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Civil unrest in Fiji—General Shaw Clifton and Commissioner Helen Clifton cancelled plans to visit Fiji for commissioning meetings after a travel advisory warned of the growing threat of a military coup.
The commissioning and ordination of eight Heralds of the Good News cadets has been postponed, with the eventual date depending on how the situation unfolds.
Kaivata, a tri-territorial youth conference planned for January, will be postponed until January 2008. Over 1,000 delegates from New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Australia and as far away as Canada and the U.S. had registered.
The last issue of New Frontier reported on civil uprisings in Tonga; please pray for this part of the world—that peace will emerge from political unrest.
EUROPEAN DELEGATES MEET IN NARVA, ESTONIA—Earlier this autumn, 50 delegates from all over Europe gathered at a conference center near Narva, Estonia, to learn how corps and social programs can be linked in an integrated mission in their local communities. Western officers, Captains Daniel and Anya Henderson, Narva corps officers, served as hosts for the event.
On the first day of the conference, the delegates visited 11 different homes in the community. These home visits were a catalyst for the conference as well as a ministry to those visited. Throughout the conference, delegates shared their experiences with integrated mission in their communities. They affirmed some common principles and the importance of building relationships among people of diverse cultures.
Captain Daniel Henderson reports: “The…conference required a lot of preparation and endurance on our part. However, it turned out to be a great success and resulted in great blessing for the corps.” Henderson adds, “We pray that the enthusiasm and hope generated by this event in the Finland and Estonia Territory will make us all more effective in reaching out to new people.”
Devastating hailstorms in Argentina—In November, Salvation Army emergency relief teams assisted with repairs to homes damaged by severe hailstorms in Rosario, Argentina. The storms left five people dead, hundreds injured and others homeless. Some victims were buried when roofs gave way under the weight of hailstones the size of tennis balls. Essential services, including power, communications and transportation, were interrupted.
The Army is helping families repair roofs and replace damaged mattresses and beds. International Headquarters advanced US$10,000; donations may be made for the Latin America Disaster Fund online at www.salvationarmy.org.
