Joy Renewed

There are 2 events every year that I attend and spend months planning. Last year they were held in June and July, this year both events happened straight after each other and… well I slept for 2 days afterwards.

Together 25 is the Salvation Army’s yearly conference and commissioning event. It’s a chance for Army people to get together in celebration, watch bands and choirs, have a fun run, play sports and see what is happening in the Army world. It’s also the yearly commissioning (or ordination) of the latest officers (church ministers).

As part of enabled, the Salvation Army’s disabled community, I go to work on the help desk with a group of other disabled friends. It’s a great weekend and I love how much the Army includes disabled people in the planning and want to make the church inclusive to everyone.

Another part of the event that I love is the yearly Art exhibition from Salvation Army Artists around the UK.

As well as an exhibition, there is a workshop for people to get involved with a larger project during the event. This year the project was to create mini banners, similar to prayer flags. My friend and I were also running a workshop during the event on banner making. Here’s some photos from the workshop.

This year I spent almost 300 hours hand embroidering a quilt for the exhibition. Actually the quilt was a bit of a personal project for me.

As a survivor of abuse I struggle with self-worth and I wanted a project that reminded me of who I am in Christ. I spent months embroidering squares in the hope that the meditative practice of slow stitching would help me see more value in myself.

Here’s a video of the separate pieces.

If you’re wondering why I don’t have a photo of the finished quilt, well I forgot to take any. I finished the quilt at the eleventh hour and off I went to Birmingham. On the first night in a very nice four star hotel (The same hotel the General stayed in I might add), I became ill from the air conditioning and spent the weekend struggling. I was so unwell I didn’t get to see much of the exhibition, struggled through the workshop and forgot to take a photo.

The quilt though, has found a great home though.

If you want to see the quilt in person, you’ll have to travel to Liverpool where it’ll be on display at the Salvation Army’s Strawberry Fields centre (yep, the Beatles one!)

I have, however, reached out to someone who might be able to get me some photos and when I get a photo I’ll add it here.