Faith & Friends September 2019

Volunteer Gives Back

MEETING NEEDS P.8

Helping Schoolkids

FOOD FOR THOUGHT P.10

Go Ahead

SMILE! P.26

Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

faithandfriends.ca

SEPTEMBER 2019

Come From Away

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SMASH BROADWAY MUSICAL. P.16

Comfort Food

There’s nothing like a freshly made loaf of bread right out of the oven. The savoury aroma makes the mouth water.

But Jesus knew that only a relationship with God can satisfy the deeper hunger of our souls.

The good news is that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life in heaven. He offers an end to spiritual hunger, and nourishment to sustain us for eternity.

“ I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty. … Whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. …

Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”—John 6:35-51

To learn more about Jesus, the Bread of Life, visit our website at www.faithandfriends.ca or contact us at: The Salvation Army Editorial Department, 2 Overlea Blvd., Toronto ON M4H 1P4

September 2019

VOLUME 22 NUMBER 9

GOD IN MY LIFE 5 The Right Answer

Sometimes, words are not enough.

COMMON GROUND 8 Meeting Needs

Pam Antoine was helped by The Salvation Army. Now, she gives back.

SOMEONE CARES 10 Food for Thought

5

An Army lunch program improves attendance and academic performance.

FEATURES

12

COVER STORY

16 22

Cover photo: Matthew Murphy

12

Hope After Idai

The Salvation Army is meeting needs in Malawi.

Come From Away

Behind the scenes of the smash Broadway musical.

Making the Grade

Block party puts the “community” in Sydney Community Church.

LAUGHING MATTERS 26 Go Ahead. Smile!

Sometimes it takes a child to remind us.

LITE STUFF 28 Eating Healthy With Erin

Sudoku, Quick Quiz, Word Search.

NIFTY THRIFTY 31 Transform Your Dorm

Liven up your new living space with these thrifted items.

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Faith&Friends

FROM THE EDITOR

Transforming Communities

A

s part of The Salvation Army’s communications team, Joel Johnson has travelled and photographed the world on assignment, but he has always felt at home in the remotest parts of Africa.

“In particular, I’ve worked a significant amount of time in Malawi with the Army’s world missions team,” he says. “I have built friendships with people there.”

So when cyclone Idai made landfall there this past March, the news left Joel wondering about his friends in the aftermath of the storm.

“How can a catastrophe such as Idai, on the other side of the world, have such a profound effect on me,” he asks, “while others see it only as a passing event and take no notice?”

The answer, of course, is the Christian sensibility he brings to his job. “I’ve met amazing and resilient people around the world,” he says, “and they’ve shared with me their hopes, dreams and accomplishments. They are similar to so many people I know here in Canada, which shows how similar our humanity is.”

Joel’s story and his accompanying photos are on page 12. In it, he shows how The Salvation Army is making a difference through dedicated people like Ibrahim Thawani, an Army project manager in Malawi.

“I’ve always considered myself fortunate to have the opportunity to travel and photograph,” concludes Joel, “and to meet people such as Ibrahim, who transform communities to give hope today.”

Ken Ramstead

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Mission Statement To show Christ at work in the lives of real people, and to provide spiritual resources for those who are new to the Christian faith.

Faith & Friends is published monthly by: The Salvation Army 2 Overlea Blvd, Toronto Ontario, M4H 1P4 International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4P 4EP, England William and Catherine Booth FOUNDERS

Brian Peddle, GENERAL Commissioner Susan McMillan TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Lt-Colonel John P. Murray SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Geoff Moulton, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Ramstead, EDITOR

Brandon Laird SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Hannah Saley DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Pamela Richardson, COPY EDITOR, PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR

Ada Leung CIRCULATION CO-ORDINATOR

Kristin Ostensen STAFF WRITER, PROOFREADER

Giselle Randall STAFF WRITER Scripture Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from New International Version Contact Us P. (416) 467-3188, F. (416) 422-6217 Websites faithandfriends.ca, salvationist.ca, salvationarmy.ca Email faithandfriends@can.salvationarmy.org Subscription for one year: Canada $17 (includes GST/HST); U.S. $22; foreign $24 P. (416) 422-6119 circulation@can.salvationarmy.org All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada & Bermuda and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064794 ISSN 1702-0131

Faith&Friends

GOD IN MY LIFE

The Right Answer What do you say to someone whose loved one is dying of cancer?

Sometimes, words are not enough.

Photo: © AlexD75 via Gettyimages

by Jeanette Levellie

A

s I folded bulletins in my office at the church where I work as the administrative assistant, I glimpsed my friend, Liz, headed up the walkway, her

salt-and-pepper curls covered by a magenta tam. I sighed. Not again, Lord. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Please give me answers for all her questions.

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GOD IN MY LIFE

Helping to Cope Two years before, Liz and I had met on an unclouded June day. A lunchtime walk in the neighbourhood near the store I managed brought me to a lovely old church. I stopped to admire the flowerbeds brimming with colour. A pretty 60ish woman smiled up at me from the petunias she was weeding.

“You keep this garden lovely,” I said. Walk forgotten, I stood and chatted with Liz for 15 minutes about our mutual love of gardening.

A friendship was born.

I later came to work for that same church. Liz and I had many fun chats on the days she stopped by the church to make copies, talk to the pastor or meet with the student she tutored. I discovered she and I had more in common than roses and rhododendrons: a love of classical music, pets and fitness.

But when her younger sister, Sue, received a cancer diagnosis, gone were our conversations about her dog and my three cats, helping neighbours mulch their fruit trees and tricks to get a second grader to remember spelling words.

Liz’s only goal now was to save her sister’s life and, knowing I was a person of faith, she peppered me with questions: “Can anyone be healed by faith in Jesus, even if they don’t regularly attend church?” “If I believe my sister will be healed

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and she dies, is it my fault?” “Do you have any books on healing I can borrow?”

I darted through the maze of my thoughts, trying to find words that would help.

“It’s different for every person, Liz.” “God may heal by any number of methods.” “We can’t limit Him to a particular way.” But Liz wanted indisputable answers that would guarantee her sister’s healing— answers I didn’t have.

Eight months after her diagnosis, Sue passed away, and two weeks after she died, Liz’s tests for cancer came back positive. What could I possibly say now to help her cope?

I’d already proven I didn’t have the answers she needed.

Friendship The morning Liz interrupted my bulletin-folding, I poured out my heart to God. “I don’t want to brace myself every time I see Liz’s car pull up. Please give me the right words to help her. I feel so inadequate.” My heart was as empty of solutions as the tree limbs outside my window.

Liz walked with heavy steps across my office and slumped in the chair under the window, her eyes clouded with sorrow. “I’m worried that if my faith was not enough to heal my sister, it won’t be enough to keep me from dying.” Liz hugged her oversized handbag.

What could I possibly say now to help her cope? I’d already proven I didn’t have the answers she needed. JEANETTE LEVELLIE Unless you put words in my mouth, Lord, I’ll stay quiet. So when Liz asked questions this time, I simply listened. The longer Liz talked, the softer my heart grew.

Empathy flowed into my soul, replacing the misery I’d felt over my lack of answers. I scooted my chair across the room and took Liz’s hands in mine. “Do you mind if I pray for you?”

“That would be great.” Her eyes sparkled with tears.

Words—gentle, loving, kind— gushed from my heart to my lips, sidestepping my brain. With overflowing eyes I held Liz in a tight embrace. “I love you, Liz. It’s going to be OK.” A few days later, Mary, another friend of Liz’s, came into my office.

“I just want to thank you for helping Liz,” she said. I blinked. Was she

talking about me, the one who’d tried to give Liz advice, with little success?

“I’m not sure I’ve been that much help. I didn’t have many answers for her,” I replied.

“Oh, no, that’s not true. She constantly talks about what an encouragement you’ve been to her.

I thought you’d want to know that you are making a positive difference in her life.”

As Mary left, I looked up and smiled. I get it, Lord. My job is to be present for my friends, and remind them that You’re present, too. You’re the real healer.

I still like to help people. But I don’t feel down on myself anymore if I’m not able to fix their problems or give them all the right answers.

It’s enough for me to listen and love.

That’s the best kind of friendship I can offer.

(left) Author of five books and hundreds of published articles, Jeanette Levellie and her pastor husband make their home in Paris, Illinois.

Jeanette’s hobbies include spoiling her three grandchildren, pampering her cats and inventing new ways to avoid housework. Find her splashes of hope and humour at www.jeanettelevellie.com.

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Faith&Friends

COMMON GROUND

Meeting Needs Pam Antoine was helped by The Salvation Army when she was younger. Now, by volunteering, she happily gives back.

by Caroline Franks

P

am Antoine enjoys volunteering at The Salvation Army Bethany Hope Centre in Ottawa. Every Friday, the 69-year-old works with the Food Share program, which offers cooking classes and encourages families to eat healthy.

When she isn’t there volunteering, she is assisting at the front desk or volunteering during the holiday season at their Christmas Boutique, which gives families the chance to choose some second-hand Christmas decorations to take home.

“I enjoy organizing the boutique because I get to interact with the young families,” says Pam. “I also encourage others to donate there.

“Six months after retiring, I started volunteering with The Salvation Army as a way to give thanks and to give back for the services I received.”

The Defining Moment Pam was born in Trinidad and raised by a single mother who worked in a clothing factory. When Pam was

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11, her mother moved to England to study nursing, to better support the family. During that time, Pam and her two younger siblings were left in the care of an unfit neighbour in Trinidad.

Unfortunately, Pam and her siblings experienced verbal and physical abuse and, after five years, she had to find suitable housing.

But after many difficult housing situations, Pam packed all her belongings and headed to school.

That same day, Pam turned to her teacher for advice and it was suggested that she look into The Salvation Army’s Josephine Shaw House, a women’s hostel in Port of Spain located near her school.

Pam calls this a defining moment.

Help and Hope “I had never heard of the hostel before but just the thought of this possibility gave me hope,” writes Pam in her self-published memoir, My Island Story.

Pam has a fond memory of a Salvation Army pastor named Major Lane who accepted her into Josephine Shaw House despite being younger than the minimum age of residency.

“Josephine House was very nurturing; it gave me stability and a place to call home,” says Pam. “Major Lane even helped me find a babysitting job on the weekends. There were rules to follow at the house, such as a curfew, but this was the way they provided security and it showed someone cared.”

When Pam finished high school, she applied to nursing school in England. “Major Lane helped me apply to the school and guided me through the process,” she says.

Reassurance Pam came to Canada in 1979 and worked as a nurse both in Ontario

and Alberta, where she completed a bachelor’s degree while raising three children. She later moved to Ottawa, where she worked for the next 27 years with an organization that provided in-home health and support services to the community until she retired. Then she started volunteering at The Salvation Army.

“What a joy it is to have Pam as a volunteer at our centre,” says Naomi Praamsma, executive director at Bethany Hope Centre. “Volunteers are a big part of what we do and Pam brings her own personal style and flair to our daily operation. She’s calm, gentle and caring in her interactions with everyone. We are grateful for her dedication.”

“To me, The Salvation Army means reassurance,” says Pam. “They are good people, a supportive organization, quietly meeting needs.”

Hard Worker Volunteering with The Salvation Army is a way to give back for Pam Antoine (opposite page) Healthy Alternatives The Salvation Army’s Food Share program offers cooking classes and encourages families to eat healthy

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Faith&Friends

SOMEONE CARES

Food for Thought In Newfoundland and Labrador, a Salvation Army school lunch program improves attendance and academic performance.

by Linda Leigh

Student Specials Danette Hicks, here with a sample lunch

W

hen Danette Hicks, a housing support worker with The Salvation Army’s community and family services in Gander, N.L., learned that hungry children were falling through the cracks, losing social connections and lagging behind at school, she developed a program to ensure that the problem of absenteeism didn’t continue.

Made With Love In January 2019, Newfoundland and Labrador’s child and youth advocate

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issued a report stating that many children and youth in the region are absent from school for at least 18 days every year. One of the biggest reasons why is that they don’t have food to bring for lunch and are going hungry.

“The Food for Thought bagged lunch program started with one bagged lunch for a local child who missed school for an entire week because the parents couldn’t afford to provide a lunch,” says Danette. “Now, with the support of

“ Our goal is to ensure there are no hungry children in our schools.” DANETTE HICKS volunteers, we prepare and deliver more than 160 lunches to local schools every week.”

“The lunches come in discrete packaging and are student specific,” says Greg Drover, Gander Collegiate’s principal. “The nutritious meal helps them stay focused and we are seeing an improvement in attendance and academic performance.”

Danette asks parents what their children prefer, to make sure the lunch is eaten. Then lunch bags are filled with tailor-made sandwiches, yogurt, a juice box, fruit and snacks

for recess.

“Many families I encounter are struggling financially to meet their basic needs beyond housing,” she says. “For most, after rent and utility expenses are covered, there is very little money left for food.

“Our goal is to ensure there are no hungry children in our schools.

The success of the program is largely due to the fact that the community has embraced it wholeheartedly with significant practical and financial support. We are sincerely grateful.”

Salvation Army Publications Win Big The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory’s magazines and website (Salvationist.ca) came away with 21 awards at the annual Canadian Church Press (CCP) ceremony this spring.

The CCP includes representatives from 47 member publications, including mainline, Catholic and evangelical churches, and the awards are judged by accomplished journalists and academics from the media.

Faith & Friends received five awards for articles published in 2018. Our August piece on heavy metal legend Alice Cooper— designed by Brandon Laird—secured a first place in the Feature Layout and Design category. Kristin Ostensen’s feature in

November on Canadian Celtic music’s power couple Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy won second place for Biographical Profile. June Li secured second for her photo essay, Coffee, Cookies and Christ, also in the October issue. Funnyman Phil Callaway also won second place for Humour for his Two Missiles to Paradise in June, as did Linda Leigh for May’s From Armoury to Sanctuary, in the News Story category.

Our sister magazine, Salvationist, won big, bringing home 14 awards, including firstplace in the General Excellence category; our website Salvationist.ca received two honours.

Check out all of our winning entries online.

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

Hope After Idai IN THE WAKE OF A DEVASTATING CYCLONE, THE SALVATION ARMY IS MEETING NEEDS IN MALAWI.

Photos: Joel Johnson

by Joel Johnson

C

yclone Idai made landfall in the late hours of March 14, 2019. With winds of more than 200 kilometres an hour, it tore inland across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, leaving in its wake damage and loss of life—one of southern Africa’s worst natural disasters.

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Knowledge is Power Flooding from a week of heavy rainfall destroyed much of Malawi’s grain supplies and left many at risk of hunger.

“The Salvation Army in Malawi provided local residents with emergency aid,” says Lt-Colonel Brenda

Gathering Storm (far left) In March 2019, cyclone Idai caused flooding across much of Malawi. The Salvation Army responded by delivering emergency aid to 400 families Flag Bearers (left) Being part of the community day-to-day gives The Salvation Army a greater understanding of unique needs. This holistic approach addresses physical, social and emotional needs and renews hope for a prosperous future

Murray, director of world missions.

“With the support of the Canada and Bermuda Territory, basic staples of maize, beans and cooking oil were delivered to more than 400 families to meet their immediate needs.”

For a country that is heavily dependent on agriculture—and regularly faces food shortages—the emergency aid from The Salvation Army not only provided families with sustenance but also has an ongoing and much further reaching societal impact. Young girls from households that have had their livelihoods affected by disaster are at high risk of childhood marriage.

During periods of crisis, many parents may feel this is the only option

to alleviate the economic hardship they are experiencing.

“The provision of aid is important, but so is building relationships in these communities to better understand the issues they face on a daily basis,” continues Lt-Colonel Brenda.

Seeing is Believing Members of The Salvation Army work diligently to train local farmers in conservation agriculture.

One such person is Ibrahim Thawani, project manager for The Salvation Army Malawi Territory.

To chat with him, one would think he is shy and introverted. But when he stands in front of one of the many crowds of villagers that unite during one of the Army’s visits, an outspoken person emerges, one who loves the people he serves and the work he performs.

Ibrahim is passionate about agriculture and ensuring that people faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2019

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FEATURE

1

2

3

4

1. It Takes a Village Ibrahim Thawani addresses the village of Fumwe to discuss the programs The Salvation Army is providing to their community 2. Passionate Warrior Ibrahim is the project manager for The Salvation Army Malawi Territory—a partner territory with the Canada and Bermuda Territory 3. Two-Wheeled Help A bush ambulance uses available equipment and provides villages a way to transport the sick and injured to hospital 4. Sustenance Clean water from bore holes is part of The Salvation Army’s larger development plan to create sustainable communities in Malawi and around the world

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“ All of these programs strengthen independence, restore dignity and renew hope.” LT-COLONEL BRENDA MURRAY have the ability to sustain themselves. But there are many people in the country who face hunger all year round, and it is difficult for them to trust that the techniques he teaches will work. So he commences with building a demonstration plot and involves the local farmers in the process whereby they grow their own food. When villagers see the success of this garden, in comparison with traditional methods used elsewhere, they are quick to follow his lead.

“Their lives will change,” Ibrahim says. “I see them grow, from the position I found them in, to one that is much better off.”

Moving Forward It pleases Ibrahim that he makes a difference in the hard-to-reach and lesser-served communities in Malawi. Not only do Salvation Army

programs teach sustainable agricultural methods, they take a holistic approach that addresses physical, social and emotional needs. They also provide communities with clean drinking water through the construction of bore holes, bush ambulances that help the sick and injured get to hospital from far distances, and mother-and-child health programs that provide education.

“All of these programs strengthen independence, restore dignity and renew hope,” says Lt-Colonel Brenda.

With The Salvation Army’s world missions team providing support and working hand-in-hand with partner territories such as Malawi, at-risk populations around the world are in a better position to recover and move forward with hope for a prosperous tomorrow.

(left) Joel Johnson is part of The Salvation Army's communications team at territorial headquarters in Toronto. For the past several years, he has photographed for The Salvation Army in various parts of the world, but always feels at home in the remotest parts of Africa. faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2019

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Come From Aw WITH THE HELP OF THE SALVATION ARMY, A SMALL CANADIAN TOWN OPENED ITS HOMES AND HEARTS TO STRANDED AIRLINE PASSENGERS. A BROADWAY MUSICAL, NOW IN TORONTO, TELLS THEIR STORY.

by Philip Halcrow

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way

16,000 Memories The cast of Come From Away

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Faith&Friends

COVER STORY

Photos: Matthew Murphy

Reporting Live Steffi DiDomenicantonio plays a TV reporter in the show, whose first day on the job is 9/11

ALMOST EVERYONE OF A certain age can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on the morning of 9/11.

The writers of the musical Come From Away—wife and husband Irene Sankoff and David Hein—can certainly recall the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

“We were living in New York City, where Irene was studying for her master’s degree and I was working in a recording studio,” says David.

“We turned on the TV in time to see the second plane going into the towers,” remembers Irene.

“People responded in different ways,” says David, “but the response I remember most in the days afterward was kindness.”

“Over the years,” Irene reflects, “I 18 • SEPTEMBER 2019 I faithandfriends.ca

think we forgot about that experience, in which people cared for each other whatever their backgrounds.

But when we heard about what happened in Gander, N.L., there was something familiar about it.”

Telling Tales After American airspace was closed on September 11, dozens of planes were diverted to the Gander airport.

At first, the passengers had to stay on the aircraft. But when they were allowed off—virtually doubling the population of the small town—the Newfoundlanders took them in until the planes were allowed back in the air days later.

“When we started researching the story,” David says, “we found out that there was going to be a commemo-

“ Everyone had so many stories, and every story was better than the last.

We couldn’t wait to tell them.” DAVID HEIN ration ceremony in Gander on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and that all these ‘come from aways’ (Newfoundland slang for those not born there) would be returning to reunite with the friends they had made, which itself spoke volumes about how important it was for these people.”

The couple journeyed to Gander, interviewing the people who had been there 10 years earlier and collecting their stories.

“Everyone had so many stories, and every story was better than the last,” says David. “We couldn’t wait to tell them.”

Curtain Call Lt-Colonels Alf and Ethel Richardson, here with Dwight Ball, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, enjoy a performance of Come From Away in Toronto. “We were honoured to also attend a reception hosted by the U.S. ambassador to Canada where we met Irene Sankoff and David Hein, members of the cast and the show’s producers”

Passages to Safety They told the stories by developing Come From Away, which has become a Broadway hit and is now playing at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto.

“Irene and I joke sometimes that there were about 7,000 people on the planes and about 9,000 people in the town, so we returned with 16,000 stories that we wanted to tell in a 100-minute musical with 12 actors,” says David.

“We amalgamated characters and storylines to keep it concise, but every detail came from a true story.”

So, for instance, there are true stories behind the episode in which some of the stranded passengers are fearful about being bussed to a Salvation Army camp. They don’t understand where they are going or what is happening and can’t speak English. But their fears are allayed when one of the townspeople, spotting a Bible being carried by passengers, works out that if he points them to Philippians 4:6, they will be able to read in their own language the passage: “Be anxious for nothing.”

Meeting Goals “That actually happened,” Lt-Colonel Alf Richardson confirms.

In 2001, he was in charge of The Salvation Army’s work in the area. On September 11, he learned of the terfaithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2019

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COVER STORY

Storytellers Irene Sankoff and David Hein spent a month in Gander, N.L., collecting the stories of the people who had been there 10 years earlier

rorist attacks while sitting with other Salvation Army staff in a restaurant.

“From that moment, we went into high gear.”

The Salvation Army worked alongside Gander Mayor Claude Elliott—who worshipped at an Army church—and other individuals and groups to help people with a host of needs.

“The next afternoon,” says Lt-Colonel Alf, "I received an urgent request informing me that 3,000 meals were required by 6 p.m. for the passengers who had begun to disembark.

I went on local television and made an appeal for whatever people could provide—stews, casseroles, whatever.

“We more than met our goal.”

Meeting Needs The Salvation Army also met other needs.

“Along with many other groups, 20 • SEPTEMBER 2019 I faithandfriends.ca

we also provided new clothing, as the people had not been able to take any of their belongings from the planes,” Lt-Colonel Alf says. “A number of passengers stayed in private houses— people just opened their doors. The Salvation Army opened up five facilities: four of them were our church buildings and one was the camp.”

As well as the need for food and clothing, the stranded passengers had to make sense of their situation.

“None of the passengers knew what had happened until they got off the planes,” Lt-Colonel Alf says. “We ensured that there were counsellors available at every site to help with people’s emotional needs.”

In noting the actions of various sections of the community, Come From Away references the help given

by The Salvation Army.

“We’ve seen the emergency committee notes,” says David. “There are

29 pages of what happened every single minute of those five days, and The Salvation Army is mentioned time and time again. The notes repeatedly say, ‘we have such-and-such a crisis’ and then, ‘The Salvation Army will take care of it.’ ” No Questions Asked Irene is impressed by the way the whole town responded to the unexpected arrivals from all kinds of backgrounds at a time of insecurity.

“Gander didn’t need to let these people off the planes at all,” she says.

“No one would have questioned if

they would have left the people on the planes or kept everyone sequestered at the airport.”

“But the people in Gander did not hesitate,” adds David. “A number of people have said that what happened at the time restored their faith in humanity.”

Not that the people who were in Gander see that what they did was something special.

“It’s the way the people of Gander and Newfoundland were raised,” says Irene. “You don’t ask questions, you just do what you were meant to do.”

Reprinted from The War Cry (England) March 9, 2019

Telling Her Tale Eliza-Jane Scott plays airline captain Beverley Bass in Come From Away

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Faith&Friends

FEATURE

Photos: Jacqueline Adams

Making the Gr

BLOCK PARTY PUTS THE “COMMUNITY” IN SYDNEY COMMUNITY CHURCH.

by Corey Vincent

O

n Cape Breton Island, N.S., Grading Day is a great big deal. Unique to the region, it takes place on the last day of school in June and everyone in Cape Breton celebrates. Parents give their children vacations, bikes and other 22 • SEPTEMBER 2019 I faithandfriends.ca

gifts, and businesses celebrate by having huge sales.

Not everyone can afford to celebrate, however. Child poverty levels are so high in our region that many kids do not have the luxury of a new bike or a family vacation. As

rade

(left) Major Corey Vincent gives a child a free bike at the block party (below) The bright rainbows painted on Ava Vincent’s face perfectly match her Salvation Army T-shirt

(left) More than 1,000 people attend the block party, held in the parking lot of Sydney Community Church

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FEATURE

These block party volunteers are all smiles.

Every volunteer received a free T-shirt that said “I ♥ My Church”

Children take home prizes from the block party.

“We gave away three bikes, two scooters, 12 large prizes and hundreds of novelty prizes,” says Major Corey.

“Every child left with something”

Children meet a friendly tortoise at the reptile zoo

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We wanted to show Cape Breton that we are a true community church.

MAJOR COREY VINCENT

Sally Ann, The Salvation Army’s mascot, makes a new friend at Sydney Community Church’s Grading Day block party

the pastor of The Salvation Army’s Sydney Community Church, N.S., I wanted to make sure that every family would have a great Grading Day. So our church decided to throw a free Grading Day community block party and bring the celebration to our neighbourhood.

When we started to plan this event, we never guessed that it would be as successful as it was. We prepared for 500 people, but more than 1,000 showed up. We had bouncy castles, a magician, a reptile zoo, carnival games, balloon animals, face painting, free food, a candy buffet, bike giveaways and many prizes.

Putting on such an event was a

major undertaking, but we trusted that God would provide everything we needed to make it happen. All it took was a few phone calls and some letters to our community partners, and in no time we had significant donations coming in to support the event.

By hosting this Grading Day party, we wanted to celebrate our children’s accomplishments and their hard work throughout the school year. But more than that, we wanted to show Cape Breton that we are a true community church: we love our church, our church loves Jesus, and through Him, we love our community beyond measure.

(left) Major Corey Vincent is the pastor at Sydney Community Church, N.S. faithandfriends.ca I SEPTEMBER 2019

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Faith&Friends

LAUGHING MATTERS

The Family That Smiles Together ...

Grandma and Grandpa Callaway (aka Ramona and Phil) with their grandchildren.

Claira is on Phil’s knee, second from right, and Eowyn is the fourth child from the right

Go Ahead. Smile!

Sometimes it takes a child to remind us.

by Phil Callaway

T

here may be seven wonders of the world. But for a child, there are millions. We were in a mall and my granddaughter, Eowyn, couldn’t get over how many people there were. Her parents are teaching her to be polite, so she had to say “hi” to everyone. And “bye,” too.

“Hi, hi, hi! Bye, bye, bye!” People were laughing.

She pointed up at a completely bald mannequin and said, “Bumpa.”

That’s her name for me. I saw no resemblance at all.

Lights, Camera, Smile When another granddaughter, Claira, was only eight months old, her parents took her for her passport

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photo. Now, when I was a kid you didn’t need this. We barely had birth certificates. No one had ID. Sometimes I wonder if my siblings are my siblings at all.

But if a baby is going to travel far these days, she needs a passport.

When Claira arrived, the photographer realized immediately that this girl would be a problem. She didn’t scream. She wasn’t throwing tantrums. It was worse.

She wouldn’t stop smiling.

Now the thing about passport photos is this: You are not allowed to smile. It’s serious business.

So the photographer snapped pictures and Claira wouldn’t stop smiling. She smiled at the photogra-

Claira didn’t scream. She wasn’t throwing tantrums. It was worse.

She wouldn’t stop smiling. PHIL CALLAWAY pher. At her parents. At a lampshade.

She wouldn’t stop.

The photos kept coming out far too nicely. The girl was incorrigible.

“Stop smiling, Claira.”

An eight-month-old doesn’t understand such commands. She smiled at the carpet, the lights, the camera. It was a catastrophe.

Finally the photographer picked the least smiley photo and—wonder of wonders—the passport office accepted it.

When Claira got on that airplane, I’m sure she was smiling.

Timely Reminder When I heard this, I laughed. Sometimes it takes a child to remind us to go ahead and smile.

The world around us tends to steal those smiles. There’s stress.

Bad news. Deadlines. Aches and emotional pains. Bills, ills, wills and not enough thrills.

Then a little child comes along and says, “Why so serious?” And she smiles. Claira agrees with the late comedian Phyllis Diller: “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

I’m sure there are a dozen reasons to cry today, but there are many more reasons to rejoice, to laugh, to

let go with a contagious grin. Here are just a few: • You’re a child of God. • You’ve been forgiven.

• God loves you.

• He will never leave you.

• Eternity is waiting.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much that … He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead” (New Living Translation). We are eternally alive through Christ who loves us.

Claira doesn’t talk yet, but she says a lot. One smile from her and it’s like she’s talking straight from Numbers 6:24-26: “Hey Bumpa! ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favour and give you His peace.’ ” Don’t stop, little girl. In a world that drains our joy, you go ahead and smile. That smile reminds me how quickly the years fly by. Life is short, so I need to be a fast forgiver and a big smiler. Thanks for the reminder, Claira.

And if you’re all grown up like me, and you’ve forgotten where your smile is, don’t worry. It’s right underneath your nose.

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Faith&Friends

LITE STUFF

Eating Healthy With Erin PAN-FRIED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL TIME 20 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH mixed greens and Italian vinaigrette

4 boneless chicken breasts (4 oz. each) Pinch of salt and pepper 2 eggs 60 ml (¼ cup) milk 125 ml (½ cup) all-purpose flour 375 ml (1½ cups) dry breadcrumbs 15 ml (1 tbsp) paprika 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried basil Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut each chicken breast in half and flatten until 3 mm (1/8 in.) thick.

2. Season chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper on each breast.

3. Whisk eggs with milk.

4 Lightly coat chicken breast with flour.

5. Mix breadcrumbs with herbs.

6. Dip each piece of chicken in egg mixture and coat in the breadcrumbs.

7. Heat pan on the stovetop over medium heat and cook chicken 3 minutes each side.

SWEET HERB VINAIGRETTE GREENS TIME 5 min MAKES 4 servings SERVE WITH chicken schnitzel

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1. Wash and pat dry lettuce.

2. Whisk all other ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Mix together.

Recipe photos: Erin Stanley

1,250 ml (5 cups) lettuce 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil 30 ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar 5 ml (1 tsp) mustard 5 ml (1 tsp) honey 5 ml (1 tsp) dried oregano 10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice 0.5 ml (1/8 tsp) paprika Salt and pepper to taste

Mouse in the House

EEK! P.5

Army Helps Mom

BABY SILAS P.14

Making a Difference

THE RIPPLE EFFECT P.22

Faith&Friends I N S P I R AT I O N F O R L I V I N G

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Sudoku Puzzle

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 × 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

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QUICK QUIZ 1. How long did the Hundred Years’ War last?

2. What is zoophobia the fear of?

3. Who wrote Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?

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© www.kevinfrank.net

HEAVEN’S LOVE THRIFT SHOP by Kevin Frank

Answers on next page.

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LITE STUFF

Word Search Beautiful Bermuda

W P T N O T L I M A H C R I C K E T S A L O S P E M B R O K E O D N Q S Y R A A U D E E C O R A L R E E F M D I C G C R O T R D S B Q S V E F I N S I O S I I O T T E T U C O S F T A H N M I M P S W R S O R I N O Q H S I A B B B W O M N H T M O S C H S N P T E I V O U R T O R N H H K M O O W O Y H D D N N T E T Q O I S D G R R B D P I X E T F B N T Q R Z T N K E C A A W M B D W A U I U E F E I E C R N H N A P H O Y H S H B P G M L K A C R Y S T A L C A V E S A A M L S S E G R O E G T S K I J R N P I I S V R T W A R W I C K Y D A X U W N O T P M A H T U O S B E A C H E S G N I F L O G C E L G N A I R T K O V C S F N G D N A L S I R K C D M H ASTWOOD PARK BEACHES BERMUDIANA BOTANICAL BUTTONWOOD CORAL REEF CRICKET CRYSTAL CAVES DEVONSHIRE DOCKYARD FRONT STREET GARDENS GOLFING

GOMBEY DANCER GOVERNMENT HOUSE HAMILTON HIBISCUS HORSESHOE BAY ISLAND KNEE SOCKS PAGET PARISH PEMBROKE SANDYS SHIPWRECKS

SHORTS SMITH’S SNORKELLING SOUTHAMPTON ST. GEORGE’S SUBTROPICAL SUNSHINE SWIMMING TOURISM TRIANGLE WARWICK

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Quick Quiz Answers: 1. 116 years (1337-1453); 2. animals; 3. Jules Verne.

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Faith&Friends

NIFTY THRIFTY

Transform Your Dorm Liven up your new living space with these thrifted items.

Starting or returning to university this fall? Dorms can be drab, but these few pieces will give your room style without busting your budget. All of these items were found at the Salvation Army thrift store.

Trash can. A dorm room essential.

Look for one that’s sturdy and wellbuilt (e.g., metal, not plastic).

Clock. If you want to be on time, a clock is key. Search for a small desk clock or a larger wall clock if space permits.

Lamp. A small desk lamp is great for those late-night study sessions. Find a unique one that won’t take up too much room.

Mirror. A mirror will make a small space seem larger. Ideally, get a mirror you can hang on the wall.

Basket. A great way to organize your toiletries. Find a small one that can easily fit everything while not taking up too much space.

(left) Tijana Popovic is the frugalista behind A Plentiful Life, a lifestyle blog that shows readers how to live their best life on a budget.

She is also a creative expert for The Salvation Army’s thrift stores. Find a thrift store near you at thriftstore.ca.

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