BY LAUREN MARTIN Major Dale Murray may be the first Salvation Army officer to have crossed the finish line at a Parkrun event 500 times. For him, the achievement combines his passion for running with his love for connecting with people. Dale is the Divisional Operations Manager in Queensland, and he and his wife Major Darlene (Officer Personnel Secretary – Qld) have been involved with Parkrun for more than a decade. Parkrun is a weekly 5km run/jog/walk event held at different locations in local communities throughout the world. Statistics are everything for runners, and here are some of Dale’s: • Out of 5.7 million Parkrun participants worldwide, Dale ranks in the top 1000 for the number of events participated in. • Since he began Parkrun in 2013, he has run 2500km in 115 different events across four different countries, including the UK, France and Germany. (He has also run 25 marathons.) • He has been on the Parkrun Australia board for two years and has helped set up 11 Parkrun events across Australia. • He believes he may have been the first Salvation Army officer in the world to have crossed the finish line 500 times when he reached his milestone on 30 March this year. Wow, those are some impressive stats! But behind the numbers lies the heart of Dale’s passion for people and connection. “What I love about Parkrun is that it’s not a race; it’s a run, walk or jog, and everyone’s treated as a winner. It’s a place of encouragement. I love encouraging people and seeing people do their best.” Dale runs because it connects him with God and is good for his mental and physical wellbeing. He also runs Parkrun because it gives him the ability to authentically connect with his local community. “In all my involvement, I’ve never gone there specifically as a Salvation Army officer,” he says. “But in my engagement, people have soon learned that Darlene and I are both Salvation Army officers, and through that, we have had the opportunity to speak into people’s lives and support people.” Dale and Darlene have had multiple opportunities to pastorally care for fellow runners and share aspects of their faith and testimonies. “It’s been really helpful to be able to engage in that friendly, healthy environment,” says Dale. “People are not just after physical wellbeing; people are also interested in their spiritual wellbeing as well.” Dale encourages all Salvos across Australia to take part in community activities like Parkrun. He says that many churches spend a lot of time and energy creating programs and activities to invite the community to engage in when activities like Parkrun already have community engagement, and all Christians need to do is attend and shine the light of Jesus to people there through their lives and testimonies. “There are so many lonely people in our communities in the world today, and Saturday is their time of connection with the community. Parkrun gives a real opportunity for Salvos to be involved and connected because there are over 450 events across Australia.” And for the non-runners, Dale says there’s still a way to engage: “Some people don’t run, they just volunteer – they attend to volunteer and connect. It’s through these connections that people see Jesus in us. “People say, ‘Why are you different?’ People ask, ‘Why do you do what you do?’ You can have these really spiritual conversations – you don’t have to bring it up; people actually raise it with you. For us as The Salvation Army it’s so important that we do engage with the community at that grassroots level.”

The most important thing about the Australia Territory Board is that “Christ is always at the centre of everything that we do,” says Desley Hargreaves. The Board oversees and advises The Salvation Army in Australia so that it operates effectively. There is a mix of people on the Board to bring diversity of thought and vision. In this video, Felicity Natoli and Desley Hargreaves take us through the role of the Board in our governance, and how their industry expertise and love for Jesus work hand in hand to steer our movement and mission.

It’s late on a Saturday night in the heart of Tasmania’s popular Salamanca district and locals are well and truly living it up. Large crowds spanning the young and old gather in all manner of weird and wonderful places to cut loose and unwind. And pitched right amongst all the merriment of the bustling city is a shiny new Salvos marquee fondly called the Rest and Recovery Tent that is proving to be a vital haven for late-night revellers. BY LERISSE SMITH It’s 10.30pm on a Saturday, and Hobart’s Salvation Army Street Team is gearing up for another long night of community outreach in the heart of the Tasmania capital. For the next five hours or so, the team’s priority will be to engage with locals both on the streets of Salamanca and at their central base to offer emotional and practical support wherever needed to help people keep safe on their fun night out. With its coffee cart, which often serves upwards of 200 to 300 people on any given night, a friendly smile and a listening ear, it will be another busy night for all. But there’s been an extra skip in their step lately, thanks to an exciting new addition proving to be a vital complement to their amazing outreach service delivery: the Rest and Recovery Tent. The recent initiative draws late-night revellers of all ages to the safe place to seek assistance from the team’s volunteers and recuperate after a big night out. “We wanted a dignified space for people, so people aren’t staring at them out on the streets,” said Anita Reeve, The Salvation Army’s Doorways Regional Manager in Tasmania. “There’s a lot of people who are intoxicated, and sometimes they don’t need that medical intervention but just that space where they can have some water, be rehydrated, rest and recover. Sometimes they can be quite unwell. So, we wanted to create a space where they felt safe and secure, and to also reduce the incidence of the Street Team having to call Ambulance Tasmania to bring down staff to care for the people.” Caring for the public who are out and about enjoying themselves is a top priority for the Street Team staff who man the recovery marquee and provide much-needed practical support. Useful supplies include sick bags for people who feel unwell so they can get home safely in a taxi in unsoiled clothing. Foot thongs for females are also stocked in the tent so women don’t risk stepping on broken glass (which often happens) after taking off their uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. Other equipment includes stretchers so people can lie down, as well as CPR apparatus and first-aid kits. Plans are also underway to install privacy screens inside the marquee. The teams also hand out Chupa Chups, which are proving quite popular, and they assist the team members in opening up conversations safely and casually. First aid is a main focus for the Street Team when caring for the public inside the tent, as people can fall and cut themselves when quite intoxicated and/or sustain injuries. Visitors to the recovery marquee engage with the staff often for a variety of reasons apart from being intoxicated or injured. Information cards are sometimes given out to people recovering in the tent that contain referrals to support services if they have indicated needing help with issues such as drugs and alcohol, mental health, housing and sexual assault. The concept of the tent has been an exciting extension to the outreach night work of the Street Team that has been undertaken in both Salamanca and Launceston’s CBD, Tasmania’s two biggest cities, since 2015, both on Friday and Saturday nights with accompanying coffee carts. Initially, it was part of The Salvation Army’s Drug and Alcohol stream and then, in 2022, was handed over to the Community Engagement stream. “I guess you don’t always see the fruit of what you’re doing. But sometimes, when you do hear it, it’s really good. It’s a boost of encouragement for us all.” Meetings between Doorways staff and local council safety committees in Hobart and Launceston led to introducing the recovery marquee in Salamanca. Plans are afoot to launch another one in Launceston around May. A Council Community Grant from the Launceston City Council funds the marquee and equipment, while Hobart City Council supported the Salamanca tent and some of its supplies. And ensuring a level of safety for the public has been a driving force behind the work of the Street Team. “For young people that are out and about, it’s just about encouraging good practice around their substance and drug and alcohol use, and also encouraging people caring for each other, in finding a safe way home,” Anita said. “Another part of our primary role is making contact with some of the emergency services. For example, where there’s behaviour escalating or there’s a fight going on, we don’t ever intervene in things like that going on. But, where we can, we de-escalate from a distance by calling out to ‘break it up’ or similar. And if we can’t, then we call in the police, and also, if needed, Ambulance Tasmania.” Spiritual support for the Street Team’s work has been regularly provided, with strong relationships being formed with both the Hobart and Launceston Corps, whose members regularly pray for the teams as they embark on their nightly ventures each week. Plans are underway to introduce a chaplain for both sites in the future. Anita said the Street Team outreach work could lead to faith pathways for the public and believed a key component was communicating to people in the local community that The Salvation Army cared for them without any preconception that they had to give anything back and to let them know about other activities the local Salvos provide. Practical help has also been forthcoming from the Rotary Club of Bellerive, which has provided a donation for procuring a wheelchair designed to facilitate the smooth movement of the marquee patrons who are injured or unwell, plus a hydration station and other necessary equipment to further its mission of providing aid and support to those who require it most. Volunteers are integral to the outreach work. They range from teachers and nurses to local university students, usually with two teams rostered to operate successfully. Online training for those involved in the outreach ministry includes components of Mental Health First Aid, trauma-informed care and first aid so the volunteers are well equipped to manage practical and emotional situations of all sorts, and conversations with the late-night revellers that often can focus on mental health issues. Both Hobart Council and club venues provide security across the Salamanca and Launceston sites to ensure staff safety. Positive feedback from the public provides much-welcomed encouragement for the teams, especially as their shift can often finish at 3am, sometimes later. “We do get some really good feedback,” Anita said. “For example, we had a guy come back to us we assisted about a year ago who was having a particularly bad time with alcohol and was overusing and binge drinking. He took one of the cards (that provided contact numbers for professional drug and alcohol help), and he had a bit of a chat with someone from the team at the time. The man then came back recently to inform the team that a conversation with the Street Team changed his life, and now had his own home and employment. “I guess you don’t always see the fruit of what you’re doing. But sometimes, when you do hear it, it’s really good. It’s a boost of encouragement for us all.”

What’s the worst sermon I’ve ever heard? Hmm, good question. Thanks for asking. There are two that come to mind. First, there’s really no such thing as a bad sermon; rather, there are sermons I didn’t like for some reason. It may well be that a sermon I could class as ‘bad’ helped move someone else closer to God and gave them a greater insight into faith. So, we’re really just talking about personal preferences here. I’m also quick to add that I’m sure I’ve preached many sermons that some people would class as being bad. To be honest, I’ve thought that myself after some of my sermons! Many years ago, I was attending a corps where the officers decided to do a series of meetings reflecting on the first days of The Salvation Army. The Booths were, of course, a key focus as were things like the commencement of social services, the international spread of the Army, the first use of brass bands and so on. One Sunday, we were led through some old songbook songs about the Army flag, and when we got to the time for the message, the officer said she was going to read, from ‘Orders and Regulations for Local Officers’, the role and duties of the colour sergeant. For those unfamiliar with the term, this is the person who cares for and holds and carries the flag when the occasion calls for it. I thought, well, this is an interesting opening to a sermon; let’s see where she takes it or what sort of theme she finds. So, she read from the O&R and then closed the book and said, ‘Now, for our closing song …’ Okay. So apparently the chapter from the O&R book was the sermon. Wow. At a different corps, Tracey and I were attending as cadets and the officer decided to focus on the ‘water of life’ as her theme. She read some key Bible verses that reference water and then she launched into her message. It became clear very quickly that she had decided on doing a deep dive into the theme of water – and that pun is just an indication of what the next 25 minutes held for us. She pulled out every water pun she could imagine, made every water reference she could think of and pushed the whole theme way past its helpful point. “When we dive into a life with Christ we have to decide if we’re going to sink or swim or merely float through life on the waves of doubt and conviction as they swell around us and flow through our soul as it drowns in a sea of depravity, and we get washed upon the shore of despair time and time again looking for Christ our eternal lifeguard to revive us once more.” Twenty. Five. Minutes. She was relentless. In some ways, it was an absolute showcase of a talk – I couldn’t believe how she maintained the approach – but as a sermon it, well, sunk. It was mind-numbingly confusing as she moved from theme to theme across the Bible; her focus was more on, “How many water references can I squeeze in?” She finished and I turned to Tracey and said, “What did she just say?” and Tracey looked at me shell-shocked and said, “I don’t know.” There are others I could mention but these two stick in my mind as the worst I’ve heard. While they didn’t work for me, I pray that they resulted in a crowd of people wanting to be colour sergeants or, in terms of the latter example, wanting to take swimming lessons. – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

BY MAJOR MAL DAVIES One song embedded in my life’s soundtrack is the 1977 Billy Joel classic Just the Way You Are. Its beautiful piano line and thoughtful lyrics not only make it one of the most played and loved songs on commercial radio, but it also convinced a generation of us to ‘don’t go changing’ and that we were valued for who we were. Well, in 2010, we got the message again – in a big way! American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars made his debut with an original song also called Just the Way You Are, and it was a top-10 hit in 25 countries. It won Mars a Grammy in 2011 and has sold more than 12 million copies. The lyric is simply a boy singing the praises of his beautiful girlfriend/wife and commenting on how amazing he finds her. It’s something of a universal lyric – what woman doesn’t like to be told she’s beautiful? – and a catchy tune; it’s not hard to see why it sold so well from the UK to Israel to Slovakia. There’s an interesting little note in the lyrics, however, that caught my eye: “When I compliment her, she won’t believe me/ And it’s so, it’s so sad to think that she doesn’t see what I see”. The song goes on to say that she constantly checks, “Do I look okay?” Self-esteem has taken a battering in the past decade, especially among young females. In 2016, Dove did a survey of 10,500 females in Great Britain and asked questions about how they saw themselves and their body image. Only 20 per cent of women said they were happy with how they looked. I’m glad to say God thinks differently. He focuses not on our external appearance but on who we are deep inside; he looks at our hearts. The Bible says: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment ... it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gently and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1 Peter 3:3–4, NIV). Both Bruno Mars and the Bible tell us: we’re amazing, just the way we are.

BY ANTHONY CASTLE Get ready ... to be inspired, challenged and equipped for mission through the arts. This year’s Arts Engagement Conference will be held at the Treacy Conference Centre, set in an elegant Victorian mansion and gardens located in the delightful surrounds of Melbourne's Royal Park from 16-18 August. This year’s theme for C^E24 is ‘Made to Create’. Imago Dei – literally ‘the image of God’ – is a theological term applied uniquely to humans that denotes the symbolic relation between God and humanity. On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). We recognise God’s invitation to join him in his co-creative work in the world – his creatures made to re-create and restore a broken world. One in two people in Australia believe the arts build creative skills that will be necessary for the future workforce. The Salvation Army Worship Arts Australia, therefore, see the potential of music and the arts to achieve its mission of sharing the love of Jesus to transform Australia one life at a time. “The Community Arts Engagement Conference is the must-attend event of the year for missional Christian creatives,” said Jason Simmonds, Community Engagement Coordinator for Worships Arts Australia. “Music and the arts create a powerful way to connect with people and create healthy communities. The conference will be a great way to ignite your passion and together be inspired to connect with other musicians and creatives passionate about using the arts to build community connections. “[There will be] practical workshops and interactive sessions to help you think outside the box and develop innovative ways to shape mission through the arts in your local context. The program will include specific sessions for our flagship engagement program, Just Brass, as well as other creative practice sessions jammed packed with ideas and programs that you can adapt for use in your context. “And special guest Peter Kenyon [social entrepreneur, author and economist], the recipient of an Order of Australia, comes with a wealth of experience, practical resources, and fresh and creative ways to stimulate community and local renewal.” Christian missional creatives are invited to join us this August to reimagine mission through the lens of the arts. We are calling for submissions to an Art Exhibit to celebrate the launch of the conference. Artists, photographers, sculptors, designers, crafters, etc, are invited to submit work for the exhibition at the reception dinner on Friday 16 August. Artists must be able to transport their artwork to the venue by 5pm for display prior to the dinner. C^E24 is the must-attend event of the year for Christian creatives. For more info, click here Interstate Rego Close Date: 1 July Super Earlybird Tickets Now on Sale

The highly anticipated faith-based music feature Unsung Hero tells the story of the upbringing of Grammy Award-winning Christian artists Rebecca St James and FOR KING + COUNTRY and is coming to cinemas in Australia and New Zealand on 30 May 2024. Based on a remarkable true story, Unsung Hero follows David Smallbone as he moves his family from Australia to the United States, searching for a brighter future after his successful music company collapses. With their seven children and nothing more than suitcases and their love of music, David (FOR KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone) and his pregnant wife Helen (Daisy Betts) set out to rebuild their lives. Helen’s faith stands against all odds and inspires her husband and children to hold onto theirs. With their own dreams on hold, David and Helen begin to realise the musical prowess in their children, who would go on to become two of the most successful acts in Inspirational Music history: five-time Grammy Award-winning artists for KING + COUNTRY and Rebecca St. James. The film is being released under Kingdom Story Company, the production team behind the blockbuster hit ‘Jesus Revolution’, in conjunction with Candy Rock Entertainment, owned by actress Candace Cameron Bure. Starring: Daisy Betts, Joel Smallbone, Kirrilee Berger, Jonathan Jackson, Lucas Black, with Candace Cameron Bure, Terry O’Quinn and Rebecca St James Directed by: Joel Smallbone, Richard L. Ramsey. Written by: Joel Smallbone, Richard L. Ramsey. Produced by: Joshua Walsh, Justin Tolley, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone Australian and Website www.faithmedia.com.au Watch the official UNSUNG HERO trailer here

Russia’s war in Ukraine has been raging for more than two years. Ukrainian ALLA OLSHEVSKAYA shares her story, how she encountered The Salvation Army and how her life has changed. This is the story of a couple of pensioners who had to leave everything and flee from the war. Words fail to express how nice and cozy the city of Kherson used to be before all this started. The thought of leaving it for any other place of residence had never even crossed our minds. All the problems started after the liberation [by the Ukrainian Army] in November 2022. It’s very difficult to survive not having electricity or gas, heating or water. In addition, there were explosions day and night, both far away and quite close – but around the clock. After about two weeks we took the first opportunity to leave for Kyiv. Life here is quieter and more comfortable, especially in comparison to living in Kherson. At the same time, though, it’s very costly. We arrived with only one bag and need so many things, even the little things for daily living. That’s why the help from various funds and churches is so much welcomed and highly appreciated by hundreds of people like us.  It happened that our present place of living is located about 100 metres from a building looking quite off-the-beaten-track, with a huge signboard out the front – The Salvation Army. It wasn’t the first time I had heard about this organisation, but my knowledge about it was rather sketchy. When they offered some humanitarian aid and invited us in though, I was there! What struck me from the first moment was the friendly and homelike atmosphere there. A small child was crawling around, the staff were busy but polite and well organised, and they gave us a heavy plastic bag full of a variety of food items. I felt like I wanted to come here again, so I immediately offered them my assistance in case they might need it. That’s how my acquaintance with The Salvation Army started. Now, after about six months of my friendship with The Salvation Army, I understand what attracts me most about their activities. The organisation’s history extends over more than 140 years, and they serve around the world following its basic principles. I realise that my knowledge of the subject is far from complete, but their motto ‘Heart to God, hand to man’ sounds appropriate for all times and peoples. Family values are not just a slogan for them. It’s their way of life. The Salvation Army is definitely a church with its sermons, members, Bible studies and meetings, but it has a lot of social activities for children, youth and adults too. These include educational programs, sports, crafts and other hobbies, so they function as a kind of club. For myself I have chosen the Bible studies and really enjoy our weekly discussions. And there are several ‘NOs’ which I like most: NO to alcohol, NO to tobacco, NO to pressure, NO to politics. The last NO is especially significant, as our community is overheated with emotions due to the current situation. For the rest of the ‘NOs’ no comments are required, I think. The Salvation Army supports people in all possible ways, helping them to cope with hardships of life, cheering them up and bringing them closer to God. It’s staff – intelligent and God-feeling people – are a real blessing for us. Special thanks to them. May God’s grace be always with you and inspire you for further efforts on the way of good deeds. Alla is a former resident of Kherson, currently living (“hopefully temporarily”) in Kyiv.

BY RENÉ MICHELE I grew up in a carefree, country town existence. I remember vividly the feeling of freedom, peace and spaciousness of living in the country, swimming in freshwater creeks in the summer and watching the snow fall and cover the ground in the winter. At eight years old, I didn’t have a care in the world. But life was to change dramatically. I was 10 when my parents divorced, and my mum [struggled] as a single mum with five children to raise. We moved often, and she ended up in a series of troubled relationships. Unfortunately, my life filled with abuse, violence and fear [from some of these men] for many years. Feeling shame at what was happening to me, combined with not wanting to upset my mother, I didn't tell her what was happening. The vivacious, outgoing, curious, happy girl I had been, faded. I became painfully shy – I had no voice and I felt worthless and invisible. I started getting bullied at school, and pretty much struggled all my teenage years, feeling like I didn't fit in anywhere. I started self-harming, drinking and doing anything to avoid and numb my feelings, while trying to find my way in life. But I didn’t know what having a healthy, functional life meant or looked like. Church and change Things really began to change when I had my daughter at age 26. I looked down at her as a newborn and I promised her that she would never have the life that I had. I went on to have a second child. A beautiful son. My children mean everything to me! When I first had my daughter, I thought, “Well, you've tried everything else René, why not church? What have you got to lose?” I found a church around the corner and went that Sunday. “I had no voice, and I felt worthless and invisible.” With my baby girl in tow, I walked into the church and found it to be a special service that day. God’s incredible timing! There were abuse survivors talking about how they’d built happy, healthy lives. When I looked around the room, people were crying, people were applauding. That was the moment that I thought, “Maybe I've got this all wrong, maybe it’s not shameful what happened to me, maybe there is hope.” I put my hand up in that service and went, “Yep, I want what they’ve all got. I don’t know what that means, but I want a relationship with Jesus if that’s truly how much he loves me.” I accepted Christ into my life that day. I rebuilt my life based on who he said I was – that I was precious, loved and created for a purpose. Caring for others I work for the Salvos now – as a Freedom Pathways support worker on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. My role there is to listen to, care for, and connect people with services and support to help them get back on their feet ... I just love it. I go to work every day, grateful and energised. My life today is full of faith, love, safety, peace, happiness, success, travel and career satisfaction. Daily, my children and I share and celebrate our dreams, laughter, independence, strength, hope and, most of all, our happy, healthy and thriving family. I am so very grateful! I remember when I first read the Old Testament in the Bible. I was confused – I thought that I would never measure up to God’s standard. And then I learned that was the whole reason that Jesus came and died on the cross – so I could meet God’s standard, without having to do anything. He did it for me, and for everyone. The amount of gratitude and overwhelming joy I felt was unbelievable. It continually overwhelms me! If you need help: ·       In an emergency, call 000 ·       Lifeline — 24/7 crisis and suicide support — 13 11 14 To order a copy of René’s book Battle Scars Are Beautiful: From Victim To Victory, click here

BY LAUREN MARTIN A Salvation Army café has opened in south-west Sydney, offering locals top-quality coffee, chats and connections to life-giving community and services. ‘The Village’ is a concept several years in the making, inspired by Bible verses such as Ephesians 4:1-7, Philippians 2:1-11 and Romans 15:5-7. “We dreamed of a place that operates like a town hall,” Shire Salvos Panania Team Leader Natalie Sheehan said during the conceptual stages. “Where all people from the community could come, be heard, be seen and feel welcome. The Village is all about loving people and helping people to realise their full potential.” Now, the doors are open, and the dream is becoming reality. During its first week of operation, one customer said she was “so excited the café was finally open,” saying that she walks past on her morning walk and would be a regular customer. The café is being overseen by Natalie and run by Lieutenant-Colonel Sandra Godkin with a team of volunteers. “The Village is all about loving people and helping people to realise their full potential.” – Natalie Sheehan Customers who enter The Village will notice a few differences. It is located within the same building but separate from a Salvos Store, with access points to the store through the café. A QR code on its business cards and menu takes people to a website explaining how The Village is more than an ordinary café, that it’s a place of connection and hope. And soon, a screen on the wall will showcase different ways people can connect in community and how the profits from The Village go towards helping others. “Within our team, we are creating a culture that, yes, we need to serve good coffee and food, but the main thing we care about above that is the person,” said Natalie. Small things like not having table numbers but instead asking customers their names when they order ensure that connections are made. “Every day, we have rostered on a ‘connector’,” she explains. “Their role is to basically just be present to the people that are in the café. It doesn’t mean that they are going to sit down with any group and chat at their table – some people won’t want that! But the role of the ‘connector’ is to say ‘hi’ to people, and if someone is sitting by themselves, they will have a brief chat and – if that person seems to want to chat for longer – they will sit down and engage.” Further connections can be made depending on people’s openness and needs. For example, someone who shares that they are struggling financially might be given The Salvation Army’s Phone Assistance Line (PAL) number or introduced to the Shire Salvos Community Caseworker, who works one day a week at Panania. Food assistance, referrals, and other ways of coming alongside people in need are also being developed, and it’s envisaged that the different connection groups will begin operating on the sunny outdoor café deck in the near future. “Shire Salvos Panania already has a thriving playgroup,” said Natalie, “and we want to add to that by offering groups that people can join. Maybe a ‘Boost’ group [The Salvation Army First Floor Program’s Boosted positive psychology program] or a Bible study.” Click through the slideshow below for more photos of the café:

Australian officers, Commissioners Wayne and Robyn Maxwell – International Secretary for the South Pacific and East Asia Zone (SPEA) and Secretary for Women’s Ministries respectively – recently spent 12 days in the Japan Territory as part of a territorial review. The Maxwells shared Palm Sunday with the Suginami Corps and Easter Sunday with the Tenma Corps and attended the Keihanshin Area United Rally. The review in Japan included a tour of the Suginami area, including Booth Memorial Hospital; time at the Keisen Home for the Aged; visiting a children’s home and other Salvation Army programs at Hiroshima, and sharing news from around the SPEA zone at a number of meetings including the orientation for new employees in social welfare and medical ministries. Commissioners Maxwell also met with four focus groups during their stay – youth, local officers, officers and women. The Maxwells visited the Officer Training School, where fellow Australian officer Major Daniel Templeman Twells is the Training Principal. The flag representing the most recent training session will soon be hung in the school’s hall. “It was so good to see so many social ministries and share with dedicated officers, soldiers, employees and passionate young people,” said Robyn. “It was an added blessing to spend time with Territorial Leaders Colonels Stephen and Wendy Morris, and Lieuts-Colonel Tamotsu and Kazue Nishimura (Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries). Snapshot of the Japan Territory Officers 154 (61 active, 93 retired), cadets 3, employees 1103, corps 41, outposts 12, senior soldiers 2178, adherents 32, junior soldiers 174, divisions 4. The Salvation Army in Japan is focused on its corps and members, its medical work (two hospitals), social work (women’s homes, children’s homes, day nurseries, men’s social centre, rehabilitation centre, homes for the aged, child and family support and in-home support). For more photos from the Maxwells’ visit, click on slideshow below.

Vincent hasn’t had the easiest life. His journey has been marked with troubles, heartache, homelessness and living with bipolar disorder. This has often made him feel like hiding away. But in recent years, Vincent has found support from The Salvation Army at Philip Street Communities and Families Precinct in Gladstone (Qld). He has now written a book about his story, hoping it will help others.