International news briefs - 22 December
International news briefs - 22 December
Some of the 300 gifts donated for The Salvation Army's 'Angel Tree' campaign in Buzău, Romania, are loaded ready for delivery.
Angel Tree campaign runs in Romania
In Romania, a division of the Eastern Europe Territory, the six Salvation Army corps have been busy in their communities making sure those in need have something special for Christmas. In the town of Buzău, 100km north-east of the capital, Bucharest, corps officer Lieutenant Emil Ghenea, with his soldiers and volunteers, have collected 300 gifts as part of the national ‘Angel Tree’ campaign.
Major Ionut Sandu, Romania Divisonal Commander, sings a Christmas greeting with volunteers at a Red Kettles collection point in the capital, Bucharest.
Through this campaign, individuals, businesses and other organisations can purchase a gift for a specific child, or ‘angel’ in need. Tags with the child’s first name, age and gender are hung on Christmas trees where the Salvos also run their ‘Red Kettle’ Christmas collections.
One local kindergarten donated 100 gifts. “Our thanks to the teachers and parents who put their time and resources into making this possible,” said Emil. “We also got the chance to tell the real story of Christmas and whose birth we are celebrating.”
Emil also thanked the people of Buzău “who have proven once again that your hearts are full of giving – although we are living difficult times you all have a love for those in need.”
Watch the Romanian Christmas greeting here
Ukraine helps shine light in the darkness
The Scouts from Dnipro Corps, Ukraine, make candles to keep their light shining in the darkness.
“Even in the darkness and cold, there is a place for light,” said the corps leaders in Dnipro, Ukraine, Dmytro and Natalia Rak.
The Dnipro Corps Scouts, whose numbers have been growing since the Russian invasion in February, recently made candles, played and talked while it was daylight, despite having no access to electricity and heat.
“When we have a lot of problems, worries, doubts or fears, remember that we have hope in God who is the Light in the darkness,” said the Raks.
Dnipro Corps also run cooking groups, English classes, youth meetings, exercise sessions and worship services.
Salvos in Poland bring Christmas joy to refugees
A young Ukrainian refugee boy in Poland hangs his wish for Christmas on The Salvation Army's 'Angel Tree'.
The Salvation Army in Poland also runs the ‘Angel Tree’ campaign to help collect Christmas gifts for children in need.
This year, many Ukrainian children who are refugees with their caregivers in Poland will receive a donated gift. Captain Oleg Samoilenko, a Ukrainian officer serving in Warsaw, Poland’s capital, told of one little boy who hung his Christmas wish on one of the trees – to be with his daddy (who is in Ukraine) and for a toy car.
“I am happy that we can make at least one of his wishes come true,” said Oleg. “I hope his main wish comes true too, and very soon he will hug his father after 10 long months of separation.”
As well as gifts for children in need, the Salvos in Poland are also running the ‘Red Kettle’ Christmas collection. The managers of the shopping centre near the Warsaw Corps allowed the Salvos to collect there, but only if they collected food and clothing as well as money.
“This is better for us and, although most people don’t recognise The Salvation Army yet,” Oleg said, “a really huge number are seeing us and we are more and more a part of this society, not just sitting in the corps.”
IHQ shares Christmas music from around the world
Officers and soldiers in Sri Lanka sing Major Freeda Fernando's song, The Stars are Twinkling.
Prior to Christmas, the International Headquarters of The Salvation Army (IHQ) in London has been sharing on its Facebook page music from different corps and centres around the world.
This has included a recording of Joyful, All Ye Nations Rise! at last year’s Christmas with The Salvation Army concert in Toronto, Canada; the song The Stars Are Twinkling by Major Freeda Fernando, sung by officers and soldiers in Sri Lanka; a recording of Nativity Swing from the Nairobi, Kenya, Central Temple Youth Band; a video from the Hong Kong and Macau Command sharing the joy of children from low-income families who received gifts funded by command’s Christmas Appeal; and a rendition of the traditional carol Joy to the World from the Wellington, New Zealand, Citadel Band.
Athens Corps hosts Christmas party for children
The Athens Corps, Greece, hosted a Christmas party for children early this week.
The Athens Corps in Greece recently held a Christmas party for children in need at the corps.
A fun-filled afternoon with games, singing and dancing, the Christmas story and hot-dogs ended with a visit from Santa. Each child received a gift, lovingly chosen and wrapped by staff from the British Embassy in Athens
"We are thankful for our donors who made this possible and allowed us to share the message of Christmas in this way," the team at the corps said.
The Salvation Army in Greece recently celebrated 15 years of operation in the country. There are two expressions of the Salvos in Greece – in Athens and Thessaloniki.
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