Self Denial Appeal to bring message of hope
Gem Gray features her song, Hope is rising in week six of The Salvation Army's Self Denial DVD series. (Photo by The Salvation Army video team)
The Self Denial Appeal’s ability to change lives is what motivated Ryde Corps Salvationist, Gem Gray to write a song for the 2014 appeal.
“I have been away [overseas] and I’ve seen what can be done and what needs to be done and that there’s so many places that need hope. So the first verse [of the song] talks about turning tears to joy, changing situations from a simple idea of hope. It tells people you can do something to change the situation,” she says.
Gem’s song, Hope is rising will feature in corps and centres throughout Australia and the South Pacific from Sunday, 23 February, as part of this year’s Self Denial Appeal DVD series.
The appeal is an opportunity for Salvationists and friends to support The Salvation Army’s work in countries that struggle to raise funds for ministry.
The DVD series will be shown over a period of six weeks in the Australia Eastern, Australia Southern and New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga territories.
Accompanied by Gem’s song, Hope is rising, the first week introduces the Self Denial theme, “Planting seeds of hope” that continues throughout the entire series.
The second week follows the story of Enesia Bandi, a woman from Tabora in Tanzania, who was left in poverty after her husband passed away. The Salvation Army assisted Enesia with her financial dilemmas through their micro-finance program. This program provides loans and teaches women, from similar situations to Enesia, sound financial principals for life. Enesia no longer lives a life of poverty.
Farmer, Wang Zhong and his family from the Yunnan Province in China are featured in the third week of the DVD series. Wang shares how he struggled to provide for his family because he spent a majority of his work days cutting wood to fuel their energy resources. This left minimal time for his farming duties, the source of his income. Through The Salvation Army’s sustainable bio-gas program, Wang has more time to complete his farming duties and essentially offer his family a better life.
At The Salvation Army’s Harry Williams Hospital in Cochabamba, Bolivia, we meet Miriam in week four. Miriam has worked at this hospital for 20 years. She has watched the hospital grow from a basic facility to one of most important health care facilities in their city. Due to the funds donated to the Self Denial Appeal, the hospital is now self-sufficient and no longer needs the appeal’s support.
Week five follows the story of Alomin, a blind 11-year-old from Jessore in Bangladesh. Due to his medical condition, Alomin was labelled an outcast by his community which prevented him from attending school. This all changed when Alomin was offered a place at The Salvation Army’s school for the hearing impaired in Bangladesh.
The last week features a montage of video sequences from the previous five weeks while accompanied to Gem’s song.
The appeal will conclude with an altar service and an opportunity to give financially on Sunday, 30 March. The goal is to raise $2 million for the appeal.
"Thank you for your support. We look at these stories and see what our funds from Self Denial can do – change people’s lives," says Steve Burfield, former Campaigns Manager.
A separate Self Denial Appeal video series has been made for children featuring the Agents of T.R.U.T.H. Each child will receive a workbook and moneybox and are encouraged to give at the altar service.
To donate and view the Self Denial Appeal videos online, visit www.selfdenial.info
This article first appeared in the February edition of Pipeline.
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