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!
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.
The 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?
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!!
What 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.
Pray for my grandmother as she has surgery on January 18th for a broken nose due to a recent fall. I will be arriving in Southeast Asia that day. It is these moments that I am reminded by sacrifices made in serving internationally. Pray, too, for wisdom for her doctors as they try to determine why she continues to fall.
Pray for new ministry partners-both individuals and churches.
Pray for the retreats in February for Asia/Pacific missionaries occurring in Thailand and in May for Latin America missionaries in Costa Rica; for rest, refreshment, and fellowship that God wants His servants to enjoy.
Pray that each one of us continues our own journey of drawing near to the Lord, spending time with Him, increasing our Faith through studying His Word, and presenting our requests to the Lord.
Pray for Rumbi and her family in the recent loss of her older brother-that the Lord will be close to them and bringing them comfort.
Please let me know how I can pray for you this year!
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!
Romania and BulgariaThe second half of September was spent in Eastern Europe. This was my first time to this area of the world. It was very eye opening. Growing up, I had a lot of thoughts about communism and it was interesting to gain perspective from those who lived through the fall of communism. It was bleak to still see the communist bloc type of housing and to imagine what it would have been like to have lived there. My thoughts about this extend far beyond a newsletter so feel free to reach out to me for further discussion. I am super excited though to see the Lord opening up doors in this area. We held a Convening Session for Trauma Healing in Brasov, Romania and Sofia, Bulgaria. The purpose of a Convening Session is to give top leaders enough of an exposure to trauma healing so that they can decide if they want to integrate it into their ministry, The benefit is it helps those who are not familiar with the model to gain awareness. As well, when a group of leaders gathers and decides that they want to integrate trauma healing into their ministries, this provides a strong foundation on which to build the trauma healing program. The downside for us is there was enthusiasm and commitment but now we are trying to determine when to come back and hold the Initial Equipping. It is ideal to hold an Initial Equipping about three months after the Convening so that the interest aroused can be channeled into action before it disappears. Due to other obligations we are struggling to find the right time to return in that 3 month window but trust the Lord's timing is always greater than ours.
We had the chance to meet with the Romania Bible Society. This was beneficial as it continues to foster relationships with the local Bible society on the ground. We were able to make sure we were not stepping on any toes either so to speak by proceeding with planning an Initial Equipping. The Bible Society has been actively engaged in equipping both the Orthodox and Evangelical communities so it gave us the opportunity to sit in as learners as well as there are distinct differences between these communities.
Outside of these Convening Sessions, we also met up with Rhonda, who is the European Regional Member Care Director for Global Outreach. Sharon, Rhonda and I had the opportunity to engage actively with member care for those missionaries with Global in Bucharest, Brasov, and Sofia. We also had the chance to encourage a missionary outside of Global in Bucharest, And it was a treat to get to spend time seeing some of the local sights, such as Dracula's Castle, with the missionaries. Again we want to be used by God to encourage, love, listen to and serve those He has called to ministry so that they know they are loved, supported, heard, valued and understood. If they know these things, they will thrive not just survive and we feel like we were able to fulfill this in our time in Eastern Europe.
The month of October has been back to back training's for Trauma Healing. I arrived back to the states on October 2nd and headed off to Omaha for an Advanced Equipping. We had 17 participants (maximum is 20) in attendance and 4 Training Facilitator's that we were intentional about coming alongside to train well. The model that Good News is using to train the trainer's is very exciting to be a part of and has made me realize some of the gaps I had in my own training. Advanced Equipping Sessions are also fun as it is much more participant led and it is awesome to get to be a part of their action planning as they prepare for their own trauma healing ministry roll out.
I went from Omaha to Indianapolis for an Initial Equipping. We had this one planned since April and it is a testimony of how God is the best net worker. The host of the event has a daughter who attended one of our Initial Equipping Sessions in Uganda while she was there as an intern. Her daughter is originally from Greenwood, Indiana. As a result of her daughter's attendance and enthusiasm about the training, conversations began about holding one in Indianapolis. We ended up having 34 participants (maximum is 36) attend, with many of them being from Indianapolis. What is exciting for me is to get to be a part of training in the area that I use to call home when I worked in the states. We had quite a few also serving in cross-cultural missions and 16 of those participants work in the mental health field.There was a group of them also part of the Catholic faith and they had many ideas of how to implement Trauma Healing Groups into their community, especially among those who have experience trauma at the hands of the church-an unfortunate consequence of the fallen world we live in.
Finally, I went from Indianapolis to Orlando for our 2nd Advanced Equipping this month. In Orlando, we had 19 participants and 2 Training Facilitator's who moved on up as Master Facilitator's-the highest level you can achieve in Trauma Healing. The Advanced Equipping helps to provide clarification as to what the program model is all about. It gives the participants a chance to go deeper through the material-especially at the review of each lesson during practice facilitation where they have a chance to ask questions, gain clarification, and discuss any challenges they faced. Many of them gained an appreciation of the participatory model during the advanced and often state they wish they could re-do their first groups.
One of the challenges I have personally faced though is a heavy travel schedule with minimal time to recoup before moving on to the next event. This is how the next few weeks will go as well, leading up to Thanksgiving. I knew this would be a full schedule so I am trying to be intentional about a time of rest at the end of November. As I am often speaking to others how they are no good pouring out if they do not have a chance to be poured into, I am reminded to take my own advice and am thankful for those in my life who are holding me accountable.
To end on a praise report: We are thanking God in that it was reported that 4 people committed their lives to Christ during the healing groups and 1 rededicated their life to the Lord. We know how trauma creates a barrier to the Lord and we see the impact healing groups have had on removing that barrier.
"It is a big deal to be hosted by missionaries in their home… they open themselves and their lives to you. Not to mention that ministry demands continue even though they are hosting and coordinating the specialized training. I have organized and hosted many teams through the years and often it is an exhausting blessing to have people in your home, continue with the daily demands of ministry programs, give attention to your spouse and children and the list goes on. I truly appreciated that Andrea and Jeremy were willing to have us fold in with their family and include us in ministry activities outside of the training. I loved getting to know them and the children better, seeing where they live and minister and meeting national partners they work alongside. Experiencing all this gives me a better insight on how to pray specifically for them, for their ministries and the city they serve. Please pray for this wonderful family as the minister to boys of the Bahir Dar streets and university students.
One of my greatest desires is to be used by God to encourage, love, listen to and serve those He has called to ministry so that they know they are loved, supported, heard, valued and understood. If they know these things, they will thrive not just survive." I agree with Sharon, which is why last month my emphasis was on Missionary Care. It is exciting to see it lived out this month.
The Initial Equipping went really well. Even though this is a training to equip the attendees to be able to facilitate healing groups, we walk the participants through the lessons as a healing group. Our desire and prayers are that the participants would experience God’s healing in their hearts and lives. Through experiencing the healing of wounds on their hearts, they will be able to comfort and help others. At the end of our time together there was great conversations and revelations about suffering, how does healing begin, grieving, lamenting, and taking the pains of our hearts to the Lord, and finally forgiveness. Please pray for the attendees that God would continue to reveal to them His meaning of forgiveness. In many African cultures, the true purpose of granting and asking for forgiveness has been twisted and distorted into an obligation, expectation, and a way to avoid consequences of actions. At the end, it was a blessing to hear how God used our time together to bring awareness, correct false teachings, bring healing and freedom.
The lesson, “If God loves us, why do we suffer?” It helped me to identify cultural belief about God and false teachings. I know that God has seen my suffering.
I saw that I was using the “false bridge” to avoid my grief.
The lament impacted me… I felt for the first time it’s okay to lament to God… helped me share my feelings with God freely.
I found the session on “How can the wounds of our heart be healed?’ very helpful… it helped me realize I have heart wounds and helped me to understand that it’s okay to acknowledge that I am hurt and wounded. It helped me to be honest with God about my pain. Before the session “Taking your pain to the Cross” I didn’t know I could bring all my pains to the Cross, because I had this understanding God will be offended because he only wants me praising him… but that is not true.
​Please continue to pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts and lives of these beautiful people. Pray also for how God would use the healing, freedom and fresh understanding of truth in their families, church, friendships, and community.
The rest of our time in Ethiopia was spent in Addis. Ethiopia operates on a different calendar so we had the honor in joining in on a celebratory New Years Day Lunch with friends. We were able to spend time with several of the missionaries in the city as well as touch base with a few who participated in the Initial Equipping we held earlier this year. One of the challenges we faced in Addis was multiple protesting that was occurring, which limited our time out. Please continue to pray for peace and unity For Ethiopia.
Ethiopian New Years Lunch! Melkem Addis Amit 2011!
Peace be with you and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. This month has been full of continued service in Trauma Healing. This time our initial equipping took us to Salt Lake City. We had the opportunity to tour the correctional facility (one of the largest in the states) where we were met with an enthusiastic administrative staff who is on board with seeing Trauma Healing Groups occur in their facility and the benefits it can have with the inmates, As a reminder, trauma can create a barrier in hearing the word of God and by bringing Trauma Healing inside the jails, where there is a highly traumatized population, we trust that God's Word will not return void and lives will be transformed and barriers broken down to hearing His Word. During the tour, one of the chaplains said something that has stuck with me these last few weeks. Her comment was that seeing the inmates in shackles always reminds her that we can visually see their bonds but we too carry invisible shackles-people just do not see what weighs us down. Her comment has made me reflect that God sees our brokenness and wants to break the chains in our lives-that His love is always greater than those shackles that keep us in captivity and that He is here to set the captives free-what a mighty God we serve!!
This seminar has opened a whole new pathway for healing and effective evangelism. I have participated in many trainings. This group and process is easily one of the best I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. I really appreciate the high standard for evaluation and honor for the work. Thank you.
A response to the question of how has the seminar impacted you? My own healing and self-discovery of trauma that has been in my heart since childhood. I thought I had dealt with it but obviously not. God is Faithful and Good. He healed me and met me at my need. I feel better able to minister to others and also face the future. Thank you training team. Praise God!
This training taught me to have the courage to allow and trust someone with my trauma in order to be healed. It felt great to share with someone. I believe that God has made a way for me to be here. I am grateful and blessed. He has done a mighty work in me and I am Free!!!!
A response to the question of what session that was most helpful? Lamenting. I needed to voice my complaint to the Lord for the death of my first born daughter. I was brutal because the trauma was sudden, unexpected, and violent (she was killed by a hit and run). I then needed to follow up by bringing this pain to the Cross. I experienced a wonderful healing. The process began from the beginning of the first lesson and was deepened with each lesson exercise. I praise the Lord for all of you.
Pray for safe travels to Ethiopia. We leave August 29th and arrive on the 30th but immediately travel to Bahir Dar where we will hold an Initial Equipping September 1-4.
Pray for travels from Ethiopia to Romania on September 16th, 2018.
Pray for our facilitation team-myself, Sharon, and Joy. That we can be a blessing to the missionaries we are serving.