Wendell Anderson attends Cedar Hill Corps in Warwick, Bermuda, and is a case manager at The Salvation Army’s emergency housing shelter in Pembroke, Bermuda.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised here in Bermuda and grew up in a very close family. I have my mom, dad and one brother. My uncles, aunties and cousins all live close by, and we do a lot of stuff together as a family—birthdays, holidays, you name it.

I’ve always been active in the church and have a strong faith in the Lord. I’ve attended Cedar Hill Corps all my life. My brother and I started out in Sunday school and other youth programs. As a teenager, I became a senior soldier and joined the corps council.

For the past two years, I’ve run a youth program called Messy Church, for about 10 to 12 kids, on the first Friday of every month.

"As Salvationists, we have a duty to serve and to show love to others." - WENDELL ANDERSON

How have you seen God work in your life during a difficult time?

There was a time, after a discouraging experience one summer, when I had a back-and-forth with God. I was upset about some things, and I lost a little bit of myself.

But then I started working for The Salvation Army’s community and family services in Oakville, Ont., where I was attending Sheridan College, and that’s what brought me back to where I needed to be—and where I wanted to be, to be honest, because faith was a missing component in my life. Just being around other people who have the same mindset helped. It was a great group of people that I was working alongside, who love the Lord and want to serve others. Thanks to that experience, I was able to find myself again.

What is your role with The Salvation Army?

I’m a case manager at the Army’s emergency housing shelter in Bermuda. I help clients get back on their feet and assist them with whatever they need. The main thing for them is finding affordable housing. It’s difficult right now in Bermuda.

I have a passion for serving the community. You’re doing the Lord’s work. You’re showing people who God is, even though they don’t see him. They see him through you. I try to restore hope in my clients every day. I want to see them succeed and move on to independent living.

What inspires you about The Salvation Army?

It’s the work we do on a daily basis, just being out in the community, someone wanting to have a conversation with you. It’s those little moments that I take great pleasure in. Even though I do this as a career, it’s still something I do outside the shelter. As Salvationists, we have a duty to serve and to show love to others.

And to show others, who may not believe, that there really is a God because of the type of person you are. That can go a long way in leading somebody to have a relationship with Jesus.

What impact has rugby made on your life?

I’ve been playing rugby for about 15 years, and it has been a great experience. I’ve made lifelong friends, and I’ve been able to do things I never thought I could do when I started, such as playing at the college level and representing Bermuda internationally with the Bermuda Rugby League.

I taught rugby at The Salvation Army’s sports camp, and that’s what I wanted the kids to know—that this sport can take you anywhere you want to go, as long as you put in the hard work and dedication. The opportunities are there to go to school, to represent your country, even play professionally. This ball can take you anywhere in the world.

What difference has God made in your life?

I know that anything is possible with God in my life, and that gives me a positive outlook and confidence. I stay close to him as much as I can—going to church and praying every day. It’s a refreshing feeling to know that you are a child of God.