Self Denial

April 30.17  Self-Denial

My apologies for the delay in posting this. I began it almost a month ago.  I've been a little busy the past two weeks with the greatest joy of my heart - my family. :) Loving every moment of having time at home with two precious little ones - and with the big ones too.  I am now back in Kenya and wanted to share this blog.  

Being part of The Salvation Army all my life, the annual Self Denial Appeal (or more recently known in Canada as Partners in Mission) has been very familiar.   Every year, various fund raising efforts help us contribute some of our monetary riches to the International Salvation Army to help support countries of the world where people struggle to meet their basic human needs. When I attended ICO (International College for Officers) in 2005, I learned that Territories around the SA world are divided between ‘Grant Aided’ and ‘Financially Independent’ Territories. The annual appeal provides opportunity for people in the FIT areas to support their brothers and sisters in the GAT areas. I also discovered that Salvationists in the GAT also do their own fund raising and support other areas of the world who need help.

This year I find myself living and serving in Kenya, a Territory that is aided by grants from International Headquarters in order to survive.  True to what I learned at ICO, I have now seen how people here who live with so little also give out of their ‘riches’ to help others.  On April 23, representatives from all 26 Divisions and Districts gathered for the annual Territorial Self Denial Sunday. Over 2000 Salvationists were present and engaged in a vibrant worship service. Here you see a group dancing with their timbrels in a spirit of thanksgiving and also the Territorial Songsters swaying to the beat of their music - voices only.

Morris was privileged to preach the Word that day.  He focused on how we need to expand our understanding of ‘self-denial’ to mean more than just giving money. As Christians, we are called to take the example of Jesus who denied himself by laying down his life in full surrender for the salvation of others. 

During the second half of the meeting, each Division and District presented their offerings, representing fund raising from their area.  In keeping with the very competitive spirit here, prizes were awarded to each area that ‘gave the most’. It was fun to watch how excited they were to receive their trophies. But even more exciting was to hear that every year the Territory always exceeds the giving from the previous year and this year was no exception. The amount raised in 2017 was over 21 million Kenyan shillings (equivalent to more than $210,000 US dollars). This was an increase of over 2 million shillings from the year before.

I was struck on this day to see for myself the Biblical lesson found in the story of the widow who gave her mite (Luke 21). I see first-hand the conditions that people live in here. I see those who live without what most North American's consider basics of every day life like access to electricity. I see those who have no indoor plumbing or running water, those who cook on open fires every day, those who struggle to pay school fees so their children can have an education and those who just don't have these funds.  I see every officer in the Territory needing to rely on extra income from planting fields of crops or raising chickens or goats or having milking cows to supplement their small salary in order to care for their family. I know there are many officers here who do not get their allowances because the corps in which they are serving cannot afford to pay them. And yet, from these real life situations, they give to others. And they give with cheerful hearts.

I’m glad this is no longer a theory that I learned at ICO.