Faith & Friends March 2022

Maid’s Amy Read

HER ARMY ROOTS P.24

Réjean‘s Dying Wish

A LIVING WILL P.12

Back on Kelley’s Feet

ARMY HELPS P.10

Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

MARCH 2022

Sole Man

HOW NFL STAR MCTELVIN AGIM’S YOUTH AT THE SALVATION ARMY SHAPED WHO HE IS. P.16 faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022 • 1

Photo: Andrey Popov/stock.Adobe.com

A Full Life “I’m so busy.”

“There’s never enough time in the day.”

“My schedule is just too full!”

Do you ever find yourself saying things like this? Work, school and other commitments fill our calendars. Our to-do lists are long and always growing.

Our lives are full, but are they fulfilling? Jesus promises us a better way. He once told His followers, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Full of peace that passes understanding. Full of hope that does not disappoint. Full of love that is everlasting.

A life full of God.

To learn more about how Jesus can give you new life, visit our website at www.faithandfriends.ca or contact us at: The Salvation Army Editorial Department, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4

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March 2022

VOLUME 25 NUMBER 3

22

BAD TO THE BONE 5

Looking for Trouble A new series unpacks the Bible’s bad boys and girls, starting with the Old Testament’s Lot.

LAUGHING MATTERS 8

Mr. Flynn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day You may have had one, but God says, “I’m with you. Choose joy.”

COMMON GROUND 10 Back on Their Feet

The Salvation Army has made the world a better place for Kelley and her nephew, Jordan.

FEATURES Maid’s Amy Read

HER ARMY ROOTS P.24

Réjean‘s Dying Wish

A LIVING WILL P.12

Back on Kelley’s Feet

ARMY HELPS P.10

Faith&Friends

12

I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

MARCH 2022

Sole Man

16 HOW NFL STAR MCTELVIN AGIM’S YOUTH AT THE SALVATION ARMY SHAPED WHO HE IS. P.16 faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022 • 1

COVER STORY 22

A Living Will

Now, while he can, Réjean wants his life to be an example for others.

Touchdown Pass

How NFL star McTelvin Agim’s youth at The Salvation Army shaped who he is.

Becoming Unbreakable

New movie reminds us to focus on gratitude every day.

24

FAITH BUILDERS 24 Maid for This

Squamish, B.C., actor’s role in Netflix miniseries a natural fit.

LITE STUFF 28 Eating Healthy With Erin

Word Search, Sudoku, Quick Quiz.

NIFTY THRIFTY 31 Grounds for Improvement!

Use the power of coffee to turn something old into something new. faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022

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Faith&Friends

FROM THE EDITOR

We Can Be Heroes

Y

ou don’t have to rush into a burning building to save a baby or rescue someone from the path of an onrushing train to be a hero. Sometimes, it can be something as simple as being in the stands during a hockey game.

This is what happened to Nadia Popovici, a 22-year-old Seattle Kraken fan, late last year.

She was seated behind the Vancouver bench watching the game against the Canucks when she noticed an irregularly shaped mole on the back of assistant equipment manager Brian Hamilton’s neck.

Nadia, who is going to medical school next year, says the mole caught her eye.

“It can’t hurt to say something,” she told CBC News Network.

Nadia held up the note she’d written on her cellphone to the plexiglass behind the Canucks bench, alerting Brian that the mole could possibly be cancerous.

Brian initially brushed off the note, but then had a team doctor check it out. It was indeed discovered to be a cancerous mole that could have had lethal consequences if left untreated.

“She saved my life,” a grateful Brian said later.

Nadia could have noted the mole and dismissed it. Instead, she acted—with life-changing results.

We can all be heroes by refusing to turn away, whether from inequity, intolerance, injustice or any other “in.” All it takes is you refusing to stand aside. The world will be a better place for it.

Ken Ramstead FEBRUARY 2022 2022 I faithandfriends.ca I faithandfriends.ca 4 • MARCH

Mission Statement To show Christ at work in the lives of real people, and to provide spiritual resources for those who are new to the Christian faith.

Faith & Friends is published monthly by: The Salvation Army 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto Ontario, M4H 1P4 International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4P 4EP, England William and Catherine Booth FOUNDERS

Brian Peddle, GENERAL Commissioner Floyd Tidd TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Lt-Colonel John P. Murray SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Geoff Moulton, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Pamela Richardson ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kristin Ostensen MANAGING EDITOR OF SALVATIONIST AND SALVATIONIST.CA Ken Ramstead, EDITOR

Lisa Suroso GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST

Rivonny Luchas DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

Ada Leung CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR

Giselle Randall STAFF WRITER Scripture Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from New International Version Contact Us P. (416) 467-3188, F. (416) 422-6217 Websites faithandfriends.ca, salvationist.ca, salvationarmy.ca Email faithandfriends@salvationarmy.ca Subscription for one year: Canada $17 (includes GST/HST); U.S. $22; foreign $24 P. (416) 422-6119 circulation@salvationarmy.ca All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064794 ISSN 1702-0131

Faith&Friends

BAD TO THE BONE?

Looking for Trouble A new series unpacks the Bible’s bad boys and girls.

by Jeanette Levellie

Illustration: Kevin Carden/stock.Adobe.com

G

od has guts. He could’ve given us a 1,189-chapter Handbook for Living, full of stories about noble heroes to serve as examples.

Instead, He gave us the Bible, overflowing with accounts of murderers, adulterers, betrayers and thieves.

Some of these “bad boys and girls” realized they were headed for trouble and did a U-turn before it was too late. Others wallowed in their sin and paid the price. And God, never one to waste, used every story to help us understand Him better (Really, Lord?

You didn’t condemn an adulteress?) or show us what to avoid (Be careful who you tell your secrets to.).

This new series will examine some of these biblical bad boys and girls.

A few we might recognize, such as Delilah, whose badness was blatant.

Others may surprise us, such as Zechariah, who sinned in secret. But every one of these stories will spark hope for our own messes.

Life-Changing Verse I spent years running from God’s grace while I “did my own thing” as a bad girl. Then I found a Bible

verse that changed my life: “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). That reassurance led me to surrender my life to God. I won’t lie and tell you I haven’t done anything bad since that decision. But I will tell you that God’s grace is bigger than any badness.

Since that day, I’ve diligently studied God’s Word and taught it in many settings, including Sunday school classes, kids’ neighbourhood Bible clubs and worship services.

Last year, I was ordained as a minister, and now I preach several times a month. I’ve co-pastored seven congregations and authored six Christian books plus hundreds of articles that focus on God’s grace and humour.

Because everyone can relate to bad boys and girls—whether our worst sin is saying a bad word or stealing a million dollars—this series will encourage us to receive God’s forgiveness, forgive ourselves and help us stay faithful to the Lord.

Turn the page for the first article in the series.

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Faith&Friends

BAD TO THE BONE?

The Best of a Bad Lot As Abram’s nephew illustrated, even good people can make bad mistakes.

by Jeanette Levellie

W

hen Abram (later called Abraham) was called by God to leave his homeland and start His chosen nation of Hebrews, or Israelites, he not only packed up his family, servants, possessions and livestock. He also took his nephew, Lot, and his entire household.

As the two groups travelled throughout Israel and Egypt, they grew wealthy. The land they’d chosen to settle in could no longer support their huge flocks and herds. And, worse, their servants quarrelled over wells.

Abram proposed a solution. “Let’s not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left” (Genesis 13:8-9).

Viewing the lush valleys to the east watered by the Jordan River, Lot selfishly chose to settle there, near the city of Sodom. The Bible tells us that the people who lived in Sodom “were

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wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord” (Genesis 13:13). According to the Apostle Peter, their disregard of God’s standards tormented Lot day and night (see 2 Peter 2:8). Yet he chose to remain in that raunchy neighbourhood. He even raised his two daughters there.

Don’t Look Back But the day came when the people of Sodom and its neighbouring town, Gomorrah, became so wicked that God sent an angel to destroy them.

The angel warned Lot to take his family and not walk but run away from his old neighbourhood and not look back.

Soon fire and brimstone—burning sulfur with poisonous fumes—fell from heaven. Every person in both cities died a painful, horrible death.

Lot and his two daughters fled from God’s wrath pouring out on those evil ones, looking forward to their new destination. But Lot’s wife disobeyed the Lord’s command. When she looked behind her, she instantly turned to a statue of salt. Lot and his

Illustration: Woodcut by Gustave Doré (1832-1883), courtesy of The Doré Bible Gallery

The angel warned Lot to take his family and not walk but run away from his old neighbourhood and not look back.

daughters fled from the horror and started their new life in a neighbouring region.

We Can’t Fix Our Own Messes Although the Apostle Peter tells us that Lot was a righteous man (see 2 Peter 2:8), he made some bad decisions.

Moving to a city filled with wickedness had terrible results, not only for him but also for his family.

His story shows how people who are trying to live for God can still make foolish choices. We go in the direction that looks best, that seems ideal, the “greener grass” on the other side of the fence. And when our environment turns evil, we feel stuck. The truth is, on our own, we can’t fix the mistakes we’ve made in the past. But

when we ask for God’s help, He will always give us a way out.

It’s probably an accurate guess that Lot couldn’t imagine how God would rescue his family when He sent the angel to warn them of Sodom’s destruction. But he still obeyed the Lord and became a perfect example of God’s faithfulness to His children.

What About Lot? Read Genesis 12-14, 19 • Who: The nephew of Abram • When: Around 2,000 BC • Where: The land of Canaan (now Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, and the southern portions of Syria and Lebanon)

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Faith&Friends

LAUGHING MATTERS

Mr. Flynn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day You may have had one, but God says, “I’m with you.

Choose joy.”

by Phil Callaway

A

Photo: Dallas Callaway

t the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, a loose shoelace, a lack of handrails, a marble wall and a stroke of misfortune conspired to give one ill-fated individual, who shall remain nameless—until the next paragraph—an Inspector Clouseau moment.

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Shattering Conclusion After hiding from embarrassment for several days, Mr. Flynn recalled the events of that fateful afternoon to reporters.

His misadventure began with the realization that he had ascended the wrong staircase, so he swung gracefully around but trod upon his untied shoelace.

“I was trying to grab hold of something,” he said, “but I couldn’t stop myself.”

Hurtling toward the vases displayed on

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a windowsill, he thought, I will only shatter the first one. But it was not to be.

“Although I knew the vase would break, I didn’t imagine it would be loose and crash into the other two,” he said. “I’m sure I only hit the first one, which then hit the other, like a set of dominoes.”

The “dominoes,” which had been intact since the 17th century, were valued at $200,000.

“I can say with my hand on my heart,” said Mr. Flynn, with his hand on his heart, “that it was not deliberate. It was just one of those unbelievably unlucky things that can sometimes happen. I collided with a vase, which shattered into thousands of razor-sharp shards, and I was unhurt. I think it must have been a miracle.”

The vases had been displayed on the windowsill for 60 years before Mr. Flynn’s unfortunate visit. Tumbling down the museum staircase, he brought a shattering conclusion to the earthly pilgrimage of three Qing dynasty vases.

Choose Velcro I’ll tell you a little more about the fall of Mr. Flynn in a minute. But, first, I imagine you’ve had a bad day or two yourself. A friend sometimes says, “Just because today is a bad day doesn’t mean tomorrow won’t be the worst day of your life.” What an encouragement. What a friend.

I prefer the advice of something my

wife hung on the fridge: “Sometimes bad days remind us that we have good ones to look forward to.”

None of us are immune to circumstances, phone calls, tragedies. That’s why we might want to set our GPS to Psalm 118 (New Living Translation).

In it, the writer mentions his distress.

Fearful, he’s surrounded by hostile nations; enemies want to take his life.

I’ve had bad days, but none like that.

So how can he say in the midst of it, “This is the day the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it” (verse 24)?

Smacked around by trouble and pain, he chose to focus on God’s goodness and mercy. “In my distress I prayed to the Lord,” he wrote, “and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? (verses 5-6). Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever” (verse 29).

Your calendar and your circumstances may label this a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. God says, “I’m with you. Have no fear.

Choose gratitude. Choose joy.”

As for Mr. Flynn, it took experts six months to reassemble the vases and they are now back on display— in a special case. Reportedly, he was banned from the museum for some time following his fall.

So, listen to your mothers, you children. Do up your laces. Or choose Velcro.

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Faith&Friends

COMMON GROUND

Photo: Courtesy of Kelley Sherin

Selfie Smiles Jordan Sherin, left, and his aunt, Kelley Sherin, were helped by The Salvation Army when they needed it most

Back on Their Feet The Salvation Army has made the world a better place for Kelley and her nephew, Jordan.

by Megan Atkins-Baker

A

Saanich, B.C., woman who cares for her autistic teen nephew says she was greatly helped by The Salvation Army’s Victoria Citadel church during a breaking point in her life.

Homeless and Penniless With no children of her own, Kelley Sherin took in 16-year-old Jordan to provide him with the care he deserves—but wasn’t receiving.

Jordan had moved around a lot within his extended family prior to moving in with Kelley. Being the

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only adult in her family who was single and able, she felt it was time to advocate for him by providing a consistent and loving home base.

However, Kelley had issues of her own before Jordan moved in. She had trouble finding appropriate housing and experienced homelessness for two weeks before finding a basement suite through sharing her story in an online ad.

Moving costs and paying her initial rent rendered her penniless once they’d moved in, so she was forced to search for a food bank,

After going from an independent career woman to a single parent in survival mode, Kelley was humbled by how quickly life’s circumstances can change.

which ultimately led her to Victoria Citadel.

Changing Circumstances “I found The Salvation Army downtown and was then promptly directed to the citadel, which also happens to be just a few blocks from where I live,” she says.

She was welcomed with open arms by Michelle O’Connor, community ministries director, and the on-site pastor.

“Michelle encouraged me to be open about how I was really doing—from physical and mental to emotional and spiritual,” Kelley says.

She was then assisted with food and one-on-one practical support through joining the Next Steps Program offered by the organization.

Kelley and Jordan attended a movie night a few weeks later, where

families came together to enjoy games, treats and door prizes, and Jordan is now a part of the youth group.

“He said that he lives for youth group—and that was only after going one time!” Kelley says.

With the support from Victoria Citadel, she feels immense relief knowing she has others to lean on when times are difficult. After going from an independent career woman with no one else to support but herself to a single parent in survival mode within a short time period, Kelley was humbled by how quickly life’s circumstances can change.

Community support from Victoria Citadel has helped her get back on her feet, she says, and allowed her to provide the best care possible to her nephew.

Reprinted from Saanich News/Black Press Media, November 14, 2021.

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

A Living

Will

RÉJEAN CONQUERED HIS ADDICTIONS WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY. NOW, WHILE HE CAN, HE WANTS TO BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS.

by Larisa Chis

I

“

am a former junkie,” states Réjean. “I wasn’t able to support my family and went through a divorce, all because I did drugs. I’m sure had I continued on the path I’d been on, I would have died. But The Salvation Army saved my life.”

Open Doors Réjean’s first contact with The Salvation Army came about 13 years ago, when he discovered The Salvation Army’s Booth Centre in Montreal, which offers temporary housing and the support of intervention workers for men 18 and over who are experiencing housing difficulties and struggling with addiction or mental illness.

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It was when Réjean was active at the Booth Centre and helping out at The Salvation Army’s Camp Lac L’Achigan that he got to know Major Rock Marcoux.

“The pastors, such as Major Rock, and the staff at the Booth Centre, took the time to listen and take care of me so I could get better,” Réjean says. “It was there that I welcomed God into my life.”

With the support of Major Rock and the staff, he entered the Booth Centre’s addiction treatment program and started the process of recovery. As he healed spiritually, physically and emotionally, doors opened to another part of his life that he thought were forever closed.

Together in Friendship Réjean (left) with Major Rock Marcoux. “I’m not going to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs”

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

He’s Coming to Town One of Réjean’s favourite holidays is Christmas and he used to love to dress up as Santa for Salvation Army functions before his hospitalization

“Thirteen years went by without my children having any contact with me,” Réjean says. “I reconnected with them in 2012. They gave me a second chance and we got to know each other. I am part of their lives and they are part of mine now.”

Volunteering While at the Booth Centre, Réjean was told about The Salvation Army’s Nouveaux Départs (New Starts) Community Church in Sherbrooke, Que. There, he volunteered with community and family services, assisted in renovating the church, took care of the volunteers, worked at the food bank and, most of all, offered help to anyone who asked for it.

“I volunteered three times a week,” Réjean continues. “When I decided to get involved, I did it with 14 • MARCH 2022

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my heart. No one forced me. Growing up, I was taught the importance of helping others. That was the most beautiful lesson my parents ever taught me, that helping others is priceless.

“I love volunteering,” he says.

“Giving to people as much as I can. I do it with heart. Seeing people come to the food bank reminds me of where I was in another life. Without The Salvation Army, I would have been homeless and probably would have lost my life on the street.

“When people come to the Army for help, they know we care. We’re here to help them. Sometimes people come to the food bank and, often, the next time we see them, it’s in the church on Sunday.

“Helping others is priceless, it’s rewarding, and I know that the people I help are happy.”

Goals But just as Réjean started a new life, he received some difficult news.

Doctors diagnosed him with cancer, which necessitated surgery on one of his lungs in 2020. Unfortunately, after further tests late last year, doctors found more cancer, which

“Helping others is priceless, it’s rewarding, and I know that the people I help are happy.”

RÉJEAN

wasn’t operable.

The diagnosis might well have paralyzed someone with less spirit, but Réjean refused to be cowed.

“We all have a way of grieving,” he says, “I’m not going to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs.

“All I asked God was to get me through Christmas and New Year’s,” he continues. “They are my favourite holidays. Then, for the darker days, Major Rock purchased tickets to a Christmas show at Place Des Arts and he told me to put them on the fridge and think about that when I had difficult moments.”

Réjean opened his heart to God when he arrived at the Booth Centre. He also knows his feelings of love and respect for his Salvationist friends are reciprocated.

“I know that the people at Nouveaux Départs are praying for me

on Tuesday nights and Sunday mornings,” he says.

Réjean has decided not to have any extended treatment and is now in a hospice.

“I don’t want to be in hospital for six months,” he shares. “I don’t want to put my children through that. I don’t want them to worry. I spend weekends with them. I asked my son if I could talk to my 12-year-old grandson about my health. I told him that I would soon pass away, and he understands.

“What little time I have left, I want it to be beautiful and useful.”

Which is why he decided to share his testimony, to be an example for others.

“If I can help one person ask for help and pull them out from their own darkness, my goal will have been achieved.”

(left) Larisa Chis is the communications officer at The Salvation Army’s divisional headquarters in Montreal. faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Sole Man McTelvin Agim, a second-year defensive lineman for the NFL’s Denver Broncos, auctioned a customdesigned boot he wore in a recent game. The money raised went to The Salvation Army in Texarkana, Texas

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GROWING UP IN TEXAS, NFL STAR McTELVIN AGIM FOUND A PLACE OF BELONGING AT THE SALVATION ARMY.

by Ben Swanson

faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022

Photos: Courtesy of the Denver Broncos

Touchdown Pass

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Turkey Time McTelvin holds two turkeys as he helps distribute Thanksgiving meals to families in need in 2021

McTELVIN AGIM HAS BECOME a successful player with the National Football League’s Denver Broncos, but his team commitments don’t get in the way of his support of The Salvation Army.

“When I was a kid, we had a rough time, a rough patch growing up,” McTelvin says. “We didn’t have anywhere to go.”

Or almost nowhere. He says it was The Salvation Army who helped his family, so he understands the pressures and struggles many families face in similar situations across the United States and Canada— especially at Christmas.

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Giving It the Boot The 24-year-old, six-foot-two, 308-pound second-year defensive lineman says he remembers as a six- or seven-year-old child the Christmases when he only got socks, or when he and his family had to sleep in their car or seek refuge at the Army shelter in Texarkana, Texas.

“The Salvation Army gave us sanctuary,” McTelvin recalls. “They gave us a place to lay our heads. I wouldn’t be here without them. I can’t ever repay them for that time; for how important that was for us, but to be able to do something and

“The Salvation Army gave us sanctuary.

I wouldn’t be here without them.”

MCTELVIN AGIM

give back something to them is something I try to do every time.”

As part of the annual NFL My Cause My Cleats campaign, McTelvin put up for auction one of the custom-designed boots he wore at a recent Broncos game. He had the Army shield printed on them and autographed them. The proceeds of the sale of the single boot went to The Salvation Army in Texarkana.

Valuable Opportunity Captain Juan Gomez, the pastor of the Texarkana Corps, says it means a lot to The Salvation Army for McTelvin to give back to a community that helped him and his family through a difficult time.

Captain Juan goes on to say that he could identify with how important such a response was, having been helped by the Army when he was a child, too, as his family was once chosen from an Angel Tree.

“I have gone from one side of the feeding line to the other,” he says.

Angel Trees are a popular Christmas tradition where trees are decorated with angels bearing the name of a person or family on them, and people are invited to choose one or more and buy gifts or hampers for that person or family.

“It really is an opportunity for these children and for these families as a whole to be seen as valuable,” Captain Juan says.

Photos: Courtesy of the Denver Broncos

Shoe-In McTelvin’s one-of-a-kind boot

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Worry-Free Home McTelvin states that, by being part of the Angel Tree initiative himself, he represented his family and countless others like his who needed help.

As a six-year-old, McTelvin says he was old enough to feel embarrassed at being homeless and having to live in an Army shelter: “If somebody asked you where you live, you didn’t want to say. I knew that much.”

For about a year, McTelvin and his family stayed there. In a trying situation, a youngster was able to make the best of it.

He says that the Salvation Army staff tried to make the communal living space homey and would take him and the other children on trips to the park or the basketball court.

During that time, McTelvin formed friendships with other children. Though some schoolmates couldn’t relate to what he was going through, his friends at the shelter could.

“They understand you,” he says.

“They understand they’re in the same boat as you. The counsellors working at The Salvation Army were trying to make sure that we didn’t have to worry about that either.”

Finding Hope McTelvin’s surroundings may have changed with the Broncos having drafted him last year, but he knows he hasn’t changed.

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“I don’t think you ever forget where you come from,” he says. “You don’t ever forget the struggles, the trials, any of that. It’s still fresh on your mind, but you try to help as much as possible.”

Captain Juan says, just as McTelvin has, the Army continues to provide opportunities where people can find hope.

“Every day, we have men, women and children who are coming through our doors, and we don’t know who they are, and we don’t

Photo: Courtesy of the Denver Broncos

Taking a Knee for the Army McTelvin warms up in his custom-designed football boots

know who they’re going to be,” Captain Juan says. “We don’t know what successes they’re going to have in life or what struggles they’re going to have in life, and the truth of the

matter is none of that weighs on our decision to help them.”

“The thing I want to do is just give back,” McTelvin says.

Reprinted from Others, January 2022.

(left) Ben Swanson is the managing editor at DenverBroncos.com. faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

Becoming Unbreakable NEW MOVIE REMINDS US TO FOCUS ON GRATITUDE EVERY DAY.

by Diane Stark

I

n theatres this month, The Unbreakable Boy is a faith-based film that shares the true story of Scott (Zachary Levi, American Underdog) and Teresa LeRette (Meghann Fahy, One Life to Live), whose son, Austin (Jacob Laval, The Plot Against America), was born with a rare brittle-bone disease and autism. Based on Scott’s book of the same name, the film chronicles the family’s struggles and triumphs through Austin’s medical setbacks and educational challenges.

The Unbreakable Boy is Austin’s story, but just as much, it’s Scott’s.

Life just hasn’t turned out the way he thought it would. Not only does he have a son with serious medical issues but he also struggles with addiction to alcohol. These circumstances are the one-two punch of failure and regret in Scott’s life.

“This is not what I thought it was going to be like,” he says. “I feel like I’m failing every day, and the harder I try, the worse I do.”

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Scott can’t stop his son’s bones from breaking. He can’t prevent the bullies from teasing Austin about his funny hats and his over-thetop enthusiasm for life. Every part of his life is a fight, from staying sober to persuading the school to allow Austin to learn in a regular classroom.

When Austin tries to befriend the boy who bullies him, his family wonders why. All they see is a mean bully, but Austin sees the sadness in the boy’s eyes and wants to help him.

Scott can’t believe it. He has always viewed Austin as broken because of his medical issues, but he is starting to realize his son’s indestructible optimism has made him strong, virtually unbreakable.

What does this mindset shift mean for Scott and his own internal battles? Will he ever be able to forgive himself for past failures and experience joy in the present moment, despite life’s challenges?

“ For Austin,

every day can be the best day ever. You just have to be able to see it.” SCOTT L RETTE

Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films

E

Promises Kept Scott knows that it would be normal—even expected—for someone with Austin’s problems to feel unhappy much of the time. But Austin has a gift for finding the bright side in every situation.

“I wish I could enjoy anything as much as my son enjoys everything,” Scott says. “For Austin, every day can be the best day ever. You just have to be able to see it.”

But that’s not easy. In this world, our problems can feel overwhelming and blind us to the good things that are still in front of us. Health issues, family problems, financial concerns—the list of potential worries can seem endless. God knew that we would face struggles in this life, but the Bible still instructs us to rejoice and be glad each day (see Psalm 118:24).

How can we rejoice when everything is going wrong in our lives?

Because joy isn’t about our circumstances. True joy comes from the Lord and the hope He offers us. No matter how many challenges we face in our lives, we are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (see Romans 8:37).

In other words, Jesus’ death and Resurrection was a victory over sin.

He offers this victory to us as a gift, and when we accept it, it becomes our victory, too. It erases our past failures and gives us the promise of eternal life.

The best way to feel more joyful each day is to focus on gratitude.

Giving thanks in all circumstances isn’t easy, but it reminds us of God’s unbreakable promises to us, in this life and the next. faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022

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Faith&Friends

FAITH BUILDERS

Maid for This Squamish, B.C., actor’s role in Netflix miniseries a natural fit.

by Melissa Yue Wallace

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Photos: Courtesy of Amy Reid

raised for its heartbreaking and realistic portrayal of a single mother struggling to escape a cycle of abuse and poverty, Maid was one of Netflix’s most-watched miniseries in 2021.

The series, based on Stephanie Land’s bestselling memoir, evokes empathy for Alex, who dreams of a better life for her two-year-old daughter, only to face setbacks along the way.

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As Alex begins to navigate her new reality, she meets Jody, a no-nonsense social service worker played

by Amy Reid. The Squamish, B.C., actor admits the role wasn’t much of a stretch.

“I almost laughed when I saw the description,” she says. “I thought, There couldn’t have been a part more written for me.”

“A Million Interactions” Amy worked as an outreach worker and caseworker at The Salvation Army Vancouver Harbour Light in the Downtown Eastside from 2011 to 2014.

“A friend was working at The Salvation Army and thought I’d be a good fit for a position. I met with them and it felt like putting on an old leather jacket you’re comfortable in, you know, without ever knowing that was the role you were going to be in life. It felt like exactly where I needed to be.”

Amy’s tasks included helping people access services, treatment, detox, housing or whatever else they needed. She also

assisted people through the food line in the mornings and helped to run the drop-in centre.

“What I loved about working at the Army was the sense of community among the people I worked with and for,” she says. “Amid the struggle was a lot of humour and humanity, and when you see how the people in the Downtown Eastside support each other and when you hear their stories, you can understand why they are so proud.”

She remembers a man who arrived without identification. He had lived in Canada since childhood but had been born in India. To get a Canadian ID, he had to provide a birth certificate, which had been difficult to obtain. Without an ID, he couldn’t

Maid The Netflix series is based on Stephanie Lang’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive

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Faith&Friends

FAITH BUILDERS

get a job, housing or social assistance, and had been relying on the Army to survive.

“He and I worked together for weeks, sleuthing out a way to prove his identity in Canada,” says Amy. The man mentioned he had undergone brain surgery in Ontario years ago. Amy was able to track down his surgeon and, after matching his scar and medical records, they were able to obtain a new citizenship card for him. The man was then able to find work and a place to live.

“When we can find a tangible way to help someone with a roadblock, it feels pretty incredible,” she says.

“Having said that, lives do not change on a dime. It’s not the action of one person or organization that changes

lives, but a million, small, positive interactions that slowly evokes change.”

A Helping Hand An opportunity opened up for Amy to work closer to home as a manager at Helping Hands, an organization that provides food, shelter and services to individuals in need. From 2014 to 2020, she created programs to address Squamish’s housing crisis and was part of a team that spearheaded a massive project called Under One Roof to put housing, services and medical support in one building. She resigned from her position when she got the part in Maid, but the fruits of her labour continue to be seen in the hundreds of people who are fed and housed each month.

Like many social service workers, Amy sometimes found herself bringing home from work the difficult stories she was involved with and had to learn to practise self-care.

“I realized in order to keep myself well, I had to step away a bit and do different kinds of work. Acting keeps me well.”

Both Sides of the Desk The opening sequence of Amy’s scene in Maid with Alex, played by Every Brilliant Thing Amy’s one-woman show debuts this month

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“ What I loved about working at the Army was the sense of community among the people I worked with and for.” AMY REID Margaret Qualley, was filmed twice.

Margaret had felt unsure about her performance and wanted to give it her best.

“I remember turning to her and saying, ‘Look, I’ve sat across the desk from hundreds of people in your position. They’re scared, they’re humiliated, angry that they even have to ask for help and frustrated that services aren’t being provided to them. And every one of them has the look in their eye that you have right now. You’ve got it.’

“It was surreal to read the story of Maid and understand how it felt to sit on both sides of the desk,” Amy says.

Pursuing Passions Amy’s love for acting is something she has pursued from an early age.

“Whether it was in community

theatre or parts in small films or TV shows, it’s always been my passion,” she says.

This month, Amy will be performing in a one-woman show titled Every Brilliant Thing, about a woman who grows up with a mother who battled depression. She makes lists of all the beautiful things in her life that are worth living for as she simultaneously battles her own mental-health challenges.

“Since Maid came out, what’s been really cool is that I’ve learned how many people in my community are cheering me on,” she says. “I’ll run into people at the supermarket and they’ll recognize me from the local theatre production, my volunteer work or something else, and they’re all excited for me.

“I feel grateful.”

(left) Melissa Yue Wallace is a journalism graduate and freelance writer who is passionate about helping people in need and encouraging the organizations that work tirelessly to care for them. Melissa lives in Richmond Hill, Ont., with her husband and twin children.

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Eating Healthy With Erin EASY BOLOGNESE TIME 1 hr MAKES 4 servings

SERVE WITH garlic bread

1 celery stalk 1 medium onion 1 large carrot 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil 500 g (1 lb) ground beef 750 ml (3 cup) marinara sauce 10 ml (2 tsp) dried oregano 5 ml (1 tsp) dried parsley 250 ml (1 cup) whole milk or cream 45 ml (3 tbsp) Parmesan cheese

1. Dice celery, onion and carrot and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes.

2. In separate pan with olive oil, brown ground beef until most of the pink is gone, and drain fat. Set aside.

3. Add marinara sauce to pan of vegetables. Add beef, oregano and parsley. Cook together over low heat, breaking up beef with wooden spoon. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Stir in milk or cream and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes 5. Serve with your favourite pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

HEALTHY STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE TIME 2 min MAKES 2 servings

SERVE WITH oatmeal or pancakes

Recipe photos: Erin Stanley

250 ml (1 cup) frozen strawberries 1 peeled frozen banana 250 ml (1 cup) milk of choice 5 ml (1 tsp) maple syrup

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1. Put all ingredients in blender and blend at high speed until smooth.

Maid’s Amy Read

HER ARMY ROOTS P.24

Réjean‘s Dying Wish

A LIVING WILL P.12

Back on Kelley’s Feet

ARMY HELPS P.10

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Sole Man

HOW NFL STAR MCTELVIN AGIM’S YOUTH AT THE SALVATION ARMY SHAPED WHO HE IS. P.16 faithandfriends.ca I MARCH 2022 • 1

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Sudoku Puzzle

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

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© www.kevinfrank.net

HEAVEN’S LOVE THRIFT SHOP by Kevin Frank

Answers on next page.

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QUICK QUIZ 1. What year was the Norman Conquest?

2. What is a turophile a connoisseur of?

3. What is the world’s most populated country?

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Quick Quiz Answers: 1. 1066; 2. cheese; 3. China.

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Faith&Friends

NIFTY THRIFTY

Grounds for Improvement!

Use the power of coffee to turn something old into something new.

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pcycling clothes in your closet is a way to give them new life. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to turn an old piece of clothing into a “new” piece by dyeing it with coffee. I’ll be using a pair of thrifted white painter pants that I found at my local Salvation Army thrift store.

Supplies Needed: instant coffee grounds, large container, wooden spoon, hot water.

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Step 1 Boil some water in a large pot.

Step 2 When the water is boiled, pour it into the container. Make sure the container is safe for hot water.

Step 3 Add three small packages of instant coffee. Stir until the coffee is completely dissolved in the water.

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Step 4 Completely immerse the clothing item in the coffee. Let soak for 15-20 minutes, then rinse until water is clear.

Step 5 After rinsing, add clothing items to dryer.

When completely dry, your clothes should have a tan-like colour!

(left) Osareme David Dom-okoebu is a content creator and a creative expert for The Salvation Army. He creates content on Instagram (@__reme_) centred mainly on thrifted menswear. He also shares how to be stylish without breaking the bank. Find a thrift store near you at thriftstore.ca.

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