It’s hard to believe but this gigantic pumpkin came from a seed no larger than your fingernail. How did it get to be so large? Plenty of sunlight, abundant rain, fertile soil and essential nutrients.
It’s the same with our faith. The Bible says that belief begins like a seed. For a relationship with God to grow and mature, it requires worship, prayer and time spent with others who believe.
Out of one small seed can come a life of possibilities.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
—Colossians 2:6-7
To learn more about growing in faith and God’s promises, visit our website faithandfriends.ca, contact us at The Salvation Army Editorial Department, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4 or visit your nearest Salvation Army church.
Photo: digitalskillet via Getty Images5 All the Light We Cannot See
A German soldier faces the most crucial choice of his life in Netflix’s new miniseries.
NIFTY THRIFTY
8 Treasure Hunt
There’s nothing like the thrill of finding a hidden gem.
12 Simon Peter: Third Time’s the Charm
Jesus changed a panicked follower into a rock-solid evangelist. 5
How a bike from The Salvation Army helped a Winnipeg radio host.
Mohawk musician Jonathan Maracle shares a message of forgiveness and healing.
In Kenya, The Salvation Army provides necessities for today and gives hope for tomorrow.
24 Accidental Faith
A near-death experience helped Alexandria Venables to better trust God and live a thankful life.
BETWEEN THE LINES
28 Ghostly Goings-On
Perfect for Halloween, the gothic horror novel The Vanishing at Castle Moreau also shines a light on a modern-day horror.
LITE STUFF
29 Eating Healthy With Erin Sudoku, Quick Quiz, Word Search.
Iwas tickled to discover recently that an article I had written back in my university days had been cited by a h istorian of economics who had written about the early days of Lord Beaverbrook, the famed Canadian financier and British politician.
Imagine that! Any time anyone picked up that book, they would be holding me in their hands.
Overnight, I had become a footnote to history!
But as I pondered the implications of that statement, reality set in.
Is that what people will remember me for, and only that? I asked myself.
The Bible says, “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). I hope that the way I treat my family, friends and colleagues, honestly and with love, will be more of a testament to my life than anything I have ever written, important as that might be to me.
Because I do not want to be known as simply a footnote to history.
And Jonathan Maracle will certainly not be, either. The Mohawk musician’s message of forgiveness and healing is one the world needs. Read his fascinating story on page 16.
Elsewhere in this issue of Faith & Friends, see how a Thanksgiving car accident helped one woman appreciate every new day, and read about a newcomer to Winnipeg who found his way around the city with the help of a Salvation Army thrift store.
We want to convey our best wishes to Kristin Ostensen, managing editor of our sister publication, Salvationist, who recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
Ken RamsteadMission 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.
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This fall, Netflix premiers a new miniseries, All the Light We Cannot See, based on the 2014 book by the same title. Written by Anthony Doerr, the novel took 10 years to write and won a Pulitzer Prize.
The historical action drama chronicles the lives of two young people during the Second World War, from 1940 to 1944. The first is MarieLaure (Aria Mia Loberti), a blind girl whose father, Daniel (Mark
Ruffalo), works at the Museum of Natural History in Paris as a locksmith.
When Marie-Laure is 12, the Nazis occupy Paris. She and Daniel escape to the seaside town of SaintMalo to live with Daniel’s eccentric uncle, Etienne (Hugh Laurie), whose hobby is radios. Etienne teaches Marie-Laure how to operate a hidden radio in the attic of his home. When both her father and uncle are arrested, Marie-Laure transmits messages to them over the radio, hoping they will somehow hear her.
A German soldier faces the most crucial choice of his life in Netflix’s new miniseries.A young Marie-Laure (Nell Sutton) with her father, Daniel (Mark Ruffalo)
Broadcasting to Danger
Marie-Laure (Aria Mia Loberti) plays a brave French Resistance fighter in All the Light We Cannot See
Meanwhile, in Germany, a German orphan, Werner Pfennig (Louis Hofmann), delights the housemother of the orphan home with his astute questions and abilities. German officers soon learn of Werner’s skill at repairing radios and place him in an elite Nazi training school. Although the military exercises prove brutal and Werner quickly becomes disillusioned with the Nazis, he perseveres for the sake of a free education.
Werner Pfennig (Louis Hofmann) uses his radio skills for evil purposes
Near the end of the war, the Nazis send Werner to France to confiscate illegal radios and kill the members of the French Resistance who use them.
Marie-Laure has since joined the Resistance herself and transmits messages over an old radio of her uncle’s.
Werner discovers the young blind girl and is mysteriously drawn to her. After hearing her story, Werner sees her no longer as the enemy, but as a brave young woman shining light into the darkness.
“People have always said that about me,” she responds. “But I don’t feel brave. I just live each day as it’s given to me.”
Werner sees how his life has been a lie, following a philosophy of racism and annihilation that he’s grown to despise. When he realizes that Marie-Laure lives in more light than he does—even though she’s blind—it opens the eyes of his heart.
But now Werner faces the most crucial choice of his life: order Marie-Laure’s death or disobey his own orders to save her—and risk his life. Werner’s decision will change them both forever.
Sometimes it takes what our society calls a “disabled” person to help us see what we value most. Are we living with authenticity? Do we match our actions with our belief system, or simply do what’s expected of us because it’s most advantageous? Or easy.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father
who is in heaven” (English Standard Version). The light in us who follow Jesus is God’s Holy Spirit. His power at work in us enables us to open our hearts full of light to others. When they see that light shine through us, it shows them the way to Jesus.
Whether we feed a meal to a hungry person or transmit radio messages to save a nation, we are the light of Jesus that shines in a dark world. We can be the light for someone stumbling in darkness.
And once they come to that light—Jesus Himself—they will never be the same.
• When producer Shawn Levy ( Stranger Things) read the script, he decided it would be perfect as a miniseries.
• All the Light We Cannot See will introduce Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure. Loberti is blind, and this is her first acting experience.
• Since bombs demolished most of Saint-Malo near the end of the Second World War, many main scenes were filmed in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, France, chosen for its resemblance to Saint-Malo before the war.
Author of five books and hundreds of published articles, Jeanette Levellie and her husband make their home in Paris, Illinois. Jeanette’s hobbies include spoiling her three grandchildren, pampering her cats and inventing new ways to avoid housework. Find her splashes of hope and humour at jeanettelevellie.com.
Record Holder
For Osareme David Dom-okoebu, his thrift-store finds were a way to reconnect with his past
There’s nothing like the thrill of finding a hidden gem.
This month, instead of our usual tips and DIYs, we asked our three Nifty Thrifty experts what their best finds were, and what it meant to them:
Music has always been one of my favourite things in the world. It has a way of putting you in a good mood and helping you time travel to a specific era or place. My father had a huge collection of music when I was growing up. His records, cassettes and CDs force you to listen to an album from beginning to end, and that shaped the way I listen to music now.
A few years ago, I told myself that I would like to put together a record collection to remind me of my childhood and the music I’d hear at home. I didn’t realize how expensive records are now! I started going to record stores and shopped
online to look for my favourites. Since they were quite expensive, I started searching thrift stores.
On one of my trips, I found not one but two records that would always play in my home—and for a great price! Every time I listen to these records, I dance and sing just like I used to when I was a child. It’s almost as if I’m in a time machine, and they take me back to great memories.
While we often shop to add new pieces to our collections, remember to check for old ones that may bring you memories and instant nostalgia. One of my favourite things about thrifting is exactly that—being able to see and buy things from the past!
It’s one of those magical thrift store moments that rarely happen— something catches your eye across the room and you know it’s good. This happened to me recently.
I was in line to purchase a small item and happened to glance around. I saw a sweater in the men’s section, and it was as if it lit up, so I walked over. As soon as I was close enough and the label became clear, my heart starting pounding. Could it be?
I looked around. Why? Did I think someone would take it from my hands? I checked the tag; it
seemed authentic. A simple white tag with the words Christian Dior in black. Hand trembling, I checked the price tag. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The sweater was only $5.
At this point, I didn’t care if it was authentic or not, I paid and ran out of the store clutching the sweater. I later discovered this Christian Dior sweater was in fact authentic and retails for $1,500.
When I first started thrifting, I lived in a small town with only a few stores and the Sears catalogue to choose clothes from for my wardrobe. To have something unique or create a stylish outfit, I turned to thrift stores. Over time, I realized shopping second-hand allowed me to own a designer wardrobe on a budget, most of the time paying less than five percent of the retail cost.
This Christian Dior sweater will live in my wardrobe and be worn until the day my twins ask to borrow it. Could I make a lot of money reselling it online? Of course, but nothing is worth more than the feeling of finding a $5 Christian Dior sweater to add to my entirely thrifted closet.
I’ve always been a big thrifter and early adopter when it came to upcycling. Must be in the genes! My father is an electrical engineer with the inner soul of a creative (he was a DJ and musician in his early 20s). When my parents moved here, my dad would buy, fix and sell stereo equipment among other secondhand items to make some extra cash. I guess I picked up that “joie” when it came to seeing possibility in discarded items from my childhood. My upcycling journey started when I lived on the Sunshine Coast
of British Columbia, salvaging “junk” from the Share Shed at the dump, garage sales and thrift stores. I’ve refinished furniture, repurposed numerous second-hand treasures and restyled quite a few clothing finds.
Some of my favourite thrifted finds are the ones that start out super-drab then become super-fab.
Recently, I scored a wool cardigan made by a local designer for $7 at my local Salvation Army thrift store. It was a lovely cut but the colour was pretty … awful. I used some grey dye to turn it from junky to funky in a jiffy—the bland yellow and beige became a deep coffee brown in no time! I stepped it up by replacing the dated decorative button with a button-turnedbrooch from a local button store. I love that you can create your own style on a budget while being sustainable … and with a bit of imagination.
That’s my favourite part of thrifting—seeing possibility in what you can find and turning it into something special for either yourself, your family or your friends.
The disciple Simon, before Jesus changed his name to Peter, was one of Jesus’ three top men, part of His inner circle and one of His best friends.
Until he denied he knew Jesus.
During Jesus’ trial, Simon stood in the patio of the Roman court, warming his hands by the fire. Three different people accused him of being a follower of Jesus. Simon denied all three charges. At the final accusation, he mixed his denial with cursing. “*&^% it, I told you I don’t know the man!”
The moment those words left Simon’s mouth, Jesus, standing nearby, locked eyes with him. Can you imagine that look, filled with sorrow and anguish?
When Simon realized Jesus had heard his denial, he ran off and wept hot, remorseful tears. How could he refuse to acknowledge the man he’d followed for three years? Did his time with Jesus mean nothing?
Before we look down on Simon— imagining we’d behave better if we’d been in his sandals—we need to remember something. Crucifixion was the most excruciating form of execution, and perhaps Simon panicked. It’s likely he feared the Roman guards would now hunt down Jesus’ followers and crucify them. That kind of terror drives a person to say things they never imagined.
But after Jesus rose from the dead, He forgave Simon and gave him a new name: Peter, which means “rock.” Not the tiny pebbles you use in gardens but a huge boulder used in battle.
Jesus no longer saw Peter as a weak, fearful man who’d turn on his best friend to save his own skin. Jesus saw Peter as a powerhouse who could lead others into God’s kingdom and teach them how to follow Jesus.
And
On the day of Pentecost, after Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, he boldly spoke to the crowd of repentance from sin and promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:1-40). Three thousand people who heard Peter preach that day believed, repented of their sins and were baptized.
Not bad for a first sermon.
One thousand new believers for each time Peter had denied he knew Jesus. What a marvelous gift, a confirmation to Peter that Jesus wanted to use him in spite of his past. Peter became one of the most powerful individuals to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world.
Jesus may not call us in the same way He chose Peter. But everyone who makes Jesus the Lord of their lives—no matter what their past
record reads like—can be filled with the Holy Spirit and become a powerhouse for God, a solid rock like Peter.
I believe God included Peter’s story in the Bible to encourage us that no matter how impulsive, no matter what dumb decisions we’ve made, Jesus will use us if we repent and receive His forgiveness.
Because Simon Peter’s story isn’t just about him.
Jesus sees us not for who we are now, but for who He knows we can be.
Read Luke 22:54-62, John 20:19-22, and Acts 2:1-40
• Who: A follower of Jesus who denied Him at His trial
• When: AD 33
• Where: In Jerusalem
Jesus sees us not for who we are now, but for who He knows we can be.
JEANETTE LEVELLIE
Christian Aumell arrived in Winnipeg in March 2015, having left his hometown of Tara, Ont., with two suitcases and nothing else. He had just finished his studies in broadcast journalism and had been presented with a parttime job opportunity at Global News’ 680 CJOB radio station.
way to get to and from work.
With his friends and family back in Ontario, Christian didn’t know many people during his first few weeks in Winnipeg. Needing a reliable option and an affordable solution to his transportation problem, he turned to The Salvation Army.
With little knowledge of his new home and a limited budget, Christian needed to find a cost-effective way to move about in the city. The station let him borrow a car temporarily for the first couple of months; however, he knew that soon he was going to need to find a permanent
Christian was aware of the organization and its commitment to helping people. He visited the Empress Salvation Army Thrift Store and eventually found a used bike that would positively affect his new life.
“I didn’t have much money, I was
“I was fresh out of school, I needed something inexpensive.”
CHRISTIAN AUMELL
fresh out of school, I needed something inexpensive and, when you think thrift shops, The Salvation Army is very near the top of the list,” Christian says.
The bike he found was a perfect match. It wasn’t new but was in decent condition, with working brakes, a functional seat and, most importantly, big enough for his sixfoot-five-inch frame.
During his first summer in Winnipeg , that bike was his main mode of transportation. It helped him to facilitate his commute and gave him a sense of independence and self-reliance during a transitional period in his life. Riding around the city allowed him to get to know his surroundings and feel more connected with his new home.
“I would hop on the bike for hours,” he says, “get lost in Winnipeg and try to find my way home just because I wanted to see all of what the city had to offer.”
In the fall of 2015, Christian was hired full-time by the radio station. He was then able to purchase a car, which made moving around during the colder months easier. However, he still preferred to use the bike over his car whenever he got the chance.
Christian is now a recognized voice among Winnipeg sports fans. He is the host of the 680 CJOB Sports Show.
As for the bike, Christian was able to enjoy it for a year and a half. In October 2016, the bike was unfortunately stolen. Thankfully, by that time, Christian was settled in.
Despite losing the bike, Christian believes that the purchase was well worth it, as it had a significant impact on his life at the time and it helped him through a challenging period of adjustment.
“It helped me learn my way around the city,” he smiles.
MOHAWK MUSICIAN JONATHAN MARACLE SHARES A MESSAGE OF FORGIVENESS AND HEALING.
by Giselle Randall“We sing, we dance, we pray—for healing in our land.”
MOHAWK MUSICIAN
Jonathan Maracle wrote these song lyrics in May 2021, expressing his hope for reconciliation between Indigenous people and those who settled in Canada. Two days later, the unmarked graves of 215 Indigenous children were uncovered at a former Indian residential school in Kamloops, B.C., a devastating reminder of the need for reconciliation—and the walls that divide us.
Jonathan is the founder and lead singer of Broken Walls, a music group that has travelled around the world, sharing the message of Jesus and building bridges across cultures,
for almost 30 years. Last August, he was the musical guest at The Salvation Army’s fifth annual Celebration of Culture, held in partnership with Indigenous Pathways, in Alberta.
“I’ve got two mandates,” Jonathan says. “The first is to help non-Indigenous people understand what they’ve done to our people and find forgiveness. And the second is to break the walls of bitterness that lie within the hearts of my Indigenous people—to tell them that Jesus died for every tribe, tongue, people and nation. And for them to discover their gifts and carry them to the world with love.”
Journey of Reconciliation
Jonathan Maracle leads a time of worship at The Salvation Army’s fifth annual Celebration of Culture, held in Alberta last August
Grace at the Mic Jonathan is the founder and lead singer of Broken Walls, a music group that shares the message of Jesus and builds bridges across cultures
Jonathan's Drum
The theme of the Celebration of Culture was “The Call of the Drum”
Jonathan grew up with five brothers in Akwesasne, a Mohawk Nation community in southeastern Ontario, where his father, Andrew Maracle, was a minister, respected elder and international advocate for Indigenous rights.
“My dad spoke the language fluently and he brought us up to be proud of our Mohawk heritage,” he says. “At my coming-of-age ceremony, he gave me the name Oronhyatekha—which means ‘Burning Cloud’—in honour of a Mohawk physician from the 19th century who was a distinguished leader in Canada.”
But it was another public figure who most captured Jonathan’s attention: Elvis Presley.
“I remember watching Elvis on TV, and I was stung by rock ’n’ roll,” he recalls. “I was completely entranced, listening to him sing. And I thought, That’s what I want to do—I want to sing.”
At 17, Jonathan started a rock band called Red Cloud, which played in bars around town. Soon, he decided to seek his fortune in California. His parents were distraught, thinking he was walking away from his faith. Still, his dad drove him to the bus station.
“As I was climbing onto the bus, he said to me, ‘Son, when your back is against the wall and you have nowhere to turn, call out to Jesus,’ ” Jonathan remembers.
“I looked at him and said, ‘I don't
need Jesus.’ And then I walked to the back of the bus.”
In California, things went well for a while, and Jonathan opened for some of the biggest bands in the world, including Peter Frampton, Rick Derringer and Blue Oyster Cult. Then the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle of drugs and alcohol caught up to him. He lost friendships and sank into depression.
“I was devastated,” he says. “I didn’t want to live anymore, and I had devised a way to take my life.” As he tried to put his feelings into a blues song, his father’s words came back to him: “When you have nowhere to turn, call out to Jesus.”
“I crumpled up the song, threw it in the garbage and started to cry,” Jonathan says.
“Jesus, help me,” he cried out.
Then the phone rang.
It was his father, whom he hadn’t spoken to in more than two years. “He felt there was something wrong and had just bought a ticket to come and see me.”
Jonathan switched the ticket so he could go and spend time with his parents. They showered him with love, but he refused to let them talk about God. On his last day, though, he went to church with them, to make his mother happy.
Inside, an elderly woman approached Jonathan and said, “I love you.”
“It stunned me,” he says. “I didn’t feel very lovable. I asked, ‘Why?’ and
she replied, ‘Because Jesus told me to.’ ”
As he stood there, he felt a warm sensation flood through him, from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, dissolving his loneliness, depression and addictions.
For the rest of the service, Jonathan sat at the back of the church. “I didn’t hear a word the pastor was saying,” he says. “I was just basking in this presence that I didn’t understand.”
Although it was clear he couldn’t return to the way he had been living, Jonathan didn’t know what was next, so he moved home. He lived
with his brother and started going to church with him, seeking to grow in his relationship with God.
Then the pastor told him he needed to choose between his faith and his Mohawk culture.
“He said my culture was heathen, and that I would need to give it up to follow Jesus,” Jonathan says. “I was heartbroken. But I wanted Jesus more than my culture, more than anything else, because He had done such a supernatural thing in my spirit.” He rejected his heritage and went on to become a worship leader.
It wasn’t until many years later that he was able to reclaim his Indigenous identity as a follower of Jesus.
In 1995, he was invited to attend the Sacred Assembly, a national conference organized by Elijah Harper, an Oji-Cree Member of Parliament, that brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous people for a time of listening, learning, praying and worshipping.
Jonathan had been asked to sing Amazing Grace, but then the words of one of the speakers caught his attention. He spoke about the pain of colonialism, and how this had built walls of bitterness within the hearts of Indigenous people—walls that needed to be broken for them
to walk in the fullness of freedom that the Creator gave us through the death of his Son.
He wrote the song Broken Walls in response and played it on his drum. It led to an outpouring of tears and confession, forgiveness and healing.
“And that was the beginning of what I do today,” Jonathan says. “We’re in it to see our people set free.”
Check out four of Jonathan Maracle’s songs at: salvationist.ca/indigenous-artist-series.
by Heather Matondo
Ihave three children ranging in ages from six to 14. Each week, my house is full of activity, from packing school lunches in the morning to school pickups in the afternoon and homework in the evening. Add in all the other things that need to be done— grocery shopping, laundry, doctor’s appointments—and the list goes on.
But what would my life look like if I did not have a home where I could prepare and co-ordinate everything that needs to be done for my family? With support from the Brighter
Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program, The Salvation Army in Kenya is supporting families and their children who have no place to call home through a community outreach program. Regular activities are carried out in the areas of Kakamega, Kitale and Eldoret with the aim to reduce the number of vulnerable children living in the streets. This is done through a holistic approach involving several different activities that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
If children are hungry, it can become difficult for them to concentrate on schoolwork and other tasks. Ensuring meals are provided is vital. Children and their families can receive breakfast in the morning and a lunch throughout the day.
Without a stable home environment, children are more susceptible to illness and disease. Good hygiene is an important aspect of prevention and ensuring children have good health. Therefore, the outreach program provides soap and water, as well as an area for the families to wash their clothes. They also have showers where they can bathe.
In December, a special Christmas celebration was prepared for each of the participants
In the past year, more than 200 people have received healthcare services through the community outreach program. They were treated for common illnesses, such as upper respiratory tract infection, toothaches and headaches, to more serious illnesses such as malaria. Referrals are also given when someone requires more specialized care such as physiotherapy.
Gaining an education is the first step in ensuring each child is successful, but attending college or university may not be an option. The outreach program ensures that participants learn a skill that can provide income and stability in their lives. Soap making, beads, tailoring and gardening are some of the skills that have been taught. Business classes are also available.
This past year, four of the participants received assistance in setting up their own business by purchasing supplies, such as trolleys and carts.
Access to education can be a distant dream for many children who do not have a home, so the community outreach program has teachers available to work with the children and help prepare them to write their education exams.
In the past year, 15 children have achieved their primary or secondary certificate. An additional 25 children learned to read and write.
Wycliffe is 23 and first started participating in the outreach program in 2017 after being homeless for two years. He was actively involved in the many activities of the program, and it was through the business classes that he gained an interest in starting his own business.
Previously, he helped a friend sell onions and tomatoes on Saturdays, but he dreamed of selling his own green peas and carrots. The program helped Wycliffe purchase the items he needed to get started, and from there he worked hard to grow his business.
At first, he just had a wheelbarrow but was later able to purchase a cart, which provided easier movement of his product. He continued to increase his supply and even employed one of his friends to help with his growing business.
Wycliffe says that the resources provided by the outreach program have impacted his life positively and he is now able to do something constructive with his life. In addition, he can help care for his siblings.
Wycliffe is just one example of how the community outreach program provides the necessities for today, which gives hope for tomorrow. They are truly living out the words of Matthew 25:35, which says: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
If you would like to be a monthly donor or learn more about The Salvation Army’s Brighter Futures Children’s Sponsorship Program visit salvationist.ca/brighterfutures.
On Thanksgiving Monday in 2021, I sat around the table with family and friends as we counted the blessings for which we were thankful. When it came my turn to speak, I didn’t have to think long or hard about what I was going to say.
“I’m thankful for my life,” I stated simply, holding back tears. It was something I could have lost just hours earlier.
That Thanksgiving weekend had been full of fun and time spent with loved ones. Sunday after church, my husband, Marcus, and I went out for
lunch with a group of friends. We shared laughs and stories, which somehow took us to the topic of car accidents.
“I’ve never been in a car accident before!” I happily shared with the group.
The very next day, we were driving along a two-lane country road on our way to Thanksgiving dinner. It was a perfect sunny day, and we were enjoying the beautiful fall colours as we drove. Traffic was moving well though there were many cars on the road. As we came over the top of a hill, we noticed that traffic was slowing ahead near the bottom, where there was an entrance to a trail.
A near-death experience helped me to better trust God and live a thankful life.
by Alexandria Venables
Families were gathering to enjoy a Thanksgiving hike together. Marcus slowed down and eventually stopped at the very bottom of the hill.
Just a moment after we stopped, Marcus noticed in his rear-view mirror that a large truck was barrelling full speed over the top of the hill, not noticing the stopped cars ahead. To our left was a steady stream of oncoming traffic; to our right was a metal road barrier. Marcus had nowhere to go to avoid the impending collision.
I couldn’t see the rear-view mirror and only knew that something was wrong when I heard Marcus gasp, his mind having absorbed the situation and realized that we were trapped. I heard the sound of brakes squealing loudly, immediately followed by the sound of impact, deafeningly loud.
The fear we experienced in that moment was very real, but looking back on that day and the days that followed, I am so thankful for the ways God revealed himself to us.
After the shattered glass had finished flying out from our back windshield and our coffee had splat-
tered the ceiling of the car, Marcus turned to me and calmly asked, “Are you OK ?” He then immediately got out of the car and repeated those words to the man who’d crashed into us, who was in much worse shape than we were. While my mind was reeling, trying to comprehend what had just happened, Marcus had the presence of mind and soul to be able to jump into action and show kindness when it was needed most. This was God’s strength working through him in a difficult moment.
As we talked about the accident with our family that night, we recognized that God had been with us and had protected us.
The driver of that truck had noticed us in just enough time to slam on his brakes, lessening the impact of the crash. Out of all the possible outcomes, we had been protected and had been able to walk away unharmed. We praised God for His protection and hugged our family extra tightly, giving thanks to Him for the many blessings we’d been given.
A large truck was barrelling full speed over the top of the hill. Marcus realized that we were trapped. ALEXANDRIA VENABLES
In the following weeks, I was nervous getting back on the road. I felt this heightened sense of awareness of how fragile and fleeting our lives really are. The “what-ifs” started creeping in. “What if I get in another accident and don’t make it out?”
But as I processed my fear, I was reminded of the gift of eternal life that is promised to all those who believe in God and accept His Son, Jesus Christ. I started to feel great freedom in the fact that life here on earth is temporary, and that every new day is a gift from God to be used for His glory. My fear turned into peace.
After that sense of peace and gratitude had set in, I was able to recognize that even if that driver hadn’t slammed on his brakes and we hadn’t walked away from that accident so easily, we would still have been all right. We would have been OK because we have faith in God that inspires us to show love freely each day we are given and trust that heaven is waiting for us.
I don’t know how many days God will give me here on earth, but I do know that He used a car accident to teach me to better trust Him, living my life with hands outstretched and a heart full of thanks.
The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory’s magazines, website (Salvationist.ca), digital media, and marketing and communications department won a grand total of 22 awards at the annual Canadian Christian Communicators Association (CCCA) ceremony this spring, the organization’s first in-person event since before COVID. The CCCA (formerly the Canadian Church Press) has 47 members, including individual writers, musicians and representatives from publications of mainline, Catholic and evangelical churches. The awards are judged by accomplished secular journalists and academics.
Faith & Friends took home six awards for articles published in 2022. “Hope in the North,” Kristin Ostensen’s September/October article on The Salvation Army’s role in procuring much-needed clothes for the students of Nunavut, won first place in the News category, as did March’s “Mr. Flynn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” in the Headline category. February’s “At First Sight?,” Salvation Army Captain Laura Van Schaick’s excellent look at the popular Redeeming Love novel, was awarded
second place in the Media Review section. The March feature by Ben Swanson, on how NFL star McTelvin Agim found a place of belonging at The Salvation Army, also brought in two second-place awards, for Feature Layout & Design and Front Cover. That same issue’s “We Can Be Heroes” by Ken Ramstead won a third-place nod in the From The Editor category.
Our sister magazines, Salvationist and Booth UC Connect, received 12 awards in total. Salvationist.ca received three, including first place for a podcast by Kristin Ostensen featuring a client from The Salvation Army Harbour Light facility in Vancouver. The marketing and communications department took home an award for their 2021/2022 Annual Report, as did graphic designer Lisa Suroso’s design of Living Right While Righting Wrong, a book written by Colonel Wendy F. Swan. Check out all of our winning entries online at: salvationist.ca/cccaawards2023.
Some things are scarier than ghost stories.
The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is a deliciously spooky gothic horror novel by awardwinning author Jamie Jo Wright. Complete with mysterious screams, bumps in the night, a phantom woman and skeletons literally hiding in a closet, Wright crafts a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats as she reveals the secrets of a supposedly cursed and haunted Wisconsin castle.
It’s 1870 when Daisy François takes a position as a housemaid at Castle Moreau to escape the abuse she’s suffered at the hands of her adoptive parents. But as women from the area go missing, she’s drawn into a mystery that involves Ora Moreau, the castle’s owner and author of dark works of fiction.
In the present day, Cleo Clem-
mons is on the run from her family and the law when she takes a position at the castle helping Ora’s granddaughter, Virgie, manage her hoarding problem. But as Cleo works through the clutter, she discovers more than she bargained for.
As suspense builds, romance and inspirational themes combine with the mystery, making this a good choice for those who may avoid dark gothic literature. Wright incorporates the paranormal without compromising the truth of God’s Word, and the redemptive arc in this book is uplifting.
While this is a story that will have your heart racing, it is the social discourse on the maltreatment of women and girls that will linger in the minds of readers. By referencing child abuse and domestic violence, Wright outlines heartbreaking circumstances that would cause a girl or woman to despair and want to disappear forever.
TIME 10 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH grilled chicken, beef or veggie burgers
16 large strawberries
14 mint leaves
60 ml (¼ cup) fresh lime juice
10 ml (2 tsp) honey
500 ml (2 cups) cherry soda water
ice cubes to taste
additional lime and mint to garnish (optional)
1. Mash de-stemmed strawberries to a pulp consistency.
2. Add de-stemmed mint to strawberry pulp and continue to mash for a minute to let juices out of mint leaves but not enough to tear apart the leaves.
3. Mix in lime juice and honey and stir together for a minute.
4. Pour in cherry soda and gently stir together.
5. Serve over ice with additional mint and lime as a garnish.
TIME 10 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH grilled chicken or tofu
Salad Recipe
1.5 L (6 cups) fresh spinach
125 ml (½ cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
250 ml (1 cup) strawberries, sliced
375 ml (1½ cups) avocado, diced
80 ml (1/3 cup) pecans
60 ml (¼ cup) feta cheese
balsamic glaze drizzle (optional)
Dressing Recipe
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
45 ml (3 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
7 ml (½ tbsp) honey or maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Add spinach, tomatoes, strawberries and avocado to large salad bowl.
2. Heat dry pan over medium high heat and lightly toast pecans, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add to salad bowl.
3. In separate small bowl, add all salad dressing ingredients and whisk together.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Sprinkle feta on top. Add balsamic glaze drizzle garnish as option.
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
1. When is the next leap year?
2. What continent technically has no countries?
3. What does the texting abbreviation “YGTR” mean?
Answers on next page.
by Kevin Frank
For address changes or subscription information contact (416) 422-6119 or circulation@salvationarmy.ca. Allow 4-6 weeks for changes.
