Message for the International Personnel Liaison Officer
Greetings from the International Personnel Office. Thank you for your ongoing support of our personnel from Canada & Bermuda serving outside of their home territory.
We are so grateful to Major Linda McNutt for her dedication to this ministry and beautiful efforts in keeping the Territorial Missionary Fellowship connected.
Though we are still in the process of transition, not yet having an editor for this newsletter, we wanted to share the latest updates and notes received from those whom you have faithfully continued to support with your prayers and monetary gifts. But first a couple of reminders:
Territorial Missionary Focus Facebook Page
This is the most active, ongoing aspect of our joint ministry. Once per week we continue to post the most recent prayer requests received from our sisters and brothers serving far away from home. It is a timely reminder, each Wednesday at 8AM Eastern Time to intercede for them. You can help increase this prayer support by following, liking, commenting and sharing this page. Here is the link:
Territorial Missionary Focus Facebook Page
Online Donation Site Activated
We are pleased to inform you that there is a dedicated online Territorial Missionary Focus Offering page. This will enable you and all Officers (once again this year are not able to gather in person for Officers Retreat) to continue your financial support unhindered by the ongoing changes in restrictions. The Mission goes on, the need for support is even greater. Feel free to share this link with anyone you know who may be interested in this ministry. Here is the link:
Territorial Missionary Focus Offering
2022
For those not online, mailed in donations will always be gladly received.
Ministry Highlights and Prayer Requests from Commissioner Wayne Bungay
We were appointed to the Zimbabwe & Botswana Territory (including Madagascar) on September 1st, 2020. The Territory has 136,000 soldiers, 18,500 Junior Soldiers, 610 Officers, 450 Corps, 570 Outposts 22 Divisions, 4 boarding schools, 53 day schools, 2 mission hospitals, 3 social homes. Due to the pandemic, we have been hampered in visiting all Divisions and institutions and carrying our regular ministry oversight.
Challenges / Prayer Topics:
The health of the entire country continues to be in jeopardy as it goes through its 4th wave of covid. We are dependent on the import of the vaccine. Out of 15 million people in Zimbabwe, only 4% have had the second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. There is a sense in which the government is reaching for herd immunity within the nation, but this comes at the cost of many people losing their lives due to COVID and a severe lack of medical structures and resources, especially during the Christmas season where multitudes of people will congregate in their rural villages for the celebrations, and where there is little regard for the reality of the virus and its potential impact.
The economic health of the country continues to collapse largely due to inflation and chronic governmental mismanagement. Since September 2020, the cost of staples such as bread, eggs, milk and meat products have tripled or quadrupled in cost. The US dollar black market has pushed the local Zimbabwean dollar into redundancy, and although Officers are being paid in Zim dollars, it has little value compared to the US dollar. This constitutes a great strain on our leaders at all levels of The Army, especially when it comes to the pressures of finding funds for school fees, medicine, medical and dental procedures, etc. There is no social welfare or government help to which citizens can turn for assistance.
Due to the economic downturn, Officers' welfare is a major concern as most are distracted from ministry by being obligated to take up some type of personal income‐generation simply to feed their families and survive. With congregational life being banned because of Covid‐19 since March 2020, income to cover salaries and benefits for most Officers is non‐existent locally. Therefore, the morale and general wellbeing of our Officers are of grave concern, resulting in resignations and temptation toward corruption and mismanagement of resources. Along with reviewing the Officer's salary scale, the Territory is promoting the enhancement of Officer's housing, medical, educational and retirement benefits so that families can enjoy a good standard of living and so that we can retain a higher capacity of the candidates entering training. Lack of financial and practical support for our Officers is a deterrent to those who are called, especially those who have a good educational standing and who are opting for work in the business world, in lieu of ministry in The Salvation Army.
The focus of our Territorial team continues to be leadership development, especially for women Officers living in a patriarchal society; many of whom have remained with only their high school education since commissioning. We are campaigning locally and internationally to garner financial support which will enable our women Officers to pursue their higher education levels alongside their husbands through certificate, diploma and degree studies.
Territorial Strategic Planning is also at the forefront of our Territorial team efforts as we are working diligently on implementation of the existing strategic plan. A further objective is to nurture a culture of strategic thinking and practice to cultivate strategic mission in each of our 22 Divisions. This is being accomplished through frequent regional training, equipping and evaluation.
Thank you for your intercession for us and on behalf of our territory.
Wayne Bungay ‐ Commissioner Territorial Commander
Update and prayer requests from Lt Colonel Lauren Effer
We’ve been in our appointment for 21 months but physically in The Territoire France et Belgique for 17 Covid months. We still have not made it to all of the corps and foundation/social facilities because of revolving covid conditions as well other convers.
As we write this in the middle of December, Omicron is surging throughout Europe once again stressing the hospital systems regardless of who’s presenting the symptoms or dying. There’s no need or room for siting blame. Lives are lost, families impacted and care teams stressed to the max.
Meetings ‐ board, Sunday, business and other will not feel or look the same anytime soon and …
A day later and I’m boarding a bullet train for Nimes for spending time with the officers, their family, women’s ministry and Sunday worship. We all travel by the vehicle that travels close to 300 km an hour �� It saves time over hours in the car and the cost can be easy if you watch for the rhythm of sales.
We enjoy life at THQ and the interaction we find ourselves in. It is also in the same building as one of our hostels and the Les Lilas corps so the activities are diverse and in these COVID
days unique and sporadic. The opportunity to minster to the team is full. We treasure every chance to get into the field whether in the Foundation or Congrégation locations.
Grant is losing his Québécois accent and taking on something new. My accent is still too strong for people to often understand what I’m saying. I still rely on the Lord heavily to create pathways for me to interact with people and it’s amazing how the Holy Spirit intercedes and connects me with people for His sake.
Our family at home is well and we are expecting to be grandparents again next year. Scott and Ashley’s turn to grow a family.
We ask for ongoing discernment as there are a number of adjustments at hand and retirements in 2022 including the Territorial leaders and the president of the foundation. Hmmm �� life in the fast lane.
Still, we are watching God move in ways during this Covid era that we couldn’t have begun to imagine. May none of us globally desire to go back to the way life was. Thank you for your amazing financial support this year. We have chosen to support various ministries with ½ and put the rest aside for a grandparent trip home when the time comes. Your thoughtfulness is immense!
Thanks also for prayer support for us in so many ways regarding everything from personnel, business, language, ministry on the go, merging with life here, health and health care ppl like doctors, and the list goes on. The word of God holds, animates and sustains us daily! Hallelujah!
Paix et prières
Lauren, Lt Colonel
Armée du Salut Territoire France et Belgique
Thank You Notes
Here are a few Thank You notes from our international personnel upon receiving the TMF Christmas Gifts:
Thank you for this wonderful reminder, The Light has Come! Please forward our thanks to the TMF. We do not take such kind remembrances lightly. May the Lord bless the generous giving of His people.
Colonels Marsha‐Jean and David Bowles
My upbringing and the ingrained importance of saying ‘thank you’ prompts to write this email and note the gift provided through the Territorial Mission Focus. For those who live and serve away from home every expression of care and concern is deeply valued.
Trust each who are recipients of such kindness will be blessed by God this Christmas as everyone will not be able to be with those they love.
Blessings to you and yours and thank you again for all you do for US.
General Brian and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle
Always lovely to hear from you and to be included in the news / events / and happenings of the territory. Never more so than at Christmas when hearts and thoughts return to home and family ‐ thank you for writing. Once again, the generosity of our friends is very gracious and deeply appreciated. Please convey our best wishes and thanks.
Colonels Wendy & Ian Swan
Please accept our appreciation for this very generous gift. It will certainly be of great help for us. We are always grateful that our home Territory remembers us in prayer and often in practical ways. Wanda and I are encouraged by the support and are grateful for all you do on behalf of the Territory to help us feel connected.
Lt Colonels Morris & Wanda Vincent
International Personnel – January 2022
Barthau & Herrera‐
Lopizic, Lieutenants
April & Marco
With Hadassah & Elijah
Bowles, Lt Colonels
David & Marsha‐Jean
Bungay, Commissioners
Deborah & Wayne
Effer, Lt Colonels
Grant & Lauren Effer
Territorial Development Officer & Social Justice Officer (April)
Territorial Director for Health Services & Associate development Officer (Marco)
Corps Officers – Berlin South‐West Corps
Territorial President of Women’s Ministries (Deborah)
Territorial Commander (Wayne)
Chief Secretary (Grant)
Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries & Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development (Lauren)
Papua New Guinea with Solomon Islands Territory
Pending Visa Approval
Germany, Lithuania & Poland Territory
Zimbabwe & Botswana Territory (with Madagascar)
France & Belgium Territory
Graves, Commissioners
Deborah & Lee
Hall, Major
Mark
Lindholm, Majors Geraldine & Hannu
Peddle, General Brian & Commissioner Rosalie
Swan, Colonels
Ian & Wendy
Vincent, Lt Colonels
Morris & Wanda
IHQ Chaplain & City of London Liaison Officer (Deborah)
International Secretary for Business Administration (Lee)
McMillan, Commissioner
Susan
Senter, Major Royal
Barthau, Major Donna
International Headquarters
Corps Officer ‐ Singapore Central Corps & Territorial Music Secretary Singapore, Malaysia & Myanmar Territory
Training Principal (Gerry) Corps Property Secretary & Associate Officer – Helsinki Temple Corps (Hannu)
General (Brian) World President of Women’s Ministries (Rosalie)
Finland & Estonia Territory
International Headquarters
Territorial Commander (Ian) Territorial President of Women’s Ministries (Wendy) Chair of the International Moral & Social Issues Council (Wendy) Zambia Territory
Chief Secretary (Morris) Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries & Territorial Secretary for Program (Wanda)
International Personnel based in Canada
International Audit & Finance Specialist
International Audit & Finance Specialist – Training & Deployment Officer
International Headquarters
Caribbean Territory
International Headquarters
International Headquarters
International Sponsorship Coordinator International Headquarters