Faith & Friends February 2018

Holy Guacamole!

Serving Up

After “I Do”

LEGO BATMAN MOVIE P.13 DIGNITY P.29 5 RELATIONSHIP TIPS P.5

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

faithandfriends.ca

FEBRUARY 2017

So Happy Together

DAVE AND SHARON FOUND LOVE IN A SALVATION ARMY THRIFT SHOP P.16 faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017 • 1

Photo: © Sean Locke/iStock.com

W

hether it’s boxed or wrapped up in fancy paper, chocolate is one of the most common ways to say “I love you” on Valentine’s Day. In fact, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate were sold last year for that day.

But after all of the boxes are empty and the wrappers and ribbons are swept away, what’s left to show for them?

God doesn’t need to use chocolate, ribbons, bows or cards on Valentine’s Day, or on any other day, for that matter. God’s gift to you is His love. “ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

His love endures forever.”—Psalm 136:1

This Valentine’s Day, remember God’s love.

If you want to find out more about God’s love for you, mail the coupon on page 28, e-mail us at faithandfriends@ can.salvationarmy.org or visit your nearest Salvation Army church.

February 2017

VOLUME 20 NUMBER 2

DEPARTMENTS LOVE & LIFE

5 Our Five Togethers

Marriage is like a bank account.

The more deposits you make, the richer your union will be.

ANALYZE THIS

8 Hello, Beautiful!

Why do we fail to see the truth looking back at us in the mirror?

FEATURES

13

COVER STORY

16

22

22

SOMEONE CARES

10 But for the Grace of God

Through addiction, grief and loss, Andre never gave up.

A Marvelous Unmasking

Batman fumbles through fatherhood in new Lego movie.

Love in a Thrift Shop

The Salvation Army helped Dave Crockett rebuild his life and restore his faith, but there was more in store.

Trading Up

Behind every “Others” product is a unique story of dignity.

DEPARTMENTS LITE STUFF

26 Eating Healthy With Erin Cover: Kim Stallknecht Photography

Word Search, Sudoku, Quick Quiz COMMON GROUND

29 Serving Up Dignity

The Salvation Army’s Manna Café offers more than a meal.

EVERYDAY ETHICS

13

30 The Rotten Truth

One third of all food products produced for people to eat is lost or wasted. faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

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Faith&Friends

FROM THE EDITOR

In Sync

W

hile staff writer Giselle Randall was in Vancouver recently on a tour of various Salvation Army ministry units, she happened upon Dave Crockett and Sharon Moyls at the Centre of Hope in Abbotsford, B.C., a couple who met at the Army thrift store and who will be married this month.

First, she interviewed Dave, who recounted his testimony of how he was helped by The Salvation Army, and then Sharon, who shared her side of the story. Giselle was amazed at how their accounts were in sync. Whenever one mentioned the other, their faces glowed. Without the other knowing, they told the same anecdotes, using almost the same wording.

“To meet someone who had been so broken and lost, and to see him crying tears of joy as he told his tale, was profoundly moving,” says Giselle.

“He was so happy and in love. And then to meet Sharon and see the same love reflected on her face, made this story of redemption and hope even more moving.” Their story is on page 16.

Elsewhere in this issue, Phil Callaway weighs in on his top five marriage tips, and you’ll see a feature on the Others program.

Others is a remarkable Salvation Army initiative operating out of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya and Moldova. The program focuses on specific social groups who have exceptional skills in various handicrafts but have not had the opportunity to benefit from their expertise.

Thanks to The Salvation Army, thousands have been helped to earn their way out of poverty. You can view their masterpieces on page 22.

Ken Ramstead 4 • FEBRUARY 2017 I faithandfriends.ca

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 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 E-mail 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

(above) Open Wide: Phil and Ramona Callaway make fun a part of their daily routine

LOVE & LIFE

Our Five Togethers Marriage is like a bank account.

The more deposits you make, the richer your union will be.

by Phil Callaway

M

y wife, Ramona, is eight months older than me. No one believes this. You see the two of us together, and one of us looks like George Burns. The other looks like, well ... my wife.

Someone asked her, “Is it your dad who writes those books?” Guess what she said? “Yes.” I was surprised, too. Please pray for her.

One day she looked at my balding head and said, “When I agreed to grow old with you, I didn’t mean this rapidly.”

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Faith&Friends

LOVE & LIFE

Increasing the Odds Somehow we’ve managed to stay married a long time. It’s a miracle, really. When I was a boy, the only people achieving such milestones were very old people with ample wrinkles and high foreheads— people who were so old they had likely reached their 40s and needed help getting up escalators. Most seemed happy. Others looked like love was a dream and marriage was the alarm clock.

Whatever stage we’re in, we likely need a wake-up call.

I have read vast volumes of marriage advice. Much is tongue-in-cheek, such as that of actress Catherine ZetaJones: “For marriage to be a success, every woman and every man should have his or her own bathroom.”

(right) Phil and Ramona have been married for more than 30 years

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My secret is simpler. If you want something in your account, make deposits.

Willard Scott likened a good marriage to a good retirement fund. You make deposits and invest in it, and through the years it turns from silver to gold to platinum. Investments such as date nights or weekenders. Tender words. Deposits such as remembering her birthday or forgetting her age.

Seriously, here are five other deposits Ramona and I have made.

We … · Laugh together. It is impossible to be angry while laughing together. Sometimes we laugh at a movie, a memory or a touching moment where I accidentally walked into a tree.

“ For marriage to be a success, every woman and every man should have his or her own bathroom.” CATHERINE ZETA-JONES

· Golf together. My wife enjoys golf about as much as I enjoy shopping for curtain fabric. Still, she comes along sometimes and cheers as I putt. This is annoying for the golfer, but I love having her there. Our fifth anniversary was celebrated on a golf course at her suggestion.

Perhaps that’s why I find it easier to do the dishes, vacuum carpets, bathe the dog or vacuum the dog. If ever you do this, be very careful if you have a small dog. · Travel together. I haven’t had a window seat in years. Who cares?

I have yet to meet someone in an old folk’s home who regretted investing in memories. · Pray and read the Bible together. One study shows that couples who pray together regularly report “the most satisfying marriages of all.” Prayer unites us before God. It boosts honesty and humility. It deepens our communication. The Bible speaks truth. It imparts wisdom

and hope: “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit” (Jude 1:20 New Living Translation). Lately, Ramona and I have been thanking God for His amazing grace.

For taking two selfish kids who hardly knew how to spell love and pulling them close to Himself and close to each other. · Play together. Whatever your age, keep a playful spirit. Make fun a part of your daily routine.

Ramona loves to get silly notes from me, such as the one I attached to a bag of peanuts.

It said, “I hope you like these, my dear. Sorry. I sucked the chocolate off.”

This reminds me of the guy who came home to find a note next to a Nerf gun. It read, “Welcome home babe. I’m hiding in the house with another Nerf gun. Loser cooks dinner. May the odds be ever in your favour.”

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Faith&Friends

ANALYZE THIS

(right) Magnetic Personality: Jeanette Levellie with her creations

Hello, Beautiful!

Why do we find it so easy to compliment others on their beauty yet fail to see the truth looking back at us in the mirror?

by Jeanette Levellie

R

ecently, I volunteered to present a program for the weight-loss club I attend. I devised a game for the members to play based on the popular Scattegories, naming my version Low Fategories.

For prizes, I created fridge magnets with colourful, glittery butterflies to attract attention and motivate us to stick to our healthy-eating plans.

There was a total of six designs, with sayings like “NO is not a four-letter

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word” and “I can do this.” But I was shocked at the response to the ones that said “Hello, Beautiful!”

The magnets I’d hoped were the most encouraging sat on the table after the meeting like unadopted pound puppies. Although the members enthused over the other designs, not one person took a “Hello, Beautiful!” magnet. I gathered them up, shoved them in my tote and gave all of them to a couple of friends at work—both of whom promptly

regifted them to their relatives! It seemed as if no one wanted to decorate their own fridge with “Hello, Beautiful!”

What is wrong with these people, Lord? I muttered. Why don’t they like themselves enough to have even a sparkly butterfly tell them they’re beautiful?

Mirror, Mirror But when I looked at my own fridge, I noticed I’d put a “NO is not a four-letter word” magnet among the notes from my kids, jokes, and photos of my grandbabies. Even I couldn’t take a dose of my own encouragement. I choked on the word “Beautiful” in connection with myself.

Perhaps we’re afraid—even in the privacy of our own homes—to come across as arrogant, I thought.

Or perhaps it’s because our society equates beauty with outward appearance only.

Even though the Creator of the universe made us in His image (see Genesis 1:26), we’ve believed the lie that unless our bodies are perfectly shaped and toned, we are less than attractive or valuable. We’re quick to tell our friends and co-workers how great they look or how special they make us feel. But we can’t say it in our own mirror or on our own fridge?

I decided to help those around me—and myself—get a glimpse of

the beauty God put inside us. If we aren’t ready to think our bodies are pretty or handsome, can we start from the inside and work our way out, changing our self-image one baby step at a time?

I began to hand out genuine compliments to those around me. I told the cashier at a restaurant that I appreciated her cheerful attitude.

I thanked the nurse at my mom’s assisted-living facility for her dedication. I wrote a note of gratitude to someone who had planned a huge surprise party for a friend. I was even super-nice instead of angry when I needed to call and get a refund for an item I’d been wrongly charged for.

Wherever I went—in person, on the phone, on social media—I looked for ways to say, “You are beautiful—I see God’s hand at work in your life.”

Every time I shone a light on someone’s inner loveliness, I felt a little better about myself. I became less focused on my world, my problems and my wrinkles. Helping my neighbours see their value—and, hopefully, believe it—made me more aware of how God sees me: one of His “chosen people” (see 1 Peter 2:9). I was even able to look at myself in the mirror, grin and say, “Hello, Beautiful!”

A few days ago, I made some more of those “Hello, Beautiful!” magnets. I gave one to each of the women in my Sunday school class—but not before I put one on my own fridge.

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SOMEONE CARES

Photo: © Ingimage.com

Faith&Friends

But for the Grace of God Through addiction, grief and loss, Andre never gave up.

by Caroline Franks

“I

know I shouldn’t be alive,” says Andre. “I was always in and out of emergency rooms or found passed out somewhere. At times, I consumed enough alcohol to kill a horse. But someone was looking out for me.”

Andre credits both his Salvation Army church family and Alcoholics

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Anonymous (AA) for helping him stay sober and on the right path.

Unmanageable Andre’s story begins after he was removed from his family, along with two of his four sisters and one of his brothers, and placed in foster care.

Andre says he was in and out of 11

foster homes by the time he was 15, and suffered physical and sexual abuse in many of the placements.

“Because of that, I lost interest in school. I lost interest in everything,” he says.

Andre ran away from the last home. “This guy was two feet taller than me and one day I came home and I tried to fight back but I lost.”

to help me. I couldn’t go on like this, in a black hole of despair. I had an experience then. The desire to drink just left me, and once that happened, I got myself into a 28-day program in Elliot Lake, Ont.” Andre was in and out of AA for 22 years. “I just thank God that I kept coming back and started to share my testimony with the group,”

“You can’t maintain sobriety if you are carrying the world on your shoulders.” ANDRE After the incident, Andre was deemed “unmanageable” and placed in a reform school.

“When I left the school, I was 16 and I had no respect for authority,” says Andre. “I ran the streets and I got into alcohol to cover the pain and shame.”

Finding the Army Andre had problems with alcohol from the age of 17 until he was 52, and that was the cause of the breakdown of his marriage in 1977. As a result, he lost touch with his children for many years.

“The turning point was in 1999,” says Andre. “I’d had enough of the drinking and I reached out to God

he says. “That’s how it works; that’s AA in a nutshell. You can’t maintain sobriety if you are carrying the world on your shoulders. The streets are full of people who were abused.

I am so glad that I found God and I found a way out.”

Andre discovered The Salvation Army in 1999 as he was trying out different churches. When the Salvation Army church opened in Barrhaven, a suburb of Ottawa, Andre started attending full time.

A Brother’s Loss “I had 13½ years of sobriety but I fell off the wagon after the death of my two brothers, which came just six days apart,” he says. He was

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Faith&Friends

SOMEONE CARES

(right) Andre’s life changed for the better after he encountered The Salvation Army

particularly close to Emile, who was disabled. “When I lost him, it took Emile four days to die. I couldn’t even go to my other brother Albert’s funeral because I was holding Emile’s hand.”

Having looked after him most of his life, Andre felt empty after Emile died, and the grief and pain stayed with him. “It wasn’t until I got into The Salvation Army that I started feeling better about myself and I stopped feeling alone.

“The Salvation Army church family in general, and Major Chris Rideout in particular, were there for me,” says Andre. “We became good friends and he came over in the middle of the night a few times when I needed someone.”

Andre continues to go to AA meetings and has shared his story with his church. He volunteers his time by maintaining the Salvation Army building in Barrhaven.

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A New Life Now 67, Andre has been sober just over a year, but is facing another battle. He was diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer, and his doctors gave him just four months to live.

“My world didn’t fall apart,” he says. “I had all these people praying for me, and I’ve been able to maintain a positive attitude. I know that in my alcoholic world, I would have died. It’s been a year and I feel better than I did when I was diagnosed.

I have my oncologist scratching his head. My cancer is stable; I call it a miracle!

“A lot of people just lie down and give up, and then they die. I don’t know what God’s will is for me but I guess He wasn’t ready for me in heaven. Maybe God wants me to do something, so every time I am asked, I do it. I really don’t know what I would have done without The Salvation Army.”

FEATURE

Photos: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Faith&Friends

A Marvelous Unmasking BATMAN FUMBLES THROUGH FATHERHOOD IN NEW LEGO MOVIE.

by Jeanette Levellie

B

atman fans who got a small helping of the playful side of the Dark Knight in The Lego Movie in 2014 will receive a full serving this month when The Lego Batman Movie swings into theatres.

In the new 3D computer-animated action-comedy release from Warner Animation Studios, Will Arnett returns to voice the lead character,

Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Will told Entertainment Weekly that exploring Batman’s moodiness was the intention of creating The Lego Batman Movie. “But as you record a few sessions and you get on these tangents, you end up taking the entire story down a road that wasn’t necessarily the intended one.”

Riddled with Arnett’s gravelly faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

voiced, conceited comments that delighted Lego Movie audiences, Lego Batman provides laughs for both grown-ups and children.

“The Lego Movie showed us it’s perfectly OK to laugh at how silly that hammy attitude can come across as at times,” writes Michael Graff in Screenrant.com. “It looks as though Lego Batman is taking that parody to its logical conclusion by having the whole movie subject to humanizing comedy.”

It’s a Boy! But the film’s major premise runs deeper than witty sarcasm.

If Batman wants to rescue Gotham City from takeover by the sinister Joker (voiced by Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover), he needs to outgrow his self-absorption and think of others.

In an interview with USA Today, director Chris McKay revealed a bit about the relationship between Batman and his iconic arch-nemesis: “The Joker sees himself on the same level as Batman, a peer, at the top of the game. But Batman says that’s not the case, which sends Joker into a spiral trying to prove to Batman that he is indeed the greatest enemy.”

Batman spends his daylight hours fighting evil. But his private life consists of splashing in the bathtub and 14 • FEBRUARY 2017 I faithandfriends.ca

interacting with his computer. When his butler, Alfred, voiced by Ralph Fiennes, puts a parental control on Batman’s computer, the Dark Knight throws a Lego-style temper tantrum.

“It’s time to stop this unhealthy behaviour,” Alfred declares. “You can’t spend the rest of your life alone, dressed in black and staying up all night.” Alfred insists that Batman needs to take responsibility for his life, starting by raising his son.

Holy horseshoes! Batman has a son?

When he feigns ignorance of the lad, Alfred reminds him that he recently adopted an orphan boy at a charity event.

“I thought I was being sarcastic,” Batman replies.

“ You can’t spend the rest of your life alone, dressed in black and staying up all night.” ALFRED Strength in Numbers Not surprisingly, the adoptee is the miscreant yet adoring Robin (Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), who gives Batman a run for his adoption fee and turns the Batcave—and Batman’s life—upside down.

Although Batman is unprepared to trade in his crusader’s cape for a “World’s Best Dad” T-shirt, his heart eventually softens toward Robin. On their first journey outside the Batcave, Batman asks, “Are you ready to follow Batman and maybe learn a few life lessons along the way?”

Sliding into the passenger seat, Robin chirps, “I sure am. But first, where’s the seat belt?”

In a dark, authoritative voice, Batman yells at Robin, “The first lesson is, life doesn’t give you seatbelts!”

He later changes his mind when he needs to brake quickly and Robin hits the dashboard.

“Oh, my goodness—I am so sorry,” Batman says. “As soon as we get home, I’m gonna have Alfred install some seat belts.” Then, Batman puts his hand across Robin’s chest to protect him as he gently eases the Batmobile up and away to the safety

of home.

Being forced to grow up initially makes Batman madder than a wet cat. But he later realizes that working with friends—including superheroes the producers have yet to reveal—is the power he needs to overcome evil.

God knew this when He planned that we work together to help each other conquer the problems we face daily. The Apostle Paul told the church in Rome, “There are many of us, but we each are part of the body of Christ, as well as part of one another” (Romans 12:5 Contemporary English Version). When we co-operate as teammates instead of adversaries, our battles turn to victories.

Holy Guacamole: The Lego Batman Movie Trivia!

1. The password to the Batcave is “Nananananananana—Batman!”

2. The Lego Batman Movie serves as a reunion of Canadians Will Arnett and Michael Cera, who starred opposite each other in Arrested Development.

3. Director Chris Miller revealed that the movie will include “every era of Batman filmmaking” and will be part of a “shared universe,” similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Love in a Th THE SALVATION ARMY HELPED DAVE CROCKETT REBUILD HIS LIFE AND RESTORE HIS FAITH, BUT THERE WAS MORE IN STORE.

by Giselle Randall

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Photos: Kim Stallknecht Photography

Thrift Shop

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

ON DECEMBER 26, 2008, Dave Crockett stood in an alley, a bottle in one hand and a crack pipe in the other. He had been on the streets of Abbotsford, B.C., for six years, searching for relief from the pain of his past. But today, something was different.

“I decided that was it,” he says.

“I looked up and said three words: ‘God help me.’ It’s hard to explain the feeling that came over me. I threw the bottle and pipe to the ground.”

Leaving downtown, he started moving toward the one person who wouldn’t turn him away—his son— and the beginning of a new life.

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From Emptiness to Hope Dave’s stepfather gave him his first drink when he was 13. It quickly became a way to escape problems at home. It wasn’t long before he was kicked out of school, then he bounced in and out of jail. At 18, he served a two-year sentence.

After being released, things turned around—he found a job, got married and started a family. They settled down in Ontario, and Dave stopped drinking. “My life seemed like it was getting back on track,” he says. “For the first time, I didn’t feel alone.”

But a few years later, Dave’s mother died, and then his mar-

(left) Hand-Off: Dave Crockett hard at work at the Salvation Army thrift store

riage broke up. He was left on his own with three kids. “I took it pretty hard,” he says. “I blamed myself, and the only place I could find comfort was in a bottle.”

Life as a single parent wasn’t easy.

They moved back to British Columbia, but his two daughters decided to return and live with their mother. “It

was something I’d regret for the rest of my life,” he says. “They were lost to me for 20 years.”

Although his son stayed with him, Dave’s addiction also took a toll on their relationship. “I wasn’t there for him. He started going astray,” he says. “I blamed myself for that, too.

Finally, he went his way and I went mine, and I ended up on the streets.”

When alcohol was no longer enough to mask his feelings of emptiness, he turned to crack. Life became a fight to survive.

Then came the Boxing Day when

(left) She Said Yes: The time was right for Dave and Sharon faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

(right) Happy Couple: Dave and Sharon will be married on February 17

he realized he needed help and knocked on his son’s door. “Showing up at his place that day, seeing the look of disappointment on his face for missing Christmas … it woke something in me that I thought I had lost forever,” he says. “Hope came rushing back and hit me like a bolt of lightning.”

Full-Time Faith Dave stayed with his son until he could enter treatment. “I’d been there before, but for all the wrong reasons,” he says. “This time, I was ready to do whatever it took to stay clean and sober. I knew I couldn’t do it alone, but I also knew I wasn’t alone.”

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After completing treatment, Dave moved into the supportive independent living program at The Salvation Army Centre of Hope in Abbotsford. “It was a safe place to start rebuilding my life,” he says. “I had structure and a sense of purpose.”

At first, he kept to himself, but then he started attending devotions. “After my mother died, I gave up on God,” he says. “I turned my back on Him, but He led me where I needed to go. Being here opened my eyes to how much I need Him in my life. Now, a day doesn’t go by when I don’t talk to God.” Dave also started volunteering at the Salvation Army thrift store.

Once he finished the program and

“ The only place I could find comfort was in a bottle.” DAVE CROCKETT

moved back into the community, it turned into a full-time job.

That’s where he met Sharon Moyls, a clerk in the store.

Unexpected Love Wow, Dave thought, I could never end up with a woman like that.

Although he thought Sharon was beautiful, he also sensed her kindness. “Just the way she talked to me,” he says. “She’s non-judgmental, funny, caring—she’s a joy to be around.”

They became friends and, in time, starting dating.

“He was very open with me,” says Sharon. “He likes to say he’s from the wrong side of the tracks, but he’s loving and kind, and I couldn’t be happier than I am with him. He just makes me glow.”

Dave lights up when talking about Sharon, too. “When I’m with her, I feel like nothing could bother me, because I have her,” he says. “I knew we were meant to be together.”

Sharon has brought many positive changes to Dave’s life, showing him how to budget, encouraging him to get his driver’s licence back and helping him build a relationship

with his daughters, who recently made contact with him.

She has also stirred his sense of adventure. “I love the fact that Dave’s open to trying new things,” Sharon says. “I’m quite a little daredevil, so I’ve convinced him to go hang-gliding and river-rafting and we went to the top of Whistler by gondola. Next year, we’re supposed to go skydiving.”

In 2015, Dave proposed while they were at a beach. “She wanted to walk way out, so we walked until we couldn’t go any farther,” he says.

“I looked at her, pulled the ring out and asked, ‘Will you marry me?’ ” Although they’d talked about it before, it was always “When the time’s right.”

“So that’s what I was expecting,” Dave continues. “But she said, ‘yes.’ ” Dave and Sharon plan to get married this February 17, five years after their first date.

“I love my life now,” Dave says.

“I’m looking forward to being married and I enjoy every day working at The Salvation Army. It’s a blessing to be part of an organization that puts hope back into people’s lives—as they did with mine.” faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

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Because women in Bangladesh are generally not the main breadwinners for their families, one of the positive aspects of Others is that it allows women to contribute to the household income, helping them build self-esteem and earn respect

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

AT HOME

WITH

INISTRY EVEN T AM

Developed by the Women’s Ministries Department Canada & Bermuda Territory

2016 Catalogue

S

Trading Up BEHIND EVERY “OTHERS” PRODUCT IS A UNIQUE STORY OF DIGNITY, INDEPENDENCE AND HOPE.

Photos: Jan Størksen

aqui is a woman from Pakistan who suffers from hepatitis and has to take medication on a regular basis. Up until recently, her financial resources were not enough

to make ends meet, let alone cover her medical bills. But thanks to The Salvation Army’s Others initiative, her sewing and embroidery skills have been put to good use.

(left) In Old Dhaka, Bangladesh, production skills are taught to ex-prostitutes who want a better life for themselves and their children. Of those who participate in the program, 75 percent don’t return to the brothels faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

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FEATURE

A sampling of Others products (left) Reindeer: A new product introduced to the women in Kenya. “It was in development for three years,” says Major Shirley King, who oversees the Others program in Canada.

“There were a lot of tears and anxious moments because they worked hard to get the product up to a level of quality that could be exported.”

(right) Linen Pouches and Runners: Embroidery is a traditional craft in Moldova, and there are currently three small Others groups there. One of these women, Anastasia, cares for her sister and mother, and the income from the Others program helps offset her living expenses.

(left) Meble Bags: Pronounced “Mable,” they are made out of the sisal plant in Kenya. The women take the fibre from the plant, comb it, dry it and then hand-weave the purses.

(right) Dorcus Beads: Made from recycled paper and discarded magazines, they are hand-rolled, varnished, cleaned, varnished again and then beaded.

“Dorcus beads do more than sustain people. They help them to thrive and plan for their future,” says April Foster, an American who works for The Salvation Army across Africa.

The sale of these beads funds community projects, such as purchasing water tanks and toilets.

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“The money I receive is used to pay for medicine as well as basic necessities for me and my sevenyear-old son,” she says. “Bless The Salvation Army around the world!”

Making a Difference Others is a Salvation Army social enterprise operating out of Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh and Moldova. Its purpose is to provide people with the chance to better themselves economically. The primary artisans are women.

Others has focused on specific social groups—destitute, prostituted and trafficked women, widows and divorcees—who, despite their poverty, have exceptional skills in various handicrafts. Due to lack of opportunity, these groups have previously not been able to generate a sustainable income from their expertise.

All products are handmade or created using traditional crafting techniques. The wages paid are equal to or greater than the local rates in the community, and workers are given ongoing support and training to ensure that the quality remains high.

“The difference does not just come with the income they are able to earn,” says Captain Elizabeth Nelson, a former international projects officer for The Salvation Army. “It’s in the sense of pride and accomplishment of being able to do something for their family.

Learning to do your best and at a consistently high level builds self-esteem and impacts other things that they

“Others” It was Christmas 1910. General William Booth, co-Founder of The Salvation Army, was preparing to send a telegram around the world to remind Salvationists what the focus of their work should be. Since telegrams were expensive to send in those days, General Booth searched his mind for one word that would summarize his life and the mission of the Army. The word was: Others.

That single word neatly captures the foundation of the worldwide organization and the focus of its work. Several writers have gone so far as to describe it as The Salvation Army’s DNA.

do in their lives. Earning these funds gives them more of a voice.”

Major Shirley King, consultant for women’s ministries resources for The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda who oversees the program in Canada, notes, “There are many stories of people in the Others programs who will hear of a woman in need. They’ll complete whatever project they are on, then walk to the woman’s house, do whatever they can for her and then return to their own village. It’s not just coming together and making something; it’s going out into their communities and making a difference.”

For information on hosting an Others evening where the products can be examined and orders placed, contact Major Shirley King at The Salvation Army’s territorial headquarters in Toronto at Shirley_King@can.salvationarmy.org. faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Eating Healthy With Erin CHEESY STUFFED SHELLS TIME 45 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH garlic bread for dipping 375 g (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells 1 kg (32 oz) ricotta cheese 250 ml (1 cup) grated mozzarella cheese 125 ml (½ cup) grated parmesan cheese 2 eggs, lightly beaten 5 ml (1 tsp) dried parsley 2 ml (½ tsp) garlic powder 1 ml (¼ tsp) black pepper 770 ml (26 oz) tomato sauce 250 ml (1 cup) fresh basil

1. Cook pasta shells according to package instructions.

2. Mix together ricotta, mozzarella,

parmesan, eggs and herbs. Stuff into shells equally.

3. Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F) and pour 1/3 of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 38 × 25 cm (15 × 10 in.) pan. Place shells on the pan with stuffed side up.

Pour remaining sauce over top.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand 10

minutes and then place fresh basil on top. Garnish with extra cheese if desired.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN COOKIES TIME 25 min MAKES 25 cookies SERVE WITH milk or ice cream

26 • FEBRUARY 2017 I faithandfriends.ca

1. Preheat oven to 160 C (325 F) and line

a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

3. Melt butter and place in a medium-

size bowl, and mix in sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla until creamy and then add sifted ingredients so that it is gently mixed. Stir in chocolate chips, caramel and pecans by hand or with a small spoon.

4. Drop heaping balls of dough that are

50 mm (2 in.) apart on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted.

5. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes and transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Recipe photos: Erin Stanley/veganvirgin.ca

500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour 2 ml (½ tsp) baking soda 2 ml (½ tsp) sea salt 175 ml (3/4 cup) unsalted butter 250 ml (1 cup) packed brown or coconut sugar 125 ml (½ cup) white sugar 10 ml (2 tsp) pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 375 ml (1½ cups) chocolate chunks 14 caramel candies, unwrapped and diced 60 ml (¼ cup) pecans, chopped coarsely

Word Search The Old Testament C S D S M F A E S O H Q D V L X J M Y E Z R A H K U K K A B A H A N O J R T H E G O C S E Z I Y N G K S S T L S S C P I J W M Z M N I Q Q T H R K A E B T H M D V M E A E C N A U W S I M I R Q A M O S R K L S I T A E O S V E Z E C N E H E M I A H F D J W E G G N H V R I L J M S E C I E U L L F N C T E O B A D I A H L H L Y E C M N O H A I R A H C E Z R Y I R U C T B T S R T K P S A L M S W A W M E O S O R F O I Q U H E Q U U G N A D E U T E R O N O M Y T A J H G W S Y B D V B W F G I N M O O A D A A N Q W O D M I L S N C S E N F Q H N D S T X J U D G E S O L O T C J X R Y I S E M N B P C S I S E N E G S J U M X W D G V Y W L Y Q D S B F M N

Sudoku Puzzle

6

8

2

1

8

9

4

6

2 4 7 5 3

7 2 6 3 9

6 5 1 4 2 8

2 4 9 3 5 7 1

3 1 4 9 8 6 7

6 3 8 5 9 4 2

8 2 6 7 3 1 5

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

faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

Quick Quiz Answers: 1. Parry Sound; 2. 90; 3. 1967.

1

3

9

5

5

6

8

4

1

8

9

2

7

3

5

6

8

7

9

4

9 4

4

2

1

8

7

7

5

8

2

4

6

2

8

1

7

7

3

3

8

3

1

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4

1

6

1. Hockey legend Bobby Orr was born in what Ontario town?

2. Is a watermelon approximately 30, 60 or 90 percent water?

3. What year was Canada’s centennial?

6

2

7

8

5

1

3

9

9

3

QUICK QUIZ

5

JOSHUA JUDGES KINGS LAMENTATIONS LEVITICUS MALACHI MICAH NAHUM NEHEMIAH NUMBERS OBADIAH PROVERBS PSALMS RUTH SAMUEL SONG OF SONGS ZECHARIAH ZEPHANIAH

2

AMOS CHRONICLES DANIEL DEUTERONOMY ECCLESIASTES ESTHER EXODUS EZEKIEL EZRA GENESIS HABAKKUK HAGGAI HOSEA ISAIAH JEREMIAH JOB JOEL JONAH

• 27

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HEAVEN’S LOVE THRIFT SHOP by Kevin Frank

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Faith&Friends

COMMON GROUND (left) Guests at the Manna Café enjoy a nutritious, hot meal and conversation

Serving Up Dignity The Salvation Army’s Manna Café in Gananoque, Ont., offers more than a meal.

by Linda Leigh

W

hen you think of a soup kitchen, you might picture a lineup of hungry people, rows of tables and hot bowls of soup.

But The Salvation Army’s Manna Café in Gananoque, Ont., provides a different approach—a bistro-style environment—that allows the hungry to dine with dignity.

“We wanted to get away from the typical soup-kitchen format,” says Dave Harvey, the executive director.

“The café has the feeling of a living room with a few kitchen tables and comfortable easy chairs.”

Mission Accomplished Dave and his team of volunteer chefs, servers and greeters have worked

hard to ensure the program is more than a meal. “Each meal is homemade and designed with health in mind,” says Dave. “We focus on nutrition and sustenance.”

“When you are part of a community, it’s easier to work through life and its challenges,” Dave continues. “This program allows us to develop relationships and discover deeper needs our guests may face. For example, we’ve provided winter coats for children who didn’t have any, and help with hydro bills so people could put food on the table.

“At the end of the day if we can help one person to feel better about themselves and their situation, then we’ve done what we’ve set out to do.”

faithandfriends.ca I FEBRUARY 2017

• 29

EVERYDAY ETHICS

30 • FEBRUARY 2017 I faithandfriends.ca

For more information, visit secondharvest.ca

Faith&Friends

The Rotten Truth One third of all food produced for people to eat is lost or wasted. In developing countries, food is often spoiled before it reaches the market.

But in industrialized countries, food is wasted by consumers.

In Canada, we scrap $31 billion of food every year—and almost half of the waste comes from our kitchens.

We throw out almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the total net production in sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes).

PM 40064794

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