Have you ever experienced a time when someone you trusted deeply hurt or betrayed you? Maybe it was a friend or family member you thought would always be there for you. How did that make you feel? As Christians, we can relate to the Bible story of Joseph, a young man whose own brothers betrayed him, yet, in the face of pain and rejection, he continued to trust God and found healing through Him.
During my recent field training with Trauma Healing Institute International under the umbrella of the Christian Counseling Association of Thailand, I had the opportunity to lead a group in the “Dek Rak Jai” (Children’s Heart-Healing) program. This training was part of my ongoing preparation in trauma-informed care for discipleship and church planting among children and families. The program helps children find emotional and spiritual healing through Bible-based lessons. I was responsible for guiding a small group of children through the story of Joseph and helping them explore their own experiences with sadness, pain and loss, while discovering how God can bring healing and hope to their hearts.
Before working with the children, we attended training sessions that covered both theory and practice. We watched teaching demonstrations, learned about child protection laws and discussed how to create a safe and caring environment for every child. We also met with parents to build trust and ensure the children’s needs were met. Each leader received information about the children, such as their ages, genders and backgrounds, so that we could prepare emotionally and mentally.
My group had seven children, aged 9 to 10. We spent five full days together, from Monday to Friday. Many of the children came from difficult family situations. Some lived in shelters, while others were separated from their parents because of divorce or other problems. The hardest part was helping them open up and share their feelings, since many had trouble trusting others. But as the week went on, I was thankful to see them begin to feel safe and open their hearts. Some even shared their stories and cried, letting their emotions out in a healthy way.
Through the lessons, the children learned that even when bad things happen, God sees their pain and cares for them. We talked about how tears can be a gift from God, a way to release sadness. They also learned about their self-worth, the difference between good and bad touch, and how to give their pain to Jesus. We encouraged them to rebuild trust, forgive others and remember that God always loves them.
One very special moment was when I asked if any of the children wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts. Four of them said they had never done that before and wanted to pray. I felt blessed to be there in that moment with the children, guiding them in prayer as they opened their hearts to Jesus.
Although the week was not easy, I was very thankful for the chance to lead and see the children’s hearts change. Watching them grow in confidence, trust and emotional strength encouraged me to keep serving God in this ministry. I also found out that one of the caregivers in my group was a Seventh-day Adventist like me, and we were able to support each other in caring for the children.
Please continue to pray for these children that they will keep growing in faith and healing. Also, pray for us as we look to the future and train more leaders in our region who can help children through programs like this one.
Editor’s note: Nilubon Srisai, a certified trauma healing group facilitator, is the Director of the AFM Learning Center in Ubon Ratchathani and has been serving as a church planter with the AFM Isan Thai Project since 2017.
