Meet the Officer – Captain Kylie Hodges

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it? 

My husband [Nathan] and I are the Corps Officers at Bayside Salvos, in the Redlands region, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. We have been here since the beginning of January, so, at the moment, what I am finding most satisfying is getting to know the people, hearing their stories, and building relationships and trust with them.

2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind? 

We have three boys (aged 12, 9 and 7) who are very active. So, I love getting out with them, exploring places and doing different activities with them. I also like to read (when I get the chance). My favourite types of books are biblical fiction, and I am particularly loving the author Tessa Afshar. I just love how she can take a person from the Bible and create a story around that person. My favourite book of hers is Land of Silence because it tells the story of the woman Jesus healed of her bleeding. I just love how it gives a bit of insight into how this woman had to live and how lonely her existence would have been.

Kylie says she loves “getting out and exploring places”.

3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it? 

I love a lot of different songs. I love some of the recent music Phil Wickham has put out, particularly ‘What An Awesome God’ and ‘It Really is Amazing Grace’ because it takes the old songs and puts a new spin on it, which my boys love – I love any songs that they can relate to and connect with God. My ultimate favourite at the moment, and it has been for a number of years, is ‘Goodness of God’ (in fact, it’s my ringtone!) because it reminds me that no matter what, God has been faithful, He continues to be faithful, and I need to live in His goodness.

4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about? 

This changes so often. My first answer is always some of the women Jesus had encounters with (e.g. the woman bleeding, the woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman), and to hear from them about their interaction with Jesus and how it affected the life and how Jesus made them feel valued in a time where women were not. At the moment, though, I’m reading through First and Second Samuel, so, I would like to stand chat with David and talk about how he maintained his faith God, particularly in those years where he knew what God’s plan was for him, but Saul was pursuing him.

5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say? 

I would say: Make sure that it is something that God is calling you to because if God is calling you, you will never be satisfied doing anything else, and when you follow His calling, you will always find, fulfilment, satisfaction and joy, no matter whether the days are uplifting or heartbreaking.

More information on Salvation Army officership can be found here.