18 September 2021 NZFTS War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION 18 SEPTEMBER 2021 | Issue 6776 | $1.50

Beyond the Dark Baking for Better Fellowship at Tonga Men’s Camp

Faith, Family and Rugby League A unique experience of 9/11

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Julie & Mark Campbell | GENERAL Brian Peddle | FOUNDERS Catherine

& William Booth

The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission.

EDITOR Vivienne Hill | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Nicole Gesmundo, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Holly Morton, Louise Parry, Bethany Slaughter | PROOF READING

Major Colleen Marshall OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street,

PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset

is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

Prayer is Never Locked Down Please join us in prayer on September 26 for the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking. For points on how to pray, see our feature story on page 6, and read disturbing statistics of the number of men, women and children who are exploited for other people’s selfish ends.

Prayer is also the focus of our Soul Food: ‘Prayer at the Coal Face’. Where we are encouraged to pray for our individual needs, but also big prayers for big needs—like Afghanistan, the pandemic and human trafficking—because God hears all prayers.

The quote on this page comes from Julian of Norwich, from the fourteenth century, the first published female writer in English. Julian was a woman of prayer, who lived through an earlier deadly pandemic which took the lives of between 40 to 60 percent of the world’s population. She was just six years old when the Black Death arrived in her county.

Little is known about Julian, but when she was 30, she had a near-death experience that profoundly changed her to the point that she became an anchoress and was sealed into a small room adjacent to a church. A Bishop performed her funeral, and Julian went into a different type of lockdown, a permanent lockdown. The rest of her life then centred around prayer and communion with God. Prayer became her reason for living.

We may be in various stages of lockdown but, like Julian, we too can pray and our prayers can impact the abuse, exploitation, sickness and war around the globe.

If we pray, he will answer.

Vivienne Hill Editor

SalvationArmyNZFTS

He did not say, ‘You shall not be perturbed, you shall not be troubled, you shall not be distressed’, but he said, ‘You shall not be overcome’.

@SalvationArmyNZ

Julian of Norwich

Publishing for 138 years | Issue 6776 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

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Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Karatia 4:7 Heoi, kua mutu tōu ponongatanga, engari kua tama koe; ā, ki te mea he tama, nā mōu ngā mea i roto i te Atua.

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t the beginning of this year, one of my indoor plants was growing like a waterfall of intertwined emerald- and eggplant-coloured leaves, thick and healthy. It cascaded over my shelf, positioned to soak up sufficient sunlight. I was— and still am—a novice indoor plant carer: full of optimism, very mindful of when to or when not to water and when to rotate the pots for their share of sun. Unfortunately, as other plant parents can attest, indoor plants do not always play by the rules.

One day a brown patch appeared on my bubbles plant and my heart sank. I took a photograph to the florist, who assured me to keep doing exactly what I was doing. I sought a second round of reassurance from a garden stall owner at the markets. But the patch worsened, browning over the lip of the pot. I wondered if it had grown too one-sided and heavy towards the sun. I tried testing the soil, turning the pot, relieving the pressure on the roots. When I went away for two weeks, I left my plants at work where I knew they would be looked after (and in my team’s defence, they were).

When I returned—to the eye—the plant appeared unchanged, but felt almost a third lighter.

The underside was thin, dehydrated to the texture of a tissue. I think the change of air in the office was unkind to it. After another month of monitoring, alas the plant deteriorated. I would have to try

my hand at one of my most dreaded gardening practices: pruning. I planned to take a less-is-more approach, but with the shoots so entangled and dried out, I quickly realised this was going to be the plant equivalent of a bob cut.

In the thick of this last-ditch rescue mission, I thought about how at least there would be an array of biblical illustrations I could mine out of this experience to write about. I mean, there’s the vine metaphor in John 15, about how God sometimes needs to cut back the problematic parts of our lives to make us more reflective of Christ. There’s definitely a comparison about how we might wilt or struggle when we switch environments, and surely a lesson to be drawn about having resilient roots.

As far as I know, there’s no passage about how to nurse an ailing indoor plant back to health … if only.

My little plant is now a very little plant; however, most of the leaves are green-ish and it no longer looks like the roots are being tugged out of the soil.

Time will tell if I’ve made any meaningful progress; if it grows back to health, maybe soon I’ll be writing about new life, transformation and emerging from challenging seasons.

If not … I guess I’ll look on the bright side and see it as an excuse to buy more indoor plants?

BY BETHANY SLAUGHTER

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Let’s Get our Bubbles Baking for Better!

In the midst of lockdowns and level changes, did you know you can use this time to ‘Bake for Better’ and support The Salvation Army from your own home?

Baking for Better is a partnership with Edmonds and Chelsea, along with Television New Zealand (TVNZ).

Seven Sharp presenter Hilary Barry is providing eight of her very own recipes which can be unlocked each week by donating to The Salvation Army at bakingforbetter.co.nz.

Hilary Barry said, ‘The Salvation Army is committed to fighting poverty and protecting our most vulnerable—and that’s something we can all get behind. I’ve brought my very best recipes to the table for the Sallies and I’m asking Kiwis to dust off their aprons and dig out their mixing bowls for this very worthy cause.’

The campaign has already garnered over 1000 donations to unlock recipes such as Hilary’s hummingbird cake (pictured) and double chocolate chunk cookies.

Vanessa Ronan-Pearce, The Salvation Army’s head of corporate partnerships says, ‘This campaign highlights the best parts of all the partners involved: the yummy, high-quality products from Edmonds and Chelsea, the incredible support of TVNZ, Hilary Barry’s love of cooking and sincere desire to support the New Zealand community, and the incredible work of The Salvation Army—in particular, the way we are distributing food to those in need right now.’

Vanessa says that raising money and awareness as well as baking delicious food is a win-win for us all.

You can get involved by visiting bakingforbetter.co.nz today (a donation of as little as $1 will unlock a recipe), and make sure you’re watching Seven Sharp on Tuesday nights for the release of Hilary’s next recipe.

Dramedy The Farewell (PG) Directed by Lulu Wang The Farewell centres around Billi (Awkwafina), a Chinese-American woman, as she returns with her parents to her hometown Changchun for her cousin’s wedding. The only catch: the wedding is a front for the family to visit Nai-Nai (her grandmother) who is dying of lung cancer. They have kept the diagnosis a secret from Nai-Nai so they can enjoy their last few months together. The Farewell considers the cultural displacement of migrants and the feeling of foreignness both in their ancestral homeland and in the place they currently live, as Billi struggles to come to terms with this secret. The movie begins with the tagline, ‘Based on an actual lie’, as the film is inspired by Wang’s grandmother, who Nai-Nai is modelled off, and who didn’t know about her own medical diagnosis until after the film was released—the Chinese title of the film is Don’t Tell Her. Wang’s great-aunt played the role of herself in The Farewell, in a beautiful tie-in to the truth behind the story. This movie speaks so well to the family dynamics around grief and the dislocation that distance and time creates as Billi tries to recognise the people and places around her as ones she once knew.

The Farewell was released in 2019, but is available to watch on Netflix, and makes for moving lockdown viewing. (Reviewed by Holly Morton) 4 WarCry 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

WARCRYINHISTORY This news clipping from the 9 September 1911 edition shared this image of three ladies from Holland who were eager to meet with the visiting General.

Source: The Heritage Centre & Archives at the Plowman Resource Centre, Booth College of Mission.

Weird of the Week: Samsung was founded in 1938 … as a shop which sold veggies and dried fish.

Beetroot & Apple Salad 1 tsp olive oil 1½ cup pumpkin seeds Pinch of salt 3 Tbsp olive oil Juice from 1 orange Juice from ½ lemon 2 cups grated beetroot 3 medium Granny Smith apples, quartered and thinly sliced

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a small frypan on a medium heat. Toast pumpkin seeds, keeping them moving, until puffed up and slightly coloured—about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

In a large bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the citrus juices.

Add the beetroot and apples and ¾ of the seeds. Toss well.

Top with the remaining seeds and coriander to serve.

Small handful of fresh coriander Source: countdown.co.nz

QUIKQUIZ

1 How many names of American states end with the letter ‘n’?

2 Where would you find the occipitofrontalis?

3 In which year was Magna Carta signed?

4 ‘Floreat Etona’ is the motto of which famous British public school?

5 In the Bible, who invented farming?

Answers on page 22

TOPFIVE

As we close out this month, here are five notable people you’re sure to know who all have their birthdays in September.

5. Bill Murray—September 21 4. Will Smith—September 25 3. Beyoncé—September 4 2. Bruce Springsteen—September 23 1. One of our territorial leaders, Commissioner Julie Campbell— September 19 (Happy Birthday Julie!)

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September 26 is the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking, and this year’s theme is ‘Beyond the Dark’. As New Zealand adjusts to changeable lockdown levels across the country to combat the Delta strain of Covid-19; and Fiji, Tonga and Samoa each have their own struggles to protect their people from the virus, it can feel like the whole world is partially locked down. However, across the globe the insidious business of modern slavery continues on under Covid-19.

BY HOLLY MORTON

L

ydia Hollister-Jones, the advocacy communications manager for World Vision, gave this description of modern slavery: ‘Human trafficking is the movement or recruitment of a person using abusive, deceptive or coercive means to exploit them for the gain of another. People around the world today are trafficked and exploited in many different ways; for example, labour, sexual exploitation and forced criminality. A person doesn’t need to be moved across an international border for trafficking to have taken place; human trafficking is generally accepted to fall under the definition of “modern slavery”. It is estimated that over 40 million people live in modern slavery, two-thirds in the Asia-Pacific region, where most of the things we use in New Zealand every day are made.’

Of the over 40 million people estimated to currently be in modern slavery, there are approximately 24.9 million in forced labour and 15.4 million in forced marriages.

Adaptability of evil The border limitations, curfews and lockdowns have closed many businesses, but unfortunately the perpetrators of modern slavery have adapted to these new conditions. The Territorial Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Response Contact Person Captain Sammy Millar explains that the pandemic ‘has driven the crime more underground. With the use of lockdowns, curfews and police at borders to manage the pandemic, perpetrators are adapting to all of that, and it has actually become easier for them to hide what they are doing. And so the management measures which are in place to help everybody have now made it harder to identify victims of human trafficking.’

There are greater numbers of vulnerable people as a result of the pandemic and this is extremely concerning. It has been predicted that an additional 47 million women and girls will fall below the poverty line during the pandemic and the global response to get it under control. As the availability of jobs reduces, or people lose employment, many people globally will struggle to make ends meet, and could find themselves or their family members in vulnerable positions leading to exploitation. Not just that, but those who have already been exploited may end up facing harsher conditions with less pay than they received before.

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In our backyard It is easy for people to assume that modern slavery is only an issue outside of our territory, but recent cases tell us otherwise.

Walk Free, which is a subset of the Minderoo Foundation, released a report in early 2020 called ‘Murky Waters’, which details the state of slavery in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations. The employment sectors identified in the report as the most common spaces for exploitation in our territory are construction, logging, fishing, hospitality, tourism and domestic work.

Just last year, a massage parlour in St Lukes, Auckland, was found guilty of paying a staff member as little as 80 cents per hour. The worker was repaid $8000 and the business was not permitted to recruit any migrant workers for six months.

Another man, in Hastings, was charged with 13 slavery charges and 10 charges of human trafficking in his orchards.

According to 2018 statistics from the Global Slavery Index, there are approximately 3000 people in New Zealand in modern slavery.

In the 2020 report, ‘Combatting Modern Forms of Slavery: Plan of Action against Forced Labour, People Trafficking and Slavery, 2020–2025’, the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, the Hon. Michael Wood, says this about modern slavery in New Zealand: ‘We must be aware of the drivers of exploitation, especially while Covid-19 continues to have massive impacts. Although our borders are largely closed, there is an increased risk of exploitation amongst those who are in New Zealand—including temporary migrants and New Zealanders—as well as those outside New Zealand, for example, an increased vulnerability to online sexual exploitation.’

Online exploitation As mentioned in the report, the increase of digital exploitation in New Zealand during the pandemic is worth paying attention to. With fewer financial options for many people due to the virus, mediums like OnlyFans and webcamming have become more widely used as means to make money, but these have also continued to be easily accessible platforms for those perpetuating modern slavery. In these spaces, the numbers for online child sexual exploitation have also increased. The digital spaces of modern slavery and exploitation are particularly difficult to police and, globally, those working in the fight for freedom have become aware of this trend.

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‘HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS THE MOVEMENT OR RECRUITMENT OF A PERSON USING ABUSIVE, DECEPTIVE OR COERCIVE MEANS TO EXPLOIT THEM FOR THE GAIN OF ANOTHER…’ An op-ed article by Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Åsa Regnér, from December 2020, said: ‘While it should have been safe to assume that restrictions on movement and closed borders would prove to be a barrier for traffickers, it has only provided them with the opportunity to innovate. Due to Covid-19, two-thirds of frontline trafficking workers have reported seeing an increase in online recruitment by traffickers for the purposes of sexual exploitation online—including through webcam and forced online pornography—and Europol has documented “increased online activity by those seeking child abuse material”, since the crisis began.’

Impacts of consumption Aside from support for improving legislation, many of the ways the general public can help to fight against modern slavery can be whittled down to considering our own consumption of products. In this case, Sammy has suggested that a reason why digital exploitation is particularly rampant could be down to the way we view digital content. ‘I think from a New Zealand perspective, probably one of the key ways that people engage in the injustice of modern slavery is pornography; that actually increases demand for human trafficking.’ She suggests this is another area where it is good for us to look at how we use things and what effects this has for others who may have been exploited in the making of the product or production. There is often a lot of talk around Fair Trade and the importance of considering where our food, clothing and other items have come from, but in an increasingly digital culture in order to do our best in the fight for freedom we need to also think about how we are interacting with online content, where it has come from and who is benefitting from it.

Despite these dire statistics, both in our territory and internationally, there are still many groups and organisations fighting for those trapped in modern slavery. World Vision works in the legislative advocacy space in New Zealand to encourage the government to pass laws that will address the root causes of modern slavery and help care for the survivors while also holding the perpetrators accountable.

The Army in partnership for freedom Lydia said that World Vision is ‘continuing to call on the New Zealand Government to pass legislation that will look to address domestic and international supply chains and we’re asking our supporters to do the same. We’re asking the general public to keep the conversation going—whether that means writing to their MP, talking to friends and family or learning on their own.’ This includes their recent campaigning for a Modern Slavery Act for New Zealand, in collaboration with Trade Aid and with support from The Salvation Army.

Lydia explained that they are ‘calling for a Modern Slavery Act that would mean every organisation in New Zealand, from businesses to public bodies, have to check their supply chains for risks of modern slavery and act on what they find … this kind of a Modern Slavery Act would have real impact on the women, men and children who suffer in our supply chains—changing their lives for the better. It’s also helpful for businesses who are already doing the right thing. It evens out the playing field so that those who are already actively working to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains and putting people first aren’t undercut by others who aren’t. In New Zealand, it would mean that people could buy the things we love with confidence, knowing that what we’re buying hasn’t been made at the cost of other human beings.’

People in our territory can advocate for change, hold companies to account and educate themselves on where the things they buy come from. These are practical ways we can be active in eradicating modern slavery.

For The Salvation Army, this fight is embedded in our DNA. From the time of our founding by Catherine and William Booth to now, we have been involved in standing against modern slavery and the practices of human trafficking. Sammy explains that in our global mission, ‘We have safe houses.

We have employment programmes for survivors who have come out of human trafficking. There are education probe programmes to help people become aware of the risks and

vulnerabilities that make people susceptible to trafficking.

We’re involved in advocating for policy and legislative changes.’

She says that while we are not involved in investigation or rescue programmes, to her knowledge, we provide services to support survivors in places where they can heal and recover.

Individual accountability In our church and faith communities we can participate in this call to action by choosing where to spend our money, whether that be ethical fashion or responsible businesses.

We can also call things out when we see something wrong.

In the case of the Hastings man, he was charged because someone at his employee’s church listened and acted when they encountered injustice.

We can take an example from the life of Jesus, who was clear about the importance of caring for those in need, but, specifically ‘to proclaim liberty to the captives’ (Luke 18).

Lydia explains that in our work in this space, ‘as we seek to reflect Jesus, we seek to reflect the ultimate advocate. Jesus was known for spending time with those on the fringes of society, always seeing potential for change and transformation where others could not. His example motivates us to find ... transformation in the toughest situations. Jesus presented a radically different view of how life, relationships and society could be. He said he came so that everyone might have a full life. This gives us a glimpse of how things could be and motivates us to work for justice for all.’

‘Beyond the Dark’ As we pray together on September 26, the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking, we will pray that God’s light will pervade the darkness and bring freedom—for the survivors of human trafficking, for those vulnerable to being trafficked and for the perpetrators of modern slavery.

We also pray for light in our own lives across places where we need to reconsider our purchasing habits, and for God to reveal the ways we are contributing to the injustice of modern slavery so we can have courage and take action.

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Checking In: Warning Signs of Suicide Lockdowns and Covid-19 level changes invite more talk about ‘checking in’ with those we care about.

After stepping back, some people may realise they haven’t been keeping an eye out for warning signs of poor mental health—be it for a colleague, family member, neighbour or friend.

Are you worried that you have been missing worrisome, early indicators in the busyness of the year, when the call to check in with loved ones wasn’t as strong? Is there someone who comes to mind?

Look out for changes in the way they talk about their life, for example: • talking about their current situation as if it is hopeless • speaking as if they don’t have a future or won’t be part of the future • describing themselves as worthless or a burden • talking about death or not wanting to live.

Beyond words, keep an eye out for these actions (especially if they differ from their ‘usual’ behaviour): • increasingly spending time alone rather than with family and friends • appearing sad/low more often • neglecting appearance and grooming (for example, not showering) • putting themselves into dangerous/careless situations, including an increased reliance on alcohol or drugs • eating differently, potentially leading to rapid weight change • acting distracted/unable to focus • irritability or anger • struggling to sleep • giving away treasured or important belongings.

It can be frightening to consider what these changes might indicate. Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they are thinking about suicide; if they tell you that they are, thank them for their courage. Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand says, ‘A person who is thinking about suicide might not ask for help, but that doesn’t mean that help isn’t wanted. They might feel ashamed of how they’re feeling, like they don’t deserve help, or like no one can help them. People who feel suicidal often feel like they are alone and that their family, whānau and friends would be better off without them. Most people who attempt suicide don’t want to die—they just want their pain to end or they can’t see another way out of their situation.’

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Remember, you don’t need to be a mental health expert to help someone.

• Listen without making assumptions or giving unsolicited advice; be non-judgmental and sympathetic.

• Encourage them to reach out for further support from their GP, a mental health professional, a helpline or their family.

• Call a helpline for advice about how you can be supportive (see our list below).

• Contact emergency services if you are concerned about their immediate safety.

Most people who recover from suicidal thoughts do so through the support of friends, family and mental health professionals. Making sure that they know they are loved and not a burden to you is essential to help them realise how important their life is.

WHERE TO CALL FOR HELP…

Emergencies: New Zealand: 111 | Fiji/Tonga/Samoa: 911 PACIFIC ISLAND-BASED HELPLINES: SamoaFLO (Faataua Le Ola) Lifeline: 800-5433 Lifeline Fiji: 1543 (toll-free) NEW ZEALAND-BASED HELPLINES: 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor Lifeline Aotearoa: 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland Youthline: 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat Samaritans: 0800 726 666 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Sources: au.reachout.com, mentalhealth.org.nz

THE MAIN LESSON I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT GOD IS THERE NO MATTER WHAT—NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE, NO MATTER WHAT’S HAPPENING, GOOD OR BAD.

TESTIFY! Andrea Norman is a soldier at Mosgiel Corps who works as a retail assistant at the Family Store.

She loves to be amongst the people, and she shares how God is always there for us.

I have lived in Mosgiel all my life.

All of us kids were christened in the Methodist Church. I have one older sister, a younger brother and my youngest brother died of cancer earlier this year; my mother passed away last year and my father passed away 14 years ago.

I was only about nine years old when I first met my husband, Lindsay. I didn’t have a lot to do with the Army until his youngest brother dared me to go to church one day, so I said, ‘All right, I’ll go’.

When Lindsay and I grew up, we got married in the Army, then for a while we stopped going. It wasn’t until 2002 that I started to go back. I was getting to the stage where I wanted to know more about God. One way of doing that was going to church and hearing a message. There were new corps officers, and I wanted to hear what they were saying. I gave my life to Christ in 2003 and decided to become a soldier of The Salvation Army.

When Captains Veronica and Gavin Rivett were the Army officers in Mosgiel, I used to sit and talk with Veronica a lot; they helped me along my journey. My mother-in-law was hugely important in my faith journey, and there was another lady (who passed away a few years ago) who was a really good friend and touched my heart in so many ways.

My favourite verse is John 3:16: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ I really like that one. Plus, if you are ever hurting, the twenty-third Psalm is always good.

I’m a wee socialite. I don’t like sitting at home all the time; after lockdown, I’m looking forward to getting back out and about amongst people. I enjoy going to Unite, our fortnightly ladies’ group on a Tuesday, and we have a seniors’ drop-in on a Friday once a fortnight. Being at the Family Store, you talk to so many different people who may have come from overseas or around New Zealand, and they all seem to like our store … which is good to hear! I’ve had some customers come in and pray for me, which is nice.

I help out with Junior Soldiers and Kidzone. Together, Captain Phillipa (van Abs, Mosgiel Corps Officer) and I plan what the kids are going to do. I enjoy it because of the children who are coming. A lot of these kids don’t know God, and it’s helping them to

learn what he’s about. I pick up bits and pieces from them of what they learn.

It’s good for the children to know that there’s somebody else there for them.

If they feel like somebody is picking on them, they know Christ is there and they can turn to him for help, as well as talking to Mum and Dad. The main lesson I have learned is that God is there no matter what—no matter what your circumstances are, no matter what’s happening, good or bad.

He never leaves us, it’s us that tend to leave him. You can’t escape him or hide anything, because he knows everything anyway. But he’s someone we can always come back to. We can always sit down and spend time reading the Bible, listening to music or just have quiet time with God and be in his presence.

We love to share people’s faith stories.

If you’d like to talk to us about sharing your story in War Cry, please email us today: warcry@ salvationarmy.org.nz.

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GOD AND RUGBY LEAGUE He has always kept his relationship with God tightly intertwined with his rugby league journey, especially as the prospects of playing at a higher level have increased.

‘I’ll always say my own prayer before starting a game, and then when I finish the game, I always go back to it,’ he says. ‘It helps to get through the dark road and helps me to stay focused and trust him fully.’

One of the verses that is particularly meaningful to him, which he carries every time he goes onto the field, is Jeremiah 29:11: ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.’

He says that ‘verses like that influence me to keep on task. All I want to do is keep working hard.’

OPPORTUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA

Earlier this year, Benaiah Ioelu of Ōtāhuhu Corps had the chance to travel to Australia to play in the Harold Matthews Cup. He speaks about that opportunity, how it brought him closer to God and how his faith has influenced every step of his rugby league journey.

BY BETHANY SLAUGHTER

Benaiah Ioelu got his first taste of rugby league when he was just four years old, and it has been an integral part of his life since.

Beyond having a strong talent for playing the sport, which has since propelled him to pursue it at an elite level, it is also the activity he enjoys the most. ‘During my spare time, I’m always at the park playing with the rugby ball,’ he says.

At the age of fourteen, Benaiah was playing casual rugby league when, unexpectedly, representative teams and clubs came knocking.

He was able to represent his ethnic group in the 2019 Toa Samoa 16s team when they played and won against the New Zealand Resident 16s. Then, in 2020, he made the New Zealand Resident 16s squad to face the New Zealand Māori 17s team, and the New Zealand Resident 16s side came away with the win.

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After building his skills and continuing to impress, Benaiah was selected earlier this year to develop his game in Australia. For the first term of 2021, he travelled over the Tasman to play for the Central Coast Roosters in the NSWRL Harold Matthews Cup. His school principal at Tangaroa College, in Auckland, allowed him to complete online schooling while he was in Australia, which helped him to keep up with the curriculum.

He describes it as ‘a huge opportunity for me to further accelerate and develop my game’.

‘Australia’s real big in rugby league. They wanted me to gain experience, so they sent me over there for a whole term.’

The Central Coast Roosters made it through to the elimination finals of the competition.

‘It was a good time, I enjoyed it heaps,’ Benaiah says.

‘I know where the bar’s set. I got to experience where the benchmark is while I was over there, so I know how to keep going and to focus on the next step.

‘It was hard to be away from my family for four months. I think what kept me driving was God, basically.

Going back to that verse from the Bible, in Jeremiah 29:11, it just kept me going and learning,’ Benaiah says. ‘I can’t give up now.’

FAITH AT THE CENTRE Benaiah has attended Ōtāhuhu Corps with his family for as long as he can remember (his mother has been at the corps since she was a young kid). Before he left for Australia, the corps gifted him a book of Bible promises.

‘It was pretty cool giving me a promise every day.

I would read it and then I’d try and think about the verse ... deeply, and see how it related to my life,’ Benaiah explains, ‘and think about every obstacle that comes my way. I [would] just relate back to the promise and see if that’s happened to me before.’

Each day he shared the day's promise with his family for reflection.

While the trip overseas was a significant step forward in his rugby league journey, it was also a great opportunity to grow closer to God—by reading the verses every day, carrying his Bible with him and praying. ‘I really felt the Spirit in me, while away from my family.’

FAMILY TIES

Photo: Bryden Sharp Photography.

His family has been crucial to his success—along with his parents, he has two sisters, two half-sisters and one brother, while his nana and papa have also been there every step of the way.

‘My mum and dad have been a huge support,’ he says. ‘And my nana and papa have always been there and always keep me on task.’

Because his family is so important to him, one of the greatest challenges Benaiah faced in Australia was being separated from them, in a place where he didn’t know anybody else.

He is grateful that he ended up living with a wonderful host family. ‘God took me to a good family, and they were lovely and kind to me.’

Benaiah is now back on New Zealand shores, but he will be returning to Australia again in the near future. ‘It’ll be even longer this time …

I think the goal right now is to spend as much time as I can with my family.’

As he continues to develop his skills and search for further success on the field, Benaiah wants to make sure that faith stays in the centre of his rugby league aspirations and to never take for granted the opportunities God is placing in front of him.

‘It’s just a miracle this has happened in my life,’ he says.

‘He answered my prayers, and you just want to give it all back to him. You just want to praise him every single day.’

HE HAS ALWAYS KEPT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TIGHTLY INTERTWINED WITH HIS RUGBY LEAGUE JOURNEY, ESPECIALLY AS THE PROSPECTS OF PLAYING AT A HIGHER LEVEL HAVE INCREASED.

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 WarCry 13

Leading From The Stop

BY BETHANY SLAUGHTER

In the aftermath of 9/11 in 2001, Elias Kanaris’s flight was abruptly forced to land in the small island town of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. He stayed at The Salvation Army for five days, and his new book, Leading From The Stop, shares the stories and lessons which emerged from this experience.

Elias Kanaris was six hours into a flight from London to Chicago, on what seemed like an ordinary day, when the pilot came on speaker.

After reassuring the passengers that there was nothing wrong with the plane, he informed them that the Federal Aviation Authority had shut down all United States airspace due to a significant incident.

They landed at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada. ‘We were one of 38 aeroplanes that landed there in about a 90-minute window,’ Elias explains.

He believed they were in for a short layover. In reality, they were not even allowed to disembark for 24 hours. While grounded on the plane, they learned there had been tragic terrorist attacks in the United States. The date was 11 September 2001.

Population overload The influx of passengers into Gander was impossible to plan for.

‘They found themselves going from 9300 for breakfast to 16,000 for supper. Where is the emergency plan written to cater for something like that?’

14 WarCry 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

After disembarking, Elias and 197 fellow passengers were bussed 40 minutes away to stay at The Salvation Army Gambo Corps for four days, until they could fly out.

‘They looked after us, took care of us and catered for us.

It was unbelievable to see that during a time of adversity, there is such humanity out there,’ Elias remembers. ‘People raided their fridges, their pantries, their freezers [and] put together food for us. They ensured that there was accommodation available. They took care of every need and they made sure that we were safe because, at the end of the day, there were so many people who were out of their own comfort zone.’

Elias remembers how, into the late hours of their first night there, he was preoccupied with finishing a work report. ‘By that stage, most people had gone to bed, sleeping on the pews or on stretchers, on little camp beds that the Red Cross and the Canadian Army brought through for us.’

While he was working, a lady who was knitting struck up a conversation with him. ‘All I wanted to do, to be honest, was write my report and I was getting a bit irritated … It took me about 15 to 20 minutes before I shut my laptop down and just

WHILE GROUNDED ON THE PLANE, THEY LEARNED THERE HAD BEEN TRAGIC TERRORIST ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES. had a good conversation,’ he says. ‘The Salvation Army put people in there to take care of us, to be there in case we needed some help, needed somebody to talk to.’

The passengers did what they could to repay the town’s kindness. For example, when they learned there was a funeral scheduled one day, they banded together to ensure the church was cleaned so that the family wasn’t mourning in a makeshift shelter.

After leaving Newfoundland with many stories and learnings from the experience, Elias has compiled them into Leading From The Stop, a book two decades in the making. ‘I thought the time was right,’ he says. ‘When we think about The Salvation Army and what the people of Gander and Gambo did, it’s definitely a feel-good story.’

‘WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY AND WHAT THE PEOPLE OF GANDER AND GAMBO DID, IT’S DEFINITELY A FEEL-GOOD STORY.’ Emerging stronger Elias believes his book offers wisdom which can be applied to many challenges, including the current pandemic. He says that 9/11 caused the US airline industry to collapse overnight.

‘Tourism in New York City evaporated instantaneously. The industry I was in, which was the speaking industry, stopped conferences straight away. Now, did I say 9/11? Because I could have said the Global Financial Crisis, or I could have said Covid-19.’

Relationship building, he says, is crucial to strengthening resilience for when trouble hits, so that there are people you can ask for help and support. Twenty years on, he is still in contact with friends he made during his time in Gambo.

One particularly influential person from the Gambo Salvation Army was Theresa Antonietti (née Burry), nicknamed ‘Mother Theresa’. ‘She kept on saying, “Welcome”, to everybody as they came through,’ Elias recalls. ‘She looked at people who were in our community—us plane people that were lost, were hurt or that were in pain.’

He later learned that this event happened not long after her first husband had passed away. ‘And yet, she gave … despite her circumstances, it was about how she could help others, and that’s servant-hearted leadership at its best,’ he says. ‘Who’s the best example of this apart from Jesus?’

He sees his own faith as one example of the importance of relationship. Elias grew up in a Greek Orthodox family and had a religious background, but no faith practice at the time of 9/11. ‘I knew when to stand up, when to sit down, when to do the sign of the cross, when to bow,’ he says, ‘but I didn’t have a relationship with God, which is something I learned post-9/11 … it was all about relationship and not religion.’

‘MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT A MILLION HOUSEHOLDS AROUND THE WORLD, AND I THINK THIS BOOK CAN HELP US REACH THAT AUDIENCE.’ Resilient transitions In recent years, the story of the diverted passengers has gained popular attention through the global musical, Come From Away.

While Elias hasn’t had the opportunity to see the show yet, he has listened to the soundtrack several times. ‘I am so pleased that we get to share the story in such a way that, again, lifts The Salvation Army,’ he affirms. ‘We were anxious for nothing … I think it’s one of the messages that came out of the musical.’

Now, it is his turn to share another piece of the story. Leading From The Stop was launched on 12 September, and will be followed by a speaking tour.

‘If I can use this to help people find that inner resilience, and that leadership, then great,’ Elias says. ‘My ultimate goal is to positively impact a million households around the world, and I think this book can help us reach that audience.

‘When I think about somebody who’s reading this, they’re probably going through a transition because change causes transition,’ he says. ‘It’s like you’re a trapeze artist there at the circus, and you have to let go of one set of bars to go and grab hold of a second set of bars. And in between, you’re asking yourself the question: Can I make it? I think that the readers of War Cry would enjoy reading the book because it helps them to answer that question.’

For more information, visit leadingfromthestop.com

Elias has kindly donated multiple copies of Leading From The Stop for War Cry to give away. For your chance to win, email war.cry@salvationarmy.org.nz and tell us if the pandemic and cost were not an issue, where would your dream aeroplane journey take you?

Entries must be received by 15 October.

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 WarCry 15

Tribute: Sandy Galvin Sandy Galvin was recently farewelled by her whānau, kaumatua, tangata whenua and friends in a large tangi led by Captain Hana Seddon, held at Whakaahurangi Marae, Stratford, on Friday 30 July 2021.

For some months Sandy had been battling cancer, and was only 51 years old when she was promoted to Glory on Sunday 25 July.

She is fondly remembered as a wahine toa by those who came under her influence in The Salvation Army—as soldier, cadet, officer and again as soldier. She was a big-hearted woman who had been deeply touched and impacted by the love of Jesus, and her life was radically changed and set on a new path. Many at her tangi were able to attest to stories in appreciation and admiration and with humour, set both in The Salvation Army and in many other contexts. Throughout her life Sandy remained utterly dedicated to Māori tikanga (customary practices) and te reo (Māori language) of which she was enormously proud and which grounded her life.

Sandy is remembered for her fearlessness, ability to call a spade a spade and her determination. Her life and influence was reminiscent of the ‘Taranaki Prophet’, Envoy Stephen Buick, who would not be tied down by institutional expectations and was instead devoted to a very mobile ministry which encompassed and touched many people from all walks of life.

Those who met Sandy would be left in no doubt that they had encountered a forthright yet accepting personality who deeply cared about people and was prepared to go the extra mile for them. She was bold and gregarious and, once encountered, almost impossible to dismiss!

Sandy knew personal tragedy and setback but never allowed these to deter or detract her. Her deepest commitments never changed and her priorities never altered. She leaves an enormous gap in the lives of those who knew her and she will not be forgotten.

Sandy was interred in the presence of a large company at Mangapukatea Urupa, Pihama, under the watchful gaze of a beautiful and snow-clad Taranaki Maunga. She will be greatly missed.

Kua haere ia ki tona moenga roa.

MAJOR DAVID NOAKES

16 WarCry 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

Worship practice at Tonga Region Men’s Camp.

Answer to Prayer for Tawa Corps I have been working as the community coordinator for the team at Tawa Corps for three years now. The demands have grown, and we identified the need for a social worker to join our team.

Right from the start, Captains Nathan and Jess Bezzant said that we would trust God to bring the right person in to work with us. We knew finding someone who would be interested in the role for 15 hours a week was going to be a challenge.

Applications started flowing in … but for various reasons we were unable to progress with them.

Determined to find the right person, we re-advertised the role. On the final date of the advertising, I went to Captain Nathan and said to him that I am going to seek God again as to whether the Social worker role is the role he has for us. Well, that night, Captain Nathan got a call from Ollie, who had heard we were advertising and wondered if it was too late to throw his hat in the ring.

He fulfilled everything on our wishlist—which we had specified in our prayer times. We were unsure of how we would be able to afford someone of Ollie’s calibre, but again God took care of that. Ollie has fitted into our team seamlessly. We are thankful for God’s provision for this role.

BY SARAH OPIE

Tonga Region Men’s Camp: ‘I’ll Fight’—Teu Tau During the winter season here in Tonga our men came together for a weekend at the beach—a time of fellowship, of encouraging one another and worship. Tonga Region Men’s Camp was held at Fanga ko Fefe, at Fua’amotu Beach, from 6 to 8 August. What an amazing opportunity for our men to be away from busy schedules at work, at home or on the farm, and also for the community to join this fantastic initiative which was planned and organised by the Regional Commander Captain Kenneth Walker and his team.

This year has been a rough year, but we are still thankful that God’s grace and his love endures forever. The theme for the camp was taken from The Salvation Army Founder’s quote: ‘I’ll Fight’.

This year was the first time we had a team attending from our corps plant at Vava’u, with some of the men attending their first Salvation Army camp.

The camp kicked off on Friday evening with dinner and registration, followed by a word of encouragement, led by Major Kesoni Qoriniasi, focusing on the theme: ‘I’ll fight to guard my heart’. He challenged the men of the Tonga Region on the importance of self-control; of how we need to fight to guard our hearts, to let God be the centre of our hearts and to trust in God with all our heart.

Even though the night was cold, we all managed to sleep well on the first night at the beach.

On Saturday, our first session, led by Lieutenant Samisoni Akoteu and Major Frederick Vaea, was focused on the theme: ‘I’ll fight to take the land’. Samisoni shared that in order to take over the land we need people that can fight, we need people in the frontline who fight with a purpose, we need a hero. He said that a real hero is someone who always seeks God, has a

Year of Prayer Reflection Today I’m sitting in lockdown with only a week to go before I finish this season of my officership in this appointment. It’s been a huge journey of trusting, learning more about living a life of prayer and of what living in his presence moment by moment is all about. I’ve experienced both deep trust in all I do and walking every day in his presence. What a joy it’s been to partner with you all in this prayer focus this year.

I want to encourage you all to find this place of rest in your souls, a place of prayer and intimacy with God in everything you do; to infuse prayer in all that happens, where you serve, where you live and where you are on this journey of life.

I want to finish this with my latest engagement with prayer and God. I prayed on Sunday at my corps (church) where we were given space to commit once again our walk and service to God. On the card provided, my simple prayer was for my future appointment: ‘Lord, help me to love others more

personal relationship with God and spends time with God in prayer. A hero like Joshua (Joshua 1:1–9).

The second session on Saturday was led by Captain Eliesa Prescott and Captain Petuliki Mosa’ati, focusing on the theme: ‘I’ll fight to lead by example’. In the beginning of the presentation Eliesa started off with the quote in the Tongan language from William Booth’s: ‘I’ll Fight’. He said this is the greatest example of all and we need to know our mission and our vision. So the challenge for the men of the Tonga Region was that we fight to be an example to our friends, we fight to lead by example at home as fathers and husbands, we fight to lead by example at church as men of God. On Saturday evening we had a fun time with games and activities provided and organised by the team. On the final day of our men’s camp we were challenged by Captain Kenneth Walker on the theme: ‘I’ll fight to surrender to God’s will’.

A highlight of the camp was after every session we always opened up to a time of prayer and making personal commitments to God. Even up to the last day of our camp there were numbers of men making the decision to stand and fight.

deeply than ever before’. Little did I know that the next day God would show me how this ‘loving deeply’ really works.

On the following Monday, I was at Territorial Headquarters reception and was included in an incident while trying to help a man. The police were called, took my statement down and the rest of the day was about debriefing.

I didn’t sleep overly well that night but, when I woke up, God gave me a deep love for this man, overwhelming love to the extent that I hurt for him and prayed over and over again for him, and I am still praying for him today.

God is certainly in the business of answering our deep prayers of longing. I didn’t need to wait until my next appointment as an officer before he answered my prayer as I experienced the deep love I had asked God for.

Trust God... Live in his presence... Infuse prayer daily...

Love deeply…

BY MAJOR STEPH HERRING

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 WarCry 17

Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking The Salvation Army has set aside Sunday 26 September as its Annual Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking.

Globally there are more than 40 million men, women and children who are impacted by Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT).

The 2021 Global Modern Slavery Index showed that 15 million of these people are in forced marriages, while more than 24 million are trapped in forced labour situations.

Approximately a third of these exploited people are children ('2020 Trafficking In Persons Report').

The New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory supports The Salvation Army’s international Fight for Freedom strategy against MSHT. This annual pause to reflect is part of upholding this commitment, particularly through the strategic pillar of ‘Prayer’.

‘This year’s theme is “Beyond the Dark”, inspired by 1 Peter 2:9–10 (MSG): “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you— from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted”,’ says International Fight for Freedom Coordinator Priscilla Santos.

GAZETTE Promotion to Glory: Auxiliary Captain Mavis Tremain was promoted to Glory on Saturday 28 August 2021, from Eversley Rest Home, Mahora, Hastings, aged 90 years. Hazil Mavis Tremain (née Whittington) was born in Wellington on 12 September 1930. Mavis Whittington entered The Salvation Army Training College in 1951 as a cadet in the Ambassadors session and in January 1952 was appointed as assistant officer, Rotorua Corps. Appointments followed in Wanganui Corps (1952); corps officer, Mataura Corps (1953), Carterton Corps (1954) and Sandringham Corps (1956), and it is from this appointment that Mavis resigned. In October 1969, Mavis married Keith Tremain who had also trained in the Ambassadors session and had resigned. In 1983 Mavis and Keith were warranted as envoys and appointed assistants to The Haven Children’s Home, Singapore (in the Singapore Malaysia Command). In 1984, they were appointed as managers to the Eventide Rest Home in Singapore. In 1992, they were appointed corps officers, Thames Corps and it is from this appointment that they entered retirement on 31 December 1993, followed by appointment in retirement as corps officers, Flaxmere Corps. Auxiliary Captain Keith Tremain was promoted to Glory on 1 October 2013. We honour Auxiliary Captain Mavis Tremain for her passionate, dedicated heart and service as an active officer, and throughout her retirement in the Hastings community in which she lived and continued

18 WarCry 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

In this year’s 'Beyond the Dark' resources, which can be found online at salvationarmy.org/isjc/beyond-the-dark, Kellyn Mylechreest writes, ‘As followers of Jesus, God has called us to speak out against injustice and work towards justice for those experiencing oppression. The prayers and cries of individuals who are oppressed and exploited are heartfelt, and God hears them. God cares about those who are oppressed and exploited, and we should too.’

For issues that we care deeply about, intentional prayer is one of our most powerful tools. If you are looking for direction, you can check out the Ally Commitment Prayer, written by Jean Nangwala of Zambia Territory (which you can find on the back cover of this edition).

There are lots of other actions we can take. The Salvation Army’s SA Justice group in the United States prepared a range of suggestions, and we have listed some of them.

Research your local context and share with others how human trafficking affects your community.

Reach out to like-minded organisations and charities to learn more; ask them to come and speak with your corps/centre.

Host an awareness event or prayer night. Show a documentary which explores the problem of MSHT.

to serve for her Lord. Well done good and faithful ‘Ambassador’ of Jesus Christ!

Bereavement: Petero Mudu, the brother of Captain Sevanaia Wawa, passed away on Monday 23 August 2021 from his home village, Levuka, Ovalau, Fiji, aged 59 years.

Due to Covid restrictions, the family were not able to be together at that time. We ask you to uphold in prayer Captains Sevanaia and Vakatoto Wawa, Petero’s wife, children and mother, and the extended family at this time of grief, loss and separation.

Margaret Wright, the mother of Lieutenant Cassandra Henderson, passed away on Friday 27 August 2021, in Christchurch. Due to Covid restrictions, the family were not able to be together at that time. We ask you to uphold in prayer Lieutenant Cass Henderson and Chris Henderson, Margaret’s husband Peter and extended family members, at this time of grief and loss.

Margaret Travers, the mother of Major Brenda Ennever, passed away on Thursday 2 September 2021, in Hamilton, aged 90 years.

We ask you to uphold in prayer Majors Brenda and Mark Ennever and extended family members at this time of grief and loss.

Resignation: Nicola and Ralph Hargest are resigning from officership, effective 9 October 2021. Nicky and Ralph were cadets in the Visionaries session in 2004.

Following commissioning, Nicky and Ralph were appointed as corps officers, Invercargill Corps, with additional appointments for Nicky as director, Invercargill Community Ministries and for Ralph as mission director,

Invercargill Supportive Accommodation and director, Invercargill Community and Family Services. During this time Ralph was also a Non-Regular Force (Army) chaplain. This was followed by appointments as corps officers, Wellington South Corps (2010), divisional youth secretaries, Northern Division (2014), with additional appointment for Ralph as divisional secretary for Emergency Services; corps officers, Dunedin City Corps (2016), with additional appointments for Nicky as director, Dunedin Community Ministries and for Ralph as chaplain, Dunedin Centre and chaplain, Bridge Centre Dunedin.

In 2017 Ralph was appointed as mission director, Bridge and Community Ministries, Dunedin, with an additional appointment to Oasis Dunedin. In 2019 Ralph was appointed as mission director and Nicky appointed as assistant to the director, Bridge, Christchurch. In 2021 Ralph received the additional appointment of mission director, Supportive Accommodation Addington and Nicky was appointed strategic projects officer, THQ. We thank Majors Nicola and Ralph Hargest for 15 years, 9 months and 29 days of active service and pray God’s blessing on them in the days ahead.

Retirement: Major Paul Herring retired on 1 September 2021 having completed 29 years, 7 months and 21 days of active officer service.

Paul, along with his wife Stephanie (Steph), entered the Training College from Lower Hutt Corps in 1990 as cadets in the Servants of Jesus session. Following commissioning, Paul and Steph were appointed as Assistants to the Nest Community and Family Services,

Start a Bible study or choose a study plan which delves into what the Bible says about the problem of MSHT, God’s heart for justice and the role of the church in restoration.

Educate yourself about the connection between issues, such as pornography and sex trafficking or consumerism and labour trafficking, to understand how you can be part of the solution.

Develop an action plan to utilise your church’s strengths to benefit the needs of your local community.

Further information about the Fight for Freedom strategy is available at salvationarmy.org/isjc/ SAfightforfreedom.

followed by appointments as corps officers to Motueka Corps (1993); Naenae Corps (1996); Tawa Corps (1998); Tauranga Corps, with Paul having an additional appointment as director of Community and Family Services (2006); and Glenfield Corps (2008). In 2012 Paul and Steph received an international appointment to Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory as corps officers, Singapore Central Corps. In 2016, Paul and Steph were appointed as corps officers, Christchurch City Corps with Paul having an additional appointment as director, Community Ministries Christchurch City; In 2018, Paul was appointed to DHQ as Wellington inner city projects officer. This was followed by an appointment as THQ projects officer in 2020, and it is from this appointment that Paul retired on 1 September 2021. It is with sincere thanks and appreciation that we honour Major Paul Herring for his faithful and sincere service as a Servant of Jesus Christ.

First-time grandparents: Lieutenants Erica and Fraser Kearse on the safe arrival of their first grandchild, Baillie Lavernious Charlett. Baillie was born at 2.50pm on Thursday 26 August, weighing 8lb 4oz. (3.74 kgs). We join with parents Tiana Bartrum and David Charlett, and grandparents Tui Erica and Pop K. Fraser, as they celebrate the birth of Baillie, and pray God’s blessing on them all.

…YOU ARE EQUALLY AND VITALLY IMPORTANT AND GREATLY APPRECIATED— THANK YOU. We may be in lockdown, but The Salvation Army is not locked down.

As I write, Aotearoa New Zealand and Fiji are currently in various levels of Covid lockdown. The effects of this impact everyone to varying degrees; in Fiji, parts of the country have been in lockdown for upwards of 20 weeks.

While many businesses and services are closed, our mission stations— our corps (churches) and centres, divisions and territorial support services—have continued to serve God and our communities, albeit in different ways to keep people safe.

Since Aotearoa went into the latest lockdown, our Community Ministries centres have prepared thousands of food parcels whilst also continuing to journey with individuals and whānau (families) involved in our broad range of services. Our Addictions, Supportive Accommodation, Reintegration and Transitional and Social Housing teams have continued to provide support during what can be a very stressful time for people. This has been underpinned by the prayers of many during this time.

There have also been wonderful expressions of worship, ongoing Bible studies, people coming together using technology, and through the many phone calls, cards and emails of support and encouragement that keep people connected and supported. It is important to remember that even though we are physically apart, we continue to belong, work, serve and worship together; He Waka Eke Noa, All of Us Together. We support and encourage each other, for we are The Salvation Army, Te Ope Whakaora, The Army that Brings Life.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you across the territory who continue to serve God and serve others faithfully in so many ways. No matter where you serve or what your contribution is, you are equally and vitally important and greatly appreciated—thank you.

While we are separated from our family, friends and normal routines, we are reminded in Romans 8:38–39, ‘I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Colonel Gerry Walker Chief Secretary

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 WarCry 19

Prayer

at the

Coal Face Local and global events are stark reminders to us that all is not right with this world. What God created and declared to be good at the beginning of time is noticeably ‘not good’ in this twenty-first century.

BY COLONEL HEATHER RODWELL

History reveals many repeats of similar situations that we are currently facing.

We are aware of a world in desperate crisis and may feel even our best efforts are futile to defeat what is threatening our survival. It is tempting to sit nonchalantly by or distract ourselves with things because we’re okay, but these responses fly in the face of who we are called to be as God’s people.

It can be overwhelming—even paralysing—to take on board the desperate needs of places like Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia and South Sudan, each 20 WarCry 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

country frequently featured in our news bulletins yet just as quickly slipped into the margins when newer stories occur. To be honest, they fall quickly off my radar. Last month we were alerted to the desperate plight of the people of Afghanistan when once again the Taliban occupied the capital city of Kabul, threatening the futures of women and children in particular. Some of us gathered in clusters online to pray; and many of us ‘liked’ the posts that called us to prayer, but how effective do we feel in this space?

Worldwide issues This edition of War Cry draws our attention again to issues of modern slavery and human trafficking—an area of mission The Salvation Army actively works in worldwide. This aligns completely with our mission.

But let’s be honest, for many of us this feels like something disconnected and remote because we have little personal

experience of what this means. How will we make an authentic prayer response to what we read in the resources provided?

When the stats tell us that over 82 million people are currently displaced in this world—that means separated from their homeland with no possibility

THE ACT OF SIMPLY SITTING IN SILENCE EXTENDING OUR OPEN HANDS IN PRAYER IS THE PRAYER GOD RECEIVES AND UNDERSTANDS.

of return—and the prophets of climate change add their burden on us, and we’re wondering what sort of world our children and grandchildren will inherit, how can prayer be effective and powerful within these areas of concern?

And none of us needs reminding of the pandemic that’s continuing to interrupt our lives, with no intention of going away anytime soon.

Prayer changes things At times such as this, we’re helped by reaffirming our belief that prayer can change things. Twentieth century author and speaker Elisabeth Elliot reminds us: ‘Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between his will and its accomplishment on earth.

Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer.’ Read that again slowly and let it sink in. Her belief and encouragement to us is that in prayer we lay hold of God’s plan and God’s will and we become instrumental in seeing this fulfilled.

Corrie ten Boom’s remarkable story of survival within Ravensbrück concentration camp in World War II provides us with another example of prevailing faith in the face of extreme circumstances. These are her words: ‘The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God’s realm where everything is possible. He specialises in the impossible. Nothing is too great for his almighty power.

Nothing is too small for his love.’

Maybe your prayer doesn’t feel that powerful, however, the power of prayer doesn’t rest on the one praying, but the one receiving it. Romans 8:26–27 reminds us: ‘ ...the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.’

One with the heart of God We can be sure that when we come before God lifting our genuine burden for matters too great to comprehend that he hears our sighs and sees our tears as expressions of our deepest longings. The act of simply sitting in silence extending

AS WE PRAY, WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS ONE WHO TRANSCENDS OUR COMMON LIFE AND YET IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH IT. our open hands in prayer is the prayer God receives and understands. The gift we have given the world in these moments—whether they be minutes or hours—is the acknowledgement that we are one with the heart of God for his kingdom to come, when all things will be according to his will. We are changed in the offering of this prayer, as inadequate as we may feel in the offering.

because of the many accounts of God’s action through his people when they stood their ground and waited for him to act.

When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray, Jesus gave a pattern of prayer which we usually call The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4). As we pray, we are acknowledging there is one who transcends our common life and yet is actively engaged with it. We call him ‘Father in heaven’, and we revere who he is as we say ‘hallowed be your name’.

And immediately we deep dive into the boldest of requests: ‘your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’. Isn’t that the crux of our desire as we look around the world as depicted in our news bulletins? Everything within us screams: ‘This is not right. There’s another design; there’s a higher purpose; there’s a promised hope.’

In the concluding affirmations of his first epistle, John stresses this to his readers: ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us’ (1 John 5:14). No matter how overwhelmingly impossible our prayers may seem, God hears.

Psalms provides us with a whole hymnbook of prayers that are raw and real which we can adopt as our own.

And coming together in prayer with others multiplies the effectiveness of each prayer.

Sometimes the hardest prayer is the one that is left unsaid, becoming instead of a burden we carry with us, the voice inside our head telling us this is impossible, too late,

Courageous prayer

too large, too much for you

It takes courage to pray this way; unwilling to remain on the sidelines and simply lament the state of things or turn away from them, we choose to take our place on the battlefield.

Lord God to do anything.

When Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Corinth he reminded them and also us: ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). This is fighting talk! And there’s training involved in praying in the heat of the battle. The Word of God becomes a resource to us

of your love and power.

Forgive our lack of faith, our too small understanding Grant us courage to unwrap those silent, hidden prayers and place them in your hands, where all things are possible.

John Birch faithandworship.com

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 WarCry 21

PRAY Cambridge Corps, Candidates Department, Central

Division, Central Taranaki Corps, The Salvation Army in South America East Territory.

Leaders: Have you filled out the survey yet?

Go to

children.salvationarmy.org.nz/leaders/ your-voice-matters-survey-2021 or

firezone.co.nz

400–600 words with one or two captioned photos.

Promotion to Glory tributes are approx 300 words. Email reports and large, high-quality jpeg images to: warcry@ salvationarmy.org.nz

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A five-day camp focused on developing teamwork, leadership and confidence.

information about The Salvation Army The Salvation Army to contact me prayer for the following needs:

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Send to: warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141

Quiz Answers: 1 Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, 2 Skull (head), 3 1215, 4 Eton, 5 Cain (Genesis 4:2).

22 WarCry 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

Find two identical umbrellas

What is a pig’s favourite colour?

‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’

Mahogany

Isaiah 1:18b

Magenta | Tangerine | Porcelain Rose | Crimson | Emerald | Ochre Midnight | Cerulean

A B

C D

E

H F

G

I

What coloured socks do bears wear?

They don't wear socks, they have bear feet.

Match the colour swatches with their name

, us ll a es nd fJ en a ”; do s ev oo she him eri ed hp rc hic ,w ld go .’ d

as he is in the light, we the light, have alk in in.’ fello w e wsh if w from all s t ip w u B s ‘ u e c h l o t 7 u h d t i ith s s , : w ” g a e 1 n n i i d f m “ i o e n c one v r e s i h u r y p o eye w k, he urn because of him.” So shall it b an o 1 J Son, o i L l oth o e l “ ! s m ‘ A s l e 7 m l eh en.’ hi er, n 1: rth “wi ve n o g r e p n i e u h i n m t o e t i n a e h an t s t a , s o

o e s a e f l e y n v o dt m e s , i e g a r l o p u r n y o o e i and ho v nt ve c may result he nour r faith— a Re oples h h

e w o — s bl o h e e s r e y fi en J f gr e p h T wh esu eat 7 ‘ ed b : 1 e s o n r Ch r w fi pi ris or ete re e t is th 1 P ough rev tha th n ea le

There are a lot of colours in the Bible— especially in one of its earliest chapters.

In the story about Noah, God places a rainbow in the sky as his promise to never again flood the beautiful, colourful earth he created.

But colours can represent all sorts of other things in the Bible.

RED is the colour of blood, symbolising both our sins and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save us.

AMBER is like the rising sun, which represents God’s glory and light shining out of the darkness.

YELLOW is the colour of joy and praise.

GREEN symbolises growth and new life, like the way we are made new in Christ, because it is the colour of plants and nature.

The Bible in Colour

Based on the text, we have filled out this rainbow with some verses to represent the colours mentioned. Can you fill in which wedge these last four verses belong in?

John 19:2 ‘The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe’ Exodus 24:10 (ESV) ‘And they saw the God of Israel.

There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness.’

1 Timothy 6:15 ‘… which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords ...’

Psalm 1:3 ‘That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.’

BLUE is the colour of the sky, which represents the peace and presence of the Holy Spirit.

PURPLE, in biblical times, signified royalty, like Jesus the king of Kings.

WHITE symbolises God’s holiness, with the power to wipe our sins away and allow us to step into the light.

THINK ABOUT...

What colours can you remember from stories in the Bible?

18 SEPTEMBER 2021 WarCry 23