Retired officer releases new book of reflections from Salvation Army life

Getting There! chronicles key moments from the lives of Peter and Margaret Collins.

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE

Retired officer Major Peter Collins has recently published Getting There!, a book that documents 45 snapshots from Peter’s life as a soldier, an officer and a follower of Jesus.

In the book, the 45 snapshots are ordered according to their location, or “memorable destination” as Peter describes them. The destinations span Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and a couple of spots internationally.

The stories Peter tells range from devastating, such as the story of the death of a man that his parents, also Salvation Army officers, were trying to assist through alcoholism, to amusing, such as the stories from Advent carolling at the Arndale Corps in South Australia.

Major Peter Collins says proceeds from his book will be donated to the Army’s Historical Society.

There are sobering reminders of historical events intermingled with the personal stories, such as the Port Arthur massacre, which happened while Peter and his wife Margaret were in another part of Tasmania, and the aftermath of the Holocaust, which Peter and Margaret were confronted with while on a trip to Israel.

In his foreword, Peter describes life’s destinations as beginning in the future, but remembered in the past.

“Sometimes a destination brings anxiety, as well as joy,” he writes. “It can be a step into the unknown. As Christian people, we establish faith goals as we go into the world to spread the gospel. And if we have the faith, a glorious destination is promised!”

Peter and Margaret plan to publish Getting There! as an eBook, with proceeds going to The Salvation Army Historical Society – South Australian chapter. The purchase price of the book is $20 plus postage.

To obtain a copy, contact Peter Collins: peter.collins@salvationarmy.org.au