Our mission is to empower urban leaders and partner with local churches to reach their cities with the Gospel. Much of our time is spent training the trainer by equipping and empowering leaders and pastors. Recently we were working with a ministry to help them start a Trauma Healing Group ministry. On the very last day of our introductory 6-week healing group we gave everyone a chance to ask anything they wanted. There were a lot of great questions about how to be more trauma informed, how to help people that are grieving, and other things related to the trauma training. One gentleman, Alfredo, boldly raised his hand and asked what had been bubbling up in his heart and mind over the last couple weeks, “What do I have to do to know God?”
Alfredo had just been taken through a journey of finding healing. He learned that God is good. He learned how to listen to others in their pain and was listened to as well. He learned how grief is a journey and what to expect on that journey. He learned how to express his pain to God through a lament. Alfredo and the group also brought their pain and sin to the cross and learned about forgiveness. He learned how to forgive others, himself and receive forgiveness from God. Honestly, not knowing him outside of the class, we didn’t know he was an unbeliever, but saw his growth and the healing take place within.
When Alfredo humbly and honestly asked the question, “What do I have to do to know God?”, another lady in our group, Maria, shared the Gospel and lead him to give his life fully to Jesus. Seeing the layers of transformation – a healed heart from the trauma of his life, but more than that the new heart and new outlook on life having made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life – reminds us again and again why we know what we are doing is bringing value to so many communities that need these tools. And now Alfredo has a new community of people that can walk with him and help him to continue to grow.
There are many more Alfredos waiting for somebody to provide a safe place to wrestle with issues and heal from the wounds of life. There are many more Marias eager for an opportunity to share how Jesus is not just a healer of trauma and pain, but also a restorer and giver of life and salvation. We are working hard at multiplying our efforts by training and equipping as many people as possible so that we can see a healthy church for every community of poverty.
Thank you for your support and prayers for us and all of those with whom we are ministering.
