Faith & Friends May 2018 by The Salvation Army

A Friend in Need

“CALL LOU ANN” P.13

NFLer’s Aim is True

BRANDIN COOKS P.21

Armoury to Sanctuary

ARMY HELPS OUT P.27

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

faithandfriends.ca

MAY 2018

Arms of Love

HOW A SUMMER VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE TURNED INTO A FOREVER FAMILY. P.16

Canadian Idol “ You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind … You must not bow down to them or worship them.”—Exodus 20:4-5 (New Living Translation) This second of the Ten Commandments tells us that nothing should interfere with or substitute our total worship of God.

But can we also love, even worship, idols? Some people worship materialistic things such as technology or money. Some even idolize certain people, such as musicians, athletes or actors. There are to be no idols— nothing that might distract us from worshipping God. It requires self-examination, even self-disclosure, to make absolutely certain all is well and right within. Only then can we worship God with complete abandonment and have our hearts filled with unspeakable joy. To learn how to love God wholeheartedly, email us at faithandfriends@can. salvationarmy.org or visit your local Salvation Army church.

Beverly A. Ivany, Words of Life January-April 2018, London, England, 2018

Most of us love God—or, at least, we are supposed to!

May 2018

VOLUME 21 NUMBER 5

FAMILY TIME 5 A Letter to Rachael

Now that his daughter is a mother, Phil Callaway has something to tell her. FAITH BUILDERS 8 I Feel Pretty

In a new movie, an average woman who longs to be beautiful makes a surprising discovery.

FEATURES

COVER STORY

GOD IN MY LIFE 10 Soup, School and Salvation

People find God in the oddest of places.

“Call Lou Ann”

Who could Jeanette Levellie tell her troubles to?

Arms of Love

How a summer volunteer experience turned into a forever family for Shoshanna van Dijk and her four children.

True Patriot’s Love

NFL wide receiver Brandin Cooks knows he would not be where he is today without his mother. LITE STUFF 24 Eating Healthy With Erin

Sudoku, Quick Quiz, Crossword Challenge.

Cover photo: Focal Point Studios

SOMEONE CARES 27 From Armoury to Sanctuary

The Salvation Army was there for 83-year-old Elsie. REFASHIONISTA RULES 31 The Instant DIY Bracelet

Give new life to a pre-loved piece of jewelry.

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FROM THE EDITOR

Mama Bears

taff writer Giselle Randall first met Shoshanna van Dijk while covering her involvement with S.O.UL. Dance, a recreational and competitive dance program offered by The Salvation Army in Prince George, B.C. “I was writing about it for Salvationist, Faith & Friends’ sister magazine,” Giselle says, “but I knew immediately that I wanted to follow up with her and tell the family’s remarkable story. “The joy that Shoshanna radiates comes across even through a phone interview,” Giselle continues. “She’s very involved in the life of her church, but it is when she talks about her four adopted children that her happiness and pride are most evident. She just sounds so happy!” “I call myself a bit of a mama bear when it comes to my kids,” Shoshanna told Giselle. “I have a passion for being their voice, their love, their advocate, their protector.” Every mother worth her salt has a bit of a mama bear in her—loving and wise but fiercely protective of her cubs when she senses danger. Shoshanna is one and Phil Callaway’s daughter, Rachael, is another, as his article on page 5 illustrates. New England Patriots’ wide receiver Brandin Cooks knows his mother was a mama bear from way back as well, and he realizes he wouldn’t be where he is now without her love. His story is on page 21. Elsewhere this month, you’ll see how The Salvation Army stepped in to provide a warm sanctuary for hundreds of displaced people this past winter in Toronto, and you’ll read all about the wonder of a heaping hot bowl of Jesus soup.

Ken Ramstead

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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

André Cox, GENERAL Commissioner Susan McMillan TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Lt-Colonel Jim Champ SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Geoff Moulton, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Ramstead, EDITOR

Brandon Laird DESIGN AND MEDIA SPECIALIST

Timothy Cheng SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Pamela Richardson, COPY EDITOR, PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR

Ada Leung CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR

Kristin Ostensen STAFF WRITER, PROOFREADER

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) 422-6120 Websites faithandfriends.ca, salvationist.ca, salvationarmy.ca Email faithandfriends@can.salvationarmy.org Subscription for one year: Canada $17 (includes GST/HST); U.S. $22; foreign $24 P. (416) 422-6119 circulation@can.salvationarmy.org 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

FAMILY TIME

A Letter to Rachael Now that my daughter is a mother, I have something to tell her. Actually, three somethings. by Phil Callaway

(Grand) Father Knows Best? Phil Callaway with his daughter, Rachael, her newborn daughter, Eowyn, and his daughter-in-law, Raelyn, and her daughter, Sophia

eing a parent in any generation from time immemorial has been a time-consuming, hair-raising, sleep-depriving experience. If you doubt this, try starting your stove tomorrow morning using only wood and flint, then laundering your cloth

diapers by beating them with a stick while fending off wolves. Still, I don’t think any generation would envy what today’s mothers—including my daughter, Rachael—are up against. WHO Alert! When I was a child, my mother left

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FAMILY TIME

Being a mother is like running the Boston Marathon, except that there’s no audience cheering. PHIL CALLAWAY me outdoors for hours where I could eat dirt and bugs, she often forgot my name, and she made chocolate chip cookies with genetically modified white sugar. Mothers could get away with these things then. We ate hot dogs and if we dropped one on the floor, Mom said, “Eat it. In this house we have the 10-minute rule.” Today’s mother would be flogged online, then blogged about for such behaviour. Today’s mother is expected to feed her 1.5 children a diet fortified by sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, calorie-free, pesticidefree, free-range, hand-shucked lettuce leaves. Today’s young mother must ensure that her child’s physical, emotional, spiritual, social, academic, occupational, intellectual, environmental and nutritional needs are met while learning the alphabet and being potty-trained by his or her first birthday. Today’s mother must understand crafts and how to post creative baby announcements on Pinterest. Today’s mother must host a

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woodland-themed baby shower complete with deer antlers and decorative moss. She must be primed at any moment to speak with acumen on the pros and cons of formula, onesies, vaccinations and the many uses of coconut oil. She must work on getting her body back, hold her child close while fostering independence and know how to blend pure essential oils. She must keep her child processed-foods-free, plastic-free and screen-free. She must know when to Google “my baby has a cold,” then resist panic when Mr. Google advises her to immediately contact the head of pediatrics for the World Health Organization (WHO) because the child could have a rare toxic disorder. That’s today’s young mother. Advice From Dad And so, my darling daughter, Rachael, with a toddler and a newborn—who I’m afraid is going systematically crazy from debilitating exhaustion—I hope you won’t

mind if I tell you something. Maybe three somethings. 1. You can do this. You are actively engaged in one of the most vital missions on earth. It’s like running the Boston Marathon, except that there’s no audience cheering. Just needy miniature people staring at you wanting food. And none of them will put you on a parade float when you oblige. Your muscles and nerves will throb, but you’re up to this. You can nap in spurts. You can eat while doing laundry. You can keep your sense of humour amid screaming, griping and raging guilt that threatens to steal your joy. And one day, just maybe, you will see your toes when you climb on the scales, and you will sleep 90 minutes in a row and say, “That wasn’t so bad. I have no idea how, but I lived.” 2. You will be tempted to compare. Don’t. Forget Instagram and Pinterest and other mothers whose

glossy profile pictures are perfect, whose kids are fully dressed by lunchtime. Forget a spotless house, a perfect perm, a finished to-do list, the caramelized figs with beef Wellington. Dare to not compare. Aim low sometimes. Just avoid feeding the kids ice cream that has been on the counter overnight. 3. Lean on God. Talk to Him. Confide in Him. He loves you and smiles on you. Psalm 28:7 is a theme verse for tired mamas: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped” (New American Standard Bible). The world will grind to a halt within a generation if you go on strike. So hang in there. You are loving these babies and pointing them heavenward, so lighten up and laugh. It’s gonna be OK. And, remember, you haven’t yet put dishes in the stroller and little Judah in the dishwasher. You are awesome.

Gotta Laugh! Happy Grampa Phil is flanked by grandchildren Claira and Sophia

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Faith&Friends

FAITH BUILDERS

Love From the Inside Out In the movie, I Feel Pretty, an average woman who longs to be beautiful surprises herself with a remarkable discovery.

enee Barrett (Amy Schumer) wants a different body. Boutique clerks patronize her. Babies cry when she smiles at them. Men on dating sites click past her photo. “Let’s be honest for a minute,” she says. “No matter how many times we hear, ‘It’s what’s on the inside that matters,’ women know deep down it’s what’s on the outside that the whole world judges.” As a run-of-the-mill woman working for a stunningly beautiful boss (Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World), Renee feels inadequate. Beauty Redefined So begins I Feel Pretty, now in theatres.

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Pretty in Pink “It made me feel better to play the role,” says Amy Schumer

But after she awakens from a fall on her head at a fitness club, Renee sees her body as super-model exquisite. Although her appearance is the same as before, Renee’s newfound confidence gives way to a boldness that shocks her best friends Vivian (Aidy

Photo: Courtesy of Voltage Pictures

by Jeanette Levellie

Bryant, The Star) and Jane (Busy Philips, The Gift), and lands her a boyfriend (Rory Scovel, The House). Because Renee now believes she’s valuable and lovable, those around her—even her boss—start to give her the respect she’s always craved. In the midst of her rising popularity, Renee develops an attitude. She begins to treat what she calls the “less genetically fortunate” with the same scorn people formerly heaped on her.

about her character. “It’s a sweet movie that I think will make us all feel better. It made me feel better to play the role.” Like Renee, many of us wrestle with feelings of insecurity based on everything from our less-than-perfect body to our lack of education or poor athletic skills. Modern psychology has discovered that “self-talk”—what we tell ourselves about ourselves—greatly influences how we behave and how

Because Renee now believes she’s valuable and lovable, those around her start to give her the respect she’s always craved. As she recovers from her head injury and realizes that her body hasn’t changed, Renee must face the ugly truth: cruelty has turned her into an unattractive person. Will this discovery help Renee redefine the word “beautiful” and finally love herself from the inside out? To See Ourselves I Feel Pretty is popular comedian Amy Schumer’s third movie in three years. “Renee wants to feel all the parts of life that open up to you when you’re gorgeous,” Schumer says

others treat us. The writer of Proverbs already knew this thousands of years ago when he wrote, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 American King James Version). When we begin to see ourselves from God’s perspective—made in His image and valuable enough to die for—our thinking changes. We no longer judge ourselves based on superficial factors such as what size we wear or how fast we can run. We gain new confidence based on the kind of beauty God values— from the inside out.

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Faith&Friends

GOD IN MY LIFE

Soup, School and Salvation People find God in the oddest of places.

Photos: Everett Griffin

by Joyce Starr Macias

What’s in a Name? Joyce Starr Macias is startled by a soupy mystery

turned on the car radio just in time to hear something really weird. “I found Jesus in a bowl of soup,” a man was saying. The guy sounded normal enough despite his bizarre claim. The radio was tuned to a talk show on a Christian station, and I had missed the beginning of the conversation. But from what I understood, the man had fallen on

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hard times, and a Christian organization gave him a helping hand. I have to assume that the help included meals, at least one of which had been a bowl of soup. I’ve got to believe the man meant that he came to know God through the organization’s loving care, not by seeing the name of Jesus spelled out in alphabet noodles that were floating around in his soup. I wish I knew for sure that the

help came from The Salvation Army. Based on what I know of the Army’s many programs to help people get back on their feet, it could well have been. But the radio host had already moved on to the next part of the show, and the man’s voice—along with the rest of his story—disappeared from the airwaves. Peace and Quiet What I heard got me thinking about other unusual salvation stories I’ve heard. My own, for instance. My story doesn’t contain a single spoonful of soup anywhere in it, but I think it’s pretty unusual. I was 29 years old at the time. While I was attending a town board meeting, a pastor stood up and began to comment in favour of an agenda item I was especially interested in. Several other people also spoke, but the one I remembered was that pastor. A few months later, I saw a newspaper advertisement inviting area children to a vacation Bible school. I wasn’t interested at first, but then I noticed the name of the pastor—the same one I’d met at the meeting. When I called for more information, I learned that a church bus would pick up my kids a little before 9 a.m. and bring them home

at noon for two weeks, Monday through Friday. Wow, I thought. Free babysitting! I had not been raised in church and had zero interest in it for myself. But I loved the idea of peace and quiet every morning for a couple of weeks. Forgiveness, Love and Purpose What I didn’t expect was that my kids would absolutely love it! They came back home every day full of smiles, toting handmade crafts, reciting Bible verses and singing cute little songs about Bible characters I’d never even heard of. I also didn’t expect that they’d want to start going to Sunday school every week after that. But they did. And guess what? They took it for granted that I’d drive them there! I did, of course, and before long found myself sitting in an adult class, becoming acquainted with the bestseller that I’d never read—the Bible. Between Sunday school lessons, reading the Bible and talking to the pastor, it wasn’t long before Jesus became real to me. It’s still exciting to think back to that day. Years later, I’m still in awe of God’s unlimited power to reach out to all kinds of people, everywhere, whatever situation they’re in and however they’re living.

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Faith&Friends

GOD IN MY LIFE

I’m still in awe of God’s unlimited power to reach out to all kinds of people everywhere. JOYCE STARR MACIAS I’m glad He doesn’t tell us to fix ourselves up before we come to Him. I had tried that, and I knew it didn’t work. But God clearly tells us in John 3:16 and many other places in the Bible that Jesus can truly change our lives. The invitation given by Jesus in Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” That appealed to me and applied to me. I was weary of trying to improve on my own and burdened with a weight of problems that seemed to have no answer. But God

in His mercy touched my life. I’ve never been the same—and I don’t want to be! Like the man on the radio, I needed the Lord in my life. And people who would lovingly share their lives and their faith with me. My material needs were different than his, but my spiritual needs were exactly the same—forgiveness, love and purpose. I found all of that and more through a pastor and a church full of people who wrapped their arms of love around me and served me their version of a bowl of Jesus soup.

Bon Appetit “God in His mercy touched my life,” says Joyce

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

“ Call Lou Ann” I THOUGHT GOD WAS LEADING ME TO SOMEONE I COULD TELL MY TROUBLES TO. INSTEAD, HE PRESENTED ME WITH A FRIENDLY SURPRISE. by Jeanette Levellie

Fast Friends Jeanette Levellie (right) was there for her friend, Lou Ann

“

ord, I need someone to talk to besides my husband,” I prayed. “Someone who’s been through a similar challenge and who’s objective. Someone who can give me a bit of advice. Please bring such a person to my mind.” What to Do My 90-year-old mother had moved from across the county to within

15 kilometres of us. During the 40 years of our marriage up to this time, my husband, Kevin, and I had led a fairly quiet life. But that ended abruptly the day Mom moved near. It wasn’t only the 4,679 questions about our private lives she’d asked over the last 48 months. Or the 723 requests she’d made for us to stop by her place and help her find something she’d lost. While that just faithandfriends.ca I MAY 2018

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FEATURE

annoyed us and took up time, lately, I’d grown concerned over other, more serious issues. Mom had never wanted to use her cane or walker, arguing that she didn’t need them. But she’d begun falling, even breaking two ribs. She often forgot the names of relatives or what day of the week it was. The managers of her assisted-living building had to turn off the electricity to her stove, since she’d left it on too many times while she napped.

our lunch break. When I explained my plight to Lou Ann, she was sympathetic but put me off. “I’m so swamped at work, I can’t get away until next month,” she said. “Can you wait that long?” I told her it wasn’t a problem. But inwardly, I was disappointed. Who was going to help me in the meantime? Lou Ann’s Story Then before we said goodbye, Lou

My mother was failing. And I didn’t know what to do about it. JEANETTE LEVELLIE My mother was failing. And I didn’t know what to do about it. “Call Lou Ann,” a gentle voice in my heart told me. Lou Ann was a friend from our church who’d taken care of her mom with Alzheimer’s until it was no longer safe to leave her alone, even for a minute. Lou Ann had been forced to put her mother into a facility, a decision I knew broke her heart. Lou Ann is the perfect person to help me sort out my feelings, I thought. She’ll be able to offer me the comfort and advice I need. I eagerly dialed her work number, hoping we could get together that day during 14 • MAY 2018 I faithandfriends.ca

Ann began to tell me her own story, much of which I hadn’t heard when she’d asked for prayer at church. “Mom has a huge bruise on her arm. The nurses think it might be a blood clot, but they have no idea how she got it,” Lou Ann said, her voice heavy with fatigue and worry. “One of the other residents told me recently that Mom spends all of her time trying to escape. I know she hates living there, but I had no other option.” Lou Ann told me how she had to take time off work to take her mom to the emergency room, and then make up her missed hours later in

Happy Birthday to Her Jeanette with her mother on her 91st birthday

the week, which was why she was swamped. “Don’t your two brothers who live here in town help you at all?” I asked. “Not that much,” Lou Ann sighed. Even though my only brother had died six years earlier, at least my husband and son regularly pitched in to help with Mom. It seemed Lou Ann’s situation was far worse than mine. I told Lou Ann we’d pray for her and her mom, and she thanked me with a smile in her voice. The next Sunday at church, Lou Ann told me that her mom’s arm was beginning to heal. “My mom’s

ribs are starting to give her less pain, too,” I replied. We stood and chatted longer than usual. And when it came time to leave, we made plans to get together soon. We both left church with lighter hearts. As I drove home, I reflected that Lou Ann was someone who needed a friend to share her concerns with as much as or more than I did. I’d thought God was leading me to her because she could solve some of my problems. Instead, I realized that I had been led to Lou Ann so that I could help with hers. And in the bargain, God had surprised me with the gift of friendship. faithandfriends.ca I MAY 2018

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Arms of Love

HOW A “ONE-OFF” SUMMER VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE TURNED INTO A FOREVER FAMILY FOR SHOSHANNA VAN DIJK AND HER FOUR CHILDREN. by Giselle Randall

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Dijk talks about her children, the joy and pride in her voice are unmistakable. “They’re wonderful!” she says. “My daughters are 10 and 11, and they’re both into drama, dance and music—they love to express themselves. My sons are seven and eight, and they’re balls of energy—they don’t walk, they bounce!”

They became a family while Shoshanna was volunteering in South Africa at a children’s home in Johannesburg. “These four just snuck a little bit further into my heart,” she says. “Finding adoptive families for children with special needs is really difficult. God had them there for me. And so—they were mine.” Open Doors Shoshanna grew up in Willow River, just outside Prince George, B.C. “I’ve always had a passion for the voiceless, and I’ve always wanted to be the arms of love somewhere in the world for little people who didn’t have anybody,” she says.

Happy Hugs Shoshanna van Dijk holds her children (from left), Pamela, Nicholas, Sihle and Musa

Photos: Focal Point Studios

WHEN SHOSHANNA VAN

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COVER STORY

“ For me to leave, knowing they would never have a family—I just couldn’t do that.” SHOSHANNA VAN DIJK In 2004, after her second year of university, Shoshanna found an orphanage in Johannesburg that was desperate for volunteers. “I went for three months, and I thought it was a one-off summer experience,” she says. “But I lost my heart.” She returned the next summer, and the next. After she graduated, she volunteered for two more years, thinking that would feel long enough and she’d want to come home. “But, instead, I looked after my two daughters for those two years, nursing them around the clock for months and months. “For me to leave, knowing they would never have a family—I just couldn’t do that. I felt God saying I was the person they were supposed to have. I was Mom.” Shoshanna got a job and started the adoption process, which went through quickly for Siphesihle (Sihle). But partway through Pamela’s adoption, the laws in South Africa changed. “Suddenly, you had to be on a work visa for five years before you qualified to adopt, and I’d only had 18 • MAY 2018 I faithandfriends.ca

one for six months,” she says. “But Pamela was already living with me as Mom—I had to make it work! So I waited the extra four and a half years to be able to adopt her.” In that time, Pamela’s younger brother was added into the fostercare placement and adoption application. “Musawenkosi (Musa) was my surprise from God,” she says. “As a single mom, I didn’t think I’d go past my two girls, but he has been such a delight.” While she was planning to return to Canada, she found out that Nicholas, another boy she had looked after, wasn’t doing well. “He has a condition called VACTERL association,” she explains. “The doctors decided he had too many needs, and stopped treating him— they gave him about a year to live. But this was a child who was lively and vivacious. I asked to adopt him as well, so I could bring him to Canada and seek medical treatment for him. “And that’s how my little family came to be. God just kept opening doors.”

A Frame-Up The van Dijk children are now part of a forever family

“We Love It!” In 2015, after eight years in South Africa, Shoshanna moved back to Canada with her kids. They settled in Prince George, where they started attending The Salvation Army’s community church. “In South Africa, I really struggled to find a church—many are still segregated,” she says. “But from the moment we walked into the Army’s South Rand Corps, they were so warm and welcoming, and it was so multicultural.

“When we returned to Canada, we looked up the Army here. My kids felt at home instantly. Within two weeks, they were begging, ‘Can we please stay? We love it!’ We never looked back.” All of the kids are involved in S.O.UL. Dance, a recreational and competitive dance program offered by the church, as well as the worship group and Ready to Serve, the children’s discipleship program. Pamela and Sihle are junior soldiers (church members), and Musa and Nicholas faithandfriends.ca I MAY 2018

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COVER STORY

Family Album Shoshanna describes her kids with tenderness and affection: Pamela dances through life. She loves anything active and sporty. She helps teach one of the younger dance classes, and always has a group of little kids chasing her around because she’s so kind to them. Sihle’s middle name is Lorato, which means “love” in Zulu. And she is so caring, be it animals or babies. Wise beyond her years, she loves to talk about big subjects and hard things. Living in the body she’s in gives her a lot of opportunity to think and reflect on things that aren’t always easy. Musa is my teddy bear. He’s so cuddly and soft-spoken, a little gentleman. At school, he’s always the one who helps other kids undo their backpacks or clean up their tables. Nicholas is my firecracker—he never, ever stops! He’s like a whirlwind that flies through, and you’re like, “What was that?” He’s just so exuberant and full of life.

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aren’t far behind. “Every possible thing they can do, they’re right in the middle of!” says Shoshanna. On Saturdays, they help with the Army’s Operation Hunger Leave, preparing and serving food to about 150 people downtown. “It’s so cool to watch them interact with the people who come—the smiles they get. They really enjoy being part of that.” A Mother’s Dream Although they are thriving, life isn’t without challenges. Every few months, they travel to Vancouver to visit British Columbia Children’s Hospital for appointments and treatment. Sihle has cerebral palsy, and Nicholas will one day need a kidney transplant. Three of the kids have a diagnosis of PTSD, and trauma-related behaviour comes up in day-to-day life. “There are definitely days I feel stretched,” says Shoshanna. “But God is good. He is big. The support I have is just amazing, from my parents, to their school, to our church. And being their mother, being their voice, is my calling.” It was Shoshanna’s dream to be the arms of love for children who had no one. Now, she dreams her children will “grow up to be confident, empathetic, compassionate, people who love God with all their hearts, and are His hands and feet here on earth, wherever it is they’re called.”

Faith&Friends

FEATURE

True Patriot’s Love Playmaker “I love his spirit, his attitude, his will and determination. I’m very lucky to play with him,” says New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady of Brandin Cooks

NFL WIDE RECEIVER BRANDIN COOKS KNOWS HE WOULD NOT BE WHERE HE IS TODAY WITHOUT HIS MOTHER. by Jayne Thurber-Smith

f you look at the New England Patriots’ 2018 Super Bowl team photo of the players, coaches, owners and families, everyone is all smiles. And close to the centre of the photo, you will find the player with the biggest grin by far— Brandin Cooks. It’s February 4 but the wide receiver looks like a kid on Christmas morning. The odds were against this man who grew up without a father, but

he overcame those odds by having Andrea, a mom who served as both dad and mother. Mother Provider When Brandin was in Grade One, he lost his dad to a heart attack. “After my dad passed, I remember us scrambling, trying to figure out what we were going to do, where we were going to go,” Brandin recalls. “Everything was a struggle: having faithandfriends.ca I MAY 2018

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FEATURE

Photos: Courtesy of the New England Patriots/David Silverman

Faith&Friends

Hard Charger “The goal is to play the rest of my career here with the Patriots,” Brandin told CBSSports. com. “That’s God willing. I don’t know what the future holds, but this is a special place”

to move places after my dad died, find a good school for me to be in, find a good league and team for me to play for, to be involved in something to keep me off the streets. The work that my mom had to put in from Monday to Saturday, it wasn’t nine to five, it was more four in the morning to seven at night. She would wake up at three in the morning to get to work at 4:30 at a warehouse moving boxes in the cold. She didn’t do it because she loved it; she did it because she had to provide for the family.” 22 • MAY 2018 I faithandfriends.ca

Making Things Happen Unfortunately, Brandin’s three older brothers went off track in their journeys and left home. Brandin keeps an old letter he received from his middle brother Andre, in which Andre apologizes for not being a better role model and encourages Brandin to stay out of trouble. Andrea put Brandin in a variety of sports to keep him busy, and he took a shine to football, finding in the sport the stability he lacked from the loss of a father and the departure of his brothers.

“ Rather than asking God why I lost my dad, I accepted it as a challenge for me to make things happen in spite of great loss.” BRANDIN COOKS Growing up, Brandin’s best friend and his family were strong Christians, and Brandin attended church with them. “I got into studying the Bible,” he says. “Going into my sophomore year of college, I became a Christian and gave my life to God. Rather than asking Him why I lost my dad, I accepted it as a challenge for me to make things happen in spite of great loss. I would trade anything to have him back, but I can’t, so I take the positivity from it that he is now watching over me.” Keeping His Promise One of the best things about Brandin’s successful career is being able to take care of his mother after all she has done for him. “She lives with me in Portland, Oregon, and takes care of my house while I’m in New England during the football season,” he says. “It’s special to me knowing she’s comfortable there. During the season, she doesn’t get to see me in person, but I know she is there in spirit. “My mom never cared if I made the NFL,” Brandin reflects. “The only thing she made sure of was me

getting my college degree. She was the reason I would drive so much growing up, in my sports and in my schooling, because I wanted to make good on my promise to let her just be able to relax for the rest of her life. “When I see her love for me, her happiness and excitement, it’s something I hope every son can feel from his mother because there’s nothing like it.” His Aim Is True Brandin says his mother sees him as “her protector, her archer.” And The Archer is what Brandin calls himself on Twitter and Instagram. He will sometimes do an archer pose after a big play on the football field. He likes to share meaningful Bible verses on his social media accounts, and one day came across one particular verse that he claimed as his mantra. “Psalm 144:6 says, ‘Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them,’ ” he quotes, “and I thought that was a perfect verse for what I do in life. That verse gets me in the zone when it’s time to go play a game. It’s the best feeling, using the gift God has given me to glorify Him.”

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Eating Healthy With Erin THREE-CHEESE SKILLET LASAGNA TIME 40 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH garlic bread

15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil 1. Lightly grease large cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Pour marinara 750 ml (3 cups) marinara sauce and passata over medium-high 125 ml (½ cup) tomato passata heat. Season with garlic powder, 2 ml (½ tsp) garlic powder red pepper flakes and oregano. 2 ml (½ tsp) red pepper flakes 2. Once sauce is bubbling, add 5 ml (1 tsp) oregano lasagna broken into 5 cm (2 in.) pieces. Add water. Reduce heat 10 ready-to-cook lasagna to medium-low and cook for noodles 30 minutes. Stir gently every 5 60 ml (¼ cup) water minutes so that it does not stick. 175 ml (¾ cup) grated 3. Set oven to broil. Top with ricotta. mozzarella Add mozzarella. Broil for 5 125 ml (½ cup) ricotta minutes and then add Parmesan 60 ml (¼ cup) fresh Parmesan and basil. If using a skillet that is 125 ml (½ cup) fresh basil not oven safe, then set aside 5 minutes for the cheese to melt. Salt and pepper to taste

CRISPY TOFU PEANUT STIR FRY 1 block of tofu, drained 60 ml (1/4 cup) sweet chili sauce 250 ml (1 cup) bread crumbs 125 ml (1/2 cup) peanut butter 37 ml (21/2 tbsp) soy sauce 22 ml (11/2 tbsp) lime juice 2 ml (1/2 tsp) dried ginger 2 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic powder 5 ml (1 tsp) honey 500 ml (2 cups) frozen Asian vegetable mixture 5 ml (1 tsp) oil 200 grams (7 oz.) dried vermicelli noodles

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1. Preheat oven to 205 C (400 F) and line baking sheet. Cut tofu into cubes. Pat dry. 2. Roll cubes in sweet chili and then in bread crumbs. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes 3. Add peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic powder and honey to small pot and heat over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. 4. In large wok, add enough water to cover noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Break apart with a fork. 5. Sauté vegetables in skillet over medium-high heat in oil for 5 minutes. Add together and enjoy!

Recipe photos: Erin Stanley/veganvirgin.ca

TIME 35 min MAKES 3 servings SERVE WITH cilantro garnish and crushed peanuts

Where’s My Sandwich?

STICKER SHOCK P.25

Q&A With Kim Phuc

“NAPALM GIRL” P.10

Busking for a Cause

HELPING THE ARMY P.14

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

faithandfriends.ca

MARCH 2018

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Dancing With the Star HOW GYMNAST AND DANCE-SHOW FINALIST LAURIE HERNANDEZ STAYS GROUNDED. P.16

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2018-01-22 4:19 PM

Sudoku Puzzle

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

QUICK QUIZ 1. What is phasmophobia the fear of? 2. In what year was U.S. President John F. Kennedy assassinated? 3. Who is the commissioner of the National Hockey League?

6 2 8

2 3

8 5

6 6

1 7

5 2

4 1

7 5

9 8

3 7

9 7

HEAVEN’S LOVE THRIFT SHOP by Kevin Frank

Answers on next page.

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Crossword Challenge 1

DOWN 1. Ski resort in Colorado 2. Ancient Greek god 3. To fall 4. Capital of Lesotho 5. Slip 6. Halts 11. 1960 Alfred Hitchcock movie

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12. Lifted 13. Bubbly 14. To run after 16. Balanced 18. Challenge

Quick Quiz Answers: 1. ghosts; 2. 1963; 3. Gary Bettman. 4

8 1

9 3

Solution: Across: 7. supermarket; 8. eclipse; 9. dip; 10. potpourri; 15. use; 17. Yiddish; 19. shepherdess. Down: 1. Aspen, 2. Apollo; 3. drop; 4. Maseru; 5. skid, 6. stops; 11. Psycho; 12. raised; 13. sudsy; 14. chase; 16. even; 18. dare.

ACROSS 7. Large grocery store 8. Solar or lunar blocking of light 9. Immerse briefly 10. Scented flower petals and spices 15. Exploit 17. Jewish German dialect 19. Woman who tends a flock

Faith&Friends

SOMEONE CARES

From Armoury to Sanctuary The Salvation Army was there for 83-yearold Elsie and hundreds of other displaced people this past winter in Toronto. by Linda Leigh

Photos: Linda Leigh

Here to Serve Major Lynn Cummings assists Elsie

In January, extreme weather conditions prompted the City of Toronto to open a temporary winter-respite shelter at the Moss Park Armoury. In response to a call for assistance from the city, The Salvation Army volunteered its services to provide breakfast,

lunch and dinner each day for 100 people. What started out as a twoweek stint turned into a months-long commitment. Public relations and development staff writer Linda Leigh was one of many Salvationists who volunteered their time to help those in need. Here is her report:

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Faith&Friends

SOMEONE CARES

or months, 83-year-old Elsie slept rough on the streets of Toronto while she tried to get a foot in the door—any door. “I’ve never faced challenges such as this,” she told me. “All I seek is a safe, secure place to lay my head every night.” Safe Surroundings Elsie was one of more than a hundred people who were camped out on cots at Toronto’s Moss Park Armoury. Not sure what to expect, I arrived one morning to find a large warehouse-type room with 100 cots. Inside were a diverse group of guests, in terms of age, ethnicity, education and mental capacity. Each unique in their own way, yet united

and connected because everyone was experiencing homelessness. While Salvation Army volunteers were setting up soup and sandwiches for lunch, I wandered around the room to see if anyone could use a cold or hot drink. Some people were sleeping. Others were restless and unable to sit still. Some were on guard despite the secure surroundings, protecting their personal items stashed alongside or under their cot. And some wanted to chat. That’s when I met 56-year-old John, who was beside himself because he’d lost his backpack filled with heart and diabetes medication. He has a university degree but can’t work due to health issues. Three days earlier, after a heated argument Somewhere to Go Thanks to The Salvation Army, Toronto’s Moss Park Armoury became a welcome shelter for hundreds this past winter

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Elsie’s bright spot at the shelter had been The Salvation Army. She had never experienced kindness like this in her whole life. LINDA LEIGH with his landlord, he was locked out with nowhere to go. And there was Jordan, in his early 20s, whose controlling father had kicked him to the curb. “All I wanted was for him to love me back,” said Jordan. He’d been sleeping rough on and off the streets for a while and wouldn’t use the shower on site at the Armoury because “at one shelter someone had put razor blades in the bottom of the shower. I didn’t notice them and there was blood everywhere. I’m just too afraid now.” Ageing With Dignity Then I saw Elsie, a petite elderly woman, sitting quietly in a chair beside her cot. She offered me a bottle of water. To see and talk to her, one would never know the 83-year-old was homeless—and that her home until recently was the backyard of a church. Elsie’s challenges began a year ago when the owner of the house she was renting passed away. The house was later sold and the new owner had other plans. Elsie then moved into a

basement apartment. She had lived there for months when the water heater broke and flooded the apartment. She lost all her belongings. Forced to move, she found another basement apartment. There, however, the landlord refused to provide her with tax receipts—so she moved out. She says discrimination has made it impossible to find housing and stay off the streets. Elsie made more than 100 inquiries but when renters learned she was retired and elderly, they either hung up on her or said things like, “You don’t want to live here,” “You can’t afford to live here,” or “We don’t want an old woman who might die in our basement.” So Elsie rented a car and lived in it for three months. But then, with no fixed address, she was unable to extend the rental agreement. That’s when home became the backyard of a church, where she was exposed to harsh weather conditions and her bed was blankets layered with cardboard and plastic. As she was telling me this, she grinned and said, “At least the church yard was secure.”

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Faith&Friends

SOMEONE CARES

Helping Hands Major Stephen Court and Major Cummings were just two of many Salvation Army members who volunteered their services

She told me that her bright spot at the shelter had been The Salvation Army—the care, encouragement and phone calls to help her find a home. She had never experienced kindness like this in her whole life. Her last words to me were, “Most hurtful are the assumptions people make about me. It’s sad.” And thanks to the care and

concern from a team of Salvation Army workers, Elsie made her way to Belinda’s Place, a multi-service facility operated by The Salvation Army in Newmarket, Ont., for homeless women. Today, she has a bed, a room and a caseworker to help her find a home. She has what she needs to finally get back on her feet and age with dignity.

Linda Leigh is a staff writer in the public relations and development department at The Salvation Army’s territorial headquarters in Toronto

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Faith&Friends

REFASHIONISTA RULES

The Instant DIY Bracelet

Give new life to a pre-loved piece of jewelry. 2

The selection of jewelry at Salvation Army thrift stores is fantastic. Why not upcycle used gems into accessories that are just your style? Here’s how to create a unique, funky chunky bracelet in just minutes: Step 1 Go to the thrift store and purchase an oversized beaded necklace in colours you love.

Step 2 Remove the clasp. Pull off beads as needed for the bracelet to fit comfortably around your wrist. Step 3 Securely knot the ends together. Trim off the excess cord and enjoy your stylish new bracelet! BONUS Add some extra pizzazz to your new bracelet using nail polish. Pick a fab colour (or colours) and use toothpicks to create easy dots and patterns. Once dry, add a clear top coat for protection and your jewelry is ready to wear!

(left) Sheri Pavlović is the do-it-yourself diva behind the Confessions of a Refashionista book series, channel and blog, which are full of step-by-step upcycling tutorials for everything from clothing and accessories to home décor. She is also a creative expert for The Salvation Army’s thrift stores. Find a thrift store near you at thriftstore.ca.

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ACROSS AN OCEAN AND A CONTINENT ACROSS AN OCEAN AND A CONTINENT

The Salvation Army as a Canadian Immigration Agency 1904-1932 by Dr. R.G. Moyles

ACROSS AN OCEAN AND A

CONTINENT

R.G. MOYLES

The Salvation Army as a Canadian Immigration Agency 1904–1932

R.G. MOYLES FOREWORD JOHN LARSSON

2018-01-25 10:55 AM

Brass bands, Christmas kettles, thrift stores—these are what most Canadians commonly associate with The Salvation Army. Few know, however, that between 1904 and 1932, the Army was an official immigration agency, approved and financially sponsored by Canada’s Department of Immigration. During that time, the organization brought to Canada approximately 111,000 British settlers, most of them juvenile male farm helpers and young female domestics. Across an Ocean and a Continent is a descriptive account of the Army’s immigration work, detailing how it conducted that work, offering firsthand reports of trips across the Atlantic and Canada in its chartered ships and trains, discussing its dealings with Canada’s Department of Immigration, and the public’s perception and reception of its efforts. This book not only expands our appreciation of The Salvation Army as a worldwide social agency but also provides another important chapter in Canada’s immigration history. Visit store.salvationarmy.ca to order your copy. Also available in Kindle through Amazon.ca.

PM 40064794

For address changes or subscription information contact (416) 422-6119 or circulation@can.salvationarmy.org. Allow 4-6 weeks for changes.