My mother is Kenyan and my father is Ugandan. My parents were officers of The Salvation Army. I was born and raised in Kenya after my parents escaped from the tyranny of Dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s. My parents ran to Kenya for safety after Idi Amin banned operations of The Salvation Army in Uganda. Escaping from Uganda as a child quickly exposed me to the reality of adversity, and finding shelter in a foreign country (Kenya) introduced me to the beauty of diversity; this was my greatest childhood lesson. My childhood was largely influenced by the work of The Salvation Army, I saw a Christian organization concerned first and foremost with the felt needs of people. I saw them devote resources to alleviate the plight of underprivileged and marginalized populations. The Salvation Army served people irrespective of their religious affiliations, race, gender and any other factors. The Salvation Army’s slogans like “Heart to God and Hand to Man” or “Saved to Serve” inspired and modeled me and my faith construct.