War Cry 7 May 2022 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

Top TV awarded at the Baftas

WAR CRY

7 May 2022 50p

Ahead of the games Celebrities look forward to the challenges of TV show

‘Operations left me deaf, but saved my life’

What is The Salvation Army?

From the editor’s desk

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

WHEN many teenagers reach the age of 16, much of their time is taken up with socialising, revising for GCSEs and planning the further education that will open up work or university opportunities in the future. Life is about excitedly looking forward to being an adult. When Emily Owen reached 16, however, her life was turned upside down as doctors told her she had a genetic condition that had resulted in two tumours growing in her head that, if left untreated, would kill her. It was to be the start of a series of operations which caused a birthday to be spent in intensive care, changes to her appearance and the loss of her hearing. In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Emily tells us about her experiences, even detailing the last piece of music she listened to when she knew her operation the next day would mean she would never hear it again. In the interview, Emily describes her life at the time as a ‘shipwreck’, but she also explains how she got through. ‘I learnt the power of being prayed for,’ she says, before explaining that, despite all that she has endured, she has felt God’s presence. ‘When bad things happen, God doesn’t ever walk out,’ Emily tells us. ‘I realised that my rock bottom could get lower and lower, but God was still there for me.’ Emily is not alone in her experience of God. Being a Christian does not mean being exempt from unwanted difficult and challenging situations. But, however impossible life may seem, or however hopeless someone may feel, God will never abandon those who turn to him for help. As Emily says: ‘Even when I can do nothing, God still loves me. It’s not about what we do, the War read Cr it’s about who we are. Our identity is found in y ’ve u who we are as children of God.’

What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

WAR CRY Issue No 7575

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Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

CONTENTS

Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies

FEATURES 3

New to this game Celebrities compete in TV show

Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper

TV Baftas? Step in the right direction

How walking holidays follow in the saints’ footsteps 8

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And the winner is… Who will pick up awards at the

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

‘Someone needed to tell me to breathe’

Living through sickness and surgery REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Puppy Tales 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV/NICKYJOHNSTON

The celebrities prepare to compete in ITV’s ‘The Games’

Celebrities take on Olympic challenge

ITV/NICKY JOHNSTON

GAMES ON!

Christine McGuinness

TV feature by Claire Brine

Rebecca Sarker

Kevin Clifton

ET The Games begin! As armchair viewers settle in front of the telly next Monday (9 May), 12 celebrities will be preparing to tackle ITV’s version of the Olympics. In a week of live shows, the competitors will go headto-head in athletic, aquatic, cycling and weightlifting events, each hoping to top the medals table and – ultimately – take home the winner’s crown. Among the famous faces who can’t wait to hit the track are soap actress Rebecca Sarker, model and autism ambassador Christine McGuinness and former Strictly star Kevin Clifton. Each of them says they are thrilled to take part – but they have also spoken openly about their fears of trying something new. ‘I’ve always been a bit scared, especially with sport,’ says Christine. ‘I was that girl at school who never took part. But my children just do it. So they’ve inspired me to push myself out my comfort zone.’ Rebecca, who plays Manpreet Sharma

in Emmerdale, takes a similar view. ‘I think you have to be a little bit scared of things sometimes,’ she explains. ‘It’s not a bad thing to push yourself out of your comfort zone.’ Kevin, who’s more used to dancing shoes than trainers, is another celebrity wanting to do something ‘outside my comfort zone’. Last year, he learnt to tap dance for a show, having never tried it before. ‘The fact that it went well has put me in the zone of thinking: If I properly put my mind to something, then maybe I can do something completely different,’ he says. Despite their shared fears of the competition, it seems the celebrities have a goal in common. They want to push themselves past their usual limits and see what happens. They don’t want to play it safe. They recognise that, by challenging themselves to do something they have never done before, there is the potential for a positive experience. The idea of stepping out of our ‘comfort

They don’t want to play it safe

zone’ can be appealing. At times, life can feel monotonous and stale. Perhaps we keep making the same mistakes and want to break the cycle. Or maybe we long to become different – better at kindness, quicker to care, slower to become angry. It could be that we want to experience a more meaningful kind of life but don’t know how to do it. A good place to start is by asking God for help. It’s a courageous step to take – especially if we have never done it before – but it can prove life-changing. The Bible writer Paul, who made his own leap of faith when he turned away from persecuting Christians in order to become a leader of the early Church, explained that when people open themselves to the transforming love and power of God, he ‘is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of’ (Ephesians 3:20 Good News Bible). In other words, when we dare to ask God to guide our steps through life, he can fill us with strength we never knew we had. In any event, his love can bring us a joy nothing can beat.

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WAR CRY PA IMAGES/ALAMY

Royal couple meet aid workers

Royals updated on Ukraine support THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have spoken to representatives of Christian Aid about how it is spending £8 million on relief efforts in Ukraine. The conversation took place as part of a visit to find out more about the work of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), of which Christian Aid is a member. The DEC has raised more than £300 million through its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. At the DEC’s London offices,

Vanessa Maynard, programmes and operations officer for Christian Aid, told the royal couple that the charity was offering hot meals, temporary rest in community centres, and safe places for children to receive trauma care through its network of local partners. The charity is also donating baby incubators to a hospital in western Ukraine and providing refugees with cash to buy essentials.

Writing a vicar’s ‘confessions’ A PRIEST writing in The Times has revealed some of the bizarre incidents that took place in his first parish under the headline ‘Confessions of a vicar’. The anonymous clergyman recalled the moment he stepped in to conduct a family member’s wedding, moments after the vicar officiating the service fell ill during one of the hymns. ‘I was a rookie priest,’ he said, ‘and without the comfort of a book of words for a wedding service, I felt slightly more like Rowan Atkinson than Rowan Williams … I reassured everyone that everything was going to be “Fine!”, and I was indeed qualified to finish the ceremony ... I was the slightly traumatised hero of the hour.’ The writer also remembered the time that his car was stolen while he was leading a church service. He wrote: ‘While I had been leading prayer, [the church warden] had kept one eye open and spotted one of the gentlemen sitting behind my chair lean forward, fiddle with my jacket and leave, quickly followed by the second man.’ The vicar explained that after the church warden called the police, the warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk car was spotted and stopped, just half a mile from the church building. ‘By some miracle, the @TheWarCryUK perpetrators, along with all the contents of the car, were found inside,’ he said. ‘The only thing TheWarCryUK missing was the Bible. A sacrifice I was happy to make if it provided some reflective reading for the two salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry in custody.’

Do you have a story to share? a

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CATHEDRALS in England, Wales and the Isle of Man are to open at night in a bid to attract new visitors. Cathedrals At Night takes place next Saturday (14 May) and has been co-ordinated by the Association of English Cathedrals (AEC). The open night will include music, art, tours by torchlight, family-friendly events, prayer stations and ‘lots and lots of candles’. Twelve cathedrals – the Church of England’s Bristol, Coventry, Derby, Ely, Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Lincoln, Cathedral Isle of Man, Portsmouth and York Minster, as well as St Davids of the Church in Wales – will be opening their doors for free. The initiative was originally planned for 2020, but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Plans are also in place for other cathedrals to open at night on other dates throughout the year. The chairperson of the AEC, the Very Rev Adrian Dorber, said: ‘This simple campaign is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate our cathedrals and their rich spiritual heritage in new and exciting ways.’

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tWwxcx Art installation brings peace AN art installation comprising 8,000 paper doves has landed in Derby Cathedral, BBC News reports. Created by sculptor and artist Peter Walker, Peace Doves is suspended on ribbons from the cathedral’s nave and is accompanied by a soundscape from composer David Harper. It will remain in place until 12 June. Schools and community groups have been invited to decorate the doves with messages. Dr Peter Robinson, the Dean of Derby, said that the ‘original driver for bringing Peace Doves to Derby Cathedral was to create a unique piece which reflects the thoughts and feelings of local people from all faiths, ages and backgrounds following such a turbulent time for everyone during the pandemic’.

Campaigner’s prison sentence remembered A PRISON uniform worn by a campaigning journalist who joined forces with The Salvation Army to expose child sex trafficking in Victorian London has gone on display in a British Library exhibition about news. The prison clothing, lent by The Salvation Army’s International Heritage Centre, helps tell the story of WT Stead, the editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, who, to prove such actions were possible, employed a former brothel keeper to buy a 13-year-old girl. The girl was taken into care by The Salvation Army, and, despite being convicted of abducting a child and given a three-month prison sentence, Stead enjoyed popular support for his investigation. The Salvation Army’s second-in-command, Bramwell Booth, was also put on trial but was found not guilty. Stead’s articles on child prostitution influenced a change in the law that raised the age of consent. Breaking the News runs at the British Library in London until 21 August.

Set for TV success Awards ceremony signals a cause for celebration Feature by Emily Bright

T’S time for viewers to tune in for a celebration of the best television programmes from the past year. The Bafta TV awards can be seen live on BBC One tomorrow (Sunday 8 May). The awards span 42 nominations in categories including entertainment programmes, current affairs, drama series, factual series, sport and live events. There are also the much-fêted categories for best leading actor and actress, as well as best supporting actor and actress. Hoping to be among the winners this year are some well-known first-time nominees such as comedian and presenter Joe Lycett and actress Kate Winslet, who has won Baftas for her films but not yet been recognised for her work on the small screen. For viewers and nominees alike, the awards are a chance to press pause and celebrate the contribution of those who have worked hard to put together programmes that so many enjoy. Whether or not the nominees win, the Baftas show that what TV creatives have produced in the past year is valued. In our own lives, however, we may fall short of being the winning personality that we want to be. Experiences such as grief, broken relationships or financial difficulties may leave us feeling worn out and unable to perform in the way we want to. During those times it can be difficult to see good in ourselves and to have any hope that we will ever be able to celebrate and enjoy life again. However, in the Bible, God is recorded as encouraging people with the comforting words: ‘Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you’ (Isaiah 41:10 New Living Translation). Because of his great love, God will help and strengthen anyone who will turn to him. He promises to be with them in their trials or joys. We all have the opportunity to encounter this love and experience God’s presence with us. And that truly is a cause for celebration.

The awards span 42 nominations

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To the souls of their feet To mark National Walking Month, DAVID GLEED, chair of walking holiday company Journeying, explains the benefits of the trips he runs, which follow in the footsteps of Celtic saints Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku David Gleed

OR almost 35 years, David Gleed has been taking small groups on walking holidays to the more remote parts of the British Isles. Their adventures have included visiting religious sites, being marooned on a disappearing island and getting stuck out at sea on a small boat. David is chair of Journeying, a nonprofit Christian company offering holidays that are, as he describes, ‘in the spirit of pilgrimage’. He had the idea back in 1988 when he was thinking of ways to encourage people ‘to get involved with spiritual things’ and the trips emerged as a combination of pilgrimage and off-thebeaten track walking. ‘I did lots of research before the first trip,’ David says, ‘and then it was trial and error. I didn’t do it on my own; others came with me and helped to format it into what it is now. We are all volunteers, and there’s a good sense of community among the leadership, which percolates into the journeys. That’s part of what we try to offer – a feeling of community and bringing likeminded people together.’ May is National Walking Month, but David, his teams and his guests walk all

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year round. He recalls a recent amble in which he saw the benefits of the activity. ‘There were lots of us, but we were free to move at our own pace, take in the view, soak up the atmosphere, and I had a wonderful experience of God. We all felt refreshed after the walk. Walking has a wonderful way of enabling renewal, of opening the channels of spirituality and clearing the way. We think more clearly, pray more deeply and simply “be” more easily.’ While Journeying runs trips that are open to people of all faiths and none, it takes its adventurers to remote places in Britain and Ireland where they come across a particular type of spirituality. ‘The places we visit are coincidentally the places where the Celtic saints of old used to be,’ David explains. ‘So we couldn’t really avoid them. Their Celtic Christian spirituality became incorporated into what we did. They were very Bible-centred, but they had an emphasis on being outdoors and in creation. And that gels with what we are about.’ Each of the trips is different, but there

are elements that remain the same, David explains. ‘Whether we’re doing a long, linear pilgrimage or a holiday in the spirit of pilgrimage, there is a rhythm to every day. Each day begins with a time of reflective worship, and while we’re walking or exploring we will stop during the day for brief moments of reflection – maybe with a poem or a reading – to keep us in pilgrim mode. There’s nothing quite like stopping by the side of a lovely mountain stream and listening to a fantastic poem that talks of the scene you’re looking at. ‘We have the occasional trip where you have to get the miles in each day, otherwise you won’t get to the next night’s accommodation. But generally speaking, we go at a gentle pace, with time to look at the view and drink in the atmosphere. ‘We visit specific sites, and there may be a story about a certain place, or we’ll learn about characters associated

We go at a gentle pace with time to look at the view

Journeying pilgrims on Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire with it. We sometimes meet people, either because we planned to or by accident. On one trip, we met a wonderful woman, a hermit, who lived on the side of Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain in Ireland. The people you meet along the way are all part of the holiday experience. ‘Finally, depending on where we stay, we enjoy the sense of community that comes out of sharing a meal.’ While the everyday rhythm makes up most of the trip, the more unpredictable parts make for good stories, says David, as he describes the time they were stuck at sea. ‘Our boat had engine trouble and stalled, so we were

Taking in the atmosphere at Brecon Beacons

just floating adrift between the mainland and an island. We were 12 pilgrims, bobbing around on the open sea. We were lucky another boat came along and gave us a lift. Everyone was in great spirits, but you can only imagine what might have happened had we been there much longer.’ David says that, as well as providing

memorable occasions, the trips offer people an opportunity to recharge their spiritual life. ‘Whether you’ve had a rough time, or you simply want to get some refreshment into your spiritual outlook, being in the great outdoors can help. ‘God is there to be encountered wherever you are, but there is no doubt that when you’re out in his creation and there’s a bit of stillness, it can be easier to tap into God.’

Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain 7 May 2022 • WAR CRY • 7

‘I was going to lose my hearing or my life’ Multiple life-saving surgeries have changed the way EMILY OWEN looks and left her unable to hear. However, despite her life’s hopes and plans being torn apart, she has found a source of strength Interview by Emily Bright

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‘I

HAD two massive tumours in my head, which doctors told me were so big that they were about to kill me,’ says Emily Owen. She had experienced bad headaches and balance problems for some time and, at the age of just 16, she was diagnosed with a neurofibromatosis type two, a genetic condition in which tumours grow along the nerves in the body. She was dealt another blow when she learnt that the operation she required, which took place a few weeks later on 21 May 1996, would make her deaf in one ear. While the operation itself seemed to go smoothly, two days later doctors had to take her back into theatre because of a build-up of fluid on her brain. A shunt was put in to release the fluid and the pressure that was building but, despite their best efforts, Emily remained unconscious and spent her 17th birthday in intensive care. After two more brain operations, she was put on a life support machine. Doctors discovered that she’d had a stroke in her brainstem, which meant that there was a risk she would never wake up or be able to breathe on her own. ‘After five days in intensive care, they said to my parents: “She’s not going to wake up. We need your permission to switch off the life support machine,”’ says Emily. ‘And my parents actually said yes. It wasn’t an easy decision, but as Christians, they believed I would go to Heaven. They also agreed to donate most of my organs.’ But an eagle-eyed member of medical staff spotted that Emily was trying to breathe for herself and so the medical equipment remained switched on. However, the road to recovery was long. ‘I needed to learn how to do everything again,’ she explains. ‘I couldn’t move, walk or talk – I couldn’t do anything really. My short-term memory was terrible after the surgery. Someone even needed to tell me to breathe until I learnt how to do it on my own without a breathing machine. ‘The doctors and nurses said I needed to start eating because I’d been fed by a tube in intensive care, but I didn’t really want to eat. I can remember lying there, as my mum fed me Weetabix. ‘But I was so weak. After about 15 minutes I looked into the bowl and I’d hardly eaten anything. My mum, though, recognised the little things I was doing well and helped me change my perspective. I learnt to focus on the things I could do, rather than things I couldn’t.’ Emily’s Christian faith sustained her throughout her lowest times. ‘Faith has been important to our family and we’ve always

Emily in hospital in 2010

prayed about stuff,’ she says. ‘Prayer felt difficult for me – like my prayers bounced off the ceiling. But through that time, I learnt the power of being prayed for. I also read my Bible and wrote down verses that stuck out to me.’ Once she felt she had sufficiently recovered, Emily returned to college to take her A levels. Despite having shortterm memory loss, she managed to pass them and win a place at university. But halfway through the first term, her balance issues and headaches returned. Doctors told her that her tumour

I couldn’t move, walk or talk

had grown back even bigger than before and it was close to a facial nerve. They said that removing it may damage her face. For a 19-year-old, this was almost too much to bear. ‘I remember saying to the doctor, “Take my hearing but don’t damage my face.” I didn’t want to look different from other people. But there was no choice. The doctor tried not to damage it, but he did. Waking up from surgery with my damaged face was a real low point. In some ways, I hit rock bottom. ‘I couldn’t go back to university because I didn’t want to see people. So

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Emily tells her story on TV

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From page 9 I just stayed at home for months, playing the piano and eating baby food because the damage to my face affected my ability to eat. Gradually, though, my confidence began to build.’ Just two years after that operation, however, Emily’s headaches and balance problems returned again. The tumour on her hearing side had regrown. She was referred to a specialist hospital in Manchester. ‘The surgeon said the tumour had grown so big that he’d either operate and I would lose my hearing, or he wouldn’t and I would lose my life,’ Emily recalls. ‘So I said I’d have the operation.’ During this time, Emily once again took strength from her faith. ‘As I came out of the hospital after

being told that I would lose my hearing, it was throwing it down with rain,’ she says. ‘But then I saw a rainbow – in the Bible, God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign he was with his people. There was actually one rainbow after another, all the way down the motorway. I’ve never seen that before or since. ‘I like to think that God had been putting the rainbows there for me, because it was raining on my life. As we drove along, I was looking out of the window, thinking that, even though it was a horrible day, there was still something good. From that day, I decided that, whatever happens in my day, I’m going to find something good. Rainbows came in the form of little things, like chocolate or a letter from a friend.’ With her operation date set, Emily

The surgeon said I would lose my hearing, or I would lose my life

decided to make the most of her hearing by listening to music and phoning her family. She also wanted to hear a theatre performance for the last time. She discovered that a musical of The Secret Garden was being staged in Stratfordupon-Avon, opening on the day that she had to go to Manchester for her operation. Unfazed, her mum phoned the theatre to explain the situation. Emily and her family were invited to the dress rehearsal. ‘The composer of the musical came and sat with me, and it was a special time,’ Emily remembers.

s the day of her operation approached, Emily decided to spend time enjoying the last music she would ever hear. ‘The night before the surgery itself, I thought it was pointless to sleep because

Emily’s operations resulted in her needing a wheelchair 10 • WAR CRY • 7 May 2022

I would have 12 hours under anaesthetic the next day. In the end, I just lay in bed with my headphones, listening to Handel’s “Messiah”. I really liked classical music, and we used to go to performances of “Messiah” as a family once a year. So that was a special piece of music to listen to before I lost my hearing. In “Messiah”, there’s a song that says “I know that my redeemer lives”, which reinforces for me that God is still with me through everything.’ On 15 November 2000, the time came for Emily’s operation, which would take away the tumour but also her hearing. ‘My parents walked down towards the theatre with me, given the exceptional circumstances of me losing my hearing,’ she says. ‘The last thing I ever heard them say was “I love you”. And since then, through the ups and downs of multiple surgeries, I hold on to that.’ Despite all that she has endured in her life, Emily believes that she has experienced the love not only of her parents, but also of God. ‘Sometimes we think we don’t hear from God and he’s not speaking to us. But all the time he’s saying: “I love you.” I’ve had more than 20 operations across my body, and now I’ve got more scars than skin. But when bad things happen, God doesn’t ever walk out on us. I realised that my rock bottom could get lower and lower, but God was still there for me.’ ‘God didn’t look at the shipwreck that was my life and say he was off. He stayed with me in it. And it was that relationship with him that helped me through. I was held by him, and I held on to him.’ Emily talks of having an encounter with God that changed her perspective on her condition and the countless medical interventions. ‘Before one of my operations, I was wheeled on a hospital bed down a long corridor when something inside of me snapped, and I thought: “I can’t do this any more.” ‘My life was not supposed to be hospitals, operations, things taken away, deafness, an inability to walk or smile. So

Emily arriving at hospital for her annual MRI scan

I said to God: “I don’t want to wake up from the anaesthetic.” In a sense, I was saying: “I want to die.” ‘But I felt God say to me: “You’re going to wake up from this surgery.” So I said to God: “If I’m going to wake up, how am I going to live this life that I don’t want?” He replied: “You need to let go of what you thought life would be so that you can reach for what life actually is.” In that moment, I let go. And when I did, it was as if my hands were opened to receive blessings from God.’ Emily has written a book about her experiences, Still Emily. As she has looked back on her experiences, she has learnt to be honest with God about how she feels and she has discovered that her identity is not in what she can do, but who she is. ‘I’ve had times where I’ve hated life. But God is big enough to take our honesty and frustration and who we are. He promised he would always be there for us, even when it might not feel like it. ‘One day, I looked at myself and thought: “I am absolutely pathetic.

I’ve had more than 20 operations across my body

Why would God even want me?” Then God asked me what the greatest act of worship was. I thought of Jesus on the cross. And he said: “Stop there.” God showed me that when Jesus was on the cross, he was really worshipping God because he was doing God’s will, even when he couldn’t physically move. ‘It made me realise that, even when I can do nothing, God still loves me. It’s not about what we do, it’s about who we are. Our identity is found in who we are as children of God.’

l Still Emily is published by Malcolm Down Publishing

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Prayerlink The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

Becoming a Christian

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK On the right track

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters AFTER fracturing his pelvis in a fall, Harold Messam was told by doctors that he would never walk again – so he set about proving them wrong. According to a BBC news report, the 95-year old from Breaston in Derbyshire is now a regular at his local Parkrun. Speaking to camera at the start line of the weekly 5km event, Harold explained that he wasn’t much of a runner, but over the course of his lifetime he had walked ‘a good many marathons’. He added that he enjoys Parkrun for the way it encourages him to keep active, despite his injuries. He said that his policy was, ‘I’ll keep doing what I can, while I can.’ As I watched Harold stride out the 5km course, walking poles in hand, I admired his determination and positive outlook. He knew that with a finishing time of just under one hour, he was never Their path going to be the fastest athlete to take part – but it matter. His spirit could not be quashed. is different didn’t ‘To me, it’s not a race,’ he said, as he was filmed nearing the finish line. ‘It’s achieving and finishing from ours what I started.’ Well said, Harold. I like your focus. It reminds me that all of us go through life with a different set of circumstances to navigate. As a result, it’s not helpful when we compare ourselves with others and how well they are doing, or how much further than us they are getting. We don’t need to strive to outdo our neighbour when their path is different from ours. (And to fellow perfectionists out there: we really don’t need to be the most successful at everything, although we may think that we do.) As we take on the marathon of life, what’s truly important is our attitude towards it. What matters to me, as a woman of faith, is my own performance – that I keep striving to do my best with what I have, and to be as kind, forgiving, helpful, understanding and compassionate as I can possibly be, whatever challenges come my way. That’s how I intend to finish.

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Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army

Looking for help?

Contact details of a Salvation Army minister Name Address Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 7 May 2022

puppy tales Life with a young dog leads Barbara Lang to look at the world from a new perspective

Walkies! W

QUICK QUIZ 1

What is the nickname given to the Yeoman Warders who guard the Tower of London?

Who had a No 1 hit in 1991 with the song ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’?

Who was the first female scientist to win a Nobel prize? Meteora, Delphi and Argolis are places found in which European country?

Richard Osman recently announced he was leaving which TV quiz show? In which sport did Tom Pidcock win a gold medal last year at the Tokyo Olympics? ANSWERS

HEN I walk Jak, the very active and quite anxious collie, I go out early in the morning. Super early – just before the sun rises over the horizon. It is so peaceful and calming to be out in the bracing fresh air before the world gets busy. When there are no clouds in the sky, we can still see the stars, and I marvel at the beauty and the sheer number of them above us. These early morning walks give us the time and the space to relax before the day ahead when I’ll be busy with travelling, chatting and working and Jak will be busy listening for tiny noises to bark at, guarding the letterbox, rounding up his squeaky toys or sniffing out a tasty treat. For me, the start to our day cannot be beaten. Walking in creation and looking at the beauty of nature, I feel close to God. I realise that not everyone can enjoy walks in the way Jak and I can, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also experience God. The Bible tells us that God is everywhere – inside and out – and that he’s there all the time – early or late. Wherever we are, we can be assured of God’s presence with us and know his peace and calm.

‘Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ Joshua 1:9 (New International Version)

BOOK REVIEW The Bible: A Story That Makes Sense of Life Andrew Ollerton Hodder & Stoughton IS the Bible fact or fiction? Andrew Ollerton invites readers to decide for themselves with his captivating book for anyone interested in the ancient text. Andrew, a church pastor and theologian, breaks down the colossal task of reading the Bible from cover to cover by dividing the 66 books into manageable chunks. He explores several main themes, such as humanity’s desire for meaning. His explanations in each chapter are free from technical jargon and include references to modern-day topics, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as his own personal anecdotes. The main message of Andrew’s book is that the Bible, at its core, is a story of God’s love for the world and for everyone in it. It is a worthwhile read for anyone who might be curious about why a volume of books compiled by multiple authors more than a thousand years ago remains one of the world’s bestselling texts today.

Linda McTurk

7 May 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

1. Beefeaters. 2. Bryan Adams. 3. Marie Curie. 4. Greece. 5. Pointless. 6. Mountain biking.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. Associate (7) 5. Swift (5) 7. Separated (7) 8. Enticed (5) 10. Be sullen (4) 11. False praise (8) 13. Go back (6) 14. Boundary (6) 17. Longing (8) 19. Operatic song (4) 21. First performance (5) 22. Obstructs (7) 23. Swear (5) 24. Bullfighter (7) DOWN 2. Brook (7) 3. Naked (4) 4. Enigma (6) 5. Kinsman (8) 6. Money bag (5) 7. Annihilated (9) 9. Imaginings (9) 12. Dark-haired (8) 15. Ridiculed (7) 16. Frail (6)

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

5 6 9 1 3 9 6 4 6 7 2 7 4 9 3 2 18. Traffic-light colour (5) 20. Speck (4)

5 5

7 3 8

7 4 6 2 9

6 7 1

WORDSEARCH

5 6 7 8 1 4 3 2 9 9 8 1 3 7 2 6 5 4 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally 4 words 2 3 associated 9 6 5with8spring 1 7 on the grid to find these 1 5 4 6 2 8 7 9 3 W F T Z P F W3N N B Q1G W 7 I 6A R 5 D4C 9 8 2 E AMO T Z D F M F D Q J C A E Y R 9 Y8R 1 J U E M X N V2B P T T3W 7 U Z4Y 6J 5 P R I P U W U7Z W R C2O 3I 8 1 O5B N 4 I 9A 6 GOME I HWY BMA K X X E B H A 3 R2T B 7 L5O 1S S9O M 4 6 Q G V O C C Z8 I Q V N L K G T N6H B U Z5H 7 E 1 4 D9 I Q 2 N8N 3

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Truthful 2. Institution for educating children 3. Savoury flan 4. Make smaller 5. The roof of the mouth 6. Amount of money left in a will

P N R J L D B H Q T N C MM V S A B I F V R

ANSWERS 5 9 4 1 3 2 7 8 6

6 8 2 5 7 9 1 3 4

7 1 3 4 6 8 5 2 9

8 3 9 6 5 1 4 7 2

1 7 6 2 4 3 9 5 8

4 2 5 8 9 7 6 1 3

3 6 8 7 1 4 2 9 5

2 3

2 5 1 9 8 6 3 4 7

9 4 7 3 2 5 8 6 1

6 7 1

HONEYCOMB 1. Honest. 2. School. 3. Quiche. 4. Reduce. 5. Palate. 6. Legacy. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Partner. 5. Rapid. 7. Divided. 8. Lured. 10. Sulk. 11. Flattery. 13. Return. 14. Border. 17. Yearning. 19. Aria. 21. Debut. 22. Impedes. 23. Curse. 24. Matador. DOWN: 2. Rivulet. 3. Nude. 4. Riddle. 5. Relation. 6. Purse. 7. Destroyed. 9. Daydreams. 12. Brunette. 15. Derided. 16. Infirm. 18. Amber. 20. Spot.

14 • WAR CRY • 7 May 2022

Q D R BMY Y Q J E G R U R A F O K AWK C T G D H C H J V Z OQ

C G H V R R X K J S R

B V E R N K D Q X Q S

I J Z Q B E P E J U N

R C Q N Z U A Q N R R

A B Q F B N F A Y O R Q D G S I Z I L HW S BM O T F N Z E I WC

Z E T A N E V U J E R

I U Q E N G Q V L Q Z

R R E C T I O N Y T F

Q R V RWV Z G N X I R K Q F L F Z MN I D A Q Z S L GWL I V D

BABY ANIMAL

GARDEN

RAINBOW

BLOSSOM

GROWTH

REJUVENATE

BULB

NEWBORN

RESURRECTION

DAFFODIL

PICNIC

ROBIN

EASTER

RABBIT

SUNSHINE

EQUINOX

RAIN

VIBRANT

Cheesy apple and spinach breakfast egg muffins Ingredients 1tbsp olive oil 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped, plus extra to garnish 1 small apple, quartered, cored and cubed 100g frozen chopped spinach, thawed slightly 50g cheddar cheese, grated

Method Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Lightly oil a 6-cup muffin tray. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then add the onions and apple and sauté for 3 minutes, until soft. Crumble the spinach into the pan and cook until it has fully thawed but is not hot. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in half the cheese and season, to taste. Divide the mixture between the six holes of the muffin tray. Crack the eggs into a jug and beat with a fork until smooth. Pour the eggs over the apple mix and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Salt and ground black pepper

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are golden and set. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool slightly before removing from the tin.

4 medium British Lion eggs

Serve warm or cold, scattered with the extra spring onions.

SERVES

Babies' little eggy veggie fritters Ingredients 40g broccoli florets 1 medium British Lion egg 40g self-raising flour 50g courgette, grated 50g carrot, grated 25g frozen sweetcorn Milk Oil

Method Steam the broccoli florets for 3 minutes or until tender, then cool slightly and roughly chop. Crack the egg into a bowl, add the flour and beat together. Stir in the grated vegetables, sweetcorn and chopped broccoli. Add enough milk to give the mixture a soft consistency. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add a couple of drops of oil and swirl around the pan. Drop a heaped spoonful of the batter into the pan and spread with the back of the spoon. Spoon in 2 more fritters, leaving a 3cm gap between them. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crisp and goldenbrown. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat to make a total of 8 fritters and leave to cool. Cut the fritters into quarters and arrange on the plate. Serve with scrambled egg that has been allowed to cool or place in a sealable container in the fridge and use within 48 hours.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the British Egg Information Service website egginfo.co.uk

MAKES

7 May 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped Psalm 28:7 (English Standard Version)

WAR CRY