The Salvation Army around the world

Here are some snippets of news from The Salvation Army in Togo, the Middle East and Japan:

Togo:

FOLLOWING consultation with the International Management Council (IMC), General Shaw Clifton has approved the official commencement of Salvation Army work in Togo, effective 1 April 2011. Togo – officially the Togolese Republic – is a country in west Africa, bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. The fledgling work in Togo has been developing under supervision of the Ghana Territory and will continue to do so. With this new opening The Salvation Army is now at work officially in 124 countries.Many messages reached International Headquarters between 1999 and 2005, both from residents of the country and Togolese people living in the USA and Canada, asking that Army work be commenced in Togo. In March 2007 the Ghana Territory despatched a fact-finding team to Togo, which was greeted with great enthusiasm by established churches and community leaders alike. It was discovered that Salvation Army meetings were already being held and converts were being made. Seven societies have been opened during the past year, 230 seekers have been registered and 14 indigenous soldiers have been enrolled. Work among children and young people is also developing well. Captains Hervé Michel and Naty Dorcas Ahouyanganga, of the Congo (Brazzaville) Territory, have been appointed to give leadership to this new work as of 1 April 2011.

Middle East:

There are also developments concerning Salvation Army work in the Middle East. The Salvation Army was officially established in Kuwait in 2008 and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2010. The Army received excellent support and cooperation from St Andrew's Church in Dubai in the early days of exploration leading to the start of its work in Kuwait.Three centres now operate – Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (both in the UAE) and Kuwait. In recent days regular Army meetings have also been taking place in Bahrain and Oman, though these activities remain on an informal basis for the time being and are not yet officially established as Salvation Army activity.In view of the development that has taken place in the region in the past three years, and the obvious potential for further growth, the General has approved the proposal that the work in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates shall be known, for Salvation Army purposes, as the Middle East Region as from 1 April 2011 (reporting directly to International Headquarters). Should the activities in Oman, Bahrain or other countries in that area move to official recognition, they will be included in the Middle East Region.Majors Mike and Teresa Hawley, officers of the USA Southern Territory, will be the regional leaders – Major Mike Hawley serving as Regional Officer.

Japan:

THE Salvation Army's earthquake response in Japan is continuing its work despite difficulties caused by snow and the lack of fuel. A team that was set to head from Tokyo to the tsunami-hit north of the country had to delay its journey because of snow but has now made its way to Sendai, where a distribution will take place tomorrow morning (Saturday).The three teams that carried out distributions in Sendai, Koriyama, Shirakawa, Fukushima and Mito City on Wednesday 16 March returned to The Salvation Army's Japan Territorial Headquarters in Tokyo to report on what they had seen and decide what should be done next. International Emergency Services worker Major Raelton Gibbs reports: 'The work that has been done is commendable – from feeding programmes out of Salvation Army halls to the distribution of blankets, water bottles, bread and nappies (diapers).'He says that Tokyo continues to feel aftershocks and admits that 'no matter how many you experience they are all a little daunting'.The Salvation Army distribution teams are well aware of the concerns surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and are staying clear of the exclusion zones.Major Gibbs says he has been impressed by the response put together by The Salvation Army's Japan Territory. The fuel and weather problems mean that people have had to be flexible. He tells of one group that tried to get to Sendai but was unable to make it all the way and so met the needs of some smaller communities around Koriyama on the way back to Tokyo.The focus is understandably on the immediate response but Major Gibbs says that longer-term plans are being put in place, such as the provision of cooking equipment when people return to their communities. As it often does in emergency responses, The Salvation Army will pay particular attention to communities that have been missed by the government and other agencies.