SAconnects, Volume 3, Number 2

VOL. 3, NO. 2 • MARCH 2017

the magazine

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our leaders

IN focus

Intertwined with Jesus! ¡Entrelazados con Jesús!

From there, he (Jesus) went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God’s kingdom was his theme—that beginning right now they were under God’s government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all.

More and more people came, the momentum gathering.

Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the “Ten Towns” across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.

— MATTHEW 4:23–25 (MSG)

De ahí, (Jesús) se dirigió a Galilea. Usó las sinagogas como lugares de reunión y le enseñaba a la gente la verdad de Dios. El reino de Dios era su tema; que a partir de ese momento estaban bajo el gobierno de Dios, ¡un buen gobierno! Además, curaba las enfermedades de las personas como también los malos efectos de sus malvadas vidas. La noticia llegó a todos los rincones de la provincia romana de Siria. La gente traía a las personas con enfermedades, fuesen mentales, emocionales o físicas. Jesús las sanaba a todas. Cada vez más personas acudían a Él y a un ritmo mayor. Además de los de Galilea, venían a Él multitudes desde los “Diez pueblos” que rodeaban al lago, así como otras personas de Jerusalén y de Judea, e incluso otros que provenían de allende el río Jordán.

—MATEO 4:23–25 (MSG)

Jesus’ ministry on street corners had a huge impact in His community. He changed the lives of individuals, their friends, and their families.

Similarly, our ministries afford us an opportunity to reach people for the Kingdom by instilling in them the love of Christ. As we get to know people, we’re able to intertwine God’s love into the social fabric.

When you have a clean–up day at a park or serve at an emergency disaster site or offer a hot drink on a winter day, will you intertwine Jesus into it?

We’re given the privilege to offer services and programs (for youth and adults) at our corps and Adult Rehabilitation Centers that can transform lives and affect entire communities.

Jesus used such opportunities to heal people. As word spread, more people sought Him. Think about the opportunities you have to integrate mission into every part of your community interactions. “...the Spirit of God leading us...to streets of opportunity...”

— Commissioner / Comisionado William A. Bamford Territorial Commander / Comandante Territorial

El ministerio de Jesús en las calles ejerció un impacto tremendo en su comunidad. Él transformó las vidas de las personas, las de sus amigos y las de sus familias.

De modo similar, nuestros ministerios nos brindan la oportunidad de llevar personas al Reino infundiendo en ellas el amor de Cristo. A medida que conocemos a la gente, podemos entretejer el amor de Dios en el tejido de la sociedad.

Cuando dedique un día a limpiar un parque o a ayudar en un lugar en que haya ocurrido un desastre, o cuando ofrezca una bebida caliente en un día frío, ¿incluirá a Jesús en eso?

Se nos ha concedido el privilegio de ofrecer servicios y programas (para jóvenes y adultos) en nuestros Cuerpos y Centros de Rehabilitación de Adultos, los cuales pueden transformar vidas y afectar a comunidades enteras.

Jesús solía usar tales oportunidades para sanar a la gente. Conforme se difundía la palabra, más personas acudían en busca de Él.

Piensen en las oportunidades que tienen para que incorporen esta misión a cada una de sus interacciones con la comunidad. “...el Espíritu de Dios nos guía... a las oportunidades que hay en las calles...”

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2017 MARCH

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Vol. 3, No. 2

CONTENTS MARCH 2017

features

IN focus

1 our leaders 4 from the editor 6 ethically speaking

7 SALT of the Earth 5

ON file

5 relevents

8 ’Christ Has Healed Me’

Major Beth Muhs talks about New York, living in ARCs, and receiving God’s healing touch.

28 interview Major Ismael Correa tells how Christians can take their ministry to the streets and to people’s homes.

Mike Price lost everything to a heroin addiction, but found the Savior who delivered him.

10 Jesus Only

7

Jonathon Shaffstall, who was raised as a Salvationist, is now on the road to recovery from addiction.

2 9 movie review “Victor,” a true story, is coming to the big screen and will show what Integrated Mission ministry looks like.

30

12 Redeemed in Newark

Cadet Joseph Cantrell discovered that a relationship with Jesus and tools for recovery awaited him in Northern N.J.

8

wholly living

14 I Surrendered My Will

Posture yourself for prayer and maximize your conversation with God by following these tips.

32 testimony

Carol Almeida let her resentment toward her mother turn her life into a bitter mess. Then she met Christ.

12

Soldier Iris Medina’s ministry takes her to a prison in Ponce, P.R.

COVER STORY

18 Puertas Abiertas

FAITH in ACTION

The San Juan, P.R., Corps is home to a program that brings guidance and professional counseling to crime victims.

26 Q&A

Max Lucado, minister and prolific author, talks about his new book Because of Bethlehem and shares why people need to hear Christ’s story now more than ever.

Cover: Ryan Love

Salvationists are leaving their citadels and going to where they are needed.

26

24 Beyond the Wall

Some people, who struggle with drug addiction, live in the shadows by day and under the stars by night.

Para leer más artículos en español por favor visite

32

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SACONNECTS.ORG/ENESPANOL

2017 MARCH

3

IN focus

from the editor

what’s happening at

Spiritual Reformation “The universities, too, need a good, thorough reformation. I must say that, no matter whom it annoys.”

— THEOLOGIAN MARTIN LUTHER

In our next SAConnects magazine, you’ll take a look at our amazing Christian heritage as descendants of Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation of 1517. Colonel Richard Munn, territorial secretary for theology and Christian ethics, will talk about this year’s observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, put it in context, and explain why it is vitally important to our lives today.

So often forgotten is how the Reformation was as key in empowering the lives of young people as it was in reforming the Church itself.

Our special feature on “Young Adult Empowerment,” one of the territory’s four “Strikepoints,” will update you regarding what The Salvation Army is doing now to help reform young lives.

Hugo Bravo, editor/Hispanic correspondent, and Robert Mitchell, managing editor, will highlight some of the people who invest their time in young lives in our territory and as far away as Zambia, Africa (see stunning photos by Ryan Love, staff photographer).

You’ll also read what kids in Greater New York, Massachusetts, and other divisions around the territory are saying about spiritual formation—and reformation.

— Warren L. Maye Editor in Chief / Editor en Jefe

La reforma espiritual “Las universidades también necesitan una buena y exhaustiva reforma. Debo decirlo, sin importar a quien moleste.”

— TEÓLOGO MARTÍN LUTERO

En nuestra siguiente revista SAConnects, podrás dar un vistazo a nuestra impresionante tradición cristiana como descendientes de la Reforma Protestante de 1517, iniciada por Martín Lutero. El Coronel Richard Munn, secretario territorial de teología y ética cristiana, hablará sobre la celebración —este año— del Quinto Centenario de la Reforma, la pondrá en contexto y explicará por qué es de vital importancia para nosotros hoy.

Se suele olvidar el hecho de que la Reforma resultó decisiva tanto para el empoderamiento de los jóvenes como para la reforma de la Iglesia misma. Nuestra sección especial dedicada a “El empoderamiento de los adultos jóvenes”, uno de los cuatro “Strikepoints” del territorio, te pondrá al corriente de lo que el Ejército de Salvación está haciendo en la actualidad para reformar las vidas de los jóvenes.

Hugo Bravo, editor y corresponsal hispano, así como Robert Mitchell, director editorial, te presentarán a varias personas que dedican su tiempo a las vidas de los jóvenes en nuestro territorio y también a trabajar en un país tan lejano como es Zambia, África (mira las impactantes fotografías tomadas por Ryan Love, fotógrafo de nuestra revista).

También podrás leer lo que los niños en el Gran Nueva York, en Massachusetts y en otras divisiones de nuestro territorio han estado diciendo acerca de su propia formación —y reforma— espiritual.

CALL TO PRAYER Watch Commissioners William A. and G. Lorraine Bamford, territorial leaders, call Salvationists to prayer.

“As we embark on a new year of ministry in the USA Eastern Territory, we would like to invite each of you to join with us in prayer as we seek God’s face for this territory in the days ahead.”

saconnects.org/ territorial-leaders-call-to-prayer

the magazine

Find all our issues in one place!

Digital versions of SACONNECTS, the magazine are available on

saconnects.org/digital-edition.

Need RESOURCES? You’ll access pages on the arts, Mission & Culture, Salvation Factory, Strikepoint, Women’s Ministries, Spiritual Life Development, and more!

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Follow us on Facebook for our most up to date information.

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relevents

ON file

interview by Hugo Bravo

Major Beth Muhs of The Salvation Army’s Manhattan Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC), talks about the importance of a smile and the lessons she’s learned from coming full circle in her life.

When I was born, my parents were officers at the Manhattan ARC. Today, I live in the same quarters where I slept as a newborn. In these hallways, I learned to talk. I took my first steps on the roof of this building, which overlooks New York City’s skyline. Later, when I was in 7th grade, my parents were stationed at the Erie, Pa. ARC, which took in young Vietnam veterans who were addicted to opiates and other drugs. In the ARC, some places were off limits to me. One day, someone shouted “run into your father’s office and stay there!” because a drug misuser was having a dangerous and violent reaction to withdrawal. Sixty years later, God’s plan has brought me full circle—right back where I started.

During a service in January, I sang for what is likely the last time.

Disc surgery required going through my neck and passing my vocal chords, permanently changing them. So, for my last solo, I sang “In the Presence of Jehovah.” I took more breaths than I usually do, and I could feel God blessing me as I sang. Singing is my passion, but God knows I will worship Him in any way I can. Whether it’s with my voice, or carrying a dry erase board and markers, I will always sing to Him in my heart.

The theme of The Salvation Army ARCs is “Where healing begins.” When you see faces light up during a chapel service, or someone shares a life story for the first time in front of an audience, you know healing has begun. Just as my life came full circle, we try to return men and women suffering from addiction to a healing place at the ARC. God created them—unique and with flaws. The ARC is a place to seek, find, and come full circle.

I’ve witnessed God’s great healing powers at the ARC and in my life. I had a constant cough. After meeting with several doctors, a specialist recommended an MRI. Unexpectedly, the doctors found six herniated discs in my back, two of which were deformed and seeping into my spinal cord, which required surgery. Even though at the time I was pain–free, a fall could have left me paralyzed from the neck down. I had a much deeper problem than the cough. Thank God, looking into it saved me. God is also physician to our souls. Small issues, such as anger or frustration, are like that cough. When we look deeper, we receive His healing in a way we would have never imagined.

The people are my favorite aspect of New York City. I see so many faces. I want to be where they are and to do all I can for them. Sometimes, I feel as if they’re drawn to me as much as I am to them. During open–air meetings, people invariably talk to me about what God means to them. Walking in the city, I smile when anyone makes eye contact. Everyone needs a smile, whether they’re homeless or going about their business. When someone arrives at the ARC, I want a warm smile to greet him or her.

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2017 MARCH

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IN focus

Ethically Speaking

by Colonel Richard Munn

the magazine

your connection to The Salvation Army

Alcohol

USA EASTERN TERRITORY TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioner William A. Bamford III Commissioner G. Lorraine Bamford

ALCOHOL Alcohol consumption is a normal part of US life. More than 70 percent of adults report that they drank alcohol in the past year.

In comparison, Salvationists pledge to “abstain from alcoholic drink.”

What are we to make of such contrast? What might be some of the faith and ethical issues involved?

Scripture records the sheer normality of alcohol consumption, especially wine.

There are examples of alcohol use in ceremonies and as an image of blessing.

Jesus drank wine and created a large quantity during his first miracle. There is Biblical counsel suggesting moderation as well as examples of abstinence.

However, clear admonitions provide repeated warnings against drunkenness.

Ponder the following ethical framework: HEALTH Medical research is reassessing the idea of “safe levels” of alcohol consumption. Some people abstain from alcohol for maximized health.

PRINCIPLE The alcohol industry’s negative societal impact is undeniable. The Salvation Army is aware and stands against this social ill. Some people abstain as a principled protest.

CHIEF SECRETARY Colonel Kenneth O. Johnson, Jr.

El consumo del alcohol es parte normal de la vida en los Estados Unidos. Más del 70 por ciento de los adultos reconocen que ingirieron alcohol el año pasado.

En comparación, los salvacionistas se comprometen a “abstenerse de bebidas alcohólicas”. ¿Cómo debemos entender ese contraste? ¿Qué temas éticos y de fe podría implicar?

La Escritura registra la normalidad del alcohol, en especial del vino. Hay ejemplos del uso de alcohol en las ceremonias y como representación de bendición. Jesús bebía vino y creó una gran cantidad de él en su primer milagro. Hay consejos bíblicos que sugieren la moderación tanto como la abstinencia.

Sin embargo, son claras las repetidas advertencias contra la ebriedad.

Reflexione sobre el siguiente marco ético:

COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Colonel Janice A. Howard EDITOR IN CHIEF Warren L. Maye MANAGING EDITOR Robert Mitchell EDITOR / HISPANIC CORRESPONDENT Hugo Bravo KOREAN EDITOR Lt. Colonel Chongwon D. Kim ART DIRECTOR Reginald Raines PUBLICATION MANAGING DESIGNER Lea La Notte Greene GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Keri Johnson, Karena Lin, Joe Marino STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Love CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brenda Lotz, Colonel Richard Munn CIRCULATION Deloris Hansen COMMAND NEWS CORRESPONDENTS PENDEL Major Kathryn A. Avery EMP Jaye C. Jones

SALUD Las investigaciones médicas reevalúan la idea de los “niveles seguros” del consumo de alcohol. Algunas personas se abstienen del alcohol para mejorar la salud.

PRINCIPIO El impacto social negativo de la industria del alcohol es innegable. El Ejército de Salvación es consciente de ello y está en contra de este mal social. Algunas personas se abstienen como manera de protesta.

VOW Spiritual formation will often include a range of self–denial. This reinforces spiritual value over bodily appetite. Some people abstain with a religious vow.

VOTO La formación espiritual suele incluir una amplia gama de lecciones de abnegación personal. Esto refuerza el valor espiritual por encima de los apetitos del cuerpo. Algunas personas se abstienen con un voto religioso.

The Salvation Army covenant to abstain from alcohol is provided as a means to help spiritual formation.

Paul exhorts: “Do not get drunk on wine … instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

— Ephesians 5:18 To this we might say, “cheers!”

El compromiso del Ejército de Salvación con la abstención del alcohol es una manera de ayudar a la formación espiritual.

Pablo nos exhorta: “No se emborrachen con vino… Al contrario, sean llenos del Espíritu”.

— Efesios 5:18 A lo que respondemos: “¡Brindo por eso!”

GNY Major Susan Wittenberg MASS Drew Forster NNE Cheryl Poulopoulos PR & VI Linette Luna SNE James Gordon WEPASA Captain Kimberly DeLong Territorial Music Liaison Derek Lance Territorial Youth Liaison Captain Gillian Rogers

THE SALVATION ARMY

MISSION STATEMENT

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

SAConnects is published monthly by The Salvation Army USA’s Eastern Territory. Bulk rate is $12.00 per month for 25–100 copies.

Single subscriptions are available. Write to: SAConnects, The Salvation Army, 440 W. Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739.

Vol. 3, No. 2, March Issue 2017. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: SAConnects, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. SAConnects accepts advertising. Copyright © 2017 by The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory. Articles may be reprinted only with written permission.

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MARCH 2017

www.twitter.com/saconnects

Photo by Warren L. Maye

SALT OF THE EARTH “Integrated Mission,” is one of the four Strikepoints continued by Commissioner William A. Bamford, territorial commander.*

Salvationists at various corps have committed themselves to being visibly present in their respective communities. Through a visitation initiative called the Support and Learning Team (SALT), they’re attempting to love their neighbors as themselves and to explore the different dimensions of caring, community, and change (see “Integrated Mission: A Gateway to Solutions” p. 28).

Get ready to meet people who are modeling this ministry.

Salvationists who boldly walk crime–ridden streets, who lovingly visit homes ravaged by the heroin epidemic, and who courageously conduct life–changing conversations, will tell their stories here. They are individuals, families, community leaders, law enforcement officers, health care professionals, policymakers, and researchers—all working to prevent substance misuse, reduce its consequences, and help win souls for Christ. * See “Vision: 2017” SAConnects, Nov. 2016 and SAConnects.org

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2017 MARCH

7

‘ CHRIST has HEALED

me’

by Robert Mitchell

M

ike Price’s downward spiral into heroin addiction began innocently when his doctor put him on Vicodin after a wrist operation.

“That started my 14–year run of opiate abuse,” he said. “After getting that prescription, I never stopped.”

When his doctor said he didn’t need Vicodin anymore and cut him off, Price bought it on the streets of Dayton, Ohio, where he worked.

“Before I knew it, I was doing heroin,” Price said. “The heroin was a lot cheaper and stronger.”

Price had worked his way up from a carpenter to the superintendent of a major construction company in Dayton. Once a model father and involved in youth sports, he resorted to buying drugs by taking out loans for

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MARCH 2017

$5,000 and $10,000 without his wife’s knowledge.

In 2004, Price’s addiction cost him his job and several others after that. But it was only the beginning of his losses.

“I lost my family. I lost my identity.

I lost everything,” Price said. “I was in desperation and despair. I think it was a surprise to everyone how I went down this road.”

RUNNING THE STREETS

Price was homeless for a year and a half and would live in abandoned houses overrun with trash and raccoons until the police ran him off.

“I was OK with that,” he said. “You get so numbed by the drugs that you really don’t care anymore.”

Price would watch people go about

their daily lives and think, I’ll bet he’s not doing heroin. I’ll bet she’s not an addict.

He found his circumstances humbling and just wanted to be normal again.

“I’d always think, Jesus cut me off at the knees because I was that prideful guy climbing the ladder and stepping on other people’s toes to achieve what I wanted,” he said.

Price went to 11 rehab centers all over the country, but nothing ever stuck. He continued lying, cheating, and stealing.

“A lot of times, I was suicidal,” he said. “I was at the end of my rope.

Heroin had such a hold on me. It was tough to break that chain.”

Price went to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), where he learned about The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs).

“I had to do something,” Price said. “I was done. Winter was coming and I had pawned all my winter stuff to stay high.”

FINDING A HOME

In March 2013, Price knocked on the door of the Dayton ARC and was hopeful he had found the help he needed.

“I was so happy to be there, but I was still using,” he said.

Price was there for two months, but when he reached the phase where he could leave the building, he relapsed and was kicked out. He realized he had made a big mistake.

“It was the worst 30 days of my life, out there trying to get back in,” he said. “I knew that God and the spirituality that The Salvation Army was instilling in me was what I needed and what I was missing in the secular rehabs. They finally let me back in.”

Price was determined not to blow his second chance. He remembers falling on his knees and praying every day for his children and deliverance from his addiction.

“I would pray for God to take away this obsession,” he said. “It took a lot of praying. It didn’t happen overnight.

GIVING GOD GLORY

“Three months in, I was still thinking about it. One day I woke up—it might have even been a week before I noticed it—the obsession was gone. God had filled that hole and all the anxiety was gone.

“I can’t explain what has happened to me any other way than Christ has

healed me. I get teary–eyed anytime I talk about it. The Salvation Army, as an organization, saved my life. I had wanted to end it.”

Price likes to joke that he has remained with the ARC since the Army let him back in. Given his construction background, he was hired as a maintenance supervisor for several ARC facilities in Dayton upon his graduation in January 2014.

“I love what I do and I do it for God,” he said.

He also met his wife Lori, who has a similar recovery background and works with him at the ARC. The couple was married on Valentine’s Day in 2015.

Lori is helping organize Dayton’s churches to fight the heroin scourge.

Price said since coming to the ARC in 2014, he has heard of deaths and seen no less than 10 graduates overdose and die.

do it myself.’ You can’t do it yourself. I couldn’t do it myself.”

A NEW CREATION

Price also doesn’t like to refer to himself as “an addict.”

“I don’t define myself that way anymore,” he said. “I know that He’s healed me. I keep playing that thought back to where heroin took me to and how Christ delivered me. That’s enough for me.”

Price and his wife worship at the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Dayton and also lead a small group. He attends a Thursday night Bible study, church on Sunday, and is involved in community outreach.

Price, 55, sometimes shares his testimony at the Kroc Center, but “where the rubber meets the road is here at the ARC.” he says.

“I have a great opportunity to show these guys—and I know I’m a little older

“ You can’t fight any addiction in your life without Christ or without faith.“

—Mike Price

THE PAIN OF ADDICTION

“It gets harder and harder to take,” he said. “You want to see these folks get better and have inner peace, but then the devil gets that thought in their head, I can use today. Then they die. It’s very sad.”

Price said he and his wife don’t attend meetings of AA or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) because “they don’t talk about Christ.” He said the secular programs he attended failed for the same reason.

“You can’t fight any addiction in your life without Christ or without faith,” he said. “If you don’t give it all to Jesus, you’re still holding on to this thought, I can do this myself. I’ve talked to hundreds of people who say, ‘I can

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than some of them—that through Jesus you can get better and you don’t have to live this way any more,” he said. “A lot of them have lost everything two or three times over, like I did.”

Since the overwhelming majority of the ARC beneficiaries are opiate abusers, Price feels at home sharing his story.

“I develop relationships with many of them,” he said. “I take it very seriously because it’s a life and death situation.

“If I see guys who are only here for three meals and a cot, I back off. When I find the guys who are serious, I’ll pull them aside. We’ll talk and we’ll pray together and I’ll tell of my experience and where it took me.

“He healed me. That’s all I can say.”

2017 MARCH

9

Jesus

O N LY

by Robert Mitchell

J

onathon Shaffstall calls himself a “late bloomer” when it comes to drugs.

Raised in a Christian home as the son of Salvation Army officers, he didn’t have his first drink until he went away to college at 18.

“I really believe drinking was the start of it all,” he said. “It was the drug that got me going in my unfortunate addiction.”

Shaffstall says he did some drugs at the small Midwestern college he attended from 2004 to 2008, but really went downhill after he moved back to the Northeast and entered the working world.

“It progressed from being just a weekend thing to becoming my passion,” he said. “It was my life. It’s what I dreamt about.”

To buy drugs, Shaffstall once drove

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from Massachusetts to New York City during a blizzard. A three–hour trip one way took him seven hours, but he was undaunted.

“I was driving 35 mph in a blizzard,” he recalls. “I’m in the only car on the road, sliding everywhere, but I’m driving to New York City because I need to get what I need to get. I was that determined. I really didn’t care about my car or my safety. I was desperate.”

FINDING HOPE

Shaffstall says marijuana was his “drug of choice,” along with “Molly,” a form of ecstasy. Later, he descended into cocaine, mushrooms, and even pain killers.

“Thankfully, I never did heroin or anything like that,” he said.

When he couldn’t afford drugs, he would binge drink.

Shaffstall said he would lie, steal, and hurt family members if it meant getting drugs.

“I didn’t really care as long as it met my addiction,” he said. “It was a lot of bad behaviors.”

At the urging of his parents, Shaffstall agreed to enter the Scranton, Pa., Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in April 2015.

He was there until November 2015.

“I realized I needed to get away to the intensive rehab that the ARC provides,” he said. “To be quite honest with you, if I hadn’t gone, I don’t think I’d be here today.”

Having grown up in The Salvation Army, he found entering an ARC awkward.

“Initially, I was embarrassed to be there,” he said. “I didn’t want to be there.”

HEALING THE SOUL

His plan was to stay for only the initial 30 days when beneficiaries are confined to the building, but something took hold.

“There really started to be some healing after that first month and I decided I should really stick this out,” he said.

Shaffstall said he found structure and routine at the ARC, as well as love. He also rekindled his relationship with God. “I didn’t have a relationship with God before,” he said. “I grew up in the Church, I knew all about God, but I didn’t really have a serious, personal relationship. I obviously had to reconnect there. To me the root of all this is Jesus. I can only do this with Jesus.”

Shaffstall said he completed 12 workbooks while in the ARC and found them helpful. His mother would share articles from SAConnects magazine about other ARC beneficiaries and he found inspiration in their stories.

AVOIDING BAD HABITS

Shaffstall said the message he has for ARC beneficiaries is to “be encouraged.”

“Thankfully there is grace and hope and you’re not a lost cause,” he said.

“You can succeed. I felt like I couldn’t succeed anymore. I felt like this disease had me and I was done for and this was essentially going to be my life and that I could not stop.

“But you can stop and you learn that it’s day by day. It’s one day at a time. For me sometimes it’s one minute at a time, it’s one second at a time.”

Shaffstall found that out when he left the ARC. He admits he was nervous, knowing he would be on his own without accountability.

Today, Shaffstall still deals with “triggers.” Colors, quotes, songs, and smells will conjure up memories of the bad old days.

“Even the rattle of pill bottles will trigger me,” he says. “I have to run from that. I have to be very pro–active and very careful. I still struggle to this day.

It’s very challenging.

CHRISTIAN WORKPLACE

“I’m thankful that I’m sober right now.

I’m not planning on drinking or using drugs today, but I can’t guarantee anything. All I can guarantee is that I rely on the Lord and He helps me through it.”

Shaffstall said he has established a system of coping mechanisms he learned at the ARC. “I’m still a heavy work in progress,” Shaffstall said.

“I’m deepening my personal relationship with Jesus. He’s the reason I’m sober today. The Lord has everything to do with where I’m at in my recovery. I’m really thankful to God for that.”

Shaffstall, who has now been sober for almost two years, began working at the Montclair (Citadel), N.J., Corps in January 2016 and says being surrounded by Christians has helped.

IMPARTING WISDOM

“I pray a lot, but it’s not the ‘close your eyes, bow your head,’ prayer. During the day, I’ll just talk to the Lord.”

Shaffstall said he sometimes reviews his old ARC workbooks, but he also learned to write out the Bible word– for–word. A counselor had him write 31

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“ The Lord has

everything to do with where I’m at in my recovery.

“

—Jonathon Shaffstall

chapters of Proverbs for each day of the month. He has continued the exercise and is now in Leviticus.

“That’s been therapeutic and obviously a time I can spend in Scripture,” he said. “It’s just a really good tool.”

Sharing his story has also helped.

The Montclair Citadel is active in urban mission and operates a shelter, drop–in center, and a daily feeding program.

Shaffstall, who often drives the church van to pick up kids in rough neighborhoods, has discussed his recovery with others dealing with substance abuse.

“I’ve been asked a couple of times by people who know my story to interact with those individuals and it’s been great,” he said. “We’ve been doing some of that urban ministry and outreach. I feel blessed to be able to help.

LOOKING AHEAD

“I don’t try to force those kinds of conversations. If they come up, they come up. I feel I’m getting better at talking about it.”

As for the future, besides continuing his recovery, Shaffstall loves theater and music. He might pursue acting opportunities in New York City or a master’s degree in theater.

“I feel that is my gift and I would like to sharpen it and get better at it,” he said.

“A lot of good things have happened to me in this year of recovery. I’m thankful to be alive and I’m thankful to be sober. I’m just extremely blessed and I give all the glory to God.”

2017 MARCH

11

R E DE E M E D

IN

NEWARK

by Hugo Bravo

W

hen Cadet Joseph Cantrell was growing up in Howell, N.J., someone told him that, as a child of divorced parents, both of whom were on their second marriage, he was a product of blasphemy, and therefore was unredeemable in the eyes of God. “I carried that with me for many years, thinking the blood of Christ wasn’t for me,” remembers Cantrell.

“So I thought, if that’s the case, I’m living my life however I want.”

During his youth, Cantrell experienced hardships and setbacks that reinforced this erroneous belief. After high school, he experimented with drugs and alcohol. A girlfriend revealed to him that she had aborted their child.

“That night, I tried cocaine for the first time,” said Cantrell. “I needed to mask

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the pain. I wanted to be a father, and I felt like that had been torn from me.” From there, he began using harder drugs.

Hopes of turning his life around by pursuing a career in the Air Force were dashed when a slip on black ice left him with two herniated discs. Unable to continue in the Air Force and in need of relief from his injury, he developed an addiction to painkillers.

“Through connections with a street doctor, I began using oxycontin in large amounts. My paperwork was all legitimate, so I was able to get as many pills as I wanted. I was taking doses of medication more suited for an old man struggling to walk than for a 25–year– old recovering from a back injury.”

Cantrell began selling his leftover medication. He used the money to buy

heroin, which was cheaper and gave him a stronger high than the pills. He was overdosing in public and in private, blacking out and losing his memory for days at a time, only to wake up and continue his compulsion.

“Addiction is a symptom of a much larger inner pain,” says Cantrell. “Every day, I was reliving my parents’ divorce, missing out on starting my own family, and losing a chance for a career. As destroyed as I must have looked on the outside, I felt worse on the inside. You know you’re in a bad place in life when you open your eyes in the morning, and the first thing you think to yourself is, This again? That was me—every day.”

‘DON’T TALK, JUST LISTEN’

While alone and doing laundry in the

“ I said … ’God, … I need You to show

up right now, because when I’m finished talking to You, I’m done with my life.’

—Joseph Cantrell

basement of a friend’s house, the reality of Cantrell’s situation hit him. He fell to his knees and did something he had not done in years— talked to God. “I wasn’t going to promise Him anything, but I began telling Him about everything that had happened throughout my life, as if He had never heard of me. I finished by telling Him, ‘I don’t know if You care about me. I’m not even sure if You are real. But I need You to show up right now, because when I’m finished talking to You, I’m done with my life.’

It felt good to finally express myself to Him. But when I stood up, I still wasn’t sure of my next step.”

As Cantrell gathered his belongings to leave, his cell phone rang. It was his stepfather. They were not on speaking terms. Cantrell admits, had it been any other day, he would have ignored the call. But today, something told him to pick up.

“I know now it was the Holy Spirit,” says Cantrell. “I answered, and my stepfather said, ‘Don’t talk, just listen.

Your mother and I are on our way to church, and we just heard a radio ad for The Salvation Army and what

they can do for you. You need to call them.’”

Cantrell eventually reached the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Newark, N.J. The next day, he arrived and began his recovery.

CHASE YOUR RECOVERY

Today, Cantrell is a graduate of the Newark ARC program. He now considers Newark his hometown, realizing there is nothing left for him in Howell.

“I’m always happy to visit family and friends, but I can’t live there anymore.

I know too many wrong people, and I know too many bad places.”

Ironically, Cantrell says, there are plenty of those kind of people and places in Newark. But he also has The Salvation Army, his support group, and the love of Jesus.

“The first step of my recovery was submitting my life to Christ. That’s the first step for any problem in life, addiction or not. Admit that you are powerless and give control to God. Do that, and you’re free. The words I most frequently hear from addicts in recovery right before they go back to using are, ‘I got this.’ That’s their ego talking.”

When Cantrell speaks to beneficiaries, he knows their pain of addiction.

“I try to show the welcoming attitude and love that I was shown when I first arrived,” he says. “A ‘hello,’ a ‘thank you

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“

for being here,’ or a handshake go a long way in helping someone to realize his or her worth. You may be the first person in years to remind them of their worth.”

At the same time, he speaks truth, reminding them that the path to recovery and conquering addiction begins with a solid foundation in Christ.

“I ask them to remember how hard they chased drugs and sought ways to get them. They need to chase recovery and seek the Lord with that same vigor,” says Cantrell.

IN GOD’S EYES

Cantrell is now studying to be a Salvation Army officer at the College for Officer Training (CFOT). “Even when I first felt the call to officership, I thought, Really, Lord? You know what I’ve done, right? But I’ve seen people I used to run the streets with—die on those streets. I know I could have easily been dead next to them. It’s only through the grace of God that I’m here today. He’s our strength and our shield, and He knows our worth.”

It took Joseph Cantrell years to learn that no one is irredeemable in the eyes of God. “When I open my eyes in the morning, I don’t dread the day ahead of me anymore. I open my eyes and see God’s gifts and His mercies. I wake up and I’m ready to serve.”

2017 MARCH

13

I SUR R ENDER ED

MYWILL TO HIM

by Robert Mitchell

I

n 1997, Carol Almeida was sitting in a jail cell in York, Pa., exhausted by her life on drugs. She longed to be a free woman again—free from the grip of addiction.

The path to that defining moment had been long and twisted. It began in Bridgeport, Conn., where Almeida grew up in a broken home as the child of alcoholics. As a teenager, she abused alcohol herself and soon descended into smoking marijuana and sniffing glue. She also used speed, downers, and LSD. “I basically tried every drug there was,” she says.

At age 21, Almeida ventured into the world of heroin.

“I just got hooked on it,” she recalls.

“I fell in love with it. I did it on and off for the next 20 years.”

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She funded her drug habit by stealing and working as a prostitute. While she found herself in “many scary situations” working the streets, she was undeterred.

“I was just looking to get money,” she said. “I didn’t have any feelings. I didn’t care about anything. All I cared about was getting that next drug.”

A NEW LIFE

By the time she turned 29, Almeida was close to losing custody of her four children.

“At that point, I didn’t care if I was going to live or die,” she said. “I thought my life was over. I made up my mind that if I died, I didn’t care.

“Then I met these Christians. They would come and talk to me all the time.

They talked me into going to the New Life for Girls program. I just decided to go.

Things were getting really bad. That was the only option I felt I had at the time.”

Almeida left for Dover, Pa., where she entered the Christian-based residential program for young women struggling with substance abuse and other issues. For the next 11 months, she was in New Life for Girls.

“If I had stayed in Bridgeport, I definitely would have died,” she said.

“I probably wouldn’t have lived out that year. A lot of people in Bridgeport thought I had died when they didn’t see me around anymore. That’s how bad I looked and how bad I was doing.”

LOST AGAIN

Almeida said she learned several Bible

verses in New Life for Girls. But at that point, the 12 inches from her stubborn head to her hardened heart proved too difficult for God’s Word to travel.

“I had all this head knowledge, but that was it,” she said. “I knew it.”

When Almeida completed the program, she contacted her future husband and asked him to come to York. Since he was also a drug abuser, she was soon back to her old habits. The relapse lasted a decade.

“I was still dead inside,” she said. “Even when I went through New Life for Girls, I still didn’t have any feelings.”

During Almeida’s relapse, she was on a methadone program three times and was often in jail for retail theft. In 1997 during her last incarceration, she vowed to attend church and turn her life around following her release.

FULL REPENTANCE

“I got tired of living that lifestyle,” she said. “I was just sick of that vicious cycle of going to jail, getting out, going

back to jail, and getting out.

“I decided to give my life to the Lord and be serious about it. I surrendered my will to Him. That’s when my life started changing.”

Almeida attended a nondenominational church where God’s love penetrated her soul from the minute she entered.

“I would go to church and listen to the music. It was so healing and so comforting,” she said. “For probably the first two years, all I did was cry. That was my healing. God had to soften my heart. My heart was so hard that nothing could penetrate it but Him and His love. And that’s what He did.”

Almeida said she believes what trapped her in decades of addiction was her resentment toward her mother.

“For years, I blamed my mother for my addiction,” she said. “I never wanted to acknowledge my part in it.

“I chose to hate her. That kept me in constant relapse for years. When I finally decided to forgive her, that’s when things started changing for me.”

Almeida asked for that forgiveness in a phone call not long before her mother’s death.

“That’s when everything broke,” she said. “Then my mother asked me to forgive her. That’s really when I started getting healing in my life. That resentment is a bitter root that has to be pulled out.”

BODY AND SOUL

Almeida also found physical healing from the years of drug abuse. She had been diagnosed with Hepatitis B and C. “Once I got cleaned up, God cured me of that,” she said. “I don’t have that anymore.

“My doctor even said he had never seen anything like that. He said I was one of the few people he treated where he couldn’t find any sign of infection.

He even said it was a miracle. The Lord restored my health.”

Almeida said once she accepted the Lord, she still had to overcome one other major obstacle. She needed to fully understand forgiveness and God’s grace.

“I was never able to forgive myself for what I put my children through,” she said. “One thing I found out is that a lot had to do with me feeling sorry for myself. And once I was free of that stronghold, things started to change.

“I’m finally able to forgive myself for everything I’ve done. I’m working on myself and letting Jesus work in my life so He can show me how to forgive myself and let all this stuff go. I’m letting it all go and things are getting better for me now.”

DRAWING CLOSE

Almeida said today she attends church and has a “close relationship with Jesus.”

“I seek Him every day,” she said. “I

“ Jesus is always on my mind. I’m so grateful for what He’s done for me. “ —Carol Almeida

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2017 MARCH

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read the Bible every day. I surrender my will to Him every day and He’s right there with me. Jesus is always on my mind. I’m so grateful for what He’s done for me.

“Every year for the last four or five years, my relationship with Jesus has been getting better. I’ve surrendered my will to Him.” Almeida landed a job with The Salvation Army in York working in a food pantry. She later earned an associate’s degree and was hired as a caseworker, a job she “loved.” Almeida worked at the corps for 10 years and touched many lives.

“I didn’t have much of a work

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history before The Salvation Army,” she said. “They’re the only ones who allowed me to get a work history.

They’re the only ones who gave me an opportunity.

“I really liked helping the people who came in,” she said. “I identified with them. Many came from the same background as me.”

IMPARTING WISDOM

Almeida also shared her experiences with clients from York’s inner city who were addicts.

“I knew the people who were struggling with drugs and alcohol. I listened to them, talked to them, and

encouraged them by telling them how I got set free from years of addiction,” she said.

“A lot of it was just letting them get stuff off their chest. People knew me and how my life had changed.”

Almeida retired from her work, but she returned recently to a retail jobl.

She believes God put her there to learn patience. Today, she has a wonderful relationship with her children and grandchildren and is growing in faith.

“When I go over my life, I can see what Jesus has done for me,” she said.

“I’m grateful the Lord opened the way for me to come into contact with believers, including at The Salvation Army.”

Le entregué mi voluntad a Él En 1997, Carol Almeida estaba sentada en su celda en una cárcel de York, Pensilvania, cansada de su vida con las drogas. Anhelaba llegar a ser una mujer libre otra vez, libre de las garras de la adicción.

El camino que la llevó a ese momento decisivo fue largo y tortuoso. Se inició en Bridgeport, Connecticut, donde Almeida se crió como hija de padres alcohólicos. Ya adolescente, empezó a consumir alcohol y, al poco tiempo, cayó en la adicción a la marihuana e inhalaba pegamento.

Además consumía anfetaminas, antidepresivos y LSD. “Básicamente, probé todas las drogas habidas y por haber”, explica.

A la edad de 21 años, Almeida probó la heroína.

“Simplemente me volví adicta”, recuerda. “Me enamoré de esa droga. Y la consumí a intervalos por casi 20 años”.

En 1997, durante su último encarcelamiento, prometió que al salir asistiría a la iglesia y le daría un giro a su vida.

“Me cansé de vivir ese estilo de vida”, indica.

Almeida asistió a una iglesia no denominacional donde, desde el comienzo, el amor de Dios penetró su alma.

“Iba a la iglesia y escuchaba la música. Eso me sanaba y me confortaba”, afirma. “Los primeros dos años lo único que hacía era llorar”.

Almeida trabajó más tarde para el Ejército de Salvación en York, Pensilvania, y conmovió a muchas personas compartiendo sus experiencias con clientes de los barrios pobres de la localidad.

“Yo los escuchaba, les hablaba y los alentaba contándoles cómo fue que logré liberarme de tantos años de adicción”, cuenta Almeida.

Este es un resumen del artículo de Carol. Para leer los 4 testimonios completamente en español, por favor visite saconnects.org/enespanol .

p u e r ta s An outreach to victims

The Puertas Abiertas (Open Doors) program at the Salvation Army’s San Juan, P.R. Corps provides professional counseling and guidance to victims of crime, abuse, and trauma.

“Puertas Abiertas goes right to the core of The Salvation Army’s message to serve all people, without discrimination,” says Dr. Luis A. Francis, a clinical psychologist who has worked for the Army for 25 years.

The program began when Teresita Pacheco and Marjorie Yambo, social workers for the Social Services Department at The Salvation Army in San Juan, realized that many of the people who came to the Army for help had been robbery victims. Pacheco (who would eventually become a Salvation Army officer) and Yambo formally proposed that the Army start a program to provide counseling for these victims. In 1990, the idea received approval and funding through the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA). Over the years, victims of various crimes, such as carjackings, sexual abuse, and even non–violent offenses, such as fraud or stolen identity, have received treatment via Puertas Abiertas.

Edna Quiros, coordinator for Puertas Abiertas, says, “For many years, Dr. Francis and I worked directly with criminals.

But when we came to The Salvation Army, we dedicated our careers to working with victims.” She is the first person who receives the names of victims from the police, the Department of Justice, local universities, and other nonprofit organizations.

As coordinator, Quiros approves the cases needing counseling and forwards them to Fabiola Perez, who does community outreach for Puertas Abiertas. In addition to contacting the victims, Perez, who studied forensic Continued on page 20.

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MARCH 2017

Remembering the moment I met with three siblings who had been in a car accident that also took their mother’s life. It was one of the few times a case made such a strong emotional impact on me.

During our session, the middle child, an 11– year–old girl who had refused to open up during our previous meetings, suddenly described in vivid detail how her mother’s life had slipped away during those awful moments following the crash. “I called out to her,” the daughter remembered.

She broke down in my arms, and I held her.

Although her older brother reported being asleep during the accident, his sister said he had actually been awake the whole time, but had blocked out the painful memory. —EDNA QUIROS

Abie r tas Un programa de alcance para víctimas

by Hugo Bravo

El programa Puertas Abiertas del Ejército de Salvación en el cuerpo de San Juan, Puerto Rico, ofrece consejería profesional y dirección para víctimas de crímenes, abuso y trauma.

“El programa Puertas Abiertas confirma el propósito del Ejército de Salvación, que es ayudar a la gente sin discriminación”, dice el Dr. Luis A. Francis, psicólogo clínico que ha trabajado con el Ejército de Salvación por 25 años.

El programa comenzó cuando Teresita Pacheco y Marjorie Yambo, trabajadoras sociales del departamento de Servicios Sociales del Ejército de Salvación en San Juan, se dieron cuenta de que muchas de las personas que buscaban ayuda en el Ejército eran víctimas de robo. Pacheco (que con el tiempo se convertiría en oficial del Ejército de Salvación) y Yambo propusieron que el Ejército desarrollara un programa de consejería para esas víctimas. En 1990, aprobaron la idea y fue financiada por medio de la ley de víctimas de crímenes de 1994 (VOCA, por sus siglas en inglés). A través de los años, víctimas de diversos crímenes, tales como los secuestros con autos, el abuso sexual y hasta delitos no violentos como el fraude o el robo de identidad, se han tratado por medio del programa Puertas Abiertas.

Edna Quiros, coordinadora de Puertas Abiertas, dice: “Por muchos años el Dr. Francis y yo hemos trabajado directamente con criminales. Pero cuando llegamos al Ejército de Salvación dedicamos nuestras carreras a trabajar con víctimas”. Ella es la primera persona que recibe los nombres de las víctimas de la policía, el Departamento de Justicia, las universidades y otras organizaciones sin fines de lucro.

Como coordinadora, Quiros aprueba los casos que requieren consejería y se los envía a Fabiola Pérez, que se encarga del alcance comunitario para el programa Puertas Abiertas.

Pérez, que estudió psicología forense, se comunica con las víctimas y también se reúne con los representantes del gobierno local, de viviendas públicas, así como también con los medios Continúa en página 21.

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psychology in college, meets with representatives of local government, public housing, and the media to promote the program and find where its services are needed most.

“Everything we do here at Puertas Abiertas follows the protocol of visiting a psychologist. We require signed documents that confirm a client’s acceptance in the program. If working with a minor, an adult’s permission is required. We also offer group counseling for families. We provide our services free of charge,” says Perez.

Dr. Francis estimates that, on any given day, the Puertas Abiertas team, which includes counselors ranging from interns to psychologists with doctorates, has about 500 open cases.

TREATING THE VICTIMS

The cases are diverse, often violent, and frequently tragic: A woman, while in her shower, was stabbed multiple times and mutilated by a jealous boyfriend; A two–year–old girl accidentally shot her father with his own gun; and in another case, an 18–year–old man found his mother murdered—her body sealed in a trash bag outside their home.

Many of the people who seek help suffer from Post– Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and clinical depression as a result of these traumas.

“Their state of mind can be similar to a veteran’s coming back from war,” says Dr. Francis. “If a person has PTSD, we try to bring him or her in as soon as possible.”

Says Quiros, “Some small event or occurrence can trigger a terrible, painful reaction in a victim. Medical doctors will not always be able to find the cause. If the person can’t sleep, or is anxious, doctors will just offer medication. They don’t deal with the trauma.”

The counseling process begins as a victim talks about the event as accurately and in as much detail as possible.

Puertas Abiertas counselors then focus on making sure the victim refrains from blaming him or herself for what happened or thinking that he or she should have been braver or more careful.

For weeks or months after the incident, victims can have strong, recurring nightmares. They frequently relive and exaggerate the episode. Dr. Francis once counseled an elderly man who had been robbed at gunpoint multiple times. During his last encounter, his assailant told him to not look at him, or he would shoot him.

“Tired of being robbed, the elderly man defiantly stared at

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Delayed reaction No matter how strong we are, we will always need a guiding hand when dealing with trauma.

I once counseled a 21–year–old woman who had been carjacked as she left a mall and found herself in the middle of a shootout between feuding gangs. Miraculously, she managed to escape.

Two weeks later, she seemed to have recovered fully from the ordeal. She openly talked to others about her experience, and had returned to the mall where the incident occurred.

I tried to reach out to the woman’s mother to express my concerns regarding her daughter’s sudden recovery, but she seemed uninterested.

“My daughter is brave. She has put this behind her,” the mother said.

A month later, however, the daughter returned to our offices. She told us that, at a party with friends, she began to feel chills up and down her spine. She dropped her drink, began crying uncontrollably, and curled into a ball on the ground.

Her mind had completely repressed the pain and fear she had felt during the carjacking. She was hospitalized for a week, and started meeting with me again.

When people live through such events, the pain can stay hidden for days, or weeks. It could be so guarded that even the closest family members fail to see it. —DR. LUIS A. FRANCIS

de comunicación para promover el programa y encontrar lugares donde se necesite más el servicio.

“Todo lo que hacemos aquí, en Puertas Abiertas, sigue el protocolo de una visita al psicólogo. Requerimos documentos firmados que confirmen que el cliente es aceptado en el programa. Si el trabajo es con un menor, se requiere el permiso de un adulto. También ofrecemos consejería en grupo para las familias. Nuestros servicios son gratis”, dice Pérez.

El Dr. Francis estima que un día cualquiera, el equipo del programa Puertas Abiertas —que cuenta con consejeros que van desde pasantes hasta psicólogos con doctorados—, tiene alrededor de 500 casos abiertos.

EL TRATAMIENTO DE LAS VÍCTIMAS

Los casos son diversos, a veces son violentos y, a menudo, trágicos: Una mujer, mientras se duchaba, fue apuñalada múltiples veces y mutilada por su novio celoso; una niña de dos años accidentalmente le disparó a su padre con su propio revólver y, en otro caso, un joven de 18 años encontró el cuerpo sin vida de su madre en una bolsa de basura, en las afueras de su casa.

Muchas de las personas que buscan ayuda sufren de Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (TEPT) y depresión clínica a consecuencia de los traumas.

Según explica el Dr. Francis: “Su estado mental puede ser similar al de un veterano cuando regresa de la guerra”. Cuando una persona sufre de TEPT tratamos de atenderla cuanto antes.

Dice Quiros: “Un pequeño evento o suceso puede provocar una reacción terrible y dolorosa para la víctima. Los doctores no siempre pueden encontrar la causa. Si la persona no puede dormir o está ansiosa, los médicos solo le ofrecerán medicamentos. No tratan el trauma”.

El proceso de consejería comienza cuando la víctima cuenta el suceso con precisión y con todos los detalles que pueda. Luego los consejeros de Puertas Abiertas se enfocan en asegurarse de que la víctima no se culpe por lo ocurrido ni piense que debía haber sido más valiente o haber tenido más cuidado.

Las víctimas, semanas o meses después del incidente, pueden tener fuertes y repetidas pesadillas. Con frecuencia reviven o exageran el episodio. El Dr. Francis le brindó consejería a un hombre mayor que varias veces fue víctima de robo con un revólver. En su último incidente, el agresor le dijo que no lo mirara o le dispararía.

“Cansado de que le robaran, el hombre miró fijamente a la

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his assailant in the face. The mugger pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. So he pistol–whipped the man leaving him injured, but alive. Days later, the man began having nightmares of the event, but in his dream, the gun goes off and kills him,” says Dr. Francis.

Such fear can be brought on when there is little or no physical harm involved. In another case, a mother waiting alone for a bus, used her purse to fight off a knife-wielding teenager. The teen became frightened and ran as onlookers cheered the courageous mom.

“She developed nightmares in which she is stabbed to death,” said Dr. Francis. “Even more painfully, in the dream, she sees her children crying for her. We eventually hospitalized her for depression. In an experience where she was not hurt, and even came out as a hero, she was still afraid of what could have happened.

“The traumatic event can last only a few minutes, but the battle the victims face within themselves goes on for much longer.”

THE ARMY’S SHIELD

“In our time at the San Juan Corps, we’ve seen many officers,” says Edna Quiros. “Many are taken aback when they hear these stories and incidents. But after the shock settles, we discuss the cases, and if the victims request it, they meet with the officers. Corps officers can provide another type of guidance that you would not get at a doctor’s office, or from other psychologists.”

“Many people wouldn’t dream that the same folks who put out the kettles at Christmas and run the stores would provide this type of community outreach,” says Dr. Francis. “Programs like this usually have a life span of a few years, yet we’ve been here for close to three decades. Though we may not have the staff and numbers of larger services, the Department of Justice has never stopped funding what we do.”

Perez recalls meeting a government representative to talk about Puertas Abiertas. When Perez mentioned that she was from The Salvation Army, the representative’s face lit up.

She said, “I know who you are and what you do, and I know that what you are offering will be of great service to us.”

Says Perez, “When I introduce myself to someone on the phone, I always say ‘I’m with The Salvation Army,’ whether they be media representatives, government officials, or the victims of crime.”

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It’s not the victim’s fault This was one of my first cases, but her story will always stay on my mind. This woman was kidnapped by a group of men who were coming out of her apartment complex. They put her in the trunk of her car. They took her to an abandoned building, assaulted her, returned only half her clothing, and drove off. Eventually, she got to a gas station and called for help.

When Puertas Abiertas staff counseled her, she spoke about the assault. She also reflected on how she must have looked to other people.

Panicked and with her clothing torn, she had tried to explain to them what had happened to her. When she returned to her building, security hesitated to let her in because they actually doubted she lived there.

It’s heartbreaking to think that embarrassment becomes another emotion that a victim deals with after surviving an assault. Such people need to be reminded that what happened to them is not their fault, nor reason to feel personal shame.

—FABIOLA PÉREZ

cara del agresor desafiándolo. El delincuente apretó el gatillo, pero el revólver se atascó. Por lo que le pegó con el arma y lo dejó herido, pero vivo. Días después el hombre comenzó a tener pesadillas con el suceso pero, en el sueño, el revólver sí disparaba y lo mataba”, dice el Dr. Francis.

Tal temor puede ocurrir cuando no hay daño físico o es leve.

En otro caso, una madre que estaba sola esperando el autobús, tuvo que usar su cartera para defenderse de un joven que empuñaba un cuchillo. El joven se asustó y escapó mientras los testigos apaudían a la valiente madre.

“Ella tuvo pesadillas en las que la apuñalaban a muerte”, explica el Dr. Francis. “Y aun más doloroso es que, en los sueños, ve a sus niños llorando por ella. Con el tiempo tuvimos que hospitalizarla con depresión. Aunque no sufrió daños, y hasta fue una heroína, aún sufría debido al temor de lo que pudo haber ocurrido.

El trágico suceso pudo haber durado varios minutos, pero la batalla que enfrenta la víctima en su interior dura mucho más”.

EL ESCUDO DEL EJÉRCITO

“En el tiempo que hemos pasado en el Cuerpo de San Juan, hemos trabajado con muchos oficiales”, dice Edna Quiros.

“Muchos se sorprenden cuando escuchan estos relatos e incidentes. Pero una vez pasa el asombro, discutimos el caso y, si la víctima lo pide, se reúne con el oficial. Los oficiales directivos pueden ofrecer otra clase de guía que no se encuentra en la oficina de un médico ni de un psicólogo”.

Casi nadie se imagina que los mismos que hacen la recolecta de la olla roja en Navidad y que administran las tiendas, realizan este tipo de alcance comunitario”, dice el Dr. Francis.

“Aunque los programas como este por lo general duran algunos años, nosotros hemos trabajado casi tres décadas.

Aun cuando no contamos con todo el personal necesario y una gran variedad de servicios, el Departamento de Justicia nunca ha dejado de financiar lo que hacemos”.

Pérez recuerda que se reunió con un funcionario del gobierno para hablar acerca del programa Puertas Abiertas.

Cuando mencionó que era del Ejército de Salvación, el rostro de la funcionaria resplandeció. Y dijo: “Sé quienes son ustedes y lo que hacen; y sé que lo que ofrecen es un gran servicio para nosotros”.

Pérez señala: “Cuando me presento por teléfono a alguien, siempre le digo que soy del Ejército de Salvación, sea representante de los medios comunicacionales, funcionarios del gobierno o víctimas de crímenes”.

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2017 MARCH

23

by Warren L. Maye

T

he Salvation Army has always treated drug addiction as a public health issue, long before the Surgeon General’s 2016 report declared it a “chronic neurological disorder.”* For decades, the Army has reached out to people in the worst possible conditions to provide them with practical and spiritual help. This ongoing work has served as a successful alternative to mass incarceration.

Such was the case nine years ago in Puerto Rico when Salvationists literally scaled a seven–foot wall to minister to men and women living in the shadows of a residential community. The bright, warm sunlight belied the place where we would ultimately find ourselves—a dark rustic den where addicts, afflicted by what is known today as

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a “substance use disorder,” injected heroin into their veins.

After riding in an SUV for several minutes in an area near the town of Arecibo, our party of four left the vehicle and walked along a dusty street.

After passing what appeared to be a public housing unit, we entered a large yard. The uneven ground required that we watch our step. We also lowered our heads to avoid the lines of clothes hanging out to dry in the warm breeze.

As we approached the wall, we gently scattered some horses to clear our way.

One neighed softly. The cinderblock wall’s graffiti–laden surface looked intimidating. As the embedded journalist with my “boots on the ground,” I wondered, What now?

“They’re on the other side,” said then

Captain Ricardo F. Portal, corps officer in Arecibo. Police Sergeant Cruz (in plain clothes), Captain Juan Mercado, (then) divisional commander Ricardo Fernandez, Captain Portal, and I took turns scaling the wall until we were all on the other side.

We now stood in an alley where men and some women knelt. They hardly noticed us while injecting themselves with drugs. Captain Portal turned and said, “This is my ministry.”

Cruz said, “Every week we go—we bring food, we pray, and we counsel them. We have a lot of work, but we also have The Salvation Army.” He untucked a box of hypodermic needles from under his arm. “We are trying to rescue people who are using the drugs.” Part of that rescue, he believed,

FROM ATHLETE TO ADDICT

Portal spoke to Thomas (not his real name) who returned a look of recognition. As Cruz (while wearing surgical gloves) distributed the needles and carefully placed the used ones in a red container marked “Medical Waste,” Thomas shared his story.

“I started when I was a teenager,” he began. “I was really an athletic guy.

I was representing Puerto Rico in four sports. I played soccer, making records in the minor leagues that, to this day, no one has beaten. I also excelled in baseball and in swimming. I held golden gloves in boxing at 115 lbs.; I fought 32 bouts and lost only one.

“I impacted the lives of many young people who saw me as a leader. But as a mature young adult, I didn’t have the same ability to communicate as did other people. I started going around with people who encouraged me to go to parties where they used drugs. I met a girl who was a drug user and the only way I could be with her was to use drugs too.”

Thomas said that was the beginning of his fall.

During his 20 years of addiction, he married another woman, became the father of three kids, and the grandfather of two more. “I met The Salvation Army a few months ago,” he said. “They offered to help pay my power and food bills. They come every week and they

are sharing with us.”

The officers laid hands on Thomas and prayed that God would deliver him from addiction—but most of all, that Thomas would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. * Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, 2016, U.S. Department of Health

Sergeant Cruz, then–Captain Ricardo Fernandez, and Captain Ricardo Portal pray for Thomas (in red cap).

and Human Services

Addiction Freefall

by Javier Miranda

To understand the real dangers of a relapse, you need to first understand how addiction affects your life. Imagine addiction as jumping from the top of a building. As you are in freefall, you are succumbing to your addiction.

You ask God to save you, and miraculously, He does. He catches you in the middle of your fall, and you now are in recovery.

If you relapse and start using again, you’re not jumping off from the top of that building again. You continue your fall from where you left off, moving just as fast, and just as close to hitting the ground, or maybe even lower. You have much less time to be saved before you hit the ground.

No one in recovery just wakes up one morning and thinks, It’s back to using for me. Relapse is a gradual thing. The very last step in a relapse is going back to using. Before that, there are other things that happen, sometimes without the addict in recovery even realizing it. It could be a frustration while driving, or some unwelcome news.

For an addict, recovery never ends. He or she needs to stay vigilant, and aware of every move they make, so that the addiction does not return. I know people who have been clean for decades but who still feel they are on borrowed time. They fear the addiction will catch up with them again, and they’ll relapse.

For many years, I was in that freefall. Today, I have been clean for seven years. Every morning when I wake up, I pray to God, and tell Him, “I alone cannot do this, Lord. Guide my every step.” If I return to that freefall, I know I do not have much time before I hit the ground.

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—Javier Miranda is a lawyer for The Salvation Army ARC in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Photos by Warren L. Maye

included suppressing the spread of HIV/AIDS by distributing clean needles.

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25

FAITH in ACTION

Q&A

Max Lucado

by Warren L. Maye

“I like to write books for people who don’t like to read books,” says Max Lucado, a prolific writer and a dynamic minister from Texas. In his new “airplane” book, Because of Bethlehem, he explains why in 2017, it’s more important than ever for every person to know that Christ understands us — “He gets us.”

Because of Bethlehem—what does that title mean to you? The title reflects what I was hoping to accomplish with the book and that is to answer the questions, “How is the world different because of Bethlehem? What happened with the birth of Christ that changed history and impacts you and me?” It’s a book for people who don’t understand Christ’s spiritual significance.

I intentionally loaded it with illustrations and happy stories in a scriptural context. And it’s short enough to read on a flight from New York to Chicago.

What lessons did you learn from writing this book? I finally landed on the promise of, because of Bethlehem, God saves us and God gets us. He understands what it’s like to be a human. I don’t think He came to earth to learn what it’s like to be a human. I don’t think He needed to learn anything. But I do think we need to learn that He knows what it’s like. Because, until we understand that He understands, we’ll avoid Him. But if we can understand that He understands what it means to be human, we can have confidence to approach His Throne of Grace.

What are some of the surprising responses you’ve received to this message? Just last night on a news program, an interviewer sincerely asked me, “I’m an agnostic, so help me understand. What is the big deal about Christmas?” And so I explained to him that what’s totally unique to the Christian faith is this idea God would become a human being and live among us and present a plan to save us. I would like to think

my answer connected with the interviewer. No other philosophy and no other religion has ever advanced to this idea that says God came as a human being and rose from the dead.

In your book, you describe the arrival of Jesus as a “now moment.” Where are we today on the spiritual timeline? You know, one of the consequences of what we call “postmodernism” in this secularized world is an unawareness of the supernatural and the invisible. We’ve raised a generation of people who are content with the now and have resigned themselves to the notion that there is no life beyond this life. And so, the only way they find joy, is to focus on the now. They say, “enjoy the journey!”

I get that. But if the journey doesn’t take you somewhere, it’s kind of hard to find joy in it. I think that’s why people get so distraught.

Contrast that with the Christian view that says “this journey can be pretty rough.” Jesus said, in this world, you’re going to have tribulations. There’s going to be turbulence on your flight, but when you come in for a landing, He promises that it’s going to be beyond anything that you could’ve ever imagined.

We’ve just gone through a rough election and our country is in need of healing—racially, politically, and spiritually. Even within the evangelical community, we wrestle with diverse views on these issues. This year, what are some of the goals we can set as an evangelical community to actually heal?

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What a great question, because you’re right. The election is still the hot topic on everyone’s mind.

When we talk about this, my wife always reminds me of Proverbs 21:1, “The heart of the King is in the hands of the Lord.” That’s a great passage on the sovereignty of God. To study the Bible is to study a sovereign God. He is a God who directed the heart of Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, and Pharaoh. So, He can take any leaders—be they sympathetic to or opposed to Him—and direct them in the way He wants.

I think our job now as Christians is to come together and say, “What unites us is Jesus Christ!” Right now, we can pray, come together around Christ, around the manger, around the Cross, and around Easter!

As Christians, our ultimate challenge is to tell this Bethlehem story to our families, friends, coworkers, and to the people we meet along the way. How should we articulate it? What a good question, because we do want to present it in a way that’s cogent, attractive, and fragrant. It’s such a message of hope. Just this week, I was talking with a man struggling with cancer, and he’s not a believer. I said, “you know, we pray and God understands.” But he said, “I’m not a religious man.” I said, “I don’t care. Jesus wasn’t a popular religious leader either! But He understands.”

We must connect with people. And I think this is what they need.

Thank you so very much, Mr. Lucado, for sharing with us your words of wisdom.

2017 MARCH

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ONfile

interview

Integrated Mission

A gateway to solutions

by Warren L. Maye

“What life have you if you have not life together? There is no life that is not in community, and no community not lived in praise of God.” — T.S. ELIOT Research reveals that a disconnect exists between many churches and the people who live around them. General André Cox, international leader of The Salvation Army, wants to transform this phenomenon by taking ministry out of the “citadels” and into streets and homes. Commissioners William A. and G. Lorraine Bamford, territorial leaders, wrote in their Vision: 2017, “We want to challenge people to be bold, step out in faith, and to step out the door.”

Major Ismael Correa, Urban Ministries director for the USA Eastern Territory, said, “Today, most people commute into the neighborhood where they worship.”

He said this detachment also affects the ministries of Salvation Army officers.

“Many of us live in the suburbs, travel to wherever we work, spend our 8 to 10 hours in a building, and then travel back home,” Correa said. “We tend not to engage the community unless we have a fundraising or public relations role to play. We must learn to be intentional about building relationships with our neighbors.”

This concept is among the six “movements” in General Cox’s “The Whole World Mobilizing: Go Forward!” campaign.

THE HISTORY

At the height of the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Army’s medical mission teams, sponsored by International Headquarters, devised a strategy in Africa that became a gateway to helping

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communities. “They faced this disease, but had no medicines or answers,” said Correa. “But one thing they did do, was visit people in their homes.”

Based on this home visitation model, the Army formulated a strategy for providing spiritual, emotional, and psychological support to suffering families.

This concept was the basis upon which emerged the USA Eastern Territory’s incarnational ministry of 2000.

“In those days, we lived in a little duplex in Newark, N.J.,” remembers Correa. “Our chapel was downstairs on the main floor.” Although the congregation was relatively small (40 people), the majority came from the neighborhood.

“About 80 percent of the people who attended our programs and services were from the community,” he said.

“It involves asking three questions, ‘What are your hopes?’ ‘What are your concerns?’ and ‘What are your Ways of Working (WOW) these things out?’ We walk alongside people in their reality.

Ironically, we end up being ministered to, rather than the other way around.”

THE TEAMS

“Since early 2015, we’ve had as many as 35 lieutenants in the field who are now putting this training into practice throughout the territory,” said Correa.

“Our Support and Learning Teams (SALT) are intentional about getting to know their neighbors and building relationships.

“The S stands for sharing stories.

The A represents appreciating people’s strengths. The L stands for learning by listening. The T represents THE STRATEGY teamwork.”

“The idea is, when we Correa said some walk into people’s officers serve in difficult living spaces and neighborhoods and are begin to realize their challenged to overcome circumstances, we fear as they explore a look for God’s precommunity. “But when venient grace,” said they do, they eventuCorrea. “It’s there ally realize that, just already. It’s nothing like everywhere else, we can bring ourcitizens want to be in a selves. Based on safe neighborhood and Major Ismael Correa that premise, we look to better themselves. for people’s strengths, rather than their Taking on the Integrated Mission chalneeds or weaknesses. So, our outreach lenge encourages people to do more is strength based. and to discover solutions.”

movie review

‘Victor’ Offers Hope

by Warren L. Maye

Rarely if ever does one find a motion picture that successfully conveys a scripturally–based solution to the problem of drug addiction. In an age where heroin use disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, “Victor,” the movie, offers a compelling response.

Based on the real–life story of Victor Torres and filmed at Fox Studios in Hollywood, this production offers viewers a dramatic depiction of how incarnational ministry and integrated mission can happen in a community.

The story begins in 1962 with an immigrant family from Puerto Rico. They run into trouble when the father loses his job. In frustration, his teenage son resorts to gang activity, violence, and finally heroin addiction. He and the family are brought to their knees before finding Christ through the help of a young pastor’s storefront ministry.

Greg Wilkerson, the movie’s producer, is son of David Wilkerson (“The Cross and the Switchblade,” the 1970 film starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada). In 1962, David Wilkerson launched the program in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Torres and his family came to Christ.

In 1971, Torres founded New Life for Youth, which continues to help transform broken lives and leave a legacy of hope.

Chosen from among 1,500 films, “Victor” became one of the official five jury selections for the Heartland Film Festival (2015), the Richmond International Film Festival (2016), the Rincón International Film Festival of Puerto Rico (2016), and the Coronado Film Festival (2016).

Said Rosalinda Rivera, associate producer and daughter of Torres, “Our vision is to use the ‘Victor’ movie to bring hope to prisoners behind bars, broken and hurting families, and young people who are desperately seeking an answer. We know the answer is—Jesus.”

This month, “Victor” is scheduled for release in theaters. A distribution deal with Netflix is currently in negotiation. Visit Thevictormovie.com.

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ON file

Postures In Prayer A Prayer Experience from Spiritual Life Development

“

Prayer is far more than words … our bodies can help us engage our total being in fellowship with God.

”

—Major Lauren Hodgson, Postures In Prayer

“

How shall I pray?

Are tears prayers, Lord?

Are screams prayers, or groans or sighs or curses?

Can trembling hands be lifted to you, or clenched fists or the cold sweat that trickles down my back or the cramps that knot my stomach?

Will you accept my prayers, Lord, my real prayers, rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life, and not just my pretty cut-flower, gracefully arranged bouquet of words?

Will you accept me, Lord, as I really am, messed up mixture of glory and grime?

Lord, help me!

Help me to trust that you do accept me as I am …

”

—Ted Loder, Guerrillas of Grace

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wholly living

We are familiar with praying in our pews and at the altar. You may pray in the car (depending on where you live, you may pray there more frequently than other people). You probably pray before meals or before you go to bed.

Maybe you talk to God in the shower.

Wherever we find that time, we usually find ourselves making the most of it by combining prayer with other activities or because doing so seems easier. Setting apart a dedicated prayer time, for our minds and for our bodies, might be a new experience.

With that in mind, we’d love to share a new Spiritual Life Development resource with you. Postures in Prayer

STATION 1.

is a “prayer walk” based on various physical aspects of prayer and was developed by Major Lauren Hodgson after significant scriptural and historical research. You can find the entire Postures In Prayer resource at http:// saconnects.org/postures-a-prayer-walk.

As you read through it, you may find that you are familiar with one or more of the Postures and their scriptural roots.

We’d invite you to give some time and thought to each of them. You can go through all of them meaningfully in less than an hour. Or perhaps you’ll want to focus on one posture every day for a week and then move to the next one. Either way, we think you’ll find the

Standing—eyes open, looking up, hands uplifted with palms up.

Standing for prayer with hands outstretched was an original posture when communing with God from earliest biblical recordings. It is called the Orans Position, from the Latin word for praying. When the worshipper prays in this position there is an acknowledgement that God is superior. We stand in respect before the Almighty. We relinquish our control and wait to hear the Lord’s agenda. We physically open ourselves to His leading. Standing with hands lifted and palms up is a symbol of total abandon to God. This posture is for thanksgiving, praise, blessing, benedictions, and general prayers. This is still the normal position for prayers in eastern churches and in Jewish synagogues, and it is still used in the western church, particularly for but not exclusive to the blessing of the Eucharist.

• “….he (Jesus) took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus…. they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.”

(Luke 9:28-32) • “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed.” (John 17:1a) • “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer…” (1 Timothy 2:8a)

Postures to be opportunities to hear from God in new ways.

In the introduction, Major Hodgson writes, “This time of prayer is to help you engage all that God has created—your spirit, soul, and body. If you are open to some biblically–supported postures, these simple changes may bring a deeper awareness of and intimacy with the Lord. While body position is not going to be a ‘magic bullet’ to deeper communication with the Lord, if you simply open yourself up to the possibilities presented through the Scripture, your prayer life can be transformed.”

We’ve included here the first station of Postures In Prayer.

ACTION: • Stand with feet about a shoulder’s width apart to bring optimum balance. Lift your head and eyes upward as a sign of receptivity and expectation. Lift your hands upward with your palms open as a symbol of surrender to the majesty and omniscience of God. • Your prayers of praise are to recognize the attributes of God (save your thanks for when you are recounting His blessings). Praise Him for His purity, righteousness, justice, goodness, holiness, compassion … What else comes to mind?

• Don’t rush. If you sense reluctance or awkwardness, remain in the position until you can envision being in the heavenly throne room totally abandoned to praising the Lord—“the only proper object of religious worship.” (SA Doctrine #1).

REFLECTION: • What occupied your mind as you took on this posture?

• Did your body’s position help the purpose for which you were praying?

• What character of God most occupied your mind as you praised Him? • How does your response to this attribute relate to your life right now?

PRAYER: God Almighty, as I leave this stance of praise,› may the attitude of adoration linger in my heart and mind throughout this day.

Amen.

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2017 MARCH

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ON file

testimony

For the least of these

by Iris Medina

Sixteen years ago, I retired from a government job in Ponce, P.R., at age 57. My employer had offered me a new position, but I said, “it’s time for me to work for God.” Today, I go to prisons to visit the sons and daughters of God. I remind them that Christ died for their sins.

On the first day of my new ministry at Carcel Las Cucharas, a correctional facility for violent offenders, I met a young man who had been listening attentively to me preach to a group of inmates.

At the time, he appeared to be the same age as my son. When I finished preaching, he asked to pray with me. He told me he had accepted Christ in jail and in a few days would be free.

When he asked for a Bible, I gave him mine. He said he wanted to attend the Salvation Army corps with me when he got out, so I gave him my phone number to call when he was free.

A week passed, and I was still waiting to hear from him. I thought, did he lose my number? Had he been denied his freedom at the last minute? The following week when I returned to the prison, I learned that this young man had been released on Tuesday, but found dead on his couch the next Thursday.

For me, the experience was heartbreaking. It could have stopped my ministry. But in the midst of my sadness, I prayed to God and thanked Him for giving me a few minutes of prayer in that young man’s life. Behind

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bars, he had repented and found God, who had given him hope in his final days. Realizing this gave me strength to continue. It is souls like his who need our prayers the most.

Carcel Las Cucharas also has a psychiatric ward. Many of its 300 inmates suffer from mental illness and learning disabilities. They also grieve spiritually.

When I visit, I bring clothing, juices, toiletries, and pastries for the men and women. I must make sure I remove all plastic wrapping from the items. Two armed guards accompany me as I enter the jail. When the prisoners see me wearing my Salvation Army soldier’s uniform, they ask me to pray for their broken minds and weakened bodies.

The book of Matthew reminds me, whatever I do for the least of our brothers and sisters, I do it for Jesus Himself.

I’m thankful to God for placing me in The Salvation Army, whose main focus is on outreach to the least of these.

One day, I ran into a woman who had prayed with me after hearing me preach in jail. She had been released, and was now a pastor in her church.

Hearing this gave me an indescribable feeling. It was a reminder of God’s strength. He remains true to His promise to watch over us.

At 73, I feel as energized and invigorated to carry on my ministry as I did when I first started. I pray my mission can bring hope to every soul who needs it. Although they may be behind bars, God is with them every day of their lives.

—Iris Medina is a soldier at the Ponce, P.R., Corps.

When I Heard About Gift Annuities, I Thought....

“

I have never regretted my investment in the Salvation Army. The Lord has blessed my life of 85 years and continues to do so. Therefore, I have an obligation to pass it on.

“

- Harry Moses, Salvation Army Donor

We Couldn’t Agree With You More, Harry.

The Salvation Army is excited to have a giving opportunity that furthers our mission AND benefits our dedicated and generous donor friends and members. Our work could not reach all those who need our ministry and services if it weren’t for “the army” of support we have.

Our Gift Annuity can provide:

4 Fixed Payments for Life

4 Possible Income Tax Charitable Deduction

4 Possible Tax Free Income

4 Peace of Mind & Accomplishment

CALL (845) 620-7297 and find out the rate for your age.

It is an honor to have the trust of Salvation Army Gift Annuity donors, like Mr. Moses, and it gives us great satisfaction to know they are pleased with the way this gift opportunity meets their needs for income and for putting their money where their values will be reinforced for generations in the future.

Rate examples: At age 75 the payment rate is 5.8% and at age 85 the rate is 7.8%

For further information, please contact: The Salvation Army, Department of Special Gifts 440 West Nyack Road, West Nyack, NY 10994 (845) 620-7297

17PG5SA103

C O M M I S S I O N I N G 2 0 17

OYFUL J

June 9–11

Westchester County Center 198 Central Avenue White Plains, NY 10606

INTERCESSORS MOBILIZE: GO FORWARD!

Special Guests Commissioners James M. & Carolyn R.

KNAGGS

Led by Commissioners William A. & G. Lorraine

BAMFORD

USA EASTERN TERRITORY

w w w.saconnec ts.org/commissioning

COMMISSIONERS WILLIAM A. & G. LORRAINE BAMFORD TERRITORIAL LEADERS