Your prayers have the power to change young lives in war-torn areas around the globe. Lives like six-year-old Veronica’s in Ukraine.
Veronica has had to deal with things that most of us will never experience. Due to the deep and invisible scars left by the war in Ukraine, she became violent. Terrified. Instead of playing with her toys, Veronica would pretend to kill and bury them. It was heartbreaking to watch her. Her mother did not know how to help her.
AFFEO partners in Ukraine are working with orphans and children like Veronica who have been impacted and displaced by war, teaching them how to feel safe again as they integrate into their new family (for some) and community. When they learned about Veronica, they put their training into action.
As these partners painstakingly worked with Veronica, she began to heal. They remarked, “We see big changes… Now she uses her words, has a voice, expresses simple requests, makes eye contact, and finds compromises.”
With the war in Ukraine approaching the three year mark, and with turmoil boiling over in other areas of the world, we are seeing just how critical trauma counseling is. And it’s not a process that can be completed in one day.
If we want to see children heal and be able to reach their full developmental potential, addressing their trauma is absolutely critical. And because of your prayers, the hard, gut-wrenching work of walking through the hurt with these kids is happening!
Won’t you please pray that the Lord would continue to provide the funds needed for trauma therapy camps, one-on-one counseling, art therapy—and more? Trauma therapy truly helps bring healing to wounds that would otherwise fester. In the words of one AFFEO partner: “For many children, healthy sleep returned, fears significantly decreased, anxiety levels went down … Children’s nervous tics [and] hyper-reactions to loud sounds disappeared.”
Without support to address their trauma, children remain stuck in their fear and PTSD, unable to calm their bodies and minds to continue their education, identify and express their needs to a caregiver, or build relationships with their peers. Your prayers are vital, fueling AFFEO’s work to partner with trauma-care professionals, caring churches, and others to help bring healing to hurting children. Thank you for shining hope into their lives!