 From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!
This Christmas will be different in many ways as we grieve the loss of a loved one. But, I am thankful for the sweet memories of her and that she walked with the Lord. I am also thankful to have my mom with us as she spent the last week in the hospital with double pneumonia. Though she is out, she still has a long recovery ahead so I appreciate continued prayers for her. But most of all, I am thankful for Jesus, my Savior, and Lord. Without Him, my life would look so different. May your Christmas be filled with joy, laughter, abundant blessings, family and friends and most of all, a remembrance of what the Lord does in each of our lives. And for those of you whose Christmas may look different this year, may the Lord draw you near, offering hope, comfort, and encouragement. Merry Christmas!! With love, Misty
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 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 and I ask that you prayerfully consider giving to Ministry Care. In particular, I ask that you give to a specific project. In January 2020 in Uganda, there will be a Children's Equipping Session for Trauma Healing. Rumbi Pisirai, who is now running the counseling ministry in Zimbabwe, has a heart to work with younger children in Zimbabwe. This training is a perfect opportunity for her to gain more experience and equipping in this area. When we worked together, we primarily worked with teenagers as my background is not in working with children and this is a gap in training for her. The total cost for her to attend is $998. The breakdown of this is: Flight: $458 Transport to and from the airport: $140 Housing and meals for the 8 days: $200 Registration fee and materials for the 8-day training: $200 $200 has already been given to this project. We just need to raise an additional $798. If 16 of you would be willing to consider a one-time donation of $50, we would meet this goal. Therefore, 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. You can make a note that is donation is for Rumbi. Because of the economic situation in Zimbabwe, Rumbi cannot attend this training on her own. But you can help make this happen for her! Thank you for your support for her and thank you for your partnership with Ministry Care. 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.  From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
It is with gratitude and a full heart that I write to you. Thank you for the many prayers and financial gifts that you have shared with Ministry Care this year! We would not have been able to have done this work around the world without YOU! Because of YOU, missionaries in crisis have been walked alongside, listened to, and encouraged. YOU have traveled to places globally like Bangladesh and Nicaragua-to places the Lord opened up that never seemed possible. YOU have provided a space for missionaries to debrief their service and to find a time of refreshment and renewal. YOU have provided training's in the states and in Ethiopia and have been involved in emotional healing with teenagers. YOU have prayed and walked alongside me when we had our own unexpected death and grief journey. This year has been full of mountains and valleys and YOU have been there every step of the way. What I do would not be possible if I did not have YOU! May your Thanksgiving be filled with remembrances of what the Lord has done this year. And thank you again or your continued support and love as we work TOGETHER to further His kingdom and for His Glory. "There are not enough mental health professionals to meet the immense need for comfort and to teach basic emotional strategies that can bring relief and healing to people in our communities-including children and teens. This is how the church can help." Excerpt from the Life Hurts, Love Heals curriculum. A Commitment to Ethiopia Where God opens the doors we are committed to serving Him. On average, it takes about three years for a Trauma Healing Ministry to be self-sustaining, which includes Apprentice Facilitators, Training Facilitators, and active Healing Groups. My journey in Ethiopia started in 2012 when I had visa issues in Zimbabwe and needed to serve elsewhere for 3 months. In that time, I forged lasting friendships and relationships that have continued 7 years later. The trauma healing journey in Ethiopia started in February 2018, when we held our first Initial Equipping for 20 national and expat workers. Over the past 18 months, Sharon and I have mentored and encouraged those engaged in holding healing groups. In September, we held the second phase of their training, the Advanced Equipping. It is awesome to work with a group that sees the vision of how God wants to use Healing the Wounds of Trauma here. One of our trainees was from Southern Ethiopia where there has been particularly intense, violent tribal conflict. He is one of two people trained in the Dilla area. It was incredibly impactful to hear his heart to bring Christ to the people there and to bring hope and healing using the curriculum. Please pray for Bitsuanu as he seeks to bring healing to individuals as well as a community torn by generational hate, suspiciousness, unforgiveness, and ongoing violence. LIFE HURTS, LOVE HEALS In Ethiopia, besides facilitating the Advanced and checking in on various missionaries (see the above pictures), we also spent 3 days with a group of 16 teen boys who grew up on the streets of Addis Ababa. Partnering with Make Your Mark Ministry who has been working with these boys for over a year, we walked them through the ‘Life Hurts, Love Heals’ trauma healing teen material. It was a blessing to share meals, play games, and enjoy a beautiful rural retreat setting with them. Another gift was working with Fekadu, Yosi, and Yoni, three amazing men that work with MYM. All three served tirelessly in dual roles as co-facilitators and translators. I was blessed by their heart of love and compassion for these boys. Their deep desire to help each boy know his true value and worth to His Heavenly Father and to guide them on the path to be healed from the wounds that life had inflicted was truly inspiring. To say the weekend was transformational for the boys is an understatement. God used the time and material to bring healing, restoration, forgiveness, and true identity in Christ. Please pray for MYM as they minister to the street boys of Addis and for this group of young men. Pray that they would allow God to continue to transform their hearts minds, and loves, and they would not return to addictions and street life. Thank you for your continued love and support, 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 "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more because the previous things have passed away." Revelation 21:4" Sometimes life throws you an unexpected curveball. My intention was to write about our time in Ireland, share a bit about what I learned about the 'trouble' between the Central Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and brag on how the Lord is opening doors with the Northern Ireland Bible Society for Trauma Healing. Instead, while in Ethiopia, I had a phone call that turned my life upside down. My Aunt Tammy unexpectedly passed away on September 13th, very likely of an aneurysm at the age of 60 though she had some other health issues as well. She is a walking miracle as the Lord spared her from an aneurysm in 2011 and gave us 8 more years with her. Instead of leaving for Kenya on September 16th, I instead returned to the US, thankful we had finished our main ministry obligations in Ireland and in Ethiopia before the call. There have been times through my years in ministry that I did not return for various emergencies. And I know these are some of the hardest decisions missionaries have to face. But I knew without a doubt I needed to be a support for my family. It is a complicated situation that would warrant way too much detail than this newsletter but the short end is I have a very close relationship to this family member, who is also the mother to my half brother, Shaun. Plus, after just finishing facilitating a lesson on Grief, how could I not be with my family during our time of grief? The viewing and funeral have passed and now the real work of grieving begins. In case you have not experienced this journey, I have put in a picture of what the journey looks like. It takes about a month to work through denial and anger, which is where we are currently at. The praise? I had the honor of sharing the Gospel and baptizing my aunt in 2012 so though we do not despair, as we know she was welcomed by our Lord, our hearts still hurt for this current burden and it does not lessen the journey we are on. In the years I have been traveling, there are a few times going to the airport that stand out. The first time was February 2010 when I had visa challenges in Zimbabwe and unexpectedly had to leave. I sat with Rumbi going over last-minute instructions as she was stepping into the ministry on her own for the first time. She kept leaving for the bathroom to keep her emotions private. When I got to the other side of immigration, I wept and realized how much Zim had become home to me. The 2nd was July 2013 when I realized people sitting next to me had no idea of the trauma we had experienced, the sleepless nights, the nightmares and the fear. I understood then that you truly don't know what people on your flight are going through. You just put on a brave face and hope no-one talks to you. The 3rd time is now when my travel plans have changed and I returned to the states due to her death-full of grief and heartache. Next newsletter I will share more about Ireland and Ethiopia. In the meantime, please keep praying for my family. And have compassion, grace, and kindness for the people at the airport and planes. You never know what someone might be going through. 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 "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 "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 |
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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