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Bible Society Lebanon organized and hosted two simultaneous trainings on Children Trauma Healing and children camps from 26 June until 5 July 2019, due to the extensive demand to assist and help children between the ages of 8 and 13 who have passed through traumatizing events, especially refugees.

The Bible Societies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq invited different churches and NGOs to nominate participants who work mainly with children.

Participants took part in an initial or advanced training based on their knowledge of the trauma-healing program.

Apprentice Facilitators from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq who already participated in the initial equipping trainings were chosen to join an advanced session in which they shared their experiences, stories of successes and challenges while implementing the curriculum in their own communities.

One participant from Aleppo shared a success story of healing as one of the children he worked with had strong hatred towards a group in Syria that he believed caused the death of his brother. The boy’s aggressive feelings emerged when, during the lessons about forgiveness, he had to answer whether he would be willing to forgive those who caused him pain. He replied expressing a strong desire for revenge saying, “I can never forgive them! If I see a member affiliated with that group, I will kill him!”

However, after the “Pain to the Cross” session at the end of the trauma-healing camp, the boy had a complete change of attitude. He realized that he decided to let go of the negative emotions he had in his heart and choose forgiveness instead. He expressed that he no longer felt that he needed to retaliate and said, “I do not want to be like them. Even if I see a member of that group, I choose to forgive.”

Master Facilitators in Training (MFIT) from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq were facilitating the advanced and two initial sessions, under the mentorship and coaching of the Trauma Healing Institute (THI) Master Facilitators in partnership with the American Bible Society (ABS).

Rita, a master facilitator from Lebanon, learned as she was giving an initial training that the most essential idea for the trainees to grasp about the program is why certain methods are applied and their objectives. It’s good that trainees learn new crafts, activities, and methods that help in the healing process, but it is more important for them to know why and how these measures actually help in healing.

The participants in the initial level went through a three-day classroom training of the bible-based trauma-healing curriculum. The training focused on how to address critical and sensitive topics with children in an interactive and fun way using bible stories, scripture engagement and creative games, all aiming to allow them to experience the healing process more effectively.

A 5-day camp for 135 children from Spring of Life center and Dar EL Awlad orphanage participated in the training.

Throughout the Healing Hearts camp, the children in their own groups learned about characters in the Bible, were able to share their stories and experiences with every lesson, learned bible verses, games and self-expressive activities. On the final day, in a closing ceremony, each group presented what they learnt in the past five days through sketches, hymns and bible verse presentations.

The Bible Society’s vision is to holistically meet the needs of communities through the transforming Word of God. As a Christian inter-confessional, ecumenical, non-profit organization, it works to spread the Holy Bible’s message and culture to all generations through translating, publishing, and distributing the Scriptures using visual, audio-visual, readable, and digital formats, encouraging people to read and engage with God’s Word, advocating the Bible cause to uphold human dignity, and partnering with all Churches and Christian institutions.