3rd quarter news for 2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Rejoice always
Pray continually
Give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We are so grateful for your prayers this year. Honestly, we would not have been able to have faced so much without them. There have been many beautiful examples to us of how you have been the hands and feet of Christ. Thank you. My apologies for the delay in getting the 3rd quarter newsletter out, but it is perfect timing in celebration of Thanksgiving, for we do have praises to report!

Radiation is finished for my mom but continues to work through her body for a few more months. She has had her 3-month PET scan follow-up and just saw her oncologist to see where she stands. We had asked for prayers for complete healing at that stage, and no indication of cancer, and I am so pleased to report that our prayers have been answered!!! The oncologist feels like there was evidence the radiation worked and that what cancer was there has likely died. Can I get an Amen?! And a celebration dance?! 

She will continue to be monitored every 3 months for the next 5 years, alternating between CT and PET scans. His biggest recommendation was to avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Please continue to pray for freedom from smoking. It has been almost one year now, but the struggle is still there for her. We ask for your prayers as well for the protection of healthy lung tissue, as her shortness of breath seems to have worsened in the past few months.  

As we move into the holidays, we ask for your prayers for reminders of God's Presence and Comfort in our grief and that we will continue to lean into Him for our healing. Keep those prayers coming for both my stepdad and grandma too. After a few months of chest pain, my stepdad had a heart cath, a stint put in, and one cleaned out. We continue to give praise here as well for how the Lord has had His hand on his health over the last 20 years. My grandma continues to be seen by a myriad of doctors. The biggest request for her is for the lymphedema in her legs. She will start daily therapy soon for 4 weeks, and we pray that will help with the swelling, pain, and infection she currently has. It is definitely time to keep a separate calendar for medical appointments :-)

As for ministry, the Lord continues to move mightily. The project and partnership I have been involved with in the Philippines will formally wrap up at the end of this year, though the trauma healing ministry will continue. It has been such a blessing to be a part of the growth and development of the facilitators there. I love being able to work myself out of a job, so to speak, as the facilitators take over, train others, and continue to facilitate healing groups. Over 20,000 people were able to attend a healing group in the last 6 months due to this partnership with ABS and ICM, and I am thankful to have been a small piece of the healing that has occurred.  

Continue to pray for the facilitators as they lead healing groups and training moving forward, providing safe spaces for their hurting communities. Please pray for networking and cooperation between the various ministries using trauma healing as they work to serve their communities. Translation into local Filipino dialects has also been occurring, and we ask for prayers as those materials are finalized.

This quarter I also had the chance to participate in a missionary care retreat in Malaga, Spain. It was a privilege and honor to work with the teenagers during the retreat, a very different role than my usual one of serving the adults. Emily, our Missionary Kid director, has developed an amazing curriculum called Rooted. We explored their identity as missionary kids and teenagers and their identity in being rooted in Christ, focusing on Psalm 139 as our Scripture. Seeing these teenagers connect and form friendships with one another was incredible. At the end of the retreat, we had the chance to pray over each child while their parents were there. This was such a powerful and emotional time, and I am thankful to have been a part of it. Malaga is in Southern Spain, and the heart-shaped rock in the picture is one I found on the beach while walking with another missionary. I found it to be a beautiful reminder of how the Lord continues the healing journey in our hearts with such great Love and Compassion poured on us. 

Working with teenagers at the retreat reminded me that this is an area of passion and ministry focus for me. If you work with teens, let me point you to a free resource called Unstuck, a Teen Guide to Living in Uncertain Times. This can be used as a journal or as a small group discussion. Reach out to me, and I would love to tell you more about how I have used it in ministry. 

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for each of you! 

Thank you for your continued prayers, support, faithfulness, and love during this difficult year,

With love, Misty

---

Check out a reading plan on YouVersion from the Trauma Healing Institute

Hope for Wounded Hearts: Readings From Isaiah

The book of Isaiah contains rich imagery, prophecies about the coming Messiah, and reminders of God’s faithfulness towards his people. The prophet Isaiah recounts God’s faithfulness to the Israelites and speaks of his hope in a future redemption through Jesus. On this plan, you will learn more about God’s justice and compassion and how he is present and near to those who are suffering.

Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2022? There are 2 ways you may donate to Misty at Ministry Care. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
 
Ministry Care
14934 Pacer Ct.
Carmel, IN 46032
 
Or you can also make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org
 
Ministry Care is a 501c3 therefore your donation will be tax-deductible.
 
If you have any questions feel free to email us at [email protected]!

Donate Now to Ministry Care