Army snippets

Burnin ning, bur g bu g bur bg ning ning, in ning, g, always ayslw lways burning, g, , Holy S oly Holy HolySpir pirit, stayy wit withh me; ; To y To you y r will wi my willli will is turn s tur ing, , Whhat haty What y wilouw ou wil u will I l I want t w want o be.. o .

...a final contribution from General John Larsson*

RUDYARD KIPLING MEETS WILLIAM BOOTH

IN his memoirs, the novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling describes seeing the aged William Booth embarking on the ship that would take them both from New Zealand to Britain. It was 1905, and the Founder had just completed his last visit to that part of the world.

Kipling writes: ‘On a boisterous, dark evening General Booth of The Salvation Army came on board. I saw him walking backward in the dusk over an uneven wharf, his cloak blown upwards, tulip fashion, over his grey head while he beat a tambourine in the face of the singing, weeping, praying crowd who had come to see him off.

‘I talked much with General Booth during that voyage. Like the young ass I was, I expressed my distaste of his appearance on the wharf. “Young feller,” he replied, bending great brows at me, “If I thought I could win one more soul to the Lord by walking on my head and playing the tambourine with my toes, I’d – I’d learn how.”

‘He had the right of it – if by any means I can save some – and I had the decency to apologise.’

TOP EXPERT FAILS EXAM

IN his mid-40s, Dr Vilhelm IN h Wille – the Danish GP and Will renowned eye specialist – ren became a Salvationist bec through reading the works thr of Catherine Booth. of So taken was he with So her teaching about he forthrightness in personal fo evangelism that from then e on he did all his home visits o in his hometown of Køge in full uniform. Dr Vilhelm Wille Responding to a call from International Headquarters, he and his wife from International Head entered training in London and in 1908 departed for Java with their four children. Java was then part of the Dutch East Indies, and the Dutch authorities had appealed to William Booth to establish work among the many people whose lives were blighted by eye disease, which often led to blindness. Even though he was renowned in medical circles for his work on curing the eye disease xerophthalmia, which had cost thousands their sight, Dr Wille was required by the

Dutch authorities to sit a six-day exam to gain authority to perform eye operations in Java. To his consternation, the examiners disqualified him. Dr Wille asked whether there was some higher authority who could be called in to adjudicate. A major-general from the Dutch military who was also a doctor was given the task. He quickly realised that the up-to-date expertise of Dr Wille had been beyond the comprehension of the local board – they had not understood his answers. As a result of the review, the board reversed its decision and warmly welcomed Dr Wille to their ministry.

In addition to his general medical work among the impoverished residents of Java, Dr Wille performed 2,705 eye operations in the first six years alone. As he was to do throughout his life, Dr Wille knelt on the stone floor before each operation to ask for God’s help. During this time he also directed the healing of more than 5,000 sufferers.

Thanks to his pioneering work under primitive conditions, the William Booth Eye Hospital in Semarang was opened in June 1915. There, Lieut-Colonel Dr Wille saved thousands from blindness until his retirement in 1931 at the age of 69. In addition to his practical work Dr Wille contributed papers on eyecare to international medical journals, and this continued in his retirement.

Dr Wille was honoured for his ministry. In 1920, General Bramwell Booth admitted him to the Order of the Founder. The next year, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands appointed him an officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau and, in 1938, King Christian X of Denmark made him a knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Dr Wille remained in Java upon his retirement and continued to witness in the Army’s open-air meetings as he had always done. He was promoted to Glory in 1944 at the age of 82. Servant of God, well done! n the t D

Members rejoice at Enabled Summer School

NATIONAL STAR COLLEGE, CHELTENHAM

REJOICE was the theme for the Enabled Summer School of Arts, reports Learning Disability Inclusion Development Manager Chris Stringer (THQ).

While Enabled members enjoyed the Summer School at Home that was held online in 2020 and 2021, it was wonderful to be able to meet again in person for the week-long event.

Philippians 4:4 says that everyone is called to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’, irrespective of the circumstances they find themselves in. Little did Enabled members know, as they were reminded about this verse in worship led by Majors Christine and Paul Kingscott (THQ), how true this would be for all present.

Supporters arrived on Friday for training, team meetings and to make sure all the equipment was in place. Members arrived on Saturday and there was clear joy among them at being able to be back together again.

Due to limited accommodation on the National Star College campus, some members and supporters also stayed in one of the college’s large residential buildings, Elizabeth House in Gloucester.

After a welcome session and time spent in the main groups for the week – drama, choral, musical theatre and timbrels – it was time to celebrate being back together with a disco.

On Sunday, as well as worship on the theme of Rejoicing, time was taken to remember Linda Lunt and Joan Parker, Enabled members who had been promoted to Glory, focusing on the impact that these two amazing people had.

Optional activities during the week included crafts, art, swimming, mindfulness, exercise and photography. There was also a game of rounders and a contemporary band.

Fellowship groups included Bible studies, discussion groups, Godly Play and a sensory group, with members exploring Scripture with a focus on rejoicing and joy.

On Monday members were joined by the Music Man Project, who provided workshops that were greatly enjoyed.

On Tuesday they enjoyed trips to Bristol Zoo, Webbs Garden Centre and the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway.

On Wednesday the Enabled Commonwealth Games took place, providing a wealth of indoor and outdoor games and activities. Everyone was divided into teams – England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland – and, despite the Scotland team having an imaginative interpretation of the rules, it was the England team that emerged victorious. The overall results were very close, and people received a gold, silver or bronze medal depending on their team’s success.

Wednesday evening featured a barn dance led by the group Life of Riley, who were back by popular demand. The wonderful evening included dances devised with wheelchair users in mind.

Thursday dawned early with the report of people testing positive for Covid-19 – routine testing had been taking place due to the vulnerability of Enabled members. The leadership team met and considered all possible options. The decision was made to cancel the final festival, which would have seen up to 300 people gather in the sports hall.

This was explained to members in a meeting, and they were invited to speak with their families and make a decision on the best time for them to go home. The planned programme was suspended, but some spontaneous activities took place, including singing, worship and mindfulness in the college grounds under a gazebo.

On Thursday afternoon, on the sports field, delegates enjoyed musical theatre and timbrel displays that would have been performed at the final festival. These were followed by outdoor games. An evening barbecue was followed by a talent night outside under the gazebo. Some members and supporters went home on Thursday and most left on Friday.

On Friday morning members who were

Trip to Bristol Zoo

Amy-May plays the timbrel