By Linda Manhardt, Major Close to 200 children from the five outreaches of the Training College in the Philippines attend our meetings, so we decided to have a special “Children’s Festival” and bring the children to the college for a time of games, entertainment, Bible stories, snacks and a chance to perform a special number for [...]
By Victor Leslie, Lt. Colonel There is something hypnotic about the undulating lines of the land. Our plane descends over the undisturbed, sleepy mountains and we arrive, mid-afternoon, in what is left of downtown Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. I watch the wind play with the coconut trees and tease the leaves of the lush vegetation. [...]
By Lawrence Shiroma, Major Clearly, the answer to the question of why Jesus had to die involves self-sacrifice, not self-preservation. In John 15:13, Jesus says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (ASV). Nowhere can we find better examples of this theology of self-sacrifice in [...]
By Erin Wikle, Soldier I just returned from our corps’ weekly prayer meeting. It started at 7:30 p.m., but I left at 9 p.m. to “swap out” with my husband as our children slept peacefully in our still home. Back at the corps, things were getting stirred up. Tonight, we focused prayer for those within our [...]
By Kelly Pontsler, Major “My poor brain cells just can’t absorb one more thing!” That was my thought today as I walked out of the office to head home. After a day spent in conversation and problem solving, peering over multiple piles of papers strewn across the desk, I actually laughed to myself wondering if [...]
Linda Manhardt, Major They came in vanloads and waited patiently in our cramped dining room for the others to arrive. On the first Monday in January, the Training College hosted its first ever Golden Agers Christmas Party. These senior citizens were survivors. They had survived the great flood when typhoon Ondoy leveled their homes and [...]
By Victor Leslie,Lt. Colonel I have been thinking about transitions—the process, after a change, where we pass from one state or stage to another. Believe me, transitions occur every moment of our day, both personally and professionally. A few moments ago, I typed the word “transition” into two Internet search engines and was amazed—in fewer [...]
By Lawrence Shiroma, Major The Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). The creation of new social service corps is one of the visions of our territorial commander: It would be ideal to see every social program spin off a corps of some description. Can you imagine every hostel, [...]
Victor Leslie, Lt. Colonel Christmas is definitely a season for joy, peace and hope. Yet for many, Christmas loses its significance against the general despair, fear and stresses of the world that haunts our hearts as we navigate life’s journey. Now, more than ever, the world seems out of control and life seems joyless. It [...]
By Kelly Pontsler, Major Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes (to borrow a thought from the songwriters), how do you measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in cups of coffee? In inches, in miles, in sports seasons? In meetings attended, in days of operation, in toys distributed? Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred [...]
