This is a testimony written by one of our participants. The purpose of sharing this is to give you insight into the level of trauma we have seen as well as show how the Equipping Sessions for Trauma Healing is having an impact on the lives of those who are participating and offering them hope. 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. I was a child soldier, abducted by rebel group of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) at the age of 9. Afterwards I served in different military in Uganda and South Sudan, as that was all I knew. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been one of central Africa’s cruelest and most enduring armed groups over the past 30 years. The LRA has abducted over 67,000 youth, including 30,000 children, for use as child soldiers, sex slaves, and porters, and has brutalized communities since its inception in 1987. It was designated as a terrorist group by the United States and prompted the first ever set of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court against the LRA’s leader, Joseph Kony, and other top commanders. Rather than focusing on military targets, the LRA usually targeted the very citizens it claimed to be fighting for, raiding villages for supplies and forcing children to carry the goods into the bush. In northern Uganda, the LRA became increasingly brutal. Civilians suspected of supporting the government or forming self-defense forces had their ears, lips and noses cut off. During attacks on villages, rebels carried out mass abductions of children who in turn were forced to carry out future attacks - making them both victims of the conflict and perpetrators. Around Gulu and Kitgum, two of the bigger towns in northern Uganda, the threat of abduction became so great that tens of thousands of children from nearby villages marched into the town centres each night to sleep in schools, hospitals and on pavements – anywhere they could find safety in numbers. The plight of these so-called "night commuters" helped to focus world attention on the crisis. During my time in the community I experienced a lot of challenges and judgment, which led me to close my heart and feelings to people around me. It is very hard for me to trust anyone and even God with my life. I became deceitful and hopeless in life. Most of the people I met in life would tell me soldiers do not belong or enter the kingdom of God because they work and do things against the law and commandments of God. I personally killed and did so many dirty things during my time in the LRA and the military. I started believing in what the lies of people and what they said about me. I always tried to dodge and distance myself from seeking the truth about what God says about me. This training led me to opening my heart more and I was able to extend grace and forgiveness to people who have wronged me and also I asked forgiveness to myself. I always looked before unto what people did wrong to me but now I am learning to take responsibility of my own mistakes during this training. I feel so comforted and encouraged to allow God into my life. I am also moving into a new direction with hope and also trusting and gaining back trust from other people. My greatest thanks goes to all of the founders of this program. To the organizers and the facilitators, may the Lord God continue to lead you as you reach in and through the different ways people have wounded hearts. This has made such an impact on my life and for the first time, I am now experiencing healing from what I have faced. Prayer Requests:
Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence!
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Peace be with you and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God's grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. This update wraps up our time in Uganda, where in total we had 2 Initial Equipping Sessions for Trauma Healing, 2 Advanced Equipping Sessions for Trauma Healing, a day of Optional Lessons for Trauma Healing (where we covered domestic violence, rape, suicide, and addictions), and many one on one meetings with people who are hurting-both missionaries and Ugandan nationals. It was a joyful reunion with Rumbi as well when she came for the Advanced Equipping and she summed trauma healing up best when she said: I have learned about how those in my healing groups are not objects, but people-people with heart wounds. I have realized how fragile a wounded heart is and that what we are doing is a sacred task. God has work He needs to do in the people in the group and He uses us as His vessel to do this. She is absolutely correct. Wounded hearts are fragile and we must proceed with care when we are facilitating healing groups. The Lord grants the wisdom and knowledge of how to proceed cautiously, with love and tenderness as we offer hope to those who are hurting. In the end, we certified 46 apprentice facilitators (across 3 Initial Equipping Sessions), 10 Training Facilitators, and 17 Healing Group Facilitators. There are many valuable lessons we have learned as we think through the next few weeks how to develop additional policies and procedures as we proceed with additional opportunities in this area. We are so thankful that the Lord comes close to the brokenhearted, bringing comfort to those who grieve as we continued to see many with broken hearts. We are thankful we were used in small ways to encourage, pray, and care for those who are broken. It feels impossible to share all we saw the Lord do in a newsletter so I look forward to seeing you all in person-giving the glory and honor to God for the work He is doing in us and through us. Testimonies from our participants in UgandaWe are excited for the knowledge and skills that you have shared and that you have heightened our capacities from a Christian perspective. We looking forward to growing together and help heal wounded hearts of our families, friends and neighbors.Thank you for the training and may God bless you. It wasn’t just a lesson for me to undertake and report that I attended: it was something I longed for, an opportunity to reflect upon self and lighten up, I felt energized and confident in my way of life after the training. I thought I was coming to learn to help others but yet God dealt with me first in order to prepare me to deal with others. Because of the healing I experienced, I am now in a position to help others. Prayer Requests:
Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence! Peace be with you and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God's grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. This update comes from Uganda and covers the 2 Initial Equipping Training's we have done for Trauma Healing. It is very difficult to put into words all that has occurred in the past month. It is an honor, privilege, and very humbling to be a vessel to be used by the Lord-to equip others who can be a light shining brightly in the darkness for those who are hurting and to also be a catalyst for healing and change in our participants lives. Our Ethiopia training started off with 3 participants when I arrived in country. Sharon, a co-facilitator, prayed for 20 participants. Early in the morning of our first day of training, we added 2 more participants for a total of 20! God is so faithful and brought together the group who would best benefit. The attendees were from five countries and a variety of ministries; elder care, street children, orphan care, nursing, international school and a few already in the counseling profession! We knew there was an openness already in Uganda for this training so we were not surprised that we certified 22 apprentice facilitators and had to add a 2nd initial equipping in March due to the interest. The attendees represented 4 countries, included a participant who traveled from the Congo to attend. Several of them work in the refugee camps in Northern Uganda, some are pastors, and we even had a few participants who had been taken as child soldiers during the LRA-it was incredible to hear what the Lord did in their hearts through the training! Across both training's there were plenty of opportunities for us as facilitators to bear burdens. There were many times of praying with and for our participants, one on one time during breaks and lunches, and hearing powerful testimonies of what the Lord was doing in their lives through the lessons we covered. As a reminder, the Trauma Healing program combines best mental health practices and the Word of God to bring people to a place of recognition of their wounded hearts and taking that pain to the Cross for healing. We were equipping these participants to lead those they care for and work with through the healing group experience. We are thankful for the healing journey the Lord has started in these participants lives and we trust He will continue the process. One of the routine comments in our feedback forms is for the need to have a national facilitator with us, especially as we often look at what culture says and compare it to the Bible. We are excited to offer two advanced equipping training's in March because that is one of the goals: to certify those who will then go on to become trainers (the other goal is for those who will continue the vital task of offering healing groups by becoming Healing Group facilitators). Because of the Advanced Equipping's, we will in the future be able to add those national counterparts and that is what the goal is for all 4 of us as facilitators. Pray that the Lord continues to direct our steps in this regards. Testimonies from our participants in Ethiopia and UgandaFor many years, I did not attend training's because I found them to be boring and nothing new, but when the Holy Spirit woke me at 3 am to the importance of attending, I am glad that I did. I learned a lot that I can use in ministry along with personal insights. I uncovered that the emotions I couldn’t express had a name and some of the things I used to do, thinking it was only me, is actually a known pattern of behavior. It gave me hope. It opened me up to take it to God too. It was also breathtaking for me to see this many people being of the same mind, flowing together. It was beautiful to see and makes me believe that God is the one who put it together. I feel I have tools in my toolbox to help others: tools that are culturally appropriate, appropriate for different levels of education and scripturally rooted. Prayer Requests:
Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence! Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ and greetings from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My first week here was a continuation of relationships already established with multiple missionaries and an opportunity to provide a continuation of care. You may remember from last year that there is a short term mission trip every year to Ethiopia so my 2nd week here was spent with the team, many of whom are from my home church. This update is from that week. I had the chance to continue to serve at Compassion Family International with the primary role of fitting shoes for the kids there. We ended up passing out around 95 pairs shoes. There are a few highlights of the week, one of which was the chance to be involved in foot washing. The lesson from the week was about the life of Moses. The connection was made with the CFI staff between foot washing and Moses taking off his sandals as he was on Holy ground. Foot washing was also tied in to Jesus washing His disciples feet, which is the portion of Scripture I would like to focus on. Some of the team washed the parents and guardians feet and then on staff appreciation day, the rest of us had the opportunity to wash the feet of the CFI staff. As I have reflected on that experience and what it meant to me and re-read the passage where Jesus washed His disciples feet, here are a few thoughts I will share. For me, it was a chance to take a look at how Jesus was able to love His disciples. Take a moment to read John 13:1-17. Yes what happened with the disciples was many years ago and it was a different place but our story is still the same as the disciples. We were not in Jerusalem and we were not alive that night. But what Jesus did for them He has done for us. He has cleansed us. He has cleansed our hearts from sin. Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives and from the basin of His grace He scoops a palm full of mercy and washes away our sin. But that is not all He does. Because He lives in us, you and I can do the same. Because He has forgiven us, we can forgive others. Because He has a forgiving heart, we can have a forgiving heart. Max Lucado has written about this passage and he suggests there are 2 reasons why Jesus washes our feet. The first is to give us mercy. The second is to give us a message. That message is simply this: 1. Jesus offers unconditional grace; we are to offer unconditional grace. 2. The mercy of Christ preceded our mistakes; our mercy must precede the mistakes of others. 3. Those in the circle of Christ had no doubt about His love; those in our circles, whether it is family or friends, should have no doubt about our love. Jesus was able to love His disciples with a towel and basin. Of all the times we see the bowing knees of Jesus none is as precious as when He kneels before His disciples and washes their feet. It was just before the Passover feast and Jesus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to His Father. He now showed his disciples the full extent of His love. Remember the task to wash feet was for the lowest of servants. But in this case the one with the towel and basin is the King of the universe. Hands that shaped the stars now wash away filth. Fingers that formed mountains now massage toes. And the one before whom all nations will one day kneel now kneels before His disciples. Hours before His own death, Jesus’ concern is singular. He wants His disciples to know how much He loves them. More than removing dirt, Jesus is removing doubt. Jesus knows what will happen to His hands at the crucifixion. Within 24 hours, they will be pierced and lifeless. Of all the times we would expect Him to ask for the disciples’ attention, this would be one of them. But He does not. You can be sure Jesus knows the future of the feet He is washing. These 24 feet will not spend the next day following their master, defending His cause. These feet will dash for cover at the flash of the Roman sword. Only one pair of feet will not abandon Him in the garden. One disciple will not desert Him at Gethsemane-Judas won’t even make it that far! He will abandon Jesus that very night at the table. Jesus knows what these men are about to do. In the morning they will bury their heads in shame and when they do He wants them to remember how he knelt before them and washed their feet. He wants them to realize those feet are still clean. In John 13:7 Jesus says “you do not understand what I am doing now but you will later”. Remarkable! He forgave their sins even before they committed them. He offered mercy before they even sought it. All this to say that the moment I knelt before Fikadu to wash his feet, this passage became more alive and real to me. It was humbling. It was an act of worship. It was an act of service I never will forget. And based on Fikadu's reaction, I believe he will not forget either. Of all the glimpses of God that occurred this week with CFI and the team, this is the most powerful reminder for me of His love, mercy, forgiveness and grace poured out on each of us; His light shining into the darkest recesses of my heart. I was honored to be able to play a part in washing someone's feet and reflecting on what Jesus did for His disciples when He was their feet. Prayer Requests:
Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence! Leaving on a Jet Plane Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I am wrapping up my last few days in the states by working on ministry taxes, personal taxes, and making sure we are ready to go for our training in Ethiopia! I am leaving Friday January 19, 2018 to head to East Africa for the next 3 months. Here is a summary of the basic itinerary:
I look forward to sharing what the Lord does in these next few months. I will also be sharing more about the vision and direction for Ministry Care in 2018. Trauma Healing will be a large piece moving forward and I was privileged to sit in on an Advanced in Memphis earlier this month. I am recognizing the importance of facilitating Trauma Healing groups as well as facilitating the Equipping Sessions. I am thankful I had a chance to facilitate a group this past month in Gas City. I learned valuable nuggets of wisdom in training others that we will incorporate into our Advanced in Uganda. I also continue to stand in awe of how great a net worker the Lord is. Finally we as move into 2018, I continue to be thankful for faithful partners like you. This ministry is a team and I could not do this on my own! Many blessings to each of you. Next stop....Ethiopia! Prayer Requests:
Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence! Happy New Years! As 2017 comes to a close, the word that keeps coming up for me is thankful. Merriam Webster defines thankful in the following ways: 1: conscious of benefit received
blissful, chuffed (British), delighted, gratified, happy, joyful, joyous, pleased, satisfied, glad, tickled (Side note, I learned the word chuffed when I was in Zimbabwe, it was always one of my favorite words!) Each one of these definitions are applicable for me this year. There are many reasons to be thankful. First my expression of thanks is for each one of you. Many of you have been faithful prayer warriors, which is so vital in the spiritual battles that go on all around us. There are some of you who have been such an encouragement to me, reminding me of God's Presence and Faithfulness during those valley moments and a thank you does not seem enough for the blessing you are in my life. In terms of being conscious of benefit received, I am so thankful for those of you who have chosen to be financial partners with me. This ministry would not occur without you so I am thankful for your dedication and commitment. I am thankful and well pleased to be a part of Ministry Care and to have such a supportive Board of Directors. This ministry has been a perfect fit for me. I am thankful that God calls each one of us to serve Him and to spread the Gospel. I am thankful He has chosen me to do this internationally. One of the biggest things I am thankful for in 2017 is learning about Healing the Wounds of Trauma (Trauma Healing), becoming a master facilitator, and being a part of facilitating equipping sessions and healing groups. I believe this will be a big part of the ministry in 2018 and look forward to seeing how the Lord continues to use the material to not just set people free from trauma but also draw them close to Him. I am so thankful for the testimonies coming out of Uganda as a result of Trauma Healing and for the multiplication of those trained in mental health principles and Biblical foundation that has occurred in 2017 and more that will happen in 2018. As 2018 begins, I return to Ethiopia just a few weeks into the new year. I leave the states January 19th. We will be holding an Initial Equipping Session for Trauma Healing February 5 to 8th and a Convening session on February 9th in Ethiopia. I then travel to Uganda on February 10th, where we will be facilitating several Initial Equipping Sessions and an Advanced Session. I look forward to sharing more in my next newsletter. Please pray for safe travels and for God to be glorified in these sessions. "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1st Thessalonians 5:18 If you would like to give to Ministry Care, it is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible.
You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to: Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence as we move into 2018! "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28-29 Wow, it has been an incredible year!! Thank you for your support, partnership, encouragement, accountability, love, and prayers this year. Many blessings have occurred in 2017. One of which is understanding that the Healing the Wounds of Trauma Training and Groups will be a big part of the ministry moving forward in 2018. What a joy it is to be a part of a solid curriculum combining mental health principles with a solid Biblical foundation. Trauma healing is designed to equip local church leaders and ministry leaders with basic mental health and Biblical principles, so they are better able to respond to their own inner pain and that of others. This is vital as trauma can create a barrier to people engaging with Scripture. Hearts are hardened by anger and bitterness and the seed falls on hard ground and does not take root. People may read the Bible but may not let its message get into their hearts without first experiencing healing into their lives. It's very humbling to be a part of this. This has been a great month full of reunions with precious missionary friends of mine from around the world at ICOM (the International Conference on Missions). Twelve years ago was my first ICOM, where I only knew the missionaries I would be working with and enjoyed attending the various workshops. How different ICOM is for me now as I skipped many of the workshops in exchange for sitting down and catching up with others I had not seen in quite awhile. One of the highlights was spending time with single missionary friends as there is an understanding between us regarding the challenges faced on the field when you are single. I also had the chance to share at Global Outreach Made for Missions conference. I taught 2 workshops where the focus was on what is a wound of the heart and how can we help someone heal from their heart wounds. Because of those workshops, we have enough interest to hold an Initial Equipping Session in May in Tupelo, MS with various church leaders and community leaders to equip them to facilitate trauma healing groups. It was also a great time of brainstorming ways we can incorporate Trauma Healing into Member Care (caring for missionaries) and casting vision for 2018 with several co-facilitators. One other piece of news for the month. As you know, I spent 7 years in Zimbabwe, a country that will always hold a special place in my heart. Mugabe, who has been president since independence in 1980, has resigned. His resignation has been described in the news as a non-violent and non-bloody coup as the military moved into the capital and placed him under house arrest. Currently, his vice president has stepped in until elections are held in 2018. Please pray for change and for peace in Zimbabwe. The new president says the right words, but time will tell if he is serious about making positive lasting change. He has trained under Mugabe for years so there is skepticism of his motives. His behavior soon will speak louder than his words. In the meantime, this is a historic moment for Zimbabwe and I wait with the residents of the country in eager anticipation to see what unfolds in 2018. Finally, enjoy some highlights of each month for 2017 in the ministry. Thank you again for your partnership in 2017. Without you, these photographic highlights would not be possible! With love, Misty 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!
As I am sure you know, we are taking part today in Giving Tuesday, a day when many people give thanks to God for His blessings and then give generously in His name to the causes they care about. On this world’s biggest day of giving back, we are inviting you to show your generous spirit and love to Ministry Care. The reason why Ministry Care exists? We are here to offer support to grow and sustain thriving ministries! At the heart of Ministry Care is equipping, empowering, and training nationals (natives to that country) while offering care, encouragement, and help to missionaries. 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 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 Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.” Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This year has been full of many blessings and when we stop and really think about it, there are blessings around us each and every day. I have been reflecting on Colossians 3:16 to 17, which says, "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (NIV) I challenge you to make a list of things today that you can sing to God about with gratitude in your hearts. I am thankful to be celebrating Thanksgiving this year with my family. I am thankful for ministry partnerships in various locations in the world. I am thankful for Healing the Wounds of Trauma and the testimonies that are coming out of healing groups. And one of the main blessings for me that I am thankful for are faithful partners like you. Your faithful partnership in prayers and in giving ensures that the second half of this verse, acts of service in both word and deed in the name of Jesus, occur. I could not do this ministry without you so from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much!!!! Today, on Thanksgiving, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for what the Lord is doing in my life, in Ministry Care, and for your support in this. Happy Thanksgiving!!! Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence! Back in the US Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I finished up my time in Ethiopia and headed back to the states this month. It has been a pleasure to work with the missionaries in creating a member care plan for them. We are putting together a tentative plan to hold an Initial Equipping session for the Trauma Healing training the first week of February in Ethiopia. Finally, I spent a few days with Compassion Family International where I continued to help them develop documentation for an income generating project they are conducting with their parents and guardians. And in my spare time I have been working on some promotional materials too; look for a brochure and prayer card coming your way soon! Trauma healing groups continue in Uganda and we are seeing the fruit of our training's there. A group has been held this month with South Sudanese refugees. There were 25 women who attended. The importance of training nationals? One main reason is they can hold the groups in the local language. We had several testimonies from this group. I will share a portion from Tabu: Tabu's husband was killed in the war by rebels and she also lost a child. She moved to a refugee camp in Uganda but was struggling to find work and to send her kids to school. She made her way to Jinja, along the Nile river, where there is another refugee camp. She started selling mukene (little fish) from the river and making tablecloths to be able to provide for her children and send them to school. This is what she says, "I called out to God, if you are really there, why am I suffering? My husband, my brother and my father have all been killed by the rebels. God, show me a way I can work and provide for my children. And He did. I thank God that you came here and fed us with God's word. Now we must tell others in the camp that God is there; that He is faithful and though you suffer God will bring something good. Thank you and God bless you for coming." The facilitators of the group shared the following: "We experienced many successes while leading this trauma healing group. Our greatest success was seeing the women we were leading open up about the trauma in their lives and come to the realization that God is still with them. It was a huge blessing seeing the Lord work in their hearts. We had quite a few challenges while facilitating this trauma healing group. The women in the group were refugees from Sudan and many of the women were not able to read or write but we were able to altar some of the activities to fit the groups personal needs. It was incredible to see the Lord work through these challenges and reach the hearts of people. It was a huge reminder that when we are faithful and obedient to show up He will work through our weaknesses." As the mentor for these facilitators, it is a joy to see them putting into practice what they have learned and being obedient to what God has called them to do. I look forward to sharing more in the future of how God is using Trauma Healing groups in Uganda. I have jumped right in to a full travel schedule since my return to the US. I spent a week in Omaha, Nebraska. I had an opportunity to co-facilitate an Advanced Equipping session for Trauma Healing. We had 9 participants who work in various ministries, including jails, a homeless ministry, mental health, and a nursing school. This was the next step in my own training and as a result, I was able to earn my Master Facilitator status, meaning I can now lead both initial and advanced training's internationally and this will allow us to plan an Advanced training in Uganda in March. It was an honor to serve with my co-facilitator, a chaplain with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry. We really worked well together and our strengths and weaknesses complemented each other. The suicide lesson we presented was very challenging, due to the level of experience in the room but the openness of the group and their willingness to be vulnerable was insightful and inspiring. One of the participants shared how the training impacted him: "I have gained new info, become more confident, realized and addressed my own traumas, and have a renewed 'gas tank' of energy/motivation toward facilitating the material." It was a great week! Prayer Requests:
Ministry Care is a 501c3 organization, therefore, your donation will be tax deductible. You may donate one of 2 ways. You can make checks payable to “Ministry Care” and send them to:
Ministry Care 14934 Pacer Ct. Carmel, IN 46032 Or you can make an online donation, using Givelify, on our website at www.ministrycareinternational.org or click the button below If you have any questions feel free to email us as ministrycareinternational@gmail.com Thank you so much! And may God bless you richly with His presence! |
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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