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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
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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
December 2020
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