2 Global Link
Vol. 1 No. 2
2014 Spotlight on
Liberia &
Sierra Leone
A personal message from World
Missions Director
Major Gillian Brown
In this newsletter we take the opportunity
to highlight the response of the World
Missions office to two different natural
disasters.
This month marks the fourth anniversary
since the earthquake in Haiti.
Shared in this issue
are stories of our
achievements four
years later.
The typhoon in the
Philippines is the
most recent
international disaster.
February also marks the start of the Self
Denial/ Partners in Mission campaign in
the Salvation Army calendar.
This fundraising campaign provides the
necessary funds to ensure that the
Salvation Army maintains a presence in
countries around the world. The
difference this makes has been seen in
many ways – most notably highlighted in
this issue of our newsletter in the ability
of the Salvation Army to respond when
disaster strikes. The campaign also
provides us with an opportunity to
highlight our partner countries and share
their stories.
May these stories and those of support for
children through our sponsorship program
and providing dignity and hope to families
and communities through the Gifts of
Hope campaign warm your hearts these
winter days.
Major Gillian Brown
Visit www.saworldmissions.ca for videos
and resources available.
Also, follow us on Twitter
@saworldmissions for daily resources and
up to date news on all of our projects.
A view from here: A personal story from
Major Anne Venables
Months after my return from Africa, there are many images that continue to
come to my mind.
The countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone have
endured years of civil war and evidence of the conflict
is everywhere. Abandoned buildings, riddled with
bullet holes remain, ten years after the war ended.
And everyone we met had a story about how the war
affected them. Many lost homes, friends or family
members and their lives were changed forever. And
yet in the midst of the poverty and destruction, there is
a beautiful spirit of hope!
One memory which stands out came at the Kakata
School. The classrooms were full of eager children,
neatly dressed in their grey and white uniforms and I was impressed by their
attention to their teachers. Outside the buildings, sitting on some nearby
steps was a little boy – about 5 or 6 years old. Chris just sat there quietly,
watching us and watching one of the local women prepare milk for the
students. This little boy walked an hour to school each morning because
he really wants to go to school, but his family cannot afford to pay the small
fee that the school requires. Chris is one of hundreds of children who long
to attend school. The Partners in Mission campaign is an opportunity for
you and I to hear the stories and challenges of our Partner Territories and
to consider ways in which we can help Chris and all the thousands like him
in countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone. The Sponsorship program and
community projects our territory supports are two opportunities we have to
make a difference. There’s a saying in Liberia “A problem shared is a problem
easily solved.” How true that is when it comes to Partners in Mission!
A partnership implies involvement and commitment from both parties. Our
end of the partnership is clear – we are rich in material resources. What role
do our partner territories play in this relationship? The answer became
abundantly clear to me during my visit – they can teach us so much about
living by faith. They live the words of Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to live
on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment
in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want;
for I can do everything God asks me to with the h elp of Christ who gives me
the strength and power” (The Living Bible). We can learn from the faith and
trust of Salvationists in our partner territories. We can learn from the simple
lifestyle that relies more on community and family,
and less on possessions. We can learn to be joyful
in all circumstances. Our partner territories live by
faith, that they will receive the support they need
to accomplish their mission - and our gifts, through
Partners in Mission, help them to do just that.
- Major Anne Venables
The full story can be found in the February issue of the
Salvationist magazine.