Lt. Yves Bolduc
The Sally Ann Chronicle
You saw them, maybe you greeted them or maybe you ignored them, but I am pretty sure you met with our heroes… The heroes of Marvel and of this world wear capes, ours wear aprons! I saw this funny but so true post on Facebook. The Salvation Army volunteers wear aprons or smocks and are our true heroes for giving hope today!
At the end of His ministry on Earth, Jesus gave His disciples (us) this parable in Matthew 25:31-46 where He says: “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
The Salvation Army received from God a vision and a particular mission more than 150 years ago, when social services in the East London society, and mostly anywhere else around the world did not exist yet. This vision and mission: to care for the unfortunates and anyone in need in Jesus’ name, with the compassion and the same love Jesus showed in His ministry on Earth. A humble pastor, named William Booth and his wife Catherine, decided to leave their conventional church denomination to reach and to offer practical help to the poor and unfortunates as well as preaching the Gospel to them, in Jesus name. The Christian Mission was started in 1865 to become what will be worldly known later as “The Salvation Army” in 1878, and is now present in over 130 countries.
Their ministry started to bear fruit as drunkards, homeless, broken people started to be transformed by the message of the Gospel and started to get involved to give forward to those in need. Most of them started as volunteers and through their service, most found their calling and became soldiers, even officers of The Salvation Army, and some missionaries to spread this ministry to the world.
My story is a bit similar to them. I was a pastor in a great denomination, when life broke me out. I was still a Christian and believer, but with a broken life. I then prayed to God, if He still wanted me to serve Him? And then a thought crossed my mind, if other denominations did not need me anymore, maybe I could serve Christ in a street ministry? And the only denomination I knew doing that was The Salvation Army. Then I started to volunteer in a street ministry in Montreal. Then it led my wife and I to attend Salvation Army church, and then become Salvation Army officers to serve Christ in the ministry since then…
And you, - would you like to serve as volunteer with The Salvation Army?
Wetaskiwin Salvation Army’s Lt. Yves Bolduc writes The Sally Ann Chronicle for The Pipestone Flyer every month.