“I fled with nothing, absolutely nothing.” Richard is a refugee in Uganda. Underneath his warm smile and soft eyes, Richard harbors memories of the Job-like suffering he endured in his homeland of Burundi. Two years ago, Richard was captured by violent soldiers from a neighboring tribe. They beat and… Read More
When Carine arrived in Cameroon, she knew it was going to be hard. But she didn’t know how hard. She was there to train church leaders on Bible-based trauma healing so they could tend to those in need within their communities. The violent turmoil and civil… Read More
At 17 years old, Vanessa* met and fell in love with Marcus*. They married and began a family. But when work became too demanding, Marcus took his stress out on Vanessa. He yelled at her and hit her. The abuse spread to their children, as Marcus started hitting their… Read More
“I was like a bomb ready to explode,” said Harmony. Growing up, Harmony’s childhood was filled with pain. Her dad was a violent alcoholic who beat her mother often. When he left the family, Harmony’s mother and step-father became physically and emotionally abusive toward her. Some wounds healed,… Read More
El Salvador is considered one of the most violent nations in Latin America. High homicide rates and destructive street gangs pervade this densely populated region. Societies are paralyzed by fear of territorial wars, drug trafficking, and brutal crimes. The violence takes a heavy toll on the country’s people. Read More
Joram lives in Syria—a country suffering from a brutal civil war. When Joram’s coworkers forgot to drive him home from work one day, he flagged down a passing car and asked for a lift. Joram sensed something was wrong when the driver started heading in the wrong direction, insisting that… Read More
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 28,300 people are forced to flee their homes each day because of violence, conflict, and persecution. Today there are reportedly 22.5 million refugees worldwide and over 65 million forcibly displaced people. These are ordinary people, just like you and me,… Read More
To the outside world, Harmony looked like a happy, healthy American teenager. “I had always done well in school,” Harmony says. “I was a good student, a cheerleader, and even received a college scholarship in cheerleading.” But underneath the sunny surface, Harmony’s life was troubled, turbulent, and tragic. Read More
As 13-year-old Amal* sat in the dining hall of the Bible-based trauma healing group, he seemed disinterested and irritated. Concerned, the facilitator took him aside and gave him a sheet of paper and colored pencils. She asked him to draw how he was feeling. Amal drew a heart with crying… Read More
In 1994, tensions arising from a battle for political power in Rwanda led to one of the most horrific events in human history. In what became known as the Rwandan genocide, more than 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates were massacred by Hutu extremists in just over 100 days. Messages… Read More
