The video below was recorded a while back (Xander used it to introduced himself at a Candidates weekend). In addition here are some more recent questions:

What session of The War College were you in?
The Martyrs Session, 2004-2005
(a very dear session to this interviewers heart)

If you were reunited with your session, what would you say?
Let us live up to what we’ve already attained.

What would you tell our readers/viewers as encouragment to apply to The War College? 
TWC changed my life and provided a solid foundation for ministry.

This video was recorded a while back -  can you tell us what you’re doing these days? 
I am now a Cadet at the William Booth College in London, England in the Ambassadors of Holiness Session.

Do you have any wacky stories from your War College days?
One time at knee drill we duct-taped all our legs together (like a giant 3-legged race) and tried to walk to the park as a prophetic exploration of unity.  Apart from being a ridiculous excersize it was amazing to see the spiritual parallels - God taught us a lot through that!

If you were a starbucks drink what would you be?
Mint Hot Chocolate - I have a distinct flavour but sweet and very palatable.
 
If you were a kitchen item what would you be? 
A collander, because i want to be holey.  Get it? holey/holy?  Never mind.
 
Somewhere you would want to go in the world?  
Anywhere in the world?  Probably Melbourne - brilliant combination of family, friends, hot weather and red hot saints!

(In the sessional photo - Megan’s the one smack dab in the middle)

1) What session were you in?
Incendiary (07-08)

2) Favourite War College class?
I definitely had a few favourites, but ultimately I’d have to say Consistent Life Ethics. In it I got to open up about ethical principles I’ve always believed in but never known how to share - and I learned that others not only felt the way I did but were also doing something about it. Thinking critically about a variety of social issues helped me become the person I am today and directly relates to what I’m now studying in school.

3) Funniest War College moment?
There are too many to count, but pretty much any time my sessionmates Caitlyn and Meghan spoke I would soon be laughing.

4) Biggest lesson learned at WC?
How to love and be loved. In other words, community and discipleship.

5) Where are you now?
I am a second-year student at the University of Toronto, double majoring in Peace & Conflict Studies and Sociology. I attend 614 Regent Park in downtown Toronto.

6) Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully in training college, or preparing to enter, in whatever territory God would have me be in.

7) How has your WC experience helped you over the years?
First and foremost, my War College experience helped me understand who God created me to be and what He created me for. The faith I gained in WC has been a rock to stand on in trying times. The experience also greatly helped in preparing me for a lifetime of service in God’s Salvation Army. Finally, the experience gave me a wonderful new family, my closest friends, who have been my continuing strength and inspiration since leaving the DTES.

Favourite candy?
Swedish Berries, or what are apparently known in the United States as Swedish Fish.

9) Did anything nearly hold you back from going to the WC?
During the six months before departure, I began to have serious doubts. Nobody around me seemed to understand why I would do this. I felt like a crazy fool. Additionally, there was the pressure to go to university first before taking time away. In the end, I came to the conclusion that if God wanted me at university, He would get me there somehow, sometime. I couldn’t ignore my conviction to make the WC a priority. And I’m glad I didn’t.

10) Why shoud you apply to the War College?
Why should you apply to the War College? Why SHOULDN’T you apply is the real question! The War College is, in my opinion, the ultimate experience for anyone wanting to know better how to love Christ. It is of particular benefit if you’re headed toward officership in The Salvation Army.

This is some doctrine homework that I was told to blog, so!… here it is folks!

Revelation is a gift of grace. The kind of knowledge that comes with knowing God is not attained through human effort or wisdom. When we sin, our understanding of Him becomes so tainted. “By [our wickedness] we suppress the truth.” (Rom 1:18) All revelation points to Jesus - the living, breathing, talking revelation of exactly who God is.

He is revealed through His acts of sacrifice all throughout the written revelation of Him, the Bible. We must depend on the Lord’s communication for us that lies within the Scriptures. These revelations involve the spilling of blood from white, blameless sacrifices. We know God by speaking to Him, praying, asking Him to work in our lives and asking Him to “transform us by the renewing of our minds” so that we may know Him and that He may reveal Himself to us. To see Him, since He is holy, our hearts and minds must be in a place to see Him. There must be a removing of the veil that has been put there by our choosing sin and there needs to be “the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” revealed to us through Jesus and justification by His grace alone.

We know Him through using our imaginations and seeing Him in that way while He changes us. We know Him through our communities. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we see and know Him as He lives in our friends as they empty themselves of things that are not of Him.

He is revealed in Creation and through people. He first initiates relationship with us, He first initiated with creating us and the world and creates inspiration inside of us. The Word was made flesh in the incarnation and God is shown to us through Jesus, The Son in the Trinity. He then illumines our hearts and minds to know Him more, so that our thankfulness and worship may come from a true place.

We cannot possibly know God exhaustively, for “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor?” (Rom 11:33-34) However, we can know some things about Him truly… truly, not fully. We will never run out of things to learn about Him and will never get sick of delighting ourselves in His mysteries! As well, as believers, we are able to know not just facts of God, for anyone can know facts, but we are able to know God, Himself. For He says in Jeremiah 9:23-24: “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the might man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts, boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things.”

Our response to His character and what He is like leads us into knowing Him more and more - whole-hearted worship and service to the God who loves perfectly. As we live in community we are able to know and understand the Trinity better. He is revealed through the wonderful things He does and we know Him more as we read about Him: in the Scriptures He heals, delivers and treats His people exactly how they need to be treated.

Sincerely,
“Mercy”

I call this interview “1 1/2″, because there’s another one that is sitting in my inbox that is reserved for Interview #2.

This wasn’t the one I was going to post today but I wanted to direct you to www.sendthefire.ca to see a recent music review/interview I wrote with Death and Glory graduate Acacia Wulfing.

For those who won’t visit the site, below is the interview/article (sendthefire has a video embedded though - I’m not that technological yet - so it makes it that much cooler)

I’m honored to say I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Acacia during her year in Vancouver BC at The War College in 2003. She is a Salvation Army soldier (member) currently living in Nashville, TN, but equally importantly she is a great person – full of the Spirit and contagiously joyful. Though I haven’t had the same pleasure of meeting Talitha, the other half of this sister duo, I anticipate the day our paths cross. I’m a big fan of their music, not only because I know Acacia personally, but because their music is catchy, inspiring and brings you into intimate places with the Lord. I really encourage you to check them out!
 
Someone once asked me what my favourite Tal and Acacia song is… and I’ve discovered it is an impossible question for me to answer. I would have a hard time picking just ONE favourite song…so I’ll have to widen the scope to 3 (and even that’s tough!)
 

1. My first favourite is I’ll Wait from KUMI – I can’t decide if I like it because of the deep lyrics, the truth of Christ’s deep desire for us, or the stellar Cello in the bridge – but it’s great. I was going through a really rough time once, and listening to this song was foundational in my healing journey.
2. I have to put down Yahweh if on nothing else then the bias I have for it. Acacia wrote it in The War Room (our 24/7 prayer room, only my favourite place to be)…and I will pretty much will eternally have a bias for anything that gets birthed out of The War Room and anything written by Acacia – the combo of the two is an automatic Nicole like. Bias aside though, this tends to top most listeners top 3 list, regardless of bias and most likely will top yours too! You can hear it on their MySpace (link below).
3. My most recent favourite though is The Noah Song; you’ll have to listen to it to find out why.

ACACIA’S THOUGHTS
How did you break into the music business? 
That’s a long story, because the music started for us about ten years ago. Our whole family went to Russia as missionaries with The Salvation Army, and Tal learned to play the guitar there. She has that musical touch about her, and pretty soon, she had written her first ten songs. Those songs were then made into an album (thanks to the encouragement and support of a very close friend in our family). This led to touring and eventually a few record labels in Nashville discovered the CD.

I was 16 and Tal was 18 when we made our first trip down to the music capitol. It was an exciting time, but it was never my intention to be in music. Tal and I were just going where we thought God was leading us. However, timing was a big issue, we could have signed with a label back when I was a teenager, but we didn’t. Tal felt committed to finish the Bible school she was attending at the time, and I committed to the War College. A few years later, our family left our home in Maine and moved to Nashville. 
 

What are you hoping to accomplish through your music? 
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been doing music for five years now. Through that time, we have really changed. Our music keeps evolving, and our mission has found a new pair of eyes as well. We both have always had a heart for the church-that is Christ’s body and we feel the need to serve her and bless her as much as we are able. However, we also have a heart for those who haven’t chosen Christ yet, for that is His cry and His heart as well. I think our biggest desire is for people to come closer to Him through music and through His movement in our lives. If we have just one person that has been touched by Him through us – mission accomplished.

What is it like working with your sister? 
As with every relationship, it takes a lot of prayer. We’ve had major meltdowns and victories together. I honestly never usually think of what a gift Tal is, she is incredible; she is full of insight and does everything wholeheartedly. Tal is not a mediocre person, if she’s doing it, she does it with flying colors – with every bit of her soul.
I won’t say we don’t clash, because we do!

We’ll have nitty-gritty arguments and slamming doors-and I am ashamed of my behavior with her quite often. But that’s me without Christ; I am mean, hot-tempered, and incredibly selfish without His Spirit. That’s why we are very intentional about prayer, fellowship, and really enjoying each other as just friends (no business/burdens allowed). But let me put it this way, I would never choose to walk the line with anyone else. (Can’t go without at least one music reference).

How did you first get involved with The Salvation Army? 
Well, going to Russia as missionaries for the Salvation Army was the big eye opener for us as a family. Seeing The Salvation Army for real (and not just the thrift stores that I was accustomed to) was a major highlight. My mother really fell in love with The Salvation Army and she became a soldier (full member) while we were in Russia. Once we were home in America, she started a church all by herself. I was home schooled, so naturally, the church became a big part of my life as well. I was a counselor at Camp Sebago (The Salvation Army camp in Maine,) and still continued to be very involved helping my Mom at the church. Somewhere within that time, I became a soldier too. 
 

What was The War College like for you? 
Phenomenal. I think that’s where a genuine affection for the Army really came into play for me. It was a wonderful year. I needed that time to really come face to face with Jesus. I could hide behind my parents’ good name forever, but He knew I needed to get away to get personal with Him. The leaders didn’t just lead us…they loved us. To me, love is the reaction to being with Christ. The War College birthed such powerful reactions throughout that year – that I couldn’t help but be transformed.  

Do you continue to have any involvement with the Army? 
I have been involved with the Army for ten years now because The Salvation Army is my family. My sister Rachel and brother in law are planting a home group based church here called OneLife Lebanon. We are all about knowing Christ through community and seeing salvation come through relationships. It is not a typical church environment, but Tal and I are very blessed to be part of it.
 
LYNX
Use the links below to read, watch and listen to the music styling of Tal and Acacia, tell your friends and don’t forget to leave a comment here on STF!

Band site
Twitter – @talandacacia
Facebook
Youtube
 MySpace

Their album just this month has come to iTunes Canada!
(It sure was nice of iTunes CA, to wait for this article eh?!)

This new blog theme has been very popular so far, my inbox is flooded with responses. 
I will be posting in order received, so get yours in now.
If you’re confused at what this is all about, refer to our last post!

Our first Alumni Interview is with Rebekah Dooley (nee Barnum)

What Session were you in?
Martyrs 2004-2005

What was your favourite War College class?
Spiritual Warfare (Demonology) Modular with Major Doug Burr

What’s your most embarrassing moment at TWC?
Going out to coffee with Heather and I laughed so hard that some steamed milk came out of my nose!!!
What was your biggest lesson learned at TWC?
Getting rid of the lies and really understanding who I am in Christ and experiencing true freedom.

Where are you now?
After complete The War College’s Phase Two, and spending a couple more years in Vancouver, I am back in Gibsons (my hometown) with my husband running the youth group, we started with 3 and now we are at 16 and growing bigger every week! Praise God!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The Lord only know what will happen in the next 5 years, I have no idea. Most likely be in Gibsons working as resident care aide and possibly starting a family.

How has your War College experience helped you over the years?
The War College has helped me over the years, to hear the lord’s voice more clearly, disciplining myself to read the word more, to know his voice over satan’s voice, the importance of prayer and when we pray we can see transformation in people.

If you were reunited with your session, what would you say?
Stay strong, continue to trust in Him and He will direct your path, continue to pick up your cross and follow Him and I love you so muchand I frequently look back at our year and cherish every memory I have with all of you.

What’s your favourite Starbucks drink?
White Chocolate Mocha

Why should our readers apply to The War College?
 I would encourage you to come to the TWC, if you let the lord have one year of your life, you will not regret it because He will show up and change you from inside out and you will never be the same again and you will  receive a special bond between your session mates that will never be broken and when you need people to lean on when the times get tough your session mates will be with you through it all.

Starting this week, I will be posting a new War College blog series - titled above. (Polls are open for a swankier title). I might even get fancy and post before and after photos…and potentially even video interviews (that’d be fun)…

Here’s the deal - Some weeks I’ll hand pick War College graduates to email some interview questions and then post them up - or if you are an alumni yourself reading this now…email me and we’ll get you published!
(nicole@thewarcollege.com)

Sample Questions to look forward to…

1) What session were you in?
2) Favourite War College class?
3) Funniest War College moment?
4) Biggest lesson learned at TWC?
5) Where are you now?
6) How has your War College experience helped you over the years?
7) If you were reunited with your session, all in one room again, what would you say?
8 ) Why should our readers apply to TWC?

The questions won’t be the same every week, and some will be custom written for certain people - so keep coming back to find out where are they now?

There is also no set day of the week this will happen on, like it won’t be every Thursday - but it will be weekly, so stay tuned!

This past Sunday, a secondary school came to the Downtown Eastside to spend some time giving clothes, food, toiletries etc. to those ‘less fortunate’ and wanting to spread the word that they had set this “free market” up, we took them out to talk to people and show them around.

They were a secular school, so we were encouraged to speak of Jesus in our actions. So, I started talking, before we started walking about how many some groups come and objectify people without even wanting to. I talked about our life in our neighbourhood and how we just try to pursue people how we would our closest friends. I encouraged them just to talk to people how they would their friends. So we started walking and talked to a few people… on the way back, a few people at the back of the group met a man named Mike. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but I’m pretty sure he started talking about how he has been addicted and had hard times and then started straight up giving glory to God about how He has helped Mike, and kept him strong. Our neighbourhood is full of people who love the Lord. When we got back to the command center, he cried as he told his story, warning the kids about the effects of drugs and alcohol. I am so humbled and in awe of how Mike planted seeds in those kids that I probably couldn’t have.

May we be made evermore like Him. Oh, how we are all in need of His grace.

Sincerely,
“Mercy”

Today we start our media training with Bram Ryan.

Bram Ryan [Tundra Lights Communications] a trained  broadcast journalist, has been the editor of four magazines, publisher of a national newspaper, founder and owner of a communications company, has successfully freelanced for years and is a pioneer of multi-platform content production. He brings his arsenal of talents and experiences to introduce tostory telling and story writing: everything from story ideas, to research, interviewing, fact checking, how to write strong leads, balance and so on. There will be time to develop your own stories with complementing photography, have feedback and publish in various formats while concentrating on the Wordpress Internet Medium.

Christ is the glue that binds the crew.

We often talk about being the ‘body of Christ’ when living in community down here. But what does that really look like?

In the scriptures we read that Jesus told his disciples “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” – 1 Corinthians 1 10-12

To live incarnationally is to live ‘God with meat on’ (in carnare – Latin means to make flesh). We become a Part, and therefore we are many parts forming the one Body. Everything that happens to you, the Part, effects the other Parts somewhat and then the whole domino effect occurs in the Body. If you have ever owned a bike or a car, you will know that one puncture leaves you immobile!

Living in community is fun, but challenging. There are occasions when we face arguments, disagreements or confrontations. The Parts experience discomfort and testing. But what is lovely about the Body of Christ is that we are accountable to each other – so one Part, being blessed in intercession, will rise to the occasion defending fragmentation by addressing the lack of peace; one part blessed in discernment may been watching it all unfold quietly before it erupted and tried protecting the Parts; whilst another Part blessed in prophesy may see ahead to the effect this chaos will have on the Body’s ability to function fully in its work and at the same time coming out with something to say that is rather direct and shocking!

The end result of chaos in the Body without peace is lack of cohesion or disunity. And lack of cohesion is strangely painful to the Parts. There’s danger here too, as the enemy lies waiting for those moments of pride, rebellion and isolation, that; lack of cohesion and disunity that opens the door for possible attack.

I suppose what I mean to say is that love covers a multitude of sins - living in and applying qualities of love is what we called to do - that is, being patient, kind, rejoicing with the truth, protecting each other, trusting each other and hoping, keeping no record of wrong and always persevering (1 Cor 13:4)

It is only by living in love that the cohesiveness of Christ is found in the Body and only then can our community truly benefit from our presence.

Sylvia

So we have Freedom Day last Monday and after a week long Daniel fast  my head is spinning and I’m high on my own weightlessness and just about to walk into a deliverance experience.   I have two amazing discerning prayer peoples in the room and as we start to share suddenly I’m feeling investigated, exposed and uncomfortable. I get the revelation that this is going to be hard and that being broken is the price to pay for true freedom.

What does freedom look like?  We spends our days down here forming friendships in community with people who are not free but most desperately want to be according to the statistics.  Free from addiction, pain and suffering, prostitution, violence and homelessness and our message to them is freedom through salvation in Christ Jesus. But here I am, a christian in need of being set free from strongholds, what does that look like?

Although we are saved and marked by God for his purpose and will, we are still working out our salvation and moving each day more fully into God’s will.   I experience some good and bad manifestations which tell me I’m going deeper into being broken and closer to the Father’s heart. The more we move into God’s will for us the more the enemy comes up against us.  We need to be prepared for those spiritual confrontations and thus the need for deliverence.

Its a somewhat surreal experience, sometimes comfortable sometimes purely irritating.  But this is God heating up the soup, stirring the pot and needing me to come to the dinner table. Its also a layered experience, as God gently strips away these strongholds, He looks to me with complete love and compassion encouraging me to  fall into His arms as I realise  he is showing me the very needs at the  heart of our community.

Sylvia