance. God is good!

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Jeremiah 29:11: ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”’ (New International Version).

&AWAY

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

I love the more contemporary style of worship which is becoming increasingly popular. But a traditional song like ‘I’ll Go in the Strength of the Lord’ has to be a favourite.

How do you think that working in the USA differs from working elsewhere?

Having had the privilege to visit many Salvation Army territories around the world, I feel fortunate to presently work in a country that has the financial stability to innovate exciting projects as a way to reach new people for God. What do you like most about living in the USA? I love the amazing climate. It gives my family and me the opportunities to spend time at the beach paddle boarding or to drive up to the mountain resorts to snowboard. Soccer (OK, I know it should say ‘football’!) still remains a big part of our lives.

What do you miss most about the UK? Friends and family – although we do have a surprising number of visitors who travel out to California! Fish and chips, and Cadbury’s chocolate.

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

I interviewed General André Cox recently and I share many of his concerns for the future of our Army. I feel that the acceptance of people who live a less traditional lifestyle needs to be encouraged. As a caring church we have to reach out to people and not push them away.

Gavin (left) interviews Christian musician Jeremy Camp for SAVN.TV

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

I would love to explore Australia and New Zealand, as I have many family ‘Salvos’ there who I have never met.

&AWAY

What would be your typical day?

After dropping the kids off at school I always aim to exercise first thing. I love to run in the mountains behind our home – I find this a great time to spend with God in prayer, preparing my heart and mind for the day. The rest of my day varies drastically but includes a mix of production meetings, auditions and film shoots. My wife and I also own a private pre-school facility, and our kids are really involved in music and sports, so that takes up most evenings.

What skills do you use most in your work?

I would say communication and organisation. (Although my wife may give you a very different answer!)

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

I used to have the opportunity to play drums in many different styles of music. But, like my golf, since having kids I don’t appear to have the time to do this any more!

How would you like to be remembered?

As a hard-working Christian guy who loved spending time with his family and stretching himself with new challenges and adventures while living life with a passion.

In this, The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary year, what are you most looking forward to?

I am both excited and humbled to have been asked to take such a revolutionary role at the international congress, Boundless 2015, in London. Hosting live online pre- and post-session shows each day will give the 98 per cent of Salvationists around the world who are unable to attend opportunity to experience this amazing event.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

I have been working on producing the live shows for the congress for more than 18 months, which has given me the opportunity to research many of the amazing projects The Salvation Army supports around the world. Many of them I didn’t know existed. It has also meant that I have made new Salvationist friends from around the globe.

I don’t know many other organisations that provide this type of opportunity.

&AWAY

UL –SSETH EPPTE BE 2015 | | ALL J JUL M YY–ON –TE M MM ON BE TH RR2015 2012 ALLTHE THEWORLD WORLD | |

11 11

INDIA

MINISTRY

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

A message from India India. A country rich in history and culture which is home to 1.2 billion people. Its diverse sights, sounds and smells are evocative even to those who have never visited. For two weeks in May, a three-strong team from the International Headquarters Communications Section – Major John Murray, David Giles and Gary Rose – undertook an extensive visit to explore The Salvation Army’s varied ministries in the subcontinent and to produce a documentary that will premiere at The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary international congress, Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming.

This is their story.

N

AGERCOIL, near the southernmost tip of this enormous landmass. Six o’clock in the morning. It’s 36 degrees Celsius already, the cicadas are singing and – having travelled separately from London – the three of us are together in India for the first time. We’re all first-time visitors and a little daunted by the scale of the task ahead.

Our aim over the next two weeks is to document The Salvation Army’s work in six major Indian cities, and some rural areas as well. In this, the Army’s 150th anniversary year, it is appropriate to Above: the ‘band of brothers’ who played cricket with the Communications team near Kanyakumari.

All attend the local Salvation Army corps (church)

12 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

highlight the ministries undertaken in India – The Salvation Army’s first mission field, and the first place its work was established in Asia.

In searing heat, we’re driven through the dusty, bustling streets to Catherine Booth Hospital. This is another Army ‘first’, being the first hospital to open in this area. While there are now 250 clinics serving Nagercoil, Catherine Booth Hospital retains an important role in training nurses.

We set to work, interviewing the hospital administrator, clinicians, dentists, nursing staff and students, and filming the extensive facilities. The challenges of filming on the fly soon become apparent – the stark contrast in lighting caused by the searing sun presents difficulties, and the humidity means that we tire much more

quickly than usual. But it’s encouraging that we’ve got our first footage in the can.

Nagercoil is just a few kilometres from Kanyakumari, the southern extremity of the Indian subcontinent where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet. Unsurprisingly, the region was badly affected by the tsunami which struck on Boxing Day 2004, and The Salvation Army was heavily involved in various disaster responses and longerterm rehabilitation projects. On our way to the coast we spot a small group of young boys playing cricket in a roadside field. Intrigued, we stop the car and walk over to them. Noticing Salvation Army uniform, the boys run towards us exclaiming: ‘Hallelujah!’

It turns out that the lads are part of the Salvation Army corps (church) in a nearby village and are delighted to welcome us into their game. We try not to disgrace ourselves as we sweat profusely in the midday sun. What is it they say about mad dogs and Englishmen (oh, and Canadians)?

After a quick lunch in the coastal town we manage to buy some cricket bats and balls for our new friends. Although they’re no longer playing when we pass by, our guide takes us to their village where we experience sincere hospitality

INDIA

Left: a happy young girl in the care of The Salvation Army who says she wants to be a Salvation Army officer when she grows up

‘We can see in their eyes that these are transformed people’ and snatch a glimpse of life in a rural Indian community.

This sporting ‘God-incidence’ would not be a one-off during our travels. In our next city – the sprawling metropolis of Mumbai – we are filming in a night shelter which provides accommodation and complementary services for boys whose mothers are involved in the city’s sex trade. The scene outside is dingy, depressing and demoralising. The women ply their trade in tiny, unkempt rooms which have just sufficient room for a bed.

There is a sliding scale of charges, largely dependent on the age of the woman, but 20 rupees per client (£0.20/US$0.31) is not unusual.

The counterpoint to the squalid, seedy nature of the neighbourhood is the optimism of residents of The Salvation Army’s Jeevan Asha centre. They have every reason to be angry, resentful young men, but their graciousness is palpable.

The older boys care for the younger ones; they are intelligent, creative and talented.

They are also – without exception – passionate followers of Jesus. This is not by coercion or compulsion – participation

in spiritual activities is entirely optional.

The boys worship through jubilant song, energetic dance and moving testimonies of their encounter with our Saviour. This is not simply going through the motions – we can see in their eyes that these are transformed people.

As the oldest boy speaks, he tells of his seven years as a resident of the shelter. The Salvation Army had enabled him to continue in his education – an essential asset in dog-eat-dog Mumbai – and he took the conscious decision to give something back. He wanted to serve God in the best way he could, so he studied social work and became a trained outreach worker for the very centre he’d grown up in.

All three of us are deeply affected by our short time at Jeevan Asha and our schedule goes off-piste again. We hurriedly arrange a football (soccer) game for the following evening – but first we have to buy a ball, something else we take for granted at home!

Mumbai is a microcosm of India, if that’s plausible in a city of 22 million people – equivalent to one third of the

entire UK population. Formerly known as Bombay, it’s the port at which pioneer Frederick Booth-Tucker and his fellow Salvationists landed in 1882. Just across the street from the dock is the opulent Taj Palace Hotel. There is a striking contrast between the white-gloved staff and designer-label boutiques within and the urban decay evidenced less than a block away. Having arrived here via the slums adjacent to the India Western Territory ‘sheadquarters in Byculla, it’s jarring and disorientating.

We are presented with posies by street kids who attend a Salvation Army school, meet nonagenarians in the Salvation Army elderly care home, and are inspired by the variety of work undertaken by blind men in a Salvation Army hostel (one street vendor, a masseur, a railway worker and a poet who writes in English, Urdu and Hindi). Everywhere we go, we are astounded by the warmth of welcome and can-do spirit of people who could not be criticised if they had just conceded defeat.

Another day, another city. Kolkata – famous for Mother Teresa, infamous for its long-gone Black Hole. We’re struck by the unimaginably hard lives of the railway children we encounter at The Salvation Army’s Veer Project. They have nowhere to call home except the railway station, train maintenance yards and nearby markets, and live in constant fear of being moved on or beaten by police.

Their scars, sores and shabby clothing transcend language. It is shocking to be confronted with such extreme poverty.

Yet, once again, the children give us cause for optimism. They are bright and articulate, interested in why we’re there and – defying expectations – have captivating smiles. The Salvation Army feeds them and educates them but, with 500 railway children in Kolkata, the needs are great.

Darjeeling provides us with welcome respite from the heat (although it transpires that working at this altitude is similarly challenging). We share in worship with Nepali speakers in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

13

INDIA

4

Photos by Major John Murray

The children at Booth Tucker Memorial Hall are #UpForSchool, signing the petition to show they support education for all

Resplendent in cultural dress, a Nepalese student4 attending The Salvation Army’s school for the deaf in Darjeeling supports the #UpForSchool initiative

4

A local in Nagercoil stops to pose for a photo near the main market

14 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

INDIA A happy Salvationist from Bannockburn Society (church) in Darjeeling

4

4

Prayerfully penitent at Booth Tucker Memorial Hall

4

‘Everywhere we go, we are astounded by the warmth of welcome and can-do spirit of [the] people’

A young officer, Captain J.K. Zarzosangi, sets off into the night following the Sunday evening meeting at Bannockburn Society, carrying her daughter, Esther

4

4

A divisional headquarters compound near Nagercoil

A Salvation Army hostel for young women in Kolkata J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

15

INDIA

Right: a supporter of a community development programme near Nagercoil; right below: officers of the India South Eastern Territory demonstrate a screenprinting technique at territorial headquarters

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

tea plantation village of Bannockburn, and visit The Salvation Army’s flagship school for hearing-impaired students in Darjeeling and a similar establishment for sight-impaired pupils in Kalimpong.

We also visit The Salvation Army’s flagship school for hearing-impaired students in Darjeeling, which provides 64 children with an education which would otherwise be denied to them because of their additional needs. ‘Disability’ would be a careless choice of word, given the talents and charisma exhibited by the motivated and engaged students here.

A two-and-a-half hour drive away across breathtaking mountains and along serene valleys is the Mary Scott School for the Blind in Kalimpong. We stumble several times as we negotiate uneven paths, and are humbled as a blind 14-yearold girl gracefully traverses a steep flight of steps cut into the mountainside with a full load of washed clothes, which she effortlessly hangs up to dry.

This is very much the aim of The Salvation Army’s school here – not just to cover academic subjects, but to ensure that students are equipped with all the life skills they will need to live fulfilled, independent lives.

After a day’s travel to the Punjab, in the far north-west of the country bordering Pakistan, we are privileged to take in a visit to the Golden Temple – a holy place for Sikhs, where we have to cover our heads and cleanse our hands and feet before entering. Standing barefoot on the cool marble, we reflect on the grandeur of the awe-inspiring building and its importance in the history of The Salvation Army in India. Frederick Booth-Tucker was so respected in Amritsar that he was one of the few non-Sikhs ever to have been granted permission to speak here.

The Punjab is often described as the ‘bread basket’ of India, and the productivity of the land is evidenced as we travel to our next destination, Dhariwal, where The Salvation Army’s MacRobert Hospital serves a wide rural catchment area.

16 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

We’re introduced to a young girl who has had an operation to remove a cataract. Her consultant ophthalmologist explains that her family are agricultural workers and would have been unable to afford medical bills – she would have remained blind were it not for The Salvation Army’s hospital.

A few miles away in Batala, The Salvation Army runs a school which serves 2,000 students. Howard Dalziel, the International Headquarters Schools Coordinator – who is accompanying us for this part of our journey – explains why such schools are important to The Salvation Army: ‘We provide an education for children who would otherwise not be able to afford or access

one, perhaps because of a special need.

Our focus is on breaking down barriers for the marginalised.’

We spend a couple of hours looking into classrooms, where children are learning Hindi, drawing and illustrating.

Some are also taking exams – not enviable at any time, least of all in the noon heat.

Moving on to the unbearable heat of New Delhi, we hear testimonies of economic and political turmoil from Burmese refugees. Our hearts melt – not for the first time and not because of the heat – as we meet an orphaned girl with a captivating smile. As we listen to her joyful singing with her young friends, it’s abundantly clear that this is not a tale of doom and gloom – people

‘The Salvation Army had enabled him to continue in his education – an essential asset in dog-eat-dog Mumbai’

INDIA

Challenges of filming Gary Rose

Top: students from The Salvation Army’s Mary Scott School for the Blind in Kalimpong demonstrate their basket-weaving skills; below: Major Andrews Christian stops to speak to a woman running a flower stall in central Mumbai. The Salvation Army helped the woman to escape from the sex industry

This was not your usual big-budget Hollywood (or even Bollywood) film shoot. Only one of the film crew, for example, has filming and editing experience (that’s me), so we’re having to pull together in a way that we wouldn’t normally have to. So, David takes off his editorial hat during the day and becomes a cameraman (and a very good one at that!), while Major John Murray does all things in front of camera, unscripted, on the fly, as we find story after story to tell. We are all willing, all able and ready to make this the best we can – out of our comfort zone but knowing we have a terrific story to tell.

Getting enough equipment in on a regular business visa is also somewhat difficult. We can’t take big, professional cameras for two reasons: a) because of the visa and b) because International Headquarters doesn’t actually have any! I’m currently using my own personal DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera and the other camera is an IHQ Communications DSLR. We’ve managed to get an audio field recorder in, and a shotgun microphone and boom pole. The mike is critical, as sound is one of the keys to making or breaking a film.

The extreme heat has been a bit of an issue too. My camera has simply shut down a couple of times during filming as it overheated.

We have to wait a while and then shoot some more when it’s sprung back to life again.

But one of the biggest hurdles to jump is trying to film here with all the emotions that hit you when you see the children and adults and hear their amazing stories of day-to-day life.

here are making the best of their situation, despite the ever-present difficulties.

As we prepare to board yet another plane we reflect on our tour of India. Clearly, in just two weeks we’ve only been able to scratch the surface. It’s been frustrating at times (particularly getting our equipment through airport security), it’s been stiflingly hot, tiring, and it’s been challenging to be confronted with so many conflicting human needs – and the crushing reality that we cannot meet all of them. But at the same time, it’s been hugely

encouraging to witness first hand the difference God is making through The Salvation Army here.

The blind can see!

These memories will not fade quickly. Our hope is that we can distil our experiences into a compelling film that will galvanise The Salvation Army in prayer and lead to greater financial support for projects, initiatives and programmes that are achieving great things on shoestring budgets.

Only the other day we walked into a school and I saw a little boy – not much younger than my son – crying his eyes out, holding his arms out to me. He wanted a hug. What could I do?

Of course I put down my camera, stopped my work and held this little boy in my arms, trying to reassure him that everything would be OK and simply show him that I loved him.

Wow, it is really tough!

Major John Murray is Communications Secretary at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters, where David Giles is Web Manager and Gary Rose is Multimedia Resources Assistant. Their documentary, India – For the Love of God has its premiere at the Boundless Film Festival.

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

17

Photo courtesy of Glasgow International Airport

RELATIONSHIPS

UNITED KINGDOM

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

Being human!

O

ne day, way back in the early 1980s when I was serving, with my wife, as territorial youth secretary in Scotland, a vision was born in my heart. I said to my wife that day ‘When I retire, all I want to be is the chaplain at Glasgow International Airport’. I could not see how this dream could possibly come to reality as retirement was still 25 years away, but I cherished the dream because I knew God was in this. Somehow!

Imagine my reaction when, some six months after my wife went to Heaven, I had a phone call asking me if I would like to serve as a chaplain. ‘Where?’ I asked. ‘Glasgow International Airport,’ said the caller.

I have now been the part-time chaplain at Glasgow Airport, doing a full-time job, for six years. If ever God had his fingerprints all over a plan, then this is it. I find it the most fulfilling and rewarding opportunity.

I had to miss a Sunday afternoon visit recently. When I did my ‘walk-about’ the

18 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

by Commissioner Keith Banks Chaplain at Glasgow International Airport

following week, one of the retail assistants asked, ‘So where were you last week’? I was taken aback for a moment. Was I being asked to account for my absence? To my surprise, my absence had been noted. The chaplain – missed! Quite humbling that!

I am frequently asked: ‘What does a chaplain do at an airport’? It’s a valid question. If it is true that the whole of human life is found in an airport – and it is – then it follows that all human emotions will be reflected there too; human joys, sorrows, aspirations, disappointments, longings.

So perhaps that’s the short answer to what

chaplains are doing at an airport: they are being human, trying their best to reflect the spirit and nature of Christ in a place where all the world intersects.

My experience as an airport chaplain has shown me that while my training and my academic attainments are helpful to what I do, they are not paramount. What really matters is that I try to be human ... as much as is (humanly) possible!

People talk to me about all things human. Employees share with me the pain of grief following the loss of a loved one or a work colleague, or talk to me about a

‘If it is true that the whole of human life is found in an airport ... then it follows that all human emotions will be reflected there too’

UNITED KINGDOM Opposite page: Commissioner Keith Banks at Glasgow International Airport; below: a visit to the airport fire station ended up with Keith enjoying a new experience!; bottom: leading the singing at the airport carol service

Photo by Mike Shankster

personal problem they are struggling with, or share a concern about the work place.

Sometimes someone will talk about their fear of redundancy, their concern for their mother’s health, or their anxiety about their child’s education. All very human.

Employees ask me to conduct their marriages, pray over their babies, conduct the funerals of loved ones. All very human.

Then there are many who share their happiness, their (sometimes slightly suspect) jokes or their frustration with an employee

or passenger. And sometimes I get questions about God, the worrying things in the news, creation theories, and the meaning of faith in the 21st century. And there are always passengers who cannot understand why their plane is delayed, why their luggage has gone missing – and who can’t find the toilets!

All very human.

I was asked by a Salvation Army chaplain colleague at Heathrow Airport to meet a woman flying into Glasgow Airport. Her husband had died in mid-flight on the Sydney-London leg of their journey. That is a very traumatic experience. Training and experience were of course immensely valuable in such circumstances, but what was really important to that grieving woman, I discovered, was a human presence – a human ear and a human arm.

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

19

UNITED KINGDOM

Above: Keith talking to passengers; below: Keith enjoyed meeting this Commonwealth Games weightlifting gold medallist who was from Papua New Guinea, where he had previously served

‘Airports are a microcosm of the world. A rich variety of cultures, professions, personalities and interests contribute to the end product’ My ‘parish’ covers offices, retail, catering, airlines, check-in desks, security, baggage, rare emergencies, and everything else that makes an airport what it is. I meet people across the campus and also in our beautifully situated prayer room in which the airport has heavily invested. Sometimes the interaction is fun – sometimes heart-rending. What matters in these encounters is not that I am wearing certain distinctive clothes to mark me out as a Salvation Army officer, or have a ‘chaplain’ label on my chest and back, or a hi-vis jacket over my shoulders, or have a red pass hanging around my neck, but that I too am seen to be human.

And what does it mean to be human in this context? It certainly does not mean being slushy and sentimental, neither does it 20 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

mean talking about God in pious ways akin to a polished pulpit performance. It means trying to understand, endeavouring to be empathetic, sharing successes, drawing on one’s own experiences of joy, grief, regret, anxiety and frustration, and not being afraid to be vulnerable.

Airports are a microcosm of the world.

A rich variety of cultures, professions, personalities and interests contribute to the end product. Chaplains are but a small part of this rich mosaic. Some may just think they are surplus to requirements. Others see them as a vital part of the overall picture, blending in to all things human in the mass of humanity that makes an airport the lively, fascinating place it is. The fact that, in the space of three years, Glasgow International Airport has honoured the chaplaincy with two awards would seem to bear this out.

I have had a remarkably fulfilling life as a Salvation Army officer, full of challenge and opportunity. And it is not over yet!

Being the chaplain at Glasgow Airport is a God-given opportunity to be human and to reflect the living Christ – he who was truly and properly human as well as divine. It’s cutting-edge ministry!

Commissioner Keith Banks has served in the UK, Papua New Guinea and Japan, and at International Headquarters. He also wrote the script for Covenant, the new musical written especially for Boundless 2015.

In March 2015, Keith was the recipient of the ‘Unsung Hero’ prize at the airport’s awards night. He says he accepted it as an award for the entire chaplaincy team, adding: ‘I receive total support from the airport management and from all departments.’

COUNTRY OR THEME

COUNTRY OR THEME

REWIND BACK TO the past

As we move through The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary year, All the World is looking back to the events of 1865, as recorded in Salvation Army historian Gordon Taylor’s William Booth – His Life and Legacy, which will be published by Salvation Books in 2015. Gordon has worked for many years at The Salvation Army’s International Heritage Centre in London, UK, and his meticulously researched twovolume biography of William Booth uses previously unpublished correspondence and collects together many contemporary reports to produce what is as close as possible to a definitive version of the life of The Salvation Army’s Founder.

Gordon takes the reader through William and Catherine Booth’s days of difficulty, as they moved around the country searching for a place where William could use his God-given skills as a preacher.

The excerpts below begin with William Booth ‘finding his destiny’ and – on 2 July 1865 (now known as Founders’ Day) – starting his mission to the povertystricken residents of London’s East End that became The Salvation Army.

O

ne day in late June 1865 a group of evangelists, holding an openair meeting in Whitechapel Road, somewhere near The Vine and The Blind Beggar public houses, saw William Booth passing and asked him to ‘have a word’. Soon afterwards John Stabb and Samuel Chase invited him to speak at a series of meetings being held in a tent on a Quaker Burial Ground nearby, between Baker’s Row and Thomas Street, Whitechapel.

He began his work in the tent on Sunday 2 July and continued on the following three weekday evenings. The work began slowly. The attendance was not very good on the Tuesday evening but was better on the Wednesday.

In all, about 400 to 500 people attended the opening services. Many stayed for the prayer meetings which followed the preaching, and a few ‘found the Saviour’ and ‘went away rejoicing in Him’...

At a missionary meeting in Spitalfields Chapel it was said that 200,000 people lived less than a mile and a quarter from the chapel, and 160,000 of them did not attend a place of worship. What was true of that neighbourhood was more or less true of the whole district, as two-thirds of working class people did not go to church or chapel but spent their Sundays in idleness, pleasureseeking or some kind of money-making. So, special efforts needed to be made if they were to hear of the love of God and the good news of salvation.

For six weeks meetings were held almost every night in the Mile End Road, and afterwards in the tent, and on the last two

‘O Kate, I have found my destiny! These are the people for whose salvation I have been longing all these years...’

Above a young William Booth; left: an artist’s impression of William and Catherine in the East End of London

Sundays they had four services each day.

During that time there had been only two or three meetings at which ‘sinners had not professed to find mercy’, and sometimes there were 13 or 14 in one evening. The people working with William Booth urged him to devote himself entirely to east London, and he said: ‘I confess to having grown deeply interested in this mass of humanity. I have therefore consented to do so, and we purpose, God helping us, to devote our little time and energy to this part of the Lord’s vineyard.’

In later years William told how he decided to make East London the focus of his work: ‘When I saw those masses of poor people, so many of them evidently without God or hope in the world, and found that they so readily and eagerly listened to me, following from open-air meeting to tent, and accepting, in many instances, my invitation to kneel at the Saviour’s feet there and then, my whole heart went out to them. I walked back to our WestEnd home and said to my wife – “O Kate, I have found my destiny! These are the people for whose salvation I have been longing all these years...”.’

Catherine also wrote her own reflections: ‘I remember the emotion that this produced in my soul. I sat gazing into the fire, and the Devil whispered to me, “This means another departure, another start in life!” The question of our support constituted a serious difficulty.

Hitherto we had been able to meet our expenses out of the collections which we had made from our more respectable audiences.

But it was impossible to suppose that we could do so among the poverty-stricken East-Enders – we were afraid even to ask for a collection in such a locality. Nevertheless, I did not answer discouragingly. After a momentary pause for thought and prayer, I replied, “Well, if you feel you ought to stay, stay. We have trusted the Lord once for our support, and we can trust him again!” ‘“That night,” said William Booth, “The Salvation Army was born.”’

Next issue: The new movement grows in size and influence J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

21

Photo by Brad Watson

EMERGENCY

VANUATU

Angels in paradise Major Brad Watson writes about the recovery operation across the cyclone-struck Pacific idyll of Vanuatu – and the sacrificial Salvation Army ministry that is leaving a lasting impression on the people it touches

W

e looked across the lagoon. It was a warm and calm day on the water, with a light breeze moving among the fresh foliage that was greening the tree tops along the shore. The many palms and banyans stood almost straight tall, although there was a discernible, slight lean to the south west, a sign of weathering.

There were boats on the water and a quiet in the air.

The people I was with agreed that it was a ‘million-dollar view’. And, no question, to some it was. Just across the water we could see the resort at Erakor Island and in the distance some of the residences and homes of Vila. Some people, including celebrities, have actually paid millions to own a piece of this land and share in some of these views.

But to our immediate left were shelters that were barely standing. The houses – homes to the families that lived there –

22 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

had been damaged recently and remained overcrowded despite missing doors and leaking roofs.

These homes, some solid but many a mere ‘lean-to’, were where people like Kalkot, Leekal and even a local pastor, Aron, were starting to rebuild their lives after a memorable night in mid-March when so much of their livelihoods and homes literally blew away.

Vanuatu is an idyllic Pacific paradise spread over an archipelago of 83 islands, many volcanic. It is famed among the south Pacific isles for the friendliness of its people, such that almost half the national income is tied to hospitality and tourism. Tropical Cyclone Pam struck the nation on the evening of Friday 13 March 2015, causing widespread damage across all six provinces and affecting an estimated 188,000 people.

This represents more than half of the country’s population of around 272,000.

Initial government and coordinated nongovernment assessments have uncovered

the tragic and dangerous consequences that could impact the country for a long time: 70 per cent of water sources were broken or contaminated, seven health facilities were destroyed and 19 damaged, a high percentage of private and communal property suffered and more than half of the assessed schools were damaged, with some being forced to close. Food crops were obliterated, livestock is threatened and – ironically for a place where you’re rarely out of sight of the sea – dehydration is a big problem, causing at least one death within the first few weeks of the disaster.

The Salvation Army has a fledgling presence in Vanuatu, overseen by the Australia Eastern Territory, which asked the International Emergency Services team from The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) in London to take a lead in providing a response to the disaster.

On the calm, warm day I described earlier, the team – including me – was responding to a request from the relief

Photo by Alastair Bate

Photo by Michael Shiffler

VANUATU

Opposite page: a Vanuatan shoreline; left: setting up a water supply tank at the Salvation Army outpost in Tagabe, Efate; top: a villager from Tanna in front of some severely damaged houses; above: fishing boats – complete with Salvation Army Red Shields – that were supplied to villages which had lost theirs

coordination bodies to assess the damage to homes in Erakor and provide initial emergency shelter responses; tarpaulins and ropes were on hand for more than 270 households that needed assistance in that one village.

This activity forms part of a much larger response that will be ongoing for some time.

The Salvation Army is working across three of the islands that were most affected: Efate, where the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila, is situated; Tanna, which bore the eye of the cyclone and the brunt of the damaging storm, and Anatom (also known as Aneityum), one of the most southerly islands. Achieving any response across the islands has proved logistically challenging for all agencies concerned, but with strong

spirit some amazing things have happened.

On Tanna, three villages had their water supply rehabilitated, providing 950 people with safe drinking water. This took some incredible cooperative efforts including transport teams (to shift more than five kilometres of piping), Salvation Army crew, assistance from other agencies which provided water testing and engineering, and the local villagers themselves who needed to trek much of the piping around the steep hillsides of the island.

These villages also received supplementary food, replacement cooking gear, blankets (it does get cold at night in the hills) and hygiene kits. Soon there will be permanent houses rebuilt for up to 200 families.

‘The island is a cruise ship destination but none have stopped there since the cyclone decimated the local economy’

In Anatom, students have been returned to school – in part through a Salvation Army ‘Food for Fees’ initiative. The island is a cruise ship destination but none have stopped there since the cyclone decimated the local economy by closing the handicraft markets and hospitality providers. The Food for Fees programme allows the school to continue to function, also providing students with at least one good meal a day, without the need to charge full fees to parents while the island recovers.

In Tagabe, on Efate, schoolbooks have been replaced for a local school and basic hygiene items have been provided for families living alongside the river that runs into Port Vila. Here, the community structure that is central to the area known as ‘21 Jump Street’ (the area is around Jump Street and originally had 21 yards that each comprised a number of families) has been reconstructed and is back in use. Vouchers have been provided for families to shop for themselves at local suppliers of hardware, to allow self-repair – and stronger repair – of family homes to continue.

And in both Tagabe and Erakor, The Salvation Army is partnering with local schools to replace lost equipment, repair latrines that have been destroyed and encourage school retention.

Thinking back to our time on Erakor, as we moved from house to house on the day J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

23

VANUATU Photo by Brad Watson Photo below by Rik Pears

Above: a community event in Tagabe at the newly restored Salvation Army outpost

Left: Salvation Army outpost leader Lilly-rose leading worship; above left: Lilly-rose and William Sari help to pack assistance bags for the community; above right: Major Brad Watson discusses house repairs with a woman in Tagabe who is wearing an ‘I survived Cyclone Pam’ t-shirt!

I mentioned another thing struck us, aside from the amazing scenery. We watched our local Salvationist workers assisting others in villages that were not their own. I realised that while they were going far more than the ‘extra mile’ over these days, not once had they asked for anything personally.

Lilly-rose Sari, along with her husband William, leads The Salvation Army congregation in Tagabe, Efate, supported by the Tweed Heads Corps (church) in Australia. They have been working there for the past three years and have enrolled soldiers and junior soldiers – 16 at the last count. They also work in the local prisons, visiting, pastoring and providing worship and music for the prisoners. They run Bible classes for the neighbourhood children and, following the cyclone, they led a prayer meeting – out in the open – at 5am every morning.

In more recent times, on Anatom (where the Saris’ son, Etienne, lives and works in a local health clinic) they’ve started another outpost in the village of Anelgohwat. Four Salvation Army soldiers were enrolled there in June.

‘We faced a big challenge but we trusted God,’ Lilly-rose says in conversation

with International Emergency Services team member Major Darren Elsley, who also happens to be the corps officer at Tweed Heads! When asked what their biggest need was following the cyclone, she replied: ‘We want our worship centre back. The children come and say: “We have no place to pray.”’

It is certainly striking to reflect on the priority: ‘a place to pray’ held more precedence than food or clothing. Seeking first God’s Kingdom is not just a scriptural directive for Lilly-rose and her congregation.

And they, with many of their people, are humbly grateful for the response of the international community that is seeking to ensure ‘all these things are added’ to them (to continue the Bible verse from Matthew 6:33).

There is awareness that other disasters and other needs will necessarily direct people’s attention away from Vanuatu – in fact, just after I wrote this article, an earthquake struck Nepal and suddenly, looking at the world media, it was as if nothing had happened to the people of this Pacific nation.

Agencies on the ground, The Salvation Army included, are still putting together projects and budgets for longer-term

‘It is striking to reflect on the priority: “a place to pray” held more precedence than food or clothing’ 24 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

interventions to help the country rebuild.

Some of them will reach fruition and others simply won’t attract the funding required.

As an immediate example, the Ni-Vanuatu government’s ‘flash appeal’ to overseas aid suppliers (countries that provide development aid to Vanuatu) realised only 46 per cent of its goal.

But the Ni-Vanuatu people are, if nothing else, resilient. Their coat of arms bears the statement ‘Long God Yumi Stanap’ [‘In God We Stand’] and the majority of the people believe it, despite tragedies like ‘Pam’.

Lilly-rose Sari certainly does.

I told her recently that one day Vanuatu will be listed as a nation in The Salvation Army Year Book. Maybe the day is not so far away when someone will write about the origins of the work there and her name will be immortalised. Next to the text will be a photo of her with an amazing smile, or a photo of her junior soldiers in their worship centre, or perhaps a photo of the countless people that she and her team are influencing as The Salvation Army serves on yet another frontier.

Major Brad Watson, from The Salvation Army’s Australia Southern Territory, was on secondment to Vanuatu with International Emergency Services

SOCIAL MEDIA

H w NOT to do

COMMUNICATION

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

s cial media Following on from the popular All The World article ‘A Christian user’s guide to social media’, International Headquarters Web Manager David Giles gives some salient pointers on what not to do online!

D

ON’T forget it’s social!

Whether it’s a Twitter status, a Facebook post, a YouTube video or an Instagram snap, the intention is that social media is about sharing, interaction and collaboration. It’s not supposed to be a monologue, a broadcast or a re-enactment of the Sermon on the Mount. Engage your audience, and encourage them to get involved in the conversation you are starting or adding to.

Don’t #use #lots #of #poorly-chosen #hashtags. Yes, a judicious hashtag or three can bring an already on-trend audience to the content you’ve posted. But the words you choose must be relevant and appropriate to what you’re talking about.

Hashtags can’t include any other special characters – so don’t try to shoehorn in #soup,soap&salvation. It doesn’t make sense to use a hash symbol before a web address either – #salvationarmy.org will fail as both a hashtag and as a functioning hyperlink. Just. Don’t!

Don’t forget that the majority of Twitter users are not Salvationists. Therefore, while it might be tempting to make the most of the 140-character allowance by slipping in some of the abbreviations the Army is fond of, it won’t help you to convey a message clearly to those on the fringes.

Don’t forget that the majority of Twitter users are not native speakers of txtspk. Ur

havin gr8 probs rdng ths? Me2. Y nt use real wrds? Lol! Don’t jump on every Internet bandwagon. Just because a topic is ‘trending’ doesn’t mean you have to copy/ share it. Assess whether the facts are true and the sentiment is actually something you endorse before making a decision to retweet or share it. Be especially cautious of posts that use the words ‘only true believers/ friends/followers of Jesus will …’. And by ‘be especially cautious’, I mean ‘avoid at all costs’.

Don’t, however, miss the opportunity to add a Christian voice to topics that are trending. Who knew that #thedress – a fairly meaningless internet meme about an optical illusion of a frock’s ambiguous hues – would break out of mundanity, become linked with The Salvation Army’s work with domestic violence survivors in South Africa, and develop into one of the biggestever social media talking points? The opportunities to talk about The Salvation Army’s ministry are many – particularly around its 150th anniversary. Think about how you can share with your social media contacts how The Salvation Army remains relevant in the 21st century. Why not use #WeAre150 in your posts or – during the congress – use #Boundless2015?

Don’t be afraid of new forms of social media. There are hundreds – if not thousands – of social media channels. Some

will be around for a long time, while others might be more shortlived. But while they’re around, people will use them. Why not use Periscope to live stream a Bible study, for example?

Don’t overdo it. Posting too frequently to Facebook will reduce the likelihood of your posts being seen at all. Among other factors, Facebook’s algorithm for determining who sees which posts in their news feed includes a ‘frequency of posting’ element. It considers that the quality of posts is likely to be lower if content is published too often, and therefore reduces its prominence. Meanwhile, posting too frequently on Twitter can result in unfollows if people consider that you are spamming them.

Most importantly though, don’t conduct all your conversations via social media.

Some topics are simply not appropriate to share using this medium. Talking to a ‘Real Person’ over a coffee, phoning them up to have a chat or simply having screen-off time and a walk in the countryside are all valid forms of expression!

David Giles is the head of the Boundless 2015 social media team. All of the main arena meetings are being streamed live and on demand via the Boundless website (sar.my/ boundless2015), with updates to the schedule posted on a live blog and on Twitter @Boundless2015. Delegates in London or people watching online will be able to respond – in a variety of languages – to the teaching, worship, prayer and moving of the Holy Spirit at sar.my/response J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

25

COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS BOUNDLESS BITES

AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS

To coin a phrase Through the years there have been a number of stamps issued to recognise the ministry of The Salvation Army, but 2015 brings something new – a Salvation Army commemorative coin, recognising the Army’s 150th anniversary.The coin is being issued by the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom. A mint representative says that, having made contact with their colleagues around the world, they believe this is the first Salvation Army coin created by an official mint.

The first limited edition sterling silver coin was minted on Wednesday 27 May by Lieut-Colonel Eddie Hobgood (International Congress Coordinator) and the second by Major John Murray (International Headquarters Communications and Literary Secretary).

The two visitors were also given opportunity to speak to the team involved in the coin production, explaining the history of The Salvation Army and its current ministry in 126 countries.

The Royal Mint’s Director of Commemorative Coin and Medals,

Shane Bissett, says: ‘This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the 150th anniversary and evolution of this muchloved organisation – still bringing hope to people today.’ Lieut-Colonel Hobgood adds, ‘The Salvation Army is grateful to The Royal Mint for its extraordinary recognition in this, our 150th year.’

Cover story Readers of this special 150th anniverary issue of All the World cannot fail to have noticed the amazing cover image created by the magazine’s designer, Berni Georges. He was following the direction of the Editor, Kevin Sims, who explains: ‘I wanted a cover that would tell a story – not just of people coming to the congress but of thousands of Salvationists and friends leaving Boundless 2015 with renewed enthusiasm and vigour.

The last thing they will see before leaving The O2 is a giant banner featuring the words of Salvation Army Founder William Booth: “And now, hallelujah! the rest of my days shall gladly be spent in promoting his praise.” I pray that those words will stay in their hearts as they return home.’

The illustration was inspired by a previous All the World cover, this time from 1951, when a painting of the Houses of Parliament in London – with Salvationists from many nations on the riverside – marked the Festival of Britain.

To download a copy of the cover, go to http://sar.my/atwboundless

26 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2015

The reverse design for this special 150th anniversary coin was created by Laura Clancy, one of The Royal Mint’s talented designers. Laura’s design includes the familiar Salvation Army shield and a laurel wreath. A Royal Mint press release explains that the design was ‘inspired by the cheering warmth and familiarity of the Salvation Army brass band playing carols, a distinctive feature of any British high street in the run-up to Christmas’.

As with all official British coinage, the ‘obverse’ side – the ‘head’ side – contains a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the year. The coin is being released in two forms, a cupronickel version (similar metal content to all silver-coloured UK coins) and a limited-edition sterling silver version.

The cupro-nickel coin will sell for £13 and the silver coin – of which only 1,500 are being minted – will cost £80. The coins are available to purchase direct from the Royal Mint and will also be for sale at the SP&S ‘Supertrade’ Shop at Boundless 2015.

SNAPSHOTS

Pins and needles It’s become something of a tradition in The Salvation Army – and in other organisations – that a big event leads to the creation of badges and pins.

Boundless 2015 is no different, with corps (churches), divisions, territories and other groups coming up with their own Boundless badge. Here is a small selection – how many do you recognise?

Message from the Editor: A special greeting to delegates to Boundless 2015 who received a copy of All the World in their delegate bags.

I hope that, just as you enjoy meeting Salvationists and friends from across the world, you will also appreciate reading about The Salvation Army’s international ministry.

All the World has been gathering together information from around the Army world since 1884. Today, it seeks out moments of inspiration and innovation to show what God is doing through his Salvation Army. In a way, it’s like the congress itself – only smaller, and easier to carry!

If you already subscribe to All the World – thankyou! Perhaps you would consider passing on your subscription copy to someone who would find it of interest. Maybe even to a friend, colleague, family member or member of the local

community who would benefit from learning about the worldwide Salvation Army. The magazine is edited to be as easy to read as possible, with Salvation Army terminology kept to a minimum.

For those readers who are seeing All the World for the first time – or the first time in a while – hello! Welcome! Why not consider subscribing? Even a non-UK subscription

of £12.50 a year for four copies wouldn’t buy a meal at most of the restaurants at The O2!

For full prices and subscription details, look at the information on page two.

Today, as has been the case for 150 years, God is doing amazing things through The Salvation Army in ‘All the World’. Wouldn’t you like to know more?

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

27