A heart for those in need
For the past three years, The Salvation Army in Miranda has run The Big 50, a 50 kilometre community walk (with an option of 25km) around the shire to raise money for Salvation Army’s Joytown Children’s home in Thika, Kenya. It’s about our heart and passion for the kids at Joytown, says Miranda Salvation Army officer, Brad McIver.
Menai Salvation Army also has a heart for helping others. Last year a group from Menai Salvos travelled to Taveuni in Fiji on a two-week mission trip to support the local Salvation Army there.
Menai and Taveuni have partnered as sister corps (Salvation Army churches) since 2012. Upon the team’s arrival they were warmly welcomed by Captains Toto and Seva Wawa, the leaders of Taveuni Corps.
Over the fortnight they were in Fiji, the team made evangelical home visits to community members, shovelled sand for a new concrete driveway and ran youth, church, Sunday school and children’s events.
"The activity that impacted me the most was the evangelical visits," said team member, Sian McIntosh. "We entered the houses of so many different people – Christian, non-Christian, Muslim, Hindu, those struck by disease or illness, birth deformities and just plain hard-working poor.
"Some hosts were more welcoming than others, some were familiar to the Fijians that accompanied us and some were not. Amazingly, we did not get turned away by anyone; apparently it is a common occurrence to not be allowed in.
"I was fascinated at how open the community was, whether of Christian faith or not, to hearing about Jesus. We just knew God’s presence was in each home with every person we visited."
The team also enjoyed the opportunity to experience some recreational activities – some of them on the extreme side – and do some sightseeing.
"We were taken to a natural rock waterslide, swam near a blowhole and went on a four-hour hike up a mountain to a volcanic lake- a wet, marshy, painful journey we won’t forget anytime soon," said Sian.
One of the more prominent aspects of the team's trip was being able to spend time with Captains Toto and Seva and be inspired by their amazing ministry.
"Meeting such a warm, hospitable and godly couple is a rare, humbling opportunity," said Sian. "From the beginning of our trip they treated us as their own children. I have been inspired by the way that they purposefully choose to run their home – a comfortable family atmosphere that is so undeniably God-centred and driven by love."