When American Bible Society launched its Bible-based trauma healing program in the Middle East, the first issue to capture my heart was the exploitation and abuse of women at the hands of cruel and deviant men, especially within the Islamic State. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen so many hurting women,… Read More

In January, American Bible Society published a new edition of “Healing the Wounds of Trauma”—the flagship text behind its Scripture Engagement trauma healing ministry. First published in 2013, it now includes four new chapters on domestic abuse, suicide, addictions and disaster relief. The new content was added to address… Read More

Kiho*, a ten-year-old boy from eastern Uganda, sat speechless in a small classroom. Facilitators of a Bible-based trauma healing session—organized for young victims of disaster and abuse—smiled next to him. The facilitators could tell he had something to say. They just didn’t know how to reach him. Eventually, Kiho burst… Read More

When two homeless men stumbled into his church in Mali—a large desert country in West Africa—Pastor Sylvain immediately came to their aid. He listened as they spoke of their recent escape from Liberia, where violence and unrest had driven them from the country. He listened as they shared a… Read More

When Ameer* crawled into the cool linens of his bed, he was in Jordan. Rosy whiffs of geraniums wafted through the white stone windows of the Christian retreat center where he slept. Peace permeated the air. But as Ameer drifted off to sleep, his mind raced home to Syria. The… Read More

In mid-September, Christian leaders convened in Arizona to launch the first Bible-based trauma healing program in Phoenix. While American Bible Society’s international trauma healing program started in Central Africa in 2010, the program has now been contextualized to address spiritual pain and abuse in American cities. As Trauma Healing Program… Read More

Laura Burgueño’s first encounter with American Bible Society’s trauma healing program was in a magazine advertisement. At the time, Laura found herself in the midst of a very difficult season of church ministry with her husband, Eliu—a pastor and international church leader. She was wrestling with whether or not she… Read More

For years, Ndale* had faithfully served as a military colonel in Burundi, a small country in Africa’s Great Lakes Region. But when he took a leave of absence to spend time with his family, his life changed forever. During Ndale’s absence, a group of Burundian extremists assassinated the country’s first… Read More

Without warning, years of painful memories flooded Avery’s* mind. For decades, she had suppressed the shame of sexual abuse, inflicted by a close relative. She had concealed the grief of losing her mother to cancer—and the stress of caring for her elderly father. And she had buried the pain… Read More

In the foothills of Swaziland, a small country in Southern Africa, Sophie* shuffled into a cement classroom and found a seat on the dirt floor. As men and women filed into the room, she smiled, flashing an ear-to-ear grin. But beneath her smile, Sophie carried deep wounds—both emotional… Read More