CFOT.ca

This is the fifth story that we are featuring from a new book edited by Donna Todd,  My Calling Stories from 15 Salvation Army officers around the world.

My Calling published by Carpenter Media, Australia Eastern Territory.
RRP Aus$7.50 plus postage.
Available from Salvationist Supplies (www.salvosuppliessyd.com).

This is Captain Stephen Baroi’s story . . .

My father and mother had wanted to become officers. However, as The Salvation Army had only begun in Bangladesh in 1971, when they joined there was no training college. It was not practical for our family to move to India or London for training so my parents committed their lives to serving as soldiers.

When I was young my family attended an Assemblies of God church. In 1984, my father, who was a nurse, started working at a Salvation Army clinic in Jessore. A year later my mother also began working for the Army as a school supervisor. This was in a time of high spiritual and numerical growth in the Army in Bangladesh. As my parents were both working for the Army, they decided to attend its meetings. Soon they became soldiers.

When I was 11 years old, I attended an annual Assembles of God youth conference with my elder brothers. Just before the conclusion, I sensed the Holy Spirit urging my heart to accept Jesus Christ. I responded and accepted him into my life.

Sometimes it was difficult growing up as a Christian in Bangladesh as you were different from almost everyone else. The country is 98% Muslim and only 0.05% of the people are Christians. Often, Christians are persecuted by religious extremists. Despite these challenges, I continued to worship at the Army with my family and later became a senior soldier.

Officership

My mother would sometimes suggest that I should become an officer. The idea remained in my mind but in my late teens I moved down a different path. I stopped regularly attending Army meetings and became attracted to the the world. Hanging around with friends, watching television and playing video games became my weekend activities. I thought I could serve the Lord by working for the Army and occasionally attending church.

I became a primary school teacher. I enjoyed this work and felt I could serve people in this profession. However,  I knew that I could not give the children proper spiritual teaching. My heart ached for these children. After some time I sensed the Lord was saying, “Stephen, I want you to do more than help these people physically and mentally. I want you to help them spiritually.”

In 1995 I married my wife, Nipu. I had known her for 11 years before we married, though we had not seen each other often. I became aware after we were married that she had fasted and prayed for me. She had always wanted to marry a pastor so officership became a discussion topic.

Following our marriage we moved to the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka. I began working for the Army as a Leprosy Control Assistant. Then I also worked in a TB and HIV/AIDS awareness program, again for the Army. Meanwhile Nipu was working in a school, also for the Army.

Although my jobs gave me security, a good income and the opportunity to help people, I was dissatisfied. Even though I was able to serve people, I felt that these positions were not right for me. I knew that there was a conflict in my life because I was not moving towards officership.

Nipu continued to attend church but I attended only occasionally. She also prayed and fasted for me as she knew officership was the direction in which we should head.  Later, I began to read and study some Salvation Army books and magazines. These reminded me that God wanted me to become an officer. I returned to attending church and gradually became involved in the life of the corps.

Tragedy

Then tragedy struck. My father had been riding a motorbike when a truck hit him and he was killed. I wondered how I would survive. My corps officer, Major Ethne Flintoff comforted me and said, ‘You’ve lost your earthly father, but you have an eternal father. He will take care of all your family.”

Following the funeral, I knelt at the mercy seat, earnestly seeking the Lord. In my grief the Lord used my father’s life and example to challenge me again to become an officer.  Peace flooded my heart as I gave my future to the Lord.

Nipu and I then agreed to apply to become officers.  When we made our initial application, we had been married only for five months. We were advised that it would be best to give ourselves a longer period to adjust to married life. Later we applied again, but because I did not proceed through the proper channels, our application was denied. I wondered whether The Salvation Army really wanted me at all. The third time we applied, I was so discouraged that I left it to my wife to fill out the forms. I simply signed my name carelessly at the bottom. My corps officer, Captain Milon Dias, came to visit me and we talked about the application. He advised that he would not push me and so my application was again denied.

After this third rejection, I determined not to apply again. But God had other plans. Our corps officers counselled me, and helped me realise God did want to use me in ministry. Nipu again fasted and prayed and within three months the Lord changed my mind. Eventually I asked the Lord to forgive me for losing my way. So we applied for a fourth time and on this occasion we were accepted.

After our commissioning, we were appointed to the most remote corps in Bangladesh. The people of this region were extremely poor and the corps was in a bad financial state. The people spoke a different language to us. Because we could not communicate with words, we had to show the people our love. We focused on the children in the village.  We loved and cared for them by cleaning their hair, giving them food and playing with them. Gradually the parents came to accept us and began to attend the corps.

Each month we would return for meetings in Dhaka.  Here I would ask family and friends to financially support our corps. This allowed the corps to continue functioning and for our ministry to broaden. We planted a garden with the people of the corps and this enabled us to grow food.

Tornado

In April 2006, a massive tornado swept through our village. It lasted only minutes, but in that time our village was almost destroyed. The people, who were already poor, were devastated.

God said to me, “Stephen, you have to do something for these people.” I spoke with the victims and the village leaders and together we made plans to restore the community. My wife and I prayed that God would show us the way forward. The corps people had no money but they gave their labour and bamboo. Territorial Headquarters gave us some funds. This work united our corps and community.

Now I am the first Youth and Candidates officer to be appointed in the Bangladesh Command. I love young people and am passionate about making them true disciples of Jesus Christ. I see that these disciples will one day be the future leaders of the Army. This fervour has helped me embrace this appointment.

Although my journey to officership was not straight forward, being an officer is a privilege. I believe I have been able to help people both practically and spiritually. Now I want to be an influential leader so that children and youth within The Salvation Army can discover Jesus Christ

Captain Stephen Baroi is currently with Bangladesh Command and holds the position of  Command Youth and Candidates Officer.  He is married to Nipu and they live in Dhaka.