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"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." James 2:14-18 I have been reflecting on this verse a lot this past month, especially as I think about serving, both locally and internationally. The definition of 'serve' is:
Part of why this has come up is I had the opportunity to be a participant in a Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills (SYIS) workshop in Milwaukee. It was good to take off my facilitator hat and learn some new skills. A few highlights from the workshop include learning about conflict mediation and talking about stress management and maintaining margin in your life, especially as we serve the needs around us. The workshop gave us an opportunity to examine in-depth our core beliefs (not what we say but how we act), which is what has gotten me thinking deeper about service. I also had multiple meetings to share about Healing the Wounds of Trauma with Youth for Christ and Outreach, a ministry in Indianapolis that serves homeless youth. I am thankful that we have opportunities to work both globally and locally with Ministry Care. Please pray about the possibilities of healing groups and training with these ministries as their leadership considers the options. Ministry Care was also the mission spotlight at my home church, Dover Christian Church so it was nice to be able to share about the vision and purpose of the mission. Finally, I had some meetings regarding fundraising. My contract with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry ended June 30th, therefore I need to look carefully at my budget and consider raising an addition $600/month. Please let me know if you may be interested in partnering with me. Thank you for your support, your faithfulness, and your partnership. With love, Misty  Prayer requests and praises:
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com
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"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." Isaiah 43:2 Lately, I have felt like I have been standing in an ocean. The waves come and knock me down and just as I regain footing, another wave knocks me back down and so on. Have you ever felt that way? The verse above has brought me comfort and I am thankful the Lord is with me during this season. I am thankful He is with our missionaries too as in this past year, they have faced many difficult circumstances including civil unrest and eventual evacuation, violent robberies, conflict in teams, and other challenges faced such as daily stressors of living and working across cultures. We can look to Jesus as our example of taking time away from ministry for periods of refreshment and encouraging His disciples to do the same. I am thankful to partner with an organization who recognizes that missionaries need to worship in their heart language, have fellowship with others, and have a safe environment to share what is troubling them. During a retreat in Costa Rica in May, we were able to use the missionary contextualization of Healing the Wounds of Trauma to help them process their experiences. One family shared how the retreat impacted them personally. "We are beyond grateful for our friends at the home office who take the time to travel across the world to encourage us, equip us, and simply spend time with us. We were blessed to take part in a Bible-Based Trauma Healing program throughout the week. The sessions focused on the healing message of scripture, pointing the hurting to Jesus to find restoration and hope. The sessions had a great impact on us personally and we left feeling better equipped to walk with others through their pain and suffering. We appreciate the work the Trauma Healing Institute is doing worldwide, as facilitators travel to help support and equip believers to minister to people in their communities. We treasured our time with everyone at the retreat and were encouraged to hear the amazing ways God is at work. We cherish our Global family and thank them for their investment in our lives and their constant love, prayers, and support!" We had the chance after the retreat to spend some time with missionary families in Nicaragua. A highlight from that time was being able to join their team in their weekly ministry at a local jail. There was a time of worship in Spanish and then a time of sharing. Sharon and I had the privilege of being able to share with the women. We talked about Rahab and that she is in the lineage of Christ with the point being that no matter what you have done if you give your life to Christ, He can and will use you. Sharon talked about Scripture being alive, active, and having full power to heal and transform lives. We are thankful for the opportunity the Lord gave to share openly. In June, we held our Advanced Equipping in Maryland with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry. This equipping brings a formal end to my partnership with Good News. It has been a great year working with them. Since the project has begun, there have been 193 healing groups with a total of 1410 participants. Seven Initial Equipping Sessions have been held with 116 certified as Apprentice Facilitators. 7 Advanced Equipping’s have occurred with a total of 93 participants. Of those 93, 50 were certified as Healing Group Facilitators and 37 as Training Facilitators. There are 6 trained as Master Facilitators in Correctional material and 1 as Master Facilitator in Training who is also trained in Spanish. We have heard numerous praises of how the Lord is working, including testimonies of inmates giving their lives to the Lord. Thank you for your support, your faithfulness, and your partnership. With love, Misty From one of the Chaplains with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry: "We are very grateful to the Lord for His blessing on the program, the facilitators and especially on all those who have participated in the classes. The Trauma Healing Program has proved to be an enormous blessing and asset to the facility and to our outreach here. The leaders and facilitators are so visibly excited on seeing what God is doing in setting lives free. Again I sincerely thank you and pray the Lord's continued blessing, wisdom, and guidance for you and those who serve with you and the Trauma Healing Program."  Prayer requests and praises:
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com "He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the LORD of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.." Luke 10:2 This verse has been on my heart for the month of April. I have been praying for those already working in the harvest, for those yet to as they do not yet know the Lord, and for those where the number of workers is small. This month I had the privilege to go to Bangladesh to mentor local Training Facilitator's as they held an Initial Equipping for Healing the Wounds of Trauma. The country of Bangladesh has around 1% Christian believers (according to those I was with). It is a country facing increasing persecution from the predominate Islamic religion. Yet, the believers are strong, persistent, bold, and witnessing to those around them and trusting the Lord to bring more workers to their field. I wonder if I am as bold with my unbelieving neighbors and family? Am I diligent and faithful to pray for more workers, trusting the Lord to bring fruit from the harvest? Would you pray with me for those in Bangladesh?Here are some prayer requests to reflect on:
With love, Misty An email sent from the Bangladesh Bible Society: Thanks for your help - especially for Master facilitator Misty Bodkins. She is an excellent training facilitator. We learned a lot from her. We learned some new ideas and new ways of facilitating. So it was a nice and successful initial equipping session for us. We are hoping in the near future to have her help again.  Prayer requests and praises:
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31 Webster's defines the word weary to mean: 1: exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness 2: expressing or characteristic of weariness 3: having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted Have you ever felt weary? Recently, this topic has been near and dear to me. Sometimes I think we get busy "doing" that we forget to just "be". I love the passage in Isaiah and I have been reflecting on it a lot lately. What I love the most is that the Lord NEVER grows weary. Even though I may grow weary, He does not. What comfort that brings to me. It has been a great but tiring month. We held an Initial Equipping in Maryland that was focused on Corrections.I went from Maryland to Philadelphia where I was able to attend the Community of Practice for the first time. The goal of the Community of Practice is to bring facilitators, mental health professionals, and advocates from organizations and churches that work with trauma survivors for networking, collaboration, professional development, encouragement, and prayer. It was really cool to hear what is going on with Trauma Healing around the world, especially in places like the Middle East. I loved my time there and look forward to attending again next year. In the brief time I was back in Indiana, I was thankful to attend a 10 year celebration of Hope for His Children, a ministry I have partnered with in Ethiopia. Finally, we held a dual track Equipping for the first time in Mississippi. This is where both an Initial and Advanced Equipping is running concurrently. I believe strongly that Trauma Healing has such a place in churches and ministries as we all need to learn to walk alongside those hurting. As I am thankful for the ability to "pick up and go", I am also recognizing the value in making sure I am taking my own time for rest and most importantly, continuing to develop deep roots in my walk with the Lord. My hope in Him is what shall renew my strength! With love, Misty At the Community of Practice in Philadelphia, we had a chance to do a community lament. Our table chose to focus on the word 'Hopeless' as we see the trauma around us and that is what comes to mind. We each drew a picture focusing on different aspects of what we see in hopeless situations: war, refugees, abuse, generational trauma, etc. We then built a quilt so to speak from these pictures. A testimony from a participant in Mississippi: Being here set me free in an area of my own life and finding healing. I do feel that I can better help others as I continue to study and use the training material. I am so grateful that God put this need into those who developed this training and made it available to us. We were so blessed with the expertise and passionate caring of our facilitators that I feel this was perfectly done. Thank you so much!!! Prayer requests and praises:
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2nd Corinthians 5:17 NIV)When I saw the above butterfly, I was immediately reminded of 2nd Corinthians. Years ago, Rumbi had to intervene me for a counseling class and one of the questions had to do with what my metaphor was for counseling. I honestly did not have one but as I was looking around my room I saw some butterflies hanging on the wall. It then clicked. Just as the moth struggles to break through and become a new creation-the butterfly, we also struggle with things in our lives that need to be different, to change and be more like Christ. The good news is the Lord has already made us new! The old is gone! The new has begun! I am likely not explaining where my heart is with this but I love that we are not left where we were. The Lord continues to transform us and sanctify us, loving us in our brokenness and bring beauty out of the ashes. When we left China, we headed to Thailand to facilitate a Healing Group during a retreat with missionaries from the Asia Pacific area. We had 22 in our group. Again due to their locations I will not disclose where they were but we had a range of workers for 30 years to one heading to his field of service for the first time. It was a great group and I love how the Lord continues to make us His new creations, no matter how long we have been serving Him. As a result of our time, there is now interest in Sharon and I returning to Asia in the future to facilitate Equipping Sessions for Trauma Healing. I had not been back to the states for very long when I left cold Indiana for warm Florida. I went to assist with an Initial Equipping in Palm Bay. This Equipping was full at 25 participants and we ended up with 22 apprentice facilitators when it was over. My role during this time was more of a coach. For one facilitator, this was her first training. Thinking back to when we started in July 2017, I wish we would have had a coach to help us out! What was beautiful is when she had an aha moment of why the Lord had her there. She speaks Spanish and was excited to learn that the materials have been translated into Spanish. She now has several thoughts about being involved with the program in areas in Latin America. It was really neat to see her growth as well from the first day to the fourth. Our lead facilitator did an excellent job and I continue to feel privileged to get to serve the Lord in this capacity. Looking forward to what March has in store! With love, Misty From our Florida Participants: My healing has been evident. I came to learn how to treat the hurting and in the process I received healing! Powerful and liberating! The facilitators were warm, professional, and displayed the Love of God. The unity of spirit and team concept was evident from start to finish. It was a pleasure being a part of this training. This training has covered so many aspects and I think one that impacted me was writing a lamentation concerning my brother's death. It was very freeing and I hope to share this with many others! I will recommend this to others I know in ministry.  PRAYER REQUESTS:
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com  The Prayer of a Righteous Person is Powerful and EffectiveThe Lord never ceases to amaze and our time in China was no different. It is the first time in what we call a Creative Access country and for that reason, I will not disclose the location of where we were. I will say that God blew us away in this Initial Equipping. We came into the country expecting a group of 11 but before our first day, the group totaled 19. It was the most internationally diverse group we have had: 6 were from African countries (including 2 from Zimbabwe!), 6 from various Asian countries (3 were Chinese), 4 were American, and 3 were European. We learned a lot about the variations in culture during the equipping. We spent 4 days for the equipping and then had 1 day of optional lessons. We spent quite a bit of time with the global workers there as well as learned a lot from our Chinese host family who were so gracious and hospitable. What stood out for me during this time was our lesson on Grief. We had many university students there who have left their home countries in pursuit of educational goals. All these years, during the International Conference on Missions, I have listened to leaders urge us to reach out to university students in America, especially those from other countries. But I never thought it was applicable to me. Until China. My eyes were opened to the various losses they experience as they enter a totally new culture and I was convicted of the great needs they have. Take a moment and imagine you are from Nigeria and you head to China for university. A communist country. A language you cannot read or write. Friends and family far away and no money in the budget for visiting home during your time at university. This is what students face and not just in China but in America too. As Americans, it is a great opportunity to be welcoming and hospitable, teaching them about culture and how to navigate places like Wal-Mart. And for those students who are believers, they will go back to their home countries to be a great light and witness to those around them. And if they are not yet believers, what a great opportunity to show the love of Christ in tangible ways. I challenge you to consider where God has placed you. Is there a university student you can reach out to? With love, Misty Written by Val (Taiwanese participant): This has greatly impacted me. It was very eye opening to learn that hurt is everywhere around us...that brothers and sisters I see every Sunday have so many heart wounds. And I think it is amazing to get healed by identifying a lot of my issues and knowing it takes time to heal. And at the same time getting equipped to help those who are hurting/traumatized. And realizing the behaviors people have helps remind myself NOT to have prejudice and take things personally if some people act strange, seem cold, rude, or angry-we just need to reach out more.I think the training was very thorough and really useful. The materials are great to follow. The trainers Misty and Sharon are simply awesome!! Very approachable and inviting. THANK YOU!! Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner of Misty Bodkins in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com  The Prayer of a Righteous Person is Powerful and EffectiveWhat does the Bible say about prayer? Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God, and He wants to get to know us better. As we start into 2019, one way to partner with Ministry Care is through prayer. As we listen to the brokenness of the world each day through the news and other sources, it is vital that we keep prayer at the forefront of what we do. Otherwise, it is easy to grow weary and discouraged. We need to stay rooted, deep into the Word of God, seeking Him in all we do. As we try to bring hope into a hurting world, we know that it is through His Wisdom and Truths from His Word that will transform lives. Some specific prayer requests for 2019 include the following:
With love and thanks, Misty Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com  THANK YOU FOR HELPING BRING HOPE AND HEALING THIS YEAR!The message of the Gospel of Christ brings the healing Light into the darkness of hopelessness. 2018 has been an incredible journey of faith with our Lord and YOU were there every step of the way building His Kingdom! You have been there with Misty, in the Middle East and Kenya, as she helped care for missionaries through providing a safe space for them to rest, reflect and be restored through fellowship, God's Word, and the opportunity to be heard. You were there as she co-facilitated training's in the states and through East Africa and Eastern Europe that brought hope, healing, and equipping of ministry leaders, nationals, lay people, counselors, and missionaries. You have been there through transitions to a new ministry that has been a perfect match for Misty these last 2 years. I just want to say thank you for walking this journey of faith, seeking to glorify God and engage people with the Gospel of Christ that brings hope and healing. I am looking forward to 2019 and eager to join God in the work He has planned for us. Together, through Trauma Healing, we will bring hope and healing, share the Gospel. and equip nationals and missionaries in Asia, Romania, Bulgaria, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and many locations in the US. Together we will bring comfort, rest, and refreshment to missionaries serving in Asia, Latin America, and Europe through co-facilitating a time of retreat. Together, we will see what else the Lord may have in store for 2019. I say "together, we" because you are with me even if you are not physically present. Enjoy some highlights of each month for 2018 in the ministry. Thank you for your prayer and financial support! Without you, these photographic highlights would not be possible! With love and thanks, Misty Would you prayerfully consider becoming a partner in 2019? 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 as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com  It is Giving Tuesday! What is Giving Tuesday? It is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when nonprofits focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. There are many wonderful ministries to give to. I ask that you prayerfully consider giving to Ministry Care this year. The Lord has opened up many doors of opportunity for 2019 and I know those opportunities will continue to grow. In looking ahead, we have set a goal of $3750.00 to raise by the end of the year. What is the purpose of this you ask? One of the challenges we have observed in 2018 is the inability of a national (a local to the country we are in) to be able to afford the cost to attend a Trauma Healing Training. I can share with you many reasons as to why it is important for them to have "skin in the game" but the bottom line is as we look to 2019, we have opportunities in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and other locations to offer this training. The money raised during Giving Tuesday will go to fund these training's for 2019 by offering scholarships for the locals. When we meet our goal, this will enable 25 nationals to attend the training. In honor of Giving Tuesday, would you consider making a donation to Ministry Care this month? 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. Make a note that the donation is for Trauma Healing. Ministry Care is a 501c3 therefore your donation will be tax deductible. If you have any questions feel free to email us at ministrycareinternational@gmail.com or call at 765-603-3643. Written by a Ugandan:
I am so grateful and blessed to be a part of this trauma training. I believe it was made for me because it was exactly what I wanted and needed to hear in this season of my life. Truly my heart was hurt and broken. I was carrying a lot of stress and luggage that my body could not handle. I did not know I was suffering until I attended this training. Now I know I was having a lot of trauma and heart wounds going through my life. I had never been comforted and encouraged like this before. I always felt lonely, distanced, blamed, condemned, shamed, and I always felt guilty for everything I do. This training impacted my life in so many ways I view myself now and even in handling situations in my life. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this training.  From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so thankful for those who chose to partner with and support Ministry Care. We would not have been able to have done this work around the world without YOU! Your generosity makes me pause and be thankful for you. That God has chosen me to serve him in this missionary capacity makes me pause and be thankful to Him. Psalm 107:1 "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." Each day, there are opportunities to chose to be thankful. Even when we find ourselves in dark and troubling places, we can always give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and for His love. A love that no matter our circumstances we cannot be separated from. A love that is constant. A love that never lets us down and is patient beyond belief. May your Thanksgiving be filled with joy, laughter, family and friends and most of all, a remembrance of what the Lord does in each of our lives-giving thanks to Him and His everlasting love. |
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
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