Diary of a senior soldier

‘Blood and Fire’ is the Salvation Army motto – blood of Jesus and fire of the Holy Spirit. It’s been Laurie Bell’s mantra for 78 years. He was born into the Salvation Army. He’s done and seen it all – the abstainer has swapped yarns with firemen and rugby player mates as they swilled “the sponsor’s product”, played his tenor horn during rousing ‘street corner ministries’ – not always tuneful apparently – he’s comforted the ‘temporarily dry and clean’ booze and drug addicted at the Army’s

Recovery Church, rattled the donation boxes during Red Shield Appeals and even won over a few lost souls to the faith. “Should have been a lot more.” Now the Tauranga soldier, pictured here, is laying down his arms, but the work’s not done.

He’s changing churches but, he hopes, not his direction. Today on pages 12-13, Laurie reflects on his time as a ‘senior soldier’ on the frontline and candidly discusses a few of his own demons.

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