Eleven-year-old Kristina Ayoub may not be royalty, but she’s a dynamic force for good at a Salvation Army church in east-end Montreal.
Kristina Ayoub is a person on the go. When she’s not actively participating in Bible study classes, she’s raising money to help the needy overseas. A gifted student, she’s also an accomplished writer and painter. These would be remarkable achievements for anyone—but Kristina is only 11 years old.
Chance Encounter
Kristina Ayoub was born in Belgium, the daughter of Paul, a doctor, and Inna, a pastry chef, who met while they were students in Inna’s native Ukraine. The family, including Kristina’s older brother, Maxime, immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in November 2007.
The family’s first encounter with The Salvation Army, in the summer of 2008, was purely by accident. “I was feeling homesick one rainy day,” remembers Inna, “so I decided to take a walk to clear my head.” Inna spotted a Salvation Army sign but she had no idea what it was. “I thought they were a real army, with tanks and guns,” she laughs.
What she found was quite the opposite. “We were conducting an indoor garage sale,” reports Captain Pierre Croteau, the pastor of The Salvation Army’s Christian Community
Centre in east-end Montreal, “and this woman entered to see what we had to offer. As I crossed the room to greet her, I had an object for sale in my hand that I later learned was a pastry tool.” Inna noticed the object and walked up to examine it. “Seeing her interest, I
offered it to her free of charge,” smiles Pierre, “but I laughingly made the condition that she would have to bring in some of her pastries one day!”
In answer to Inna’s queries, Pierre informed her that The Salvation Army was a church and invited her and the rest of her family to the following Sunday’s church service.
Inna gratefully accepted and the following Sunday the Ayoubs showed up—bearing a mouth-watering homemade cake.
A Choice of Churches
As the weeks went by, while the Ayoubs starting attending church regularly, it was Kristina who really took to The Salvation Army.
“We had been attending services at both the church of my youth and The Salvation Army,” relates Inna. “One day, I asked my daughter which she preferred. I didn’t want her attending a church she was not happy with.” Kristina replied, “The Salvation
Army, Mama.”
A Princess in Action
Very quickly, Kristina became an enthusiastic member of her adopted church. She started attending adult Bible study classes and became interested in church history and theology.
Even more remarkably, of her own volition, Kristina took charge of the Partners in Mission Appeal. The funds raised are used to help The Salvation Army’s work in countries around the world. In the case of the Christian Community Centre, the congregation was collecting money for Tanzania. “I’ve always wanted to help people,”
she reflects, “and they really need our generosity.”
Kristina threw herself into the campaign. She suggested different ways that the congregation could reach their goal and even persuaded her mother to prepare pastries to
sell in order to raise funds. Every Sunday, Kristina gave a progress report from the pulpit. “She was always asking if there was anything else she could do to help out,” marvels
Pierre.
The church had set a relatively ambitious goal of $750—up from $145 the year before—but with Kristina at the helm, the target figure was surpassed, with $1,100 being raised.
“She’s a blessing to the entire congregation. We call her our princess,” says Pierre with pride.
Newfound Happiness
When she is not in school or at the church, Kristina’s twin passions are painting and drawing. “I’d like to become an artist one day,” she states, “and I’d donate the money from my sales to help those in need around the world.”
The Ayoub family have comfortably settled in their new homeland, aided by The Salvation Army, which has provided friendship, support and French lessons. Paul is on his way to becoming board certified to practise medicine in Canada, Inna’s pastry business is flourishing and both Kristina and Maxime are happy. “I miss my grandparents and my friends in Lebanon but I have met a lot of new friends here,” says Kristina. “Canada is a marvellous place to live and I love it.”
by Ken Ramstead