3rd quarter 2025

This quarter brought some much-needed rest, retreat, community, fellowship, and the celebration of my youngest sister's wedding. The highlight was the Global Outreach Retreat in Kusadasi, Turkiye, where the theme was Return, creating space for opportunities to reconnect deeply with Jesus. These retreats are something I look forward to as I love the reunions of people I have known and worked with for years now, some as long as 10 plus years! It is the community for me, where I can be together face-to-face with not just colleagues but people who have become dear friends. And having the chance to make new friends too! Our morning sessions were centered around the book of Ephesians, as we had a day trip planned to Ephesus as a part of the retreat. It is amazing to walk in areas that I have read about many times. And to be challenged and stretched through the teaching of His word. 

From the retreat, I headed to the Canadian Rockies for my youngest sister's wedding in Banff, Canada. The days were packed with activities and adventures, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking, God showed off His glory in His creation in ways that seemed unreal, but yet there we were. The highlight for me was having time with the Lord as I walked across a skybridge, with the sun setting and these massive mountains all around me. In that moment, it was a reminder that God is bigger than the grief I have carried. And new hope was born, and I turned the corner on the grief journey towards New Beginnings. It is a journey, and I know there will be times of revisiting anger and sadness, but for now, I am thankful for new insights and new mercy. 

We pushed Rise Up across the finish line, and it is now in the official piloting phase. If you want to learn more about app-based small group programs, check out the Anchored in Hope website. This is the adult app-based program. There are QR codes that will take you to the app store where you can download the "THI audio" app and find training for both Anchored in Hope and Rise Up. Since Rise Up is currently being piloted, please contact me if you're interested in exploring its immediate use. 

This next month, I will be traveling to Nairobi, Kenya, for a Global Community of Practice event called Stronger Together. This event is for connection, sharing, and empowerment. I will be co-leading a workshop experience on using Unstuck with Natnael, a facilitator using the resource in Ethiopia. I am also moderating a panel discussion on using the inmate material in trauma healing. But the most exciting thing for me is I will be reunited wth Rumbi during this event. She has the opportunity to share best practices in working wth children. We last saw each other in Uganda in January 2020 for a children's training, and we haven't been able to be together since then. We are both very excited that the Lord saw fit to bring us together during this event. Simba will join us in Kenya at the end, so he can spend time with Rumbi for their anniversary, which means I will also get to see him! It has been 9 years since Simba and I last met in person, and 20 years this month since we first met in Zimbabwe. Thank you for your support and prayers. If you know me well, you know I love details, so I would love the chance to share more personally about this last quarter. Reach out, let's talk! Enjoy some of the pictures in the meantime.

Grace and peace to you,
Misty

Prayer requests:

• For the health of my parents. The oncologist was not pleased wth my mom's latest results, so he will see her sooner this time for a PET scan. My stepdad seems to be doing better regarding his cardiac health as a result of a med change, but has been falling recently, and we are uncertain of the cause.  
• For safe travels this quarter in trips to Kenya for the Stronger Together event and Atlanta for the International Conference on Missions. 
• Please pray for the continuation of the Rise Up pilot. Pray that we are sensitive to the needs of the youth we work with and that they experience connection and healing.

Did you miss my announcement last quarter about the publication of Unstuck: A Teen's Guide To Living In Uncertain Times?

If you work with youth, check out this resource: https://beyonddisaster.bible/for-youth and let me know how I can assist you.

Partner Now

There is still time in 2025 to partner with Misty Bodkins and Ministry Care. 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]