Friday’s Face of Reach the Forgotten ❤️ Over the years, Assistant Chaplain of Livingston County, Pam Erickson’s role at RTF has deepened her compassion for those behind bars. “Jail is not a respecter of persons,” she reminds us. “We’ve seen county employees, drug dealers, and stay-at-home moms. Anyone can make a bad decision.” Pam’s heart has grown for the unsaved and softened toward those walking in faith. She understands the deep trauma many inmates carry, which often goes unrecognized and untreated. “They truly don’t know how to deal with it, so they cope in unhealthy ways.” One woman Pam met could barely read when she arrived. Today, she’s excelling in advanced studies, discipling others, and encouraging fellow inmates. “To see how God has transformed her is an absolute inspiration to all of us.” #FridaysFace #FridaysFaceOfRTF #ReachTheForgotten #FridayFeature #JailMinistry #MichiganJailMinistry #Chaplain (fb)

A reflection on Healing the Wounded Heart training by Genesee County’s Assistant Chaplain, Brandi Kirkpatrick…❤️‍🩹 I never thought 'trauma' would be a word in my every day vocabulary. I never truly knew what that word meant. I certainly never recognized that I had trauma l wasn't dealing with. I thought I was taking this class for work and found healing for myself through it. Now I love watching God use this curriculum to heal others. I took the initial class about a year and a half ago, and completed the advanced training this week. There were people in this training from all over the globe including Lebanon, Malawi, Sudan and Pakistan. Some of my takeaways: - Our trauma is vastly different based on our location. - Our trauma is oddly similar no matter our location. - We all began the training with a shared bond. Jesus. So from the beginning it was refreshing how much it felt like family. - There were interestingly very few (if any) language barriers. - We had much more in common than differences. "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." - Colossians 1:17 ‼️ Learn more about Healing the Wounded Heart and upcoming (online and in-person) training dates here: https://jailministry.org/hwh/ (fb)