EDITORIAL
Loaves and Fishes
I
f you’ve ever been on an overseas mission trip, you’ll know that it changes you. I went on my first mission trip fresh out of university. I travelled with North Toronto Community Church and other Salvationists to Belize to help build a second storey on a Salvation Army school. The younger Canadians on the trip engaged the school children through games and evangelism; still others painted and refurbished a nearby seniors’ home. The trip was organized by Bob and Shirley MacArthur, dedicated Salvationists who have generously given years of short-term missions support. The Belize trip was my first time on a construction site. I wasn’t much of an engineer, so my job was to lug concrete blocks from one end of the site to the other. While we met many new friends on that trip, one face still stands out in my mind. In fact, I wrote about him in my very first Salvationist editorial seven years ago. I’ll never forget Omar. I don’t think he went to the Salvation Army school—or any school for that matter. Every day, the thin, dusty boy would arrive at the construction site, perch on the fence and flash us a smile. We would gather up the empty glass soda bottles so that he could cash them in for a refund. We worked from sunup until sundown, and it was back-breaking work. But somehow looking into the eyes of that young man and
Salvationist
is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Brian Peddle General Commissioner Floyd Tidd Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel John P. Murray Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 February 2020 Salvationist
knowing that we were making a difference in his life and the lives of children like him made it all worthwhile. In this issue of Salvationist, we launch our Partners in Mission campaign in support of the worldwide work of The Salvation Army. Our photo essay spotlights the Bangladesh Command, our newest partner (page 10). From health clinics to education to housing, the Army is bringing practical assistance and the good news of Jesus to many. We also focus on the India Central Territory where schoolgirls and elderly women live under the same roof, creating a special intergenerational bond (page 16). And we look at the Army’s school for the blind in the Bahamas where children are being equipped with the tools needed to flourish (page 14). Elsewhere, Major Cheryl Atkinson recounts her own short-term mission trip to Greece with 11 Salvationists and officers from the Prairie Division (page 18). They assisted Canadian officers Majors Jean-Curtis Plante and Ray Lamont at the refugee centre as they coped with the influx of newcomers fleeing persecution, war or violence. “Throughout the trip,” remarks Major Atkinson, “I was amazed at how God was able to take the small things and make them sufficient—the little that we have to
Brandon Laird Senior Graphic Designer Hannah Saley Digital Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769. Member, The Canadian Christian Communicators Association. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011. All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.
offer, our loaves and fishes.” I don’t know what happened to Omar. I pray that he found a good education and was able to thrive despite his difficult circumstances. During this Partners in Mission campaign, please give generously to the work of The Salvation Army. Together, we can reach more children like Omar and give them a brighter future. God will take our small offering, our “loaves and fishes,” and multiply it in miraculous ways to build his kingdom. GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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