Friends of Captain Miguel and Major Florence Borgela couldn't understand why the officer couple were chauffeuring so many people to and from their corps in Bathurst, N.B. “Couldn't these folks take public transit?” the Borgelas were often asked.

“There are no buses in Bathurst,” Captain Miguel Borgela replies. “Bathurst does not have a public transportation system. It's just too small!”

Five-Minute Prayer
Captain Miguel Borgela immigrated to Canada from his native Haiti in 1981 and became a member of The Salvation Army shortly after his arrival in Montreal. He met Major Florence Borgela, who was born in Newfoundland and Labrador, at a retreat in Montreal, and they were married in 1997.

The Borgelas ministered together at a corps in Montreal for nine years before they were transferred to Bathurst.

While the Borgelas looked forward to the impending move, they were apprehensive of the Bathurst church's small size. “I always say that when the Army sends me somewhere, it's God doing the transferring,” believes Captain Miguel Borgela.

“Our corps did have one advantage,” he smiles. “In Montreal, I wasn't able to pray for each person individually, but once I got to Bathurst, I could pray for everyone in the pews in five minutes flat!”

God in Two Official Languages
Since their arrival, the congregation has doubled in size to 30 members. “God can work miracles,” says Captain Miguel Borgela.

One of the challenges the couple faced was the difficulty of acquiring suitable religious material for the overwhelmingly French congregation. “Fortunately, we have Foi & Vie (the French version of Faith & Friends), which is perfect both for our outreach efforts and for our church members,” says Major Florence Borgela, who also manages the thrift store. “They just fly off the shelf.”

While the church services have been conducted in French, a few members have been attracted to The Salvation Army despite only speaking English. “We consider it a miracle that even though the family didn't understand what was being said that first Sunday,” says Captain Miguel Borgela, “they returned the next week and the week after that, and have now become regular members.”

As a result, the corps has added a number of English hymns and obtained English religious literature and Bibles.

The Borgelas plan to add an English service in the future, as well as a simultaneous translation system, such as they had in Montreal. For the moment, the small number of English-speaking members prohibits that.
Besides church services and the thrift store, the Borgelas conduct home league meetings, youth services and Bible studies.

“It's a lot of work but we wouldn't want to be anywhere else,” says Major Florence Borgela. “We're thriving here, and in both languages.”

One Hundred and Counting
The Borgelas have had remarkable success in attracting new members through word of mouth and their outreach efforts.

Many have come to God by way of their Tuesday morning coffee sessions. “Coffee is a great way to evangelize,” laughs Captain Miguel Borgela. “Over a dozen people drop by every Tuesday morning for coffee and fellowship, and many of them have become part of the congregation.”

The corps also organizes bowling events for the community's children and teenagers, and hosts barbecues at the community centre every two months. “We had to submit an application to the civil servant who was in charge of the centre,” explains Captain Miguel Borgela. “She attended the function and decided to try out our church service the following Sunday, purely out of curiosity. Not only did she start attending on a regular basis but she is now an adherent.

“We call all this évangile d'amitié—friendship evangelism.”

Captain Miguel Borgela sees nothing but growth in the corps' future. “In five years, we want to see the church have at least 100 members,” he states. “I pray for it and I know it's possible. My second dream is to eventually send some of our soldiers to training college. I know we can do that, too.”

There is one last item on the Borgelas wish list, however.

“We also pray for buses.”

Top photo: A corps barbecue event; above: Mjr Florence Borgela and Cpt Miguel Borgela with soldiers Charlene Losier and Laura Simone