Sheed and Julia Tarnue- Marriage

Hi this is breathing welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life.

Welcome back the words of life on Bernie Dick Cheryl Gillam. We are so glad that you come back to join us this week and 18 we lost a series on marriage with Salvation Army officers Robin Amy Riordan throughout the series. Robin Amy were very honest and vulnerable about their journey as a couple. Now I have some funny stories about Robin Amy, but suffice it to say I am grateful for their work of salvation army officers as they brought my brother-in-law back to the Lord Virginia. What a great testimony in this particular episode Robin Amy focus on compromise and we were joined by sheet and Julia torn new. I know she didn't. Julia very well sheet was our assistant officer in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Julio was my ICO which stands for international college of officers in London, England. She was my session, make their well and you and your husband actually perform their nurturing and we at we went all the way to Newfoundland.

Amazing. I don't spoil it for you. But in this episode she needs testimonies can be shared and it is incredible it is. This was a beautiful episode and we pray extra special blessing to the newlywed couples who might know God. And though you liaison you live on That she wanted originally from Liberia West Africans in my 10 years of also should my name is Maj. Julia turn you and I have been an officer for 15 years, 11 of those years were in my home territory of Canada and after my husband and I married, I moved to the southern territory and were officers in Sanford, Florida. Our second year now. While those interviews for the Salvation Army through a Salvation Army officer in Liberia in my home country.

We were in the midst of a 14 years of civil wall and we also have basically no foods.

So this day where Salvation Army officer I didn't know what Salvation Army was about never heard about it being a Muslim of goals, I had no clue what you know uniform heroes were in.

It was about what he can to houses abandoned building was living in an off was some nutritional food, then he came back the next day and invited my mother to be part of this women's ministry group in the call and so my mother accepted his invitation went to the call. She visited a few times, and she liked it. So she encouraged me to visit the call, nodding, though it was a Christian station, but eventually I knew that this is where God was calling me to be transformed into knowing Christ that I have a four years refused. I became a Christian, converted from Islam to Christianity and ultimately became a soldier in the Salvation Army, I was introduced to the Salvation Army, basically by being born into it and so from the time I was a young child I attended the core with my parents and many of our family attended the core. I was fortunate to have a good Christian upbringing and I'm so thankful for sheet and I first met, by being a part of a Facebook group. A Salvation Army officer's Facebook group and so we went correspond through that site just enough to see each other's names.

And that was about it. But eventually we did realize that we had some mutual friends and at the time I was serving as an officer in Canada and that many of my core family are snowbirds so they would come to the South for winter months, and at the time she was appointed to the downtown core in St. Petersburg and so they had opportunity to meet him during the winter months and then they came back and told me about this officer that they met and so the dots kinda connected in that way. I was drawn to her by her love for God and things that she wrote Facebook page. In general, compassionate and loving and caring and inclusive.

I saw a lot of things in her dad. I thought well you know this would be a great opportunity to know someone who shared my my values as well sheet and I first met in person.

In December 2012 and from that time on. We spent time of course getting to know each other better, and because we lived in different countries. That's all we were able to do was to to talk and get to know each other better through your Skype through face time through phone calls and so those two years that we we dated each other really allowed us good time to be able to understand and appreciate who the other person was there. Their backgrounds week when you think about the culture I came from growing up in this little village in Africa where everyone knew each other. If I do something wrong. The next bill neighbor will disappoint me without my my mother's authorization. If I if I'm hungry can walk Daniel's houses in the less physically the culture I grew up in Belize when I was younger. Same thing with our culture.

The very inclusive everywhere, and in their culture the way I have been accepted in many ways I haven't been accepted this way even in the US, and that I can minutes of that I was received well and so that sort of equate culture.

There are obviously some differences. But as far as I referred to as a human culture where where God's instruction reduces reach out to one another and be inclusive when we started to plan for marriage.

We did have a discussion about how we would bring together our cultures and I think with the two years leading up to our marriage just having all of those conversations, it kind of felt very natural. At that point and we just knew and accepted, you know who the other person wasn't. And so it did come very naturally.

She's right above a blending of culture even doesn't generate around the home. She privately wears African clothing responses given her as a gift.

Growing up in Newfoundland in Canada.

It's a very inclusive culture. Although there was not a great deal of diversity in my heart there was always that acceptance and II knew nothing different but it was only I think until she's not married and I moved to Florida to be with him here that I had a real awareness of racism and I remember even in my first week living here and just, you know tuning into to the news and just seeing these horrific things that were happening and I remember asking him is this real and he said to me. Yes, it's absolutely real. And of course I had heard you know from him through our conversations about his experiences but now I was kind of in it myself and saw it firsthand and it's been been such a burden on my heart just to see how how things happen then even to see sometimes the way that that sheet is treated as opposed to the way that I'm treated like almost felt that I was naïve before. While I have become known to racism really well. You have been exposed to many times to visit my my. Also, should even in the call, you know of their times where I go in and the winds blew some work and a law enforcement officer.

They came and asked me we saw you coming the building.

Did you know you work here try to tell them I am in the office of air, but it will follow me to prove that I am the officer thereby giving them some some of my business called all taken them off is a sign on the computer just approved something, whereas it won't happen. She's there so that's the kind of struggle we we go through the this is a sad story, but is this unfortunately there are also good side of it is because when I first came in his country, the first person the first office really mad was when he is a is a white officer. He accepted me his home lived with him for for a few weeks.

He told me to be his child. One of his children.

He prepared me for training and he still called me his son today. The lesson that I learned is the approach that I've had all of my life is is to to love others the way that God loves me and you know we make it so complicated when it's really so simple. If we can love our neighbor as our self. I mean, what a beautiful world it would be. And so in our personal lives.

In our ministry.

We love people. I mean just by bases of our marriage we celebrate the diversity but were all God's children for any young couples that might be listening. I think going back to how our relationship started by talking and listening. I think if I could give any advice it's to to listen, maybe twice as much as you talk because in listening even before we were married I just was able to. My worldview became so much bigger.

You know, even being a part of sheets, family, and if I could allude to that his family has many family members who are still practicing Muslims and being accepted by his family. Just open my eyes to the way that sometimes we can view things we so much. Look at our differences in and you know the things that could potentially divide, but in our family.

There is no division were one makes us who we are as a family. The Salvation Army's mission doing the most good is helping people with material and spiritual needs become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio USS.Salvation Army.org or call 1-800-229-9965 colitis PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer request or share your testimony.

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