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All four territories represented at conference
by The Salvation Army booth in the exhibit hall.
The Army at Urbana
All four territories represented at conference
Roughly 150 Salvationists from The Salvation Army’s four U.S. territories—48 from the West alone—traveled to St. Louis as Urbana 09 delegates.
The conference came at a perfect time for Shanon Hawkesworth, Sacramento Citadel (Calif.) soldier. On January 18, Hawkesworth will begin 15 months of mission service with The Salvation Army in Kenya.
“This is the fourth Urbana I’ve attended, but this year my mind is uniquely geared toward actually leaving for missions,” she said. “I have always wanted to serve overseas, and Urbana has helped me focus and prepare for my upcoming departure.”
Connecting
The Salvation Army joined with roughly 300 missions organizations and agencies in a “Global Connexions” exhibit hall to provide resources, information and opportunities for cross-cultural or urban mission service. At the Army booth, each territory, overseas child sponsorship, and the Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) were represented.
“I believe our presence here has helped many people, including Salvationists, realize that The Salvation Army is involved in critical issues in the world,” said Bram Bailey, SAWSO program coordinator. “We are helping people understand how they can be involved and make contacts for future service.”
A family meeting
Urbana Salvationist delegates joined for a “kindred session” hosted at the St. Louis Temple Corps by Lieutenants Leotis and Latania Brooks and Envoys Steven and Ketsia Diaz.
“It was great to have Salvationists from every territory here,” Lt. Latania Brooks said. “We are all different and come from different areas, but we can learn from each other when we get together.”
Following a time of worship, led by Transmission from the Southern Territory, representatives of each territory presented missions from their experience including interviews with soon to be officers and current missionaries.
Lindsey Bailey, of the Central Territory, grew up in Chile. Via Skype, she interviewed her parents, Colonels F. Bradford and Heidi Bailey, current Chief Secretaries in South America West, about taking a family to the mission field.
Michael Moore, of the Western Territory, interviewed Cadet Maureen Lawliss, who served as a missionary in Tanzania for seven years before meeting The Salvation Army. She will be commissioned in June 2010 and plans to return to Tanzania.
Each delegate was given a Sally Ann scarf made in Bangladesh or a paper beaded necklace made in Kenya before departing.
“We are all here with the same united purpose,” said Sarah Kincaid, overseas sponsorship coordinator in the Central Territory. “Urbana has a feeling of unity with other believers; we are experiencing the body of Christ.”