Finding Her Calling

When Aux-Captain Florence Yau came to Canada from Hong Kong as a teenager, she never thought that she would end up as an officer of The Salvation Army. Now, she and her husband, Aux-Captain Steve Yau, are corps officers at Richmond Community Church, B.C.

“We love the work that we do,” says Aux-Captain Florence Yau, who believes that everything she has experienced in life has led her toward ministry. “God has been preparing us for this opportunity.”

Family Roots

The fifth of seven children, Aux-Captain Yau grew up in a busy household where small living quarters made for a closeknit family. The family of nine lived in a two bedroom apartment—Aux-Captain Yau’s parents shared one bedroom and the children slept on bunk beds in the other.

“I know it’s not like in North American culture, but back in Hong Kong, space is really limited,” explains Aux-Captain Yau, who remembers many nights staying up late, talking and laughing with her siblings until one by one, they each fell asleep. “In the beginning it was all of us children together, until the older ones got married and moved out.”

Aux-Captain Yau’s older siblings, mainly her eldest sister, watched over the other children, cooking and making sure they were taken care of while their parents worked full time, with only Sundays off. “They worked long hours and would sometimes come home after dinner,” she says. “We would see our parents at night and on Sundays.”

A Warm Welcome

Though her parents weren’t religious, Aux-Captain Yau attended Christian elementary and high schools, so she was exposed to religion from an early age. Still, she did not practise it until later in life.

In 1983, after graduating high school, she made the decision to leave her family in Hong Kong and move to Canada to study at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. She travelled alone on anairplane for the first time and arrived in Vancouver not knowing anybody.

Being by herself, the move was a difficult and lonely adjustment, but Aux-Captain Yau found support in an unexpected place.

“One day, I went to a Chinese restaurant to eat, and it happened that the owner was a Christian,” she says. “After he learned about my story, he told me about the gospel and took me to church.”

It was her first experience at church, and she was surprised by how friendly and supportive the congregants were. “When they found out that I was here alone, they were very hospitable to me,” she says. “They would even take me to buy food and bring me home.”

According to Aux-Captain Yau, when she first came to Canada, everything was new. She had no prior knowledge of Vancouver or Canadian customs, and she was faced with learning a new country and language. The church community helped her feel welcome.

“I’m grateful for their support,” she says. “It really helped give me stability in a new country, a new environment and a new school.”

Aux-Captain Yau recalls how people from her church ministered to her in different ways—a ride to church, a meal at someone’s house or an invite to stay for the weekend, a prayer, a phone call to share the Scriptures, a heartwarming “hello” or words of encouragement. “I am grateful for their willingness to serve and the unique way they shared the life of Christ with me,” she says. “They each used their gifts and abilities to glorify God.”

Found In Prayer

At the time, Aux-Captain Yau didn’t consider herself a Christian, but she had been attending church services and was learning about God, and she started praying. She often turned to prayer as an outlet to guide her through her own personal hardships, and it was prayer that brought her close to Jesus.

“I slowly began to realize that along the way, the Lord had been helping me and answering my prayers,” she says. “All of a sudden I realized that there is a God and he is with me.”

During this time, Aux-Captain Yau also met her husband, Aux-Captain Steve, who had come to Canada with his family and studied at the same university. They quickly discovered that they happened to be attending the same church, at the same location, but he was participating in English services while she attended Chinese worship services. “The whole time, we were under the same roof,” she says.

In 2020, they connected with the local Salvation Army church in Richmond through then corps officers Majors Ed and Kathie Chiu, whom they had met 20 years prior. The Yaus decided to leave their church and become senior soldiers at the Army because they wished to integrate their faith with their passion for social work. Aux-Captain Florence, who had been working in social services for 14 years, saw it as an opportunity to blend her profession and her personal calling. Two years later, they signed up to become auxiliary-lieutenants and in July 2024, they were promoted to auxiliary-captains.

“When Majors Kathie and Ed were retiring, they asked us if we would consider officership,” says Aux-Captain Yau. “We have always felt a call of God in our lives, and we feel like this is the door that God has opened for us. We are really grateful.”

A Future of Service

Now accepted for training at the College for Officer Training, the Yaus look forward to the future of their service to God through The Salvation Army.

“With the call to ministry, there will be changes to my life,” says Aux-Captain Yau. “However, I know that the One who has called me will be faithful. He will help me overcome challenges every step of the way.”