‘My faith has kept me going’

Cynthia Roe (Chester) explains how her faith and The Salvation Army have sustained her

IWAS brought up in a Salvation Army family. My mother had previously been a Salvation Army officer, so our house was a place where people came if they had any problems. Many was the time when my sister and I slept in my parents’ bedroom while someone else, either experiencing homelessness or just out of prison, slept in ours.

myself at the local police station to begin my employment, I was told that they did not take married policewomen – this was 1971. Fortunately, I got a job with community welfare and the then South Australian government paid for me to go to university as a mature student and I studied child development and social work.

What do you love, or not love, about the Army?

How friendly everyone is.

Which book – apart from the Bible – would you want on a desert island?

The World of Birds.

What’s your favourite Bible verse or passage?

Psalm 23.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Read, do crosswords and grow Bonsai and veg.

If you were president of the world, what’s the first thing you would do?

Seek world peace.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Stay in the RAF.

Give your testimony or life story using only one word. Hope.

Our family motto was always ‘Jesus first, yourself last and others in between’. My sister and I had a very happy childhood, often spent at The Salvation Army Sunday school. After the evening meeting, people came back to our house for supper, which was usually chips and anything left over from the day’s meals. During the week it was joy hour, choir practice and junior band practice – I played trombone.

As a young woman, I became a police officer. I started on the beat and later transferred to CID as a detective. However, emigrating to Australia was on the cards, so eventually my husband and I left the UK on a £10 ticket. Upon arriving in Australia and presenting

My career blossomed and I worked in various capacities. Eventually I was asked to redevelop a parenting unit for vulnerable women and their babies. During this time I had my son, Stephen, but sadly my marriage did not work out and I got divorced.

I continued with The Salvation Army, singing in the choir and playing trombone in the band. After returning to the UK, I got married to the love of my life, Ray. His two daughters, Victoria and Amanda, came to live with us. Together with Stephen we were blessed with a very happy home life. I worked in education, firstly in Clwyd, and eventually managed the education welfare service in Cheshire as principal education welfare officer.

Ray and I travelled a lot and life could not have been better. Sadly, Ray developed a brain tumour and died in 2004. This was a very bleak time for all of us, but my faith kept me going. I knew that God would take care of me and my family and would prepare a new way ahead.

My faith and The Salvation Army have continued to play a big part in my life. Although I continue to make many mistakes, I try each day to be a better person.

Have you got a testimony to share? We’d love to hear your faith journey! Get in touch at salvationist@ salvationarmy.org.uk