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On July 15th, 2011, I saw a news headline that changed my life. I was volunteering in Rwanda for the summer, and I came across a news stand that read, “South Sudan joins the United Nations as the world’s newest 193rd independent nation.” In that moment, the Spirit stopped me in my tracks, and a peaceful voice in my mind said, 'This country is going to be very important to you one day'. That is when the seed was planted.
Upon returning home from Rwanda, through much prayer and leading, God set a passion in my heart and a plan in my mind: I was to become a registered psychotherapist so that, one day, I could teach trauma therapy in South Sudan.
The need for trauma therapy in South Sudan is great. After only two years of peace after independence, civil war broke out in December of 2013. Peace talks continue to buckle, and fighting and violence persist. While war rages on in the land, an even greater war is being fought inside the hearts and minds of South Sudanese people. It is the inner battle of trauma. It robs an individual of their safety, their hope, and their joy. Left untreated, trauma is a ruthless thief that steals life, even after the war is over. My passion is to bring psychoeducation and methods to understand and soothe this trauma to a culture that believes that this is their 'normal'.
I truly believe that God wants to send a message to South Sudan that He has not forgotten them, that there is healing — of body, mind, heart, and spirit.
After a night of story sharing and prayer, we deeply felt that we were the answer to each other's prayers for trauma to be taught at ECC. Which now means, in July I will be going to Yei, South Sudan to teach teachers and students about the effects of trauma on the body, mind, and spirit. I will be going for their intensive course during this semester in July, with a heart full of hope and readiness to learn what people are going through and the struggles they face. My prayer is that during this trip, I can begin contributing in a real and meaningful way — eliciting hope and helping people find freedom — so that this country will start spiraling up towards health, and an identity rooted in Christ. If the leadership finds me to be a good fit, and God affirms it in my heart, this will hopefully lead to an on-going relationship with ECC towards trauma care and training.
From the depths of my heart, I want to thank you for being willing to learn about this incredible opportunity! I can not express how excited (and nervous!) I am about finally stepping into a calling that God has been preparing me for, and I am grateful for the amazing community that I know will be supporting me as I go.
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