Stories of Hope

Dr Catherine Philpot is a highly trained psychologist, who is also a salvo.  Her journey to value psychology and her faith in the context of helping the people from the Streets of Brisbane, is both heart warming and inspiring.  

Dan Burke came to the Salvos for help with his addiction issues.  He graduated from the program but relapsed and unfortunately died as a result.  John is Dan's father and this is his story.

At a rural Catholic retreat center in Queensland, there is a swing chair overlooking a stunning valley. People with addictions, mental health problems and all manner of moral and social challenges built this, because they love this peaceful place.

Fear and worry are an option, just like love and hope.  

Diem Dinh was born in Vietnam and came to Australia in 2003.  Her life turned upside when her marriage broke down and she came to the salvos for help, with very few possessions, poor English, no support and a two year old son. This is her amazing story. 

This little extra podette is an update and review of the Podcast journey so far.   Check it out and I'd love you to fill out the survey on the facebook page, so I get some feedback.  Bless ya,  Bryce 

Three things are certain death, taxes and plumbing. Death is not particularly surprising, yet we rarely talk about it.

When we rest and slow down a bit, we can tune in to the more subtle truths of our lives. We need some white space to be creative and find the inspo we need to stay motivated and loving.

Lauren Martin is a journalist who started writing for the Salvos when she was just 18 years old. She saw love in action, opened her heart to God and now runs an organic Salvo faith community in Helensburgh NSW

Mui is a 70 something year old Vietnamese lady who lives in Villawood. She is my unlikely surrogate grandmother, even if the food she gives me is a little different to Grandma Davies.

St Lawrence is the Patron Saint of Chefs and comedians. He loved the poor and was literally roasted for it. But are the poor really worth being martyred for?

Elizabeth and Michael Johnson share about recent encounters in rural Australia. Raw stories about bush fires, drought, suicide and the power of just being there for people!

I rescued a sick Labrador on a remote walking track back in 2009. I had no idea how this random act of kindness would link me to the dogs family for the next ten years!!

It's hard to get passionate about issues that don't directly affect you. So meeting in a yarning circle and chatting about racism has changed how I feel about these issues, because I now see how it affects my friends.

Telling the truth is good for us. But can our friends and family handle our truth?

Last week at Villawood Salvos, we flooded Urana Street with colorful messages of hope and love. Unlikely saints, who offered up their beautiful prayers for this community.

Loving people is not as easy as it sounds. The first step in this, is to love yourself - and that's not as easy as it sounds either!

Andy played rep footy as a teenager, but has struggled for most of his life with a gambling addiction and Parkinsons disease. Today he has friends, is a beloved and useful member of the Salvos and goes to Fraser Island every year for a fishing holiday.

Every year for the last ten years the salvos have joined with a group of men who spend a week fishing, camping and 4WD on Fraser Island. This is the story.

I'm a big Jack Reacher fan, but I'm trying to read more widely, so I'm reading the Choice by Edith Eger. It made me cry, but it also helped me grow a bit.

Hannah did her student placement at the Salvos in Brisbane back in 2014.  She was a natural, and she loved being involved and for over two years stayed on as a volunteer.  Today she is a youth worker and the journey has been tough.  This is her story.

Mr Xaing hardly speaks any English, but is a loved and treasured part of the Villawood salvo community. This is the story of how we came to love him.

People are often more resilient when they have a wide circle of trusted friends. Buy a fire pit and invite the neighbors over. It will make the world a better place.

Bill Hunter is a Salvo who has been a Policeman, a champion marathon runner and Chaplain to the Broncos rugby league club.  He now runs a sports church called God's sports arena and coordinates a leadership training event each year for young people from Papua New Guinea, culminating in running the Gold coast marathon.  

Fiona has had a tough life, but involvement with the salvos has softened her and given her a new sense of purpose, community and hope.