GLOBALLINK
Officers and Salvationists praying over the foundation of the new corps building.
BUILDING A CHURCH COMMUNITY IN MONKEY BAY
Churchservicesareanintegral part ofaperson’sspiritual growth,and yourcorpsbuildingservesasa meetingplacetoconnectwithpeers,joinin fellowshipandpraiseGod Formorethan sevenyears,SalvationistsinMonkeyBay, Malawi,didn’thaveacorpsbuilding,but thatdidn’tstopthemfrommeetingevery SundayandglorifyingGod
Manykilometresawayinwestern Canada,TheSalvationArmy’sForestLawn MissioninCalgarywasgettingreadyto closetheirbuilding.Decidingtousetheir saved reservesforaworthycause,they fundedapermanentcorpsbuildingforthe deservingcongregationinMonkeyBay.
WorkingtogetherwiththeCanadaand BermudaTerritory’sworldmissions
By Kathy Nguyen
departmentandtheMalawiTerritory,the MonkeyBayCorpsofficiallyopenedits doorsonJuly15,2018.
Thiscorpscontinuestobeacornerstone forSalvationistsandworshipersinMalawi, withmorethan100peoplecontinuingto meetregularly.
Butthisstorydidn’tendthere!Thespirit ofsupportandtogethernesscontinuedas CollingwoodCommunityChurch,Ont., generouslycovered thecostforanofficers’ quarters—livingaccommodationsforthe corpsofficersandtheirfamily—inMonkey Bay
TheseCanadiancorpscametogether andembodiedthemissionofTheSalvation Army–withtheirselflessgivingand
generositytheytrulyshowedwhatitmeanstosharetheloveofJesus Christ.Thank youtoForestLawnMissionandCollingwoodCommunity Churchforspreadingthegospelandenrichingthedevotedcongregation inMonkeyBay
To donate to ministry resources for vulnerable communities overseas, visit salvationarmy.ca/giftsofhope
OF POVERTY IN TANZANIA
Afewyearsago,asTheSalvation
Army’sOntarioprovincial campingdirector,Iwasexploringathemeforthesummercamping programwhenoneoftheteammemberspickeduponaphraseIhadatthe endofmyemails:“Together,wecan!” Whatagreatthemetoinstilinthelives ofcampersandstaff.Sincethattime,I haveusedthistaglineinvariouswaysas itspeakstotheimportanceofteambuildingandcollaboration—andthat together,wecanaccomplishsomuch more.
Now,asthedirectorofworldmissions,Iseethemanywaysstaff,volunteers,beneficiaries,communityleaders andsupportersfromaroundtheworld cometogethertoworktowardsacommongoalofendingglobalpoverty.
Thestoriesinthiseditionof Global Link haveacommonthreadwoven betweenthem—togetherness.Youwill learnhowsomeCanadiancongregationscametogethertobuildacorpsin Malawiandreadaboutawomanfrom Bangladeshwhoneededalifeline Take timetodiscoverthestoriesofaman fromTanzaniawhowassponsoredata youngage,ateacherfromKenyawhois leadingherblindandvisuallyimpaired studentstosingingsuccess,anda daycareinCostaRica thatissupporting vulnerablefamilies.
HenryFordoncesaid: “Coming together is a beginning Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ” Wehopeyouareinspiredtoseethe differenceitmakeswhenweallcome together.
Together,wecan!
Sincerely,
Lt-ColonelBrendaMurray
Director
By Kathy Nguyen
Whenyouthink of“togetherness,”yourthoughtsmayturntoyourfamily, friendsandcommunity Whetherit’shearingafriend’slaughter,followinga teacher’sguidanceorfeelingthesimpletouchofamother,it trulydoestakeavillagetoraiseachild
JamesBongoAugustinowasraised onafarm inTarime,Tanzania,where,atayoungage,he wasmauledbyafarmanimalandleftparaplegic.
Indevelopingcountries,childrenwith disabilities areoftenshunnedfromsocietyand loseeducationalandemploymentopportunities. Determinedthatthiswouldnothappentoherson, James’mothercarriedhimtoandfromschoolevery day
Oneday,whilereceivingtreatment,Jamesmet MwalimuSendoro,theformerheadteacheratThe SalvationArmyMatumainiSchool,Tanzania’s largestboardingschoolforchildrenwithdisabilities andalbinism.Jamesexpressedinterestinbecoming astudentandMwalimuacceptedhimonthespot.
AtMatumaini,whichwhentranslated into Englishmeans“hope,”Jamesreceived quality education,rehabilitationandspecializedcare.
“Our teachersinsisted thatifwehavedisciplineandrespectfortheLord,wewould be successful,”Jamessays.“Therefore,Istudiedhard andwasdisciplined—weloved oneanotheratMatumaini.”
Today,Jamesisworkingforthegovernmentasanaccountant.Heishappilymarried withsixchildrenandwithhissupporteachhasearnedaprofessionalcertification,degree ordiploma.
Jameswasabletobreak thecycleofpovertythanks tohisresilience,hismother’s unwaveringsupport,theassistanceofhisteachersandpeersatMatumaini,andthe generosityofsponsors—likeyou!
BRINGING HOPE TO AT-RISK FAMILIES IN COSTA RICA
By Emily Chinnery
TheSalvationArmyworldmissionsdepartmentadoptsaholistic
andintentionalapproachforeverystrategy,projectandprogram implementedaroundtheworld.WhenSalvationistscame togethertoaddresslocal issuessuchasyouthcrime,malnutritionand severepoverty,theSalvationArmydaycarecentrewasborn.Asaresult, greatthingsarehappeninginSantaCruz,CostaRica.
Thisdaycarecentreismakingareal differenceinthelivesofat-risk children.Here,theyparticipateinworthwhileeducationalandrecreationalactivities,andreceivespiritual guidanceandnutritiousmeals. Thiscentrealsoprovidespeaceofmindfortheirparents–theyareable toworkextra hours,studyandlookforemployment,knowingtheir childrenareinasafespace,awayfrompotential harmordangerous influences.
Karolisasinglemotherbattlingleukemia.Whilebalancingwork, medical appointmentsandimmediatehealthissues,shedesperately neededcareforhertwochildren.
“Thiscentrewelcomeduswithopenarmswhenweneededitmost,” saysKarol “It’sasecondhomeformychildren,andgivesusallloveand hope.”
Theparentshavefoundthisprogramextremelyhelpful inrelieving theirstressandstrengtheningtheirfamilies.Byworkingwithboth parentsandchildren,theseat-riskfamilieshaveareal chancetoraise themselvesoutofpovertyandcreateastableandsecurefuture They wouldliketoextendathank youtothesponsorswhohavebeeninstrumental inrelievingpressuresandtransforminglives.
SEWING A NEW FUTURE
CBy Kathy Nguyen
hildhoodshould beatimeofinnocence,butformany children,poverty,lackofeducationandfractured families forcethemtogrowupfartooquickly
SuchwasthecaseforLucky,ayounggirlfromDhaka,Bangladesh, whofacedableak futurewhenshewassoldintotheworldofhuman traffickingandsubjectedtoexploitation.Butthanks toherdeterminationandtheassistanceofTheSalvationArmyCounsellingand DevelopmentCentre,Luckywasabletochangethecourseofherlife andmakesurehertwochildrenwouldnotsufferasshedid
TheSalvationArmyCounsellingandDevelopmentCentreallows vulnerablewomentoenrolinatwo-yearvocationaltrainingandadult literacyprogramtohelpthemearnameaningful living.
AfriendinformedLuckyofthisspecial program,andshewasable toenrolandlearnvaluableskills,suchasreading,writingandsewing.
“IcannottellyouwhereIwould bewithoutthisprogram,”Lucky says.“ThisisthebestthingIhaveeverbeengiven.”
Productscreated byLucky,andmanyotherwomenjustlikeher,are soldthroughTheSalvationArmy’sOthers—TradeforHopeinitiative, whichensuresfaircompensationtoallworkers.Proceedsfromthesale oftheproductsareused tofundthecentre’songoingprograms.
Together,thesewomenarecreatingproductsthatrepresent freedom,dignityandhope.Andthanks tothegenerosityofourdonors whohelpfundtheinternationalworkofTheSalvationArmy,programssuchasthisarepossible
To learn more about the Others—Trade for Hope initiative, visit: salvationist.ca/women-s-ministries/others-trade-for-hope
THE POWER OF ONE
By Major Donna Barthau
Oneactofgenerositycanchangeaperson’slife,andsometimesthatoneperson canstartarippleeffectthatchangesanentirecommunity ForElizabethNgare, hersponsorsgaveherthatopportunity.
Fast-forwardto2020,andthatvulnerablegirlisnowtheheadmistressatTheSalvation ArmyLikoniSchoolfortheBlind.Notonlyissheinchargeoftheschool,butshealso leadsthechoir
Childmarriageisalong-standingtraditioninKenya,andeventhoughayoung Elizabethwasstillinprimaryschool,thesearchforherhusbandwould soonbegin. Her fatherknewhedidn’twantthisfutureforher,andtheonlywayhecould redirectthispath wasifElizabethwasinschool That’swhenhesoughtsupportfromalocal SalvationArmy school,whereshewould soonbecomepartofthechildren’ssponsorshipprogram. Throughthegenerosityofsponsors,Elizabeth’sschoolfees, uniformsandbookswerepaid for “Iused tolooktoHimandsay,‘God,Ihavethistalent,’”Elizabethsays.“Oneday,I need toteachthesechildrenhowtosing.”
Andthat’sexactlywhatshedid UnderElizabeth’sleadership,theschoolchoirhas received manyaccolades,includingwinningnationalcompetitionsandsingingforthe presidentofKenya.Infact,hewassoimpressed bytheirskill andenthusiasmthathe purchased abusfortheschool,allowingthemtoattendmusicfestivalsandothereducationalopportunities.
Elizabeth’sstoryisoneoftriumphandashiningexampleofhowthegenerosityof sponsorscaninspirehopeandbringchangearoundtheworld
