Zambezi River, Zimbabwe, Africa 2011 (I am the front person on the right)Have you ever been white water rafting? I stumbled across this gem and I thought it was a good representation of where I am at. This picture evokes a variety of thoughts and feelings for me. You have to work as a team to navigate the rough waters and it's even better when you work in unity. There is smooth water and suddenly turbulent rapids and you may not know what is coming next. You try to listen to your instructor who is giving you directions and encouragement but sometimes over the wind and water, it is hard to hear. And when someone falls in, you work to give them a hand and pull them back into the raft. It gets your blood pumping and pulse racing. It is exhilarating while at the same time terrifying. You suddenly wonder about crocodiles in the still water....wait, now I am digressing. When the day is over, you are exhausted. This quarter has felt this way. As the Healing the Wounds of Trauma online activity has nearly tripled, I am now navigating working more with a team of many facilitators (instead of 2 or 3) and taking on more of a coach role-hopefully not shouting instructions at them though. Communication and unity help us work together to navigate the rough and bumpy waters of pain and trauma. At times we go around the bend and do not see the rapids that are coming. And in the chaos of this season and flurry of activity, I am trying to listen to my Instructor but sometimes I find it hard to hear Him over the noise. It is also scary not knowing what lies ahead, especially when considering traveling again. Certainly, I am exhausted after a long day online. Yet, I feel such joy and exhilaration over what the Lord is doing and the testimonies I am hearing. And I am thankful He commands both the still and the rapid water. "The Healing the Wounds of Trauma Group far surpassed my expectations of how deeply I would be touched. Everything spoken about was very real and compassionate, and not just theoretical. Therefore, delving into the topic, I didn't even realize how much trauma has affected me - even things I hadn't thought about for a long time. The biggest gift is to realize my desire to be able to bring my pain to the Lord, which I hadn't been able to do. I was given practical, biblical tools and have been able to begin to really release my hurts. I continue to heal and hope to help others do the same. I am so grateful for these sessions. Thank you!" Testimony from one of the healing groups this quarter During this quarter, I was involved with facilitating 5 healing groups, 3 Scripture Listening groups, 1 initial training, and 1 advanced training-all online. I have enjoyed working with a variety of facilitators and making some new friends along the way. Missionary care visits and team meetings are now also occurring online. Sometimes I miss good ole fashioned phone calls (and certainly face to face) but I am finding that zoom seems to be a place of safety and community. It has reminded me for many just how isolating this year has been. It has been great being involved internationally still; for example, one of our healing groups had someone waking at 3:30 am EST and joining in from Pakistan. Speaking of international, we had a great Advanced Equipping a few weeks ago. We had 15 participants total with some zooming in from China, Spain, Canada, and the UK. Because of the high number of participants, we had to divide the training into two. The two facilitation teams did a phenomenal job as we navigated using new material, people who had varied experiences of in-person activity versus online, and differences in materials that were used. It was a long training online and it made me really miss the energy and fellowship of face to face. But, I continue to go into those deep and rough waters as we move forward with online activity: trusting the team to work together to make it as safe an experience as possible for our groups and to continue to apply what we have learned this past year. This next month, I will actually be facilitating two more Advanced trainings: one occurring in Scotland and one occurring in Ethiopia. They will just be zooming me in!! That takes me to the question that many of you may have wondered. Or at least, one I have been wondering. When does international travel resume? It has now been 13 months since I left the US. My tentative plans are a trip to Ethiopia in July and to Central Asia in September. I hold all plans loosely at the moment, asking the Lord to show me the next steps. Please continue to pray for wisdom and discernment. Blessings to you and I look forward to sharing next quarter what the Lord has been doing! Love and prayers, Misty Praises and Prayers:
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2021? 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]
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You’re invited to join a webinar hosted by American Bible Society and Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion! This event will showcase the results of an innovative study on the impact and effectiveness of Bible-based trauma healing on inmates. This special webinar, called “God’s Word Breaks Chains” will be on Tuesday, April 6th from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm EST on Zoom. Researcher Dr. Byron R. Johnson of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion and American Bible Society CEO Robert L. Briggs will unveil the results of an in-depth study proving the lasting impact of American Bible Society’s Trauma Healing program being delivered in jails and prisons around the country. Be one of the first to hear the exciting results and learn how you can help hurting people in your own community. If you are able to attend, register at www.abs.bible/researchreveal I am really excited about this webinar and I hope you will take the opportunity to join. There will be a recording of the webinar so even if you cannot attend but are interested, please go ahead and register. This is special to me as we partnered with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, helping with the facilitation of the trainings that produced these healing groups in the jails where the study occurred. Chaplain Joe Collins, who will be on the webinar, went through the training pipeline that Joy Stevens and I led. I have known about the research study from the beginning (it is 3 years in the making) and it is encouraging to see the efficacy of the Trauma Healing Curriculum, something I could have told you anecdotally all along but now there is valid research to prove it. Hope you can join! Blessings, Misty Also, there is another upcoming Healing the Wounds of Trauma group that still has space! It begins on April 14th and ends on May 7th. The group will meet twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays from 12-2 pm EST. There is a cost of $15 for the book that goes with the group. if you think you would like to attend, you can find more information here: April group: https://healinggroup-april-may2021.eventbrite.com/ I appreciate your faithfulness in supporting Ministry Care. If you would like to make a donation, there are 2 ways you may donate. 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] or call at 765-603-3643. |
AuthorMisty Bodkins has a Master's degree in clinical psychology. She has worked both stateside and internationally doing counseling, training, teaching, and research. Her passion is working with people who are in crisis. Archives
January 2025
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