Trauma Healing Workshops Empower Leaders in Indonesia
Dallas-based missionary Pat Miersma traveled to Indonesia late last year to hold trauma healing workshops for church leaders in areas plagued by earthquakes and tsunamis in recent years.
Participants at the first workshop, held in Bandung, came from areas that also suffered under religious oppression. "There is burning of churches, opposition to the gospel, and in some places, killing of Christians," says Miersma.
The participants studied Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help, a resource Miersma wrote with Margaret Hill, Harriet Hill, and Richard Baggé. The book was first used in Africa in 2001.
"These young Christian leaders believe this book will be a powerful tool for sharing Christ's love with suffering people and helping them see the relevance of God's word for their daily lives," Miersma says. Participants began translating the book into six Indonesian languages.
"It was thrilling to see these young Christian leaders experience the power of God's word to help heal and bring peace to hearts and souls," says Miersma.
A second workshop in Yogyakarta was attended by 110 participants. "Many of these were Christians doing relief work among victims of the earthquake and other disasters," Miersma says. "Many of them are members of or are working with Reformed churches in their areas.
"The plan now is for these various groups from both workshops to return to their local areas and use the book to minister to the suffering.
"The church in Indonesia is growing, despite some very strong challenges. I was deeply impressed and encouraged by how hard Christians and Christian churches and other groups are working to reach the unreached in their own country through so many efforts.
"Their faith inspired me, their love humbled me, and their witness motivated me."
Funds from the RCA Global Mission program enabled participants to travel to and from the workshops.
"I am convinced that our RCA churches, for their support of this effort, gain back an even richer reward in the stirring witness of courage, dedication, and compassion among God's people in places like Africa and now Indonesia," Miersma says.
Miersma, an international personnel training consultant, trains national church leaders and provides Scripture-use materials for churches suffering from persecution, conflict, AIDS, and famine. She and her husband, Harry, minister in partnership with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Trauma healing workshops are also being used by RCA missionaries in Sudan, where people are striving to rebuild their lives after 20 years of civil war.
Posted 02/13/07
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