God Provides!

Lieutenants Bethel Reflect on Their First Two Months

The following is a special feature from our Hartford North End Corps Officers, Lieutenants Allison and Damon Bethel. Although it seems like both officers just arrived, as you will read, they have already done many great things and plan to continue Doing The Most Good year-round!

If we had to sum up our first two months of officership in one sentence, it would be: "God provides!" We arrived at the Hartford North End Corps fresh out of The Salvation Army College for Officer Training, not knowing what to expect or what we would encounter. Although we have faced some challenges throughout our first two months, every time a challenge arises and we think, "We don’t know how this is going to work out," we pray about it, and the Lord provides.

Challenge #1: Children’s Summer Programming

Our first day in the office was Wednesday, June 25. On that day, we discovered that for the first time in many years, the North End Corps was not planning to offer a summer day camp. We thought to ourselves, “What are we going to do for the kids during the summer?” The Lord immediately answered that question in two amazing ways.

Later that same day, a gentleman came by to visit us from The Hartford Project. At the conclusion of our meeting, The Hartford Project would be supplying teams of teenage and young-adult volunteers to lead two weeks of Vacation Bible School, starting the following Monday. We canvassed the neighborhood and prayed. We also passed out flyers to parents and every child that came into our building.

On the first day of Vacation Bible School, we only had three children attend, but the volunteers showed those children an immense amount of love and attention. We trusted that the Lord was going to work everything out. By the end of the second week, we had 45 children attending Vacation Bible School, who each heard the word of God come to life in an exciting way.

On our second day in the office, we met a Soldier, Michael Harris, who is one of the many faithful volunteers at the Hartford North End Corps. "Coach Mike" described the Sports Fellowship program to us. He was passionate about teaching children skills that impact every part of their lives. Even though Sports Fellowship was on a one-month break, he offered to still continue meeting with the kids on Saturday, teaching them drills and holding scrimmages.

As a result, in just two days, we went from having little for our children to having two weeks of Vacation Bible School and basketball clinics every Saturday leading up to the return of our Sports Fellowship program.

Challenge #2: Funding

As we continued to settle in at the Corps, we discovered that the North End has a wonderful team of soldiers and community volunteers, who are willing to work hard to improve their community. On August 2, we had our official Sports Fellowship kick-off. Forty-five kids registered to participate in our year-long sports league, as players or cheerleaders. Sports Fellowship is a holistic program, designed to impact every aspect of a child’s life – physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual.

One of our requirements is that participants attend children’s church before we begin games on Saturday. This is a 20-minute time where we have fun singing and breaking down the Word of God. Our motto is, "No praise, no play." Children are also encouraged to attend Sunday school and worship services on Sunday and can even earn additional points for their team by doing so.

As we were planning for Sports Fellowship, the question surfaced, "How are we going to fund Sports Fellowship?" Again, the Lord provided an answer almost immediately. Generous donors went on to provide gifts to purchase new basketball and cheerleader uniforms and supplies, as well as assist in our computer lab renovation project.

In the fall, we will be starting an afterschool homework club available to all Sports Fellowship participants. We will be checking report cards and offering tutoring to children who are struggling academically. Additionally, we will be starting various character-building programs created by The Salvation Army, including Boys’ Adventure Corps, Sunbeams, and Girl Guards.

Challenge #3: Back-to-School

With 45 children signed up for Sports Fellowship and the start of another school year fast approaching, we wondered how we could help parents prepare for school. We had nothing set in stone and found ourselves asking, "How can we get school supplies and backpacks so late in the summer?" We prayed about it, and once again the Lord provided.

We spoke with our congregation; they agreed to donate backpacks and school supplies. The next day, a woman walked into our office, offering to partner with us in throwing a Back-to-School Celebration. We had planned to distribute backpacks to our Sports Fellowship participants and to as many other children as donations would allow. We did not expect that 500 people, parents and children, would walk through our doors on the day of our Back-to-School Celebration! Everyone enjoyed hotdogs from the grill, crafts, face painting, a visit from some of their favorite cartoon characters, and photos inside a fire truck. In total, we were able to distribute approximately 150 backpacks full of school supplies and provide many more with an unforgettable and fun day.

The unsung heroes of the Back-to-School Celebration were once again the great volunteers. The Sports Fellowship volunteers and parents, members of the congregation, and other volunteers from the community all contributed to make the day a wonderful success!

In conclusion, the first two months at the Hartford North End Corps have been an adventure, but we have had wonderful traveling companions in the generous soldiers and volunteers from this community. All along the way, the Lord has been guiding us and providing for every need, and for this we are truly blessed and look forward to continuing to serve in his name.