(Above) “God is teaching me the importance of leaning on and trusting in him through prayer and lectio divina (divine reading),” says SaraTampai 

Sara Tampai attends Red Deer Church and serves with her husband, Josh, as the hospitality and property managers, respectively, at Pine Lake Camp in Alberta.

Tell us a little about your family and early years.

I was born in small-town Newfoundland and Labrador, where I lived until the age of 10, so I consider that to be home. Some of my favourite childhood memories include playing outside with my friends all day, summer vacations at my grandmother’s home in Burin, N.L., and going to church twice every Sunday with my family.

Living in a small and friendly town meant that everything was close by, everyone was my friend, and I always felt protected and cared for by the members of our community. My family was well loved in our town, and although we lived far from family, we always felt that those in our church and community were part of our family. They became the “village” that helped raise us.

Tell us about your spiritual journey.

My parents have been Salvation Army officers since before I was born, so I was raised in a loving, Christian home. Although I didn’t always appreciate being an “officers’ kid,” I am grateful for the many opportunities and wonderful people I have been able to meet through their work with The Salvation Army. My personal faith walk began at age 16 when I decided to stop chasing the unimportant things in life and began pursuing a relationship with God. A couple of years later, I entered a discipleship program called Revolution Hawaii, where I spent a year as part of a team ministering to people experiencing homelessness in Oahu and volunteering with a women’s drug rehabilitation program. We also engaged in daily discipleship, which helped me learn the importance of spiritual practices in my everyday life. Currently, God is teaching me the importance of leaning on and trusting in him through prayer and lectio divina (divine reading).

Can you tell us about a difficult time in your life, and how God met you?

Up to this point in my life, I’m blessed to say that I have not experienced any significant grief, sorrow or loss. However, when asked to consider a time that God met me in my pain, I think back to my high school years, when I had very few friends. We had recently moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia, and I was really struggling to “fit in” as the new kid. I often found myself eating lunch alone in the school elevator entrance, where no one was able to see me. Many days, I spent my lunch hour crying and praying that God would provide a friend for me.

Over time, I began to sense God’s presence with me during my lunch break and was consistently reminded that he is a faithful friend and will never leave me alone. In my later high school years, I formed close friendships with the many international students who came and went from our school. I knew that God had provided a way for me and them to find meaningful friendships in an otherwise “cliquey” school environment.

How are you involved at your corps?

I am involved with The Salvation Army through my work and personal life. My husband, Josh, and I have been working as the property and hospitality managers at Pine Lake Camp for two years and feel blessed to be where we are. God certainly marked out the path that led us here, and we are trusting God to lead us every day as we serve in this capacity. We are also involved in our corps in Red Deer, where we assist with worship and other programming when we are able. I feel inspired by the growth I have seen in our corps family, and spurred on by the love and grace they consistently offer one another.

What would you like to be known for?

Hearing this question, I instantly think of the word grace. I have sometimes been known to come across strong, especially to those who may not know me well or understand my heart. I do have a more dominant personality, yet at the root of who I am, I desire to be like Christ, which includes loving others well. God has been teaching me to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, which I know will be a lifelong journey. Yet, over time, he has been softening my heart with his compassion and love for humanity.

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