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The War Cry | NOVEMBER 2015
I
n 2006 I was a hopeless, helpless
cocaine addict. I had lost
everything, including my beautiful
family, and landed in federal prison
for 97 months. At a hearing to revoke my
bond, because I could not stop using drugs,
the judge sent me to The Salvation Army's
Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center
(ARC) in Detroit. I thought I was entering a 30-
day rehab, but it turned out to be a six-month
program. If I failed, I would be arrested.
I met Envoy Merle Miller early in the
morning as he served breakfast at the ARC. He
seemed to really believe in God. He carried
himself in a Christlike manner, and he was filled
with positive energy. I found myself tuning in to
what he would speak about. He seemed to
know how I felt. How was that possible? He did
not judge me. He made me feel welcome. He
taught me how to forgive myself.
ARC clients
have troubles
associated with
lawlessness,
family breakups and heartache after
heartache. Despite these obstacles, Mr.
Miller loves and stands by these people.
The ARC operates 34 thrift stores in the
Detroit metro area. The men under Mr. Miller's
leadership take pride in their work. Every day
is an example of God at work in the lives of
recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.
Each Sunday, after a long week, Mr.
Miller preaches from the heart. He calls our
church "a church in recovery from sin."
I am now a soldier in The Salvation Army.
My wife and I attend our church every
Sunday. I want to thank Mr. Miller for living
God's will. Because he does, I was saved.
-- Todd Halseth
RECOVERY
A Modern-Day Saint
"While the initial focus is on ending
extreme poverty, this will be impossible
without also addressing inequality,
environmental damage, gender inequality
and other key issues affecting the world's
poorest people. Increasingly, we recognize
the importance of all 17 SDGs and the need
to view them as indivisible.
"We can develop, pilot and roll out a faith-
inspired measurement framework so
development practitioners can track and
learn about the changes in the lives of
people," the colonel said during his address.
During the UN General Assembly, UN
Global Education Envoy Dr. Gordon Brown,
former Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom, presented Dr Ban Ki-moon with
10 million signatures for the #UpForSchool
initiative, calling for education to be made
available to all. Almost every Salvation
Army territory and command helped
collect more than 70,000 signatures. More
than 1,000 young people, campaigners,
celebrities and leaders gathered to support
the petition calling for world leaders to
recognize the right of every child to get an
education--no matter who they are or
where they were born.
Phot
o
c
ourt
es
y of Es
t
elle Mar
ais, Phot
os c
ourt
es
y of
A
W
orld at School
Sustainable
Development Goals
1.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved
nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for
all at all ages
4.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education
and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5.
Achieve gender equality and empower all women
and girls
6.
Ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all
7.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable
and modern energy for all
8.
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment
and decent work for all
9.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10.
Reduce inequality within and among countries
11.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable
12.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production
patterns
13.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and
its impacts*
14.
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas
and marine resources for sustainable development
15.
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and
reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16.
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all and build effective, accountable and
inclusive institutions at all levels
17.
Strengthen the means of implementation and
revitalize the global partnership for sustainable
development
*
Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change is the primary international,
intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global
response to climate change.
Commissioner William Cochrane meets
faith leaders during special session at UN on
Sustainable Development Goals.
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