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First I’ll Fight Day draws youth out to serve.
On December 6, 2008I’ll Fight Day Salvation Army youth from across the world engaged in servant evangelism in their communities.
The goal was to gather friends and surprise people with God’s love to further William Booth’s mission: “Show them the very essence of religion is love; the love that shows itself in benevolent effort for the salvation of others.”
Major Ivan Wild, Western Territorial youth secretary, said he has received multiple reports from around the territory of young people experiencing fun and a blessing while serving the people around them.
“What made this day a success was not that it was anything new, but that the young people got excited because they were participating with the greater Salvation Army on one day,” Wild said. “It was simple, it was grass roots and when people come together being ‘like minded,’ great things are going to happen.”
Visit the website, www.illfightday.com, to read about the practical ways people in the Western Territory and beyond displayed the love of Christ in their community.
Doug Williams from the Santa Ana (Calif.) Temple said, “Following an all night prayer service, a small group of our young adults hit the streets handing out free doughnuts and water to the local church community, workers, and the homeless serving around 200 people total.”
Watch the Santa Ana Temple’s video from I’ll Fight Day on YouTube (youtube.com/watch?v=2EUv6Aoqni8).
In Glendale, Ariz., James Combs and friends split into teams in downtown during a festival to pass out candy canes and issues of the War Cry.
Douglas Hammitt, with others, handed out water to people in Oak Park in Sacramento, Calif.
In Tuscon, Ariz., Marissa Brooks and Salvationists from the Tucson Amphi Corps provided free gift-wrapping and pictures with Santa at the Arizona Academy of Beauty in a Target shopping center.
“We may never know the amount of fruit that will be produced by the seeds planted by these fine young people on I’ll Fight Day,” Wild said. “These young people were living the Scripture 1 Peter 2:12Live such good lives among the pagans that they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”