It was the William Booth Corps 9th anniversary, but we were not able to join them on Sunday except to attend the prayer meeting in the morning. We had already scheduled to conduct meeting at Balestier in the absence of the Corps Officer (pastor) Captain Hary Haran.
We had a great time with the folk at Balestier. We really enjoyed the fellowship with the comrades, a number of them we've known for many years. The hall was quite full. As mentioned earlier, it was the second corps to be opened by the then Brigadier Herbert Lord pioneer of our work in Singapore in 1936. So the Corps in 1937was only a year old when I at the age of five with my two older siblings walked into the Balestier Corps hall - a shophouse at Balestier Road itself. My first contact with The Salvation Army - 75 years ago at Balestier! What memories!
The Corps closed down during the Japanese occupation (1942-1945). The work was re-established after the war and The Army built an attap house on the land owned by Mrs. Palmer, a Home Leaguer. There was no electricity or water connected to the building! So no toilets. taps or wash basins and we had to go to Mrs. Palmer's house across the road to make use of the facilities! Or to the Ong family on Balestier Road. Kerosene lamps were used for lighting. Paper fans were provided for the congregation.
One day the Lord spoke to Mrs. Palmer and she sold the land to the Army for only $3,000.00, a token sum! Although it was at Martaban Road, the name Balestier Road Corps was retained. Later the word "Road" was dropped and it became just Balestier Corps.
When the Army sold the land (which upset many local Salvationists) the Corps moved to the Command Headquarters and has been using the chapel on the ground floor. A number of folk left the Army, others moved to other corps, but a few faithful remained. Meetings can only be held in the afternoon as Central Corps and Chinese Corps have theirs in the morning.
The Corps has been through tough times. We believe Captain Hary is there for such a time as this to lead the troops to a new location. The Corps will move into their new premises soon. It was formerly an Eye Hospital. The official opening and dedication will be on 11th November - an easy date to remember 11-11-11. I wish the Army could do the dedication at 11.11 a.m. on that day!
It will be Back to Balestier! We shall retrace our steps to move forward!!
"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control." Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
Soren Kierkegaard
Forward! be our watchword, steps and voices joined;
seek the things before us, not a look behind;
burns the fiery pillar at our army's head;
who shall dream of shrinking, by our Captain led?
Forward through the desert, through the toil and fight;
Jordan flows before us; Zion beams with light.
Forward! flock of Jesus, salt of all the earth,
till each yearning purpose spring to glorious birth:
sick, they ask for healing; blind, they grope for day;
pour upon the nations wisdom's loving ray.
Forward, out of error, leave behind the night;
forward through the darkness, forward into light!
Glories upon glories hath our God prepared,
by the souls that love him one day to be shared;
eye hath not beheld them, ear hath never heard;
nor of these hath uttered thought or speech a word;
forward, marching eastward, where the heaven is bright,
till the veil be lifted, till our faith be sight.
To the Father's glory loudest anthems raise;
to the Son and Spirit echo songs of praise;
to the Lord Jehovah, blessed Three in One,
be by men and angels endless honor done.
Weak are earthly praises, dull the songs of night:
forward into triumph, forward into light!
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