The memorable photo of the Hope and a Future team encouraging Ratah (centre) over the finish line in 2023. BY FAY FOSTER In 2014, the first group of ‘Hope and a Future’ participants ran the Gold Coast Marathon. These young men and women from Papua New Guinea were trained to run the marathon, mentored in leadership skills and assisted with their education to help them become leaders in their corps, communities and country. These activities are modelled around the four key pillars of the Hope and a Future program – faith, fitness, education and leadership. One of the first Salvation Army officers to help and encourage these potential leaders was Major Heather Unicomb. Heather, who is now retired, served in PNG from 1990-1994 as a youth officer, and from 2014-2017 as Assistant Secretary for Program. Major Heather (left), with Major Gwenda Pratt and Michelle Hunter - all Hope and a Future supporters - in traditional PNG wear. Since Hope and a Future began, Heather has put her heart and soul into supporting the teams practically, emotionally and spiritually, including making the annual trek to the Gold Coast once she returned to Australia. On 3 July, just prior to the 6 July marathon this year, Heather saw the Salvos Online article promoting the event.   “When I saw the photo from 2023 (see above), it reminded me again how inspiring the Hope and a Future program is,” Heather commented on the Salvos Online Facebook post .   “This photo tells an amazing story of team spirit, of teammates being there for each other, of encouragement, of perseverance, and confidence to face current and future challenges of life. The whole team ran back along the course to meet up with Ratah and run her to the finish line. Ratah lives her life for God, putting him first in all she does. “Since then, Ratah has embraced the four pillars of the Hope and a Future program. Most recently, she was featured in the PNG national newspaper, highlighting her achievements as a coach for The Salvation Army under-15 soccer team during a week-long tournament, where they received the Fair Play Award. “Her advice to the girls, ‘Trust in God, put God first in everything you do,’ is how Ratah lives her life.”   Ratah’s response Ratah responded to Heather’s comments via email. She wrote: “That moment in the photo will always stay in my heart. It reminds me that when we walk together, believe in each other, and put God first, we can finish any race – no matter how hard it gets. “The Hope and a Future program changed my life. It gave me the strength to believe, to lead, and to never give up. It taught me that we are not made to walk alone – God is always with us, and so are the people he brings into our lives. “Coaching the U15 girls was more than just soccer. It was about helping them believe in themselves, stand strong, and trust God with everything. That’s how I live my life – always putting God first. “This journey is not about me. It’s about what God is doing through me. All glory to him.”

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“You don’t realise how much you have until it’s gone,” says Talia. After experiencing a series of devastating losses, Talia found herself without a job, without hope and facing homelessness with her children. Relocating to Port Macquarie to live with her sister, Talia found The Salvation Army, which provided immediate support, housing assistance and, above all, hope. Today, Talia is part of a church community and has grown in resilience and confidence. She is proud of how far she and her children have come.

Lindsay Ferguson, Julie Norton and Ann Gregory with their certificates after being enrolled as members of Noarlunga Corps. BY ANTHONY CASTLE   A decision by Noarlunga Salvos leader Aux-Lieutenant Deb Strapp to “cast the net” earlier this year has led to three new members at the South Australian corps, with more to come!   One senior soldier, Julie Norton, and two adherents, Ann Gregory and Lindsay Ferguson, were enrolled during a Sunday morning service on 22 June. Another senior soldier, Carol Dawes, will be enrolled on 3 August, after missing the June ceremony due to illness.   “How great is our God!” said Deb. “The Holy Spirit is fanning into flame a passion within his people to step into their God-anointed destiny. The church is rising up, the Spirit is calling us out of complacency and into commitment. Commitment to be the hands and feet of Jesus – no more sitting back and warming the pews!   “I really felt led earlier in the year to cast the net and invite people into the membership,” Deb continued. “For us, it was about understanding our roots, where we came from, and the heart of The Salvation Army as a unique faith expression.   Corps Officer Aux-Lieut Deb Strapp with new senior soldier Julie Norton. “But we don’t realise how powerfully people yearn for that sense of belonging ... we tend to draw in such a wide diversity of people in our movement, and I love that about us. There are no exclusions.”   Deb is expecting more people to make a membership commitment – to become senior soldiers or adherents – in the near future.   “I’m going to put it out there again [when we] celebrate the 160-year anniversary of The Salvation Army and share a meal,” she said. “It’s not about worshipping The Salvation Army, but about understanding our past, knowing the heartbeat of our movement.   “The world needs to see a unified Church; it needs to see our churches on fire ... passionate believers living and breathing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, praise the Lord, the Spirit is moving!”   And a new fire pit ... Ralph Jones oversees the construction of a new area for the youth group, from a chalk outline to a flaming fire pit. Meanwhile, the Noarlunga Salvos junior youth group gathered for the first time around the corps’ newly created fire pit on 27 June.   “They toasted marshmallows, enjoyed baked potatoes, played celebrity heads, sang and prayed. It was a truly beautiful night!” Deb said.   “And I want to publicly acknowledge and give a heartfelt thanks to Ralph Jones, our bandmaster, who captured the vision God gave me and created such a beautiful space for community, youth, church … the whosoever to come and connect together.” The fire-pit space will also become a Yarning Circle. “For our community to gather around, our church to gather around. A place to connect, care and create together,” Deb said.

An Australian War Cry report in July 1965 of Queen Elizabeth attending a 100th anniversary event of The Salvation Army at the Royal Albert Hall in London. BY BARRY GITTINS Sixty years ago, in July 1965, The Salvation Army pulled out all the stops to celebrate 100 years of worship, work, witness and world-changing actions. Preceding the official celebrations, the lord mayors of Sydney, Adelaide, Newcastle, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Hobart, and the Australian Council of Churches, had written letters published in the War Cry to thank God for the Army’s ‘vigorous evangelistic efforts’ and the ‘untiring, selfless devotion of all its members to the well-being and comfort of the less fortunate ... those in need, and those suffering from physical and spiritual afflictions’. The well-wishers also noted the Army’s advocacy and compassionate responses to ‘wayward and neglected members of the community [and] the forces of evil which cause these conditions’. The lord mayor of Melbourne went so far as to launch an official Salvation Army week in the city, with a ‘catchy old-time solo’ sung by Colonel John Hocking, a commemorative spiel by Lieut-Colonel Harry Goffin and a personal testimony from Cadet Howard Davies. But for Australians in the 1960s, there was no bigger pat on the back than those received from Queen Elizabeth II, and the Salvos revelled in regal approval. The 24 July War Cry ran copious reports and royal photos of ‘100th birthday’ celebrations in London. Among the more esoteric aspects of the celebrations were yodelling groups, guitar bands, African parties, ‘beat meet’ groups, a brass band from the Congo, the Joy Strings, and their fellow practitioners of the ‘Liverpool sound’ (a Beatlesesque yet peculiarly Salvation Army reference). The Joy Strings had large audiences ‘clapping and beating in unison’, as ‘they vibrate their bodies delicately, nod their heads, move their fingers, oscillate their guitars … sing with gusto and beaming smiles that capture hearts’. The War Cry report containing the mention of the Joy Strings. Antipodeans were represented by a Kiwi sister, ‘Maori Salvationist Sister Mrs Brown’, who read from the Scriptures resplendent in ‘feathered cloak, red blouse with crest and native grass skirt’ .A good time was agreed to have been had by all, in the UK, in Australia, and throughout all the lands where Bill Booth’s Army had preached the Blood of the Lamb, cared for those doing it tough and shared the joy of their salvation through the gift of music. Reports of the centenary celebrations from the July 1965 edition of the War Cry. In recognition of The Salvation Army’s 160th anniversary this year, International Headquarters has created eight short videos chronicling the vast and varied mission of the global Salvation Army over the past 160 years, with one video released each week, beginning 5 June. Check out these videos, which focus on themes including church and charity, emergency relief, modern slavery and human trafficking, social justice, education, and healthcare. Click here

Young Salvos Txai and Ashlyn met each other for the first time at an airport on their way to an international athletics event, after their mums introduced them.  BY LAUREN MARTIN   When the mothers of Australian athletes Txai Anglin and Ashlyn Blackstock organised for them to meet at an airport before flying to an international event, what could have been an awkward moment turned out to be a long-term blessing.   “I had never met Ashlyn and now she’s one of my closest friends,” says Txai [pronounced ‘Chai’].   “It was super easy,” adds Ashlyn. “Salvos are so connected, so automatically it’s like – this is someone from my family.”   Both Txai and Ashlyn grew up in The Salvation Army – Txai at Stafford Corps in Brisbane and Ashlyn at Eastlakes Corps in the Hunter region of NSW. Through the Salvo grapevine, their parents became aware of each other, as both daughters are professional athletes – Txai in track, and Ashlyn in discus and shot put.   Their friendship, which blossomed from that first meeting two years ago, has become a source of strength for them, both in and out of the sporting arena.   Ashlyn and Txai represented Australia in the under-23s team at the Taiwan Athletics Open. During their time in Taiwan, their friendship blossomed. “We both think the same and have the same morals and values,” says Txai, who is the obvious extrovert, in contrast to Ashlyn, who admits she doesn’t really like meeting new people.   After their first meeting, the two athletes kept in contact through social media. However, earlier this year, when both were selected to represent the under-23 Australian team to compete at the Taiwan Athletics Open, they opted to be roommates. Now, despite living in different states, the pair are inseparable. “We speak nearly every day,” says Txai.   A life of sacrifice Txai and Ashlyn’s connection centres around their shared faith, as well as their shared understanding of living life as full-time athletes.   Being a professional athlete means training five to six days a week. Every other aspect of life – work, study, faith, socialising and recreation – is managed and juggled around the centrepiece that is their chosen sport.   Txai’s main event is track – the 400 metres. Currently, she trains five days a week, with some of those days being ‘double days’ where she trains two sessions in one day. She also works part-time and studies law full-time. “I have a very busy schedule,” she laughs. Salvationists Txai and Ashlyn became firm friends when they realised they were both professional athletes. Ashlyn competes in discus internationally and adds shot put to her repertoire in domestic competitions (“I like throwing things!” she laughs.) She has two trainers and trains five to six days a week, often doing ‘double days’, like Txai. Ashlyn holds down a part-time job and is studying a Bachelor of Visual Communications, majoring in animation. “She was even doing her assignments overseas,” Txai praises her friend with pride.   The life of an athlete is meticulous and disciplined. It can also be a lonely and isolating experience.   “As athletes, we are taught to be selfish and focus on yourself,” says Txai. “But as Christians, we are taught to put others first.”   That self-focus of an athlete is thought to be essential to gain that ‘winning edge’. So, when Ashlyn took time out from her pre-throw session at the Taiwan Athletics Open to go and support Txai during her 400m event, the act of sacrifice sent beautiful shockwaves of love through the sprinter.   “Knowing that she was there, putting herself last, to support me ... and it was pouring rain as well! It was an incredible act of selflessness,” Txai says. “That action had a flow-on effect that I still think about to this day. It has helped to encourage and spur me on, to be like that [sacrificial] too.”   Higher hopes than gold When asked what their athletic aspirations are, both Txai and Ashlyn will respond with the somewhat predictable answer of: “I’d love to go to the Olympics”, but it quickly becomes apparent that there’s a deeper desire burning within both athletes.   Whilst Ashlyn may be introverted, her discus shoes are not shy at all about the power behind her throw. “I have Bible verses written all over my shoes,” she says. “So, if I get nervous, I just look at my feet!” She starts every training session and every competition in prayer with her coaches, despite one not professing to have a faith. “I just say, ‘Do you mind if I pray before I start?’ and he is open to it,” she says. Before every big competition, God gives her a verse to focus on that keeps her grounded. “The goal is to throw really well … but also showing what God is doing in my life to be the best I can be.”   One way Ashlyn shares her faith whilst on tour is through her shoes. Their faith, and the way that they encourage and inspire each other to be brave about sharing it at domestic, national and international levels, is one of the deepest connections in their friendship.   “I want to be able to spread the Gospel through what I do,” says Txai. “My [late] father told me, ‘Your talent is your gift from God and what you do with your talent is your gift back to him’.”   “Ashlyn has inspired me,” says Txai. “Knowing that there are people like me – like-minded in Christ – and having that support has helped me be more confident in who I am and expressing myself to have no fear in talking about Scripture and specific things that relate to me.”   The gift of joy When athletes compete at different events and locations across their nation or around the world, it is rare that friends or family can afford the time or money to attend each event. So, they often compete with no one, except their coach, who is there to support them.   When it was time for Ashlyn to compete in Taiwan, Txai made sure she was in the stands.   Ashlyn on the victory dais after medalling at the Taiwan international meet. “It was my third throw when I saw her in the stands,” remembers Ashlyn. “When I looked up into the stands and saw Txai, I was so happy, there was no fear in that competition, and I was throwing for pure joy.”   That feeling was a gift for Ashlyn, who had competed not long before in Germany and hadn’t performed as well as she had hoped. In contrast to that trip, she says, “When I got home from Taiwan and people were like, ‘How was it?’ I said, ‘I had the best week of my life, I have never had that much fun before,’ and that came from Txai. She is so much fun, and it’s contagious.   “I now want to feel that same joy that I had [in Taiwan] and bring that to every session.”   The two say their friendship is “their secret super power”. It’s a sentiment that all Christians who share in friendship with another believer can no doubt relate to – “As iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Salvos on tour! Txai and Ashlyn say that competing internationally for Australia has become easier knowing they have the support of each other through their common Salvation Army background.

Each week throughout 2025, Salvationists worldwide are uniting in prayer for a specific territory or region of The Salvation Army.   The focus territory/region shares prayer requests to help us pray with precision and power for one another.   This week (21-27 July) we are praying for the Brazil Territory .   Colonels Nara and Wilson Strasse lead the territory.   The Brazil Territory has 163 officers (111 active, 52 retired); cadets 6; employees 432; corps 42; outposts 6; senior soldiers 1545; adherents 114; junior soldiers 371.     Pray for the Brazil Territory:   ·    For wisdom and divine guidance for the territorial leadership. ·    For a widespread spiritual revival throughout the territory. ·    For the full implementation and fruitfulness of the strategic development plan with the vision ‘Focus on Jesus’. ·    For new ministry openings, that they may be firmly established. ·    For the restoration of health and strengthening of sick officers. ·    For officers and soldiers deeply committed to the Kingdom of God and dedicated to the fulfilment of the mission. ·    For a revival of ministerial vocations and a fruitful ministry among children, adolescents and youth.    To follow the Brazil Territory on Facebook, click here .   To explore the Brazil Territory's website, click here . To download the 2025 International Prayer Focus schedule, click here .   To find out more about The Salvation Army’s prayer focus, click here .

The garden beds have recently been revamped as part of the upgrade. Image: Supplied BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE A Salvation Army community housing program in Victoria is getting a revamp, with a makeover of the surrounding gardens and yard space. The program, which operates out of a privately owned house in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, has acquired new outdoor furniture, plants, and refreshed garden beds. Staff at the program and from the Salvation Army's Homelessness East Metro team have collaborated with staff at Bunnings Warehouse, who have generously donated plants, outdoor furniture and mulch, and provided practical assistance. Additionally, local schools have organised groups of volunteers to remove weeds and dead trees. Decisions about the garden project have been made in consultation with residents at regular meetings. Housing Worker at the site Duan Qiong has overseen the project and said the revamp was important, as most of the six current residents of the over-55 housing program would have grown up in a residence with some sort of outdoor area and have memories of gardening with their grandparents. The outdoor area prior to the renovation. Image: Supplied “It gives them an outdoor setting [in which] to stay and enjoy themselves, and I reckon it’s very important to make them feel this temporary housing is homey,” she said. “Social housing [features] lots of high-rise towers, which lack outdoor space. With this space, they can actually sit in sunlight, feel warmer, feel peace of mind and also get [their] hands dirty and play with dirt, which reminds them [of] the best time of their life.” With phase one of the work completed on 22 May, the gardens have undergone significant improvements, including the removal of weeds, dead shrubs, and leaves, as well as the re-staining of timber around the garden beds. The existing outdoor furniture has been replaced with a new sitting area for residents, with furniture donated by Bunnings. Still to be completed are the removal of dead trees, the planting of new fruit trees, and the addition of a variety of flowers and shrubs. The next phase will begin in September, with more mulch set to be delivered and lemon and olive trees planted.  “After the phase one work, residents have given positive feedback,” Duan said. “Our collective actions not only improve the physical appearance of the property but also strengthen the community's resilience and sense of pride.” Another new section of the garden in progress. Image: Supplied

Salvos Online continues a new weekly column – Three Books. Today’s guest bookworm is Kirralee Nicolle , who is a journalist with The Salvation Army editorial department. We asked Kirralee three book-related questions:   Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why? I’ve always loved the pacing and warmth of Hebrews. It’s a bit of an odd book – it’s more reflective, literary and big-picture than the rest of the Epistles, which kind of makes sense as we don’t really know if Paul wrote it or not, so it’s possible that the author was someone else with a different focus. I particularly like the ‘by faith’ chapter – Chapter 11. For two reasons – it reminds me of the humanity and spirituality of familiar Old Testament figures, but it also feels a bit like the reprise in a musical, when all the characters are brought forward and we get to hear a final word about them. I can imagine each of them shrugging, as if to say, “Yep, we didn’t really understand either” before disappearing behind the curtain. It’s a book that has carried me through many seasons of life, as I’ve gone back to it over and over to be soothed by the words and reminded of why the whole Gospel is not just necessary, but applicable to us today as those with free access to Jesus. Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? A few years ago, I went through a really difficult time in my faith, and found myself, as many troubled Western Christians do – reading the work of the late Rachel Held Evans. All her books were fantastic, but one that surprised me with its impact was A Year of Biblical Womanhood . It was a tongue-in-cheek idea – Evans decided to devote a year of her life to trying to live according to the virtues, cultural practices and rituals applied specifically to women in Scripture. This included her sleeping outside in a tent, interviewing polygamists and trying not to be snarky (also a work in progress for me!). It was by turns funny, sad and poignant, but what struck me most about it was her tone. Being raised in the church, I’ve read a lot of books about women and womanhood, but few that present women and their bodies so matter-of-factly. Evans had no hang-ups about needing to sanitise the lives and struggles of women, speaking about them in the same tone a writer would about men. It helped me to better integrate the body and soul that God has given me, which we often tend to see as a confusing duality, thanks to lingering Augustinian ideas about the ‘flesh’ and its perceived weaknesses. What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? Grieving, I’ve found, is not something we are ever prepared to do. No one sits you down and says, “When this particular loss hits, you will probably feel like this”; you just have to figure it out when it comes. Before I was first pregnant, I had no idea of the fact parenting, at all points, seems to deliver joy and sadness in equal portions. After my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage, I found few places to explore my grief, which felt gritty or empty enough to hold the depth of my misery. Even though I soon after had my daughter, I was facing my own Ecclesiastes moment, where everything was nothingness. The only book I found to match this process was Blue Nights , by Joan Didion. In it, Didion wades in a nihilistic grief after the death of her adult daughter, Quintana. Didion likens the anticipation of loss to the onset of ‘blue nights’, the time of the evening towards the end of summer when the light turns blue and fades into black. While this is all very miserable, it was the recognition I needed at the time, which helped me put words and concepts to something that felt so bleak, so final. It was from this low point that I began to rebuild my sense of hope and anticipation of good, something which would have been stalled otherwise. Something I will always find powerful about literature is its ability to connect us and to humble us. We learn that what we feel is not so unusual or different, and at least for me, it reminds me to open up and say what I mean, because it may just connect with someone else as well.

To read the Promoted to Glory report for David, click here To read David’s appointment history, click here

To read the Promoted to Glory notice for Winsome, click here To read Winsome’s appointment history, click here

Cloudy Chicago, facing south from the Van Buren Street Pedestrian Bridge. Image: Kirralee Nicolle BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE I’m currently getting packed up to move house. This isn’t just a move up the road, it’s an interstate one, complete with all of the goodbye events, research on updating licenses and a schedule of moving trucks and booking flights. This isn’t the first move of this scale for me, but it is the first time I’ve even moved house in six years. The last time I moved interstate, it was just me, my decrepit 1992 Toyota Camry and a boot full of disorganised paperwork, clothes and the favourite books I’d accumulated over my first 20 years of life. Soon after arriving in Melbourne, my car was toast. This time, the move includes my very organised husband and his Excel spreadsheet with meticulously labelled boxes, two young children and two neurotic cats. Luckily, this time, the car is more likely to last beyond the trip, but my paperwork is still in disarray inside three brightly-coloured folders. But that’s where my husband's skills come into play. After some gentle encouragement that I should perhaps go through my paperwork and organise it, and some complaining from me, I decided he was probably right. What ensued was several hours spent sorting through old letters and cards, registration papers for all the various cars that eventually ended up as scrap, and other, at times baffling odds and ends. Most of these were from about a decade ago, when I was in my early twenties and certain that I had a very detailed grasp on the world and how to live in it. Some of my personal favourites from my sorting included a to-do list with about 25 tasks, with only about five of these ticked as complete, a card from a friend commiserating over a parking fine and a rap written by another friend and performed at my twenty-first birthday, which repeated over and over that I was “just so young”. I really was. Part of the tongue-in-cheek rap performed at my 21st birthday. As I pored over the contents of the folders, I was hit with nostalgia, sadness, joy and the sense that I had lived many lives. In the time since, I’ve lost friends and family to illness, tragedy or drifting apart. I’ve lost dreams, opportunities and at one point, almost lost my faith. Throughout, I've lived in a city that I never saw myself residing in for so long, and I've battled long and frequent bouts of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and homesickness for the people and palm trees of my hometown on the Sunshine Coast. But since those early 20s, I’ve also gained a great deal: new friends and ever-evolving friendships with old friends, a loving marriage, two children and a much clearer path ahead than I once had. As other fellow emotionally-avoidant types will understand, it was an overwhelming activity on several levels. But another recent experience had taught me to lean in, feel the range of emotions and embrace the mental load. In the midst of the chaos of planning a move, we recently travelled with our children to the US and Canada. My husband, who grew up overseas, was due for a reunion with the graduating class from the international school he attended. Together, we spent several days as tourists in Chicago, chatting and catching up on a decade of life while gawking at the wonders of the stunning Midwestern capital. While at times it involved almost literally dragging a preschooler and a toddler around five different cities over two weeks, it was perhaps the most worthwhile challenge we've undertaken as a family. What struck me from it was the rapid passage of time, the complexities of one another’s lives and the importance of staying connected to our stories and the stories of those we love. The fact that these wonderful people would only be present physically with us for a few days meant we all dove deep, opened our lives up and spoke freely in a way which rarely happens in a quick catch-up with a friend or a playground trip. At the end of the trip, I missed them dearly. We are still talking about how special the time was, and how we look forward to the next reunion in five or 10 years. As I leaf through the various notes and documents, I’m now acutely aware that as time passes, it’s important to keep feeling the depths of our love for others and for the versions of ourselves who come and go throughout our lives. It's far too easy to relegate the parts of our lives we find confronting or overwhelming to our own versions of the three coloured folders. A lack of time, distance, energy, resources - these can all be good excuses, but excuses nonetheless as to why we fail to keep connecting to the parts of our past that remain meaningful. Perhaps it’s time to pour a cup of tea, open an old folder or box of photographs, and take some time to reminisce.