In certain areas of Colombia, Marxist guerillas and various other paramilitary groups have been attacking the church, and part of this attack has been to target pastors for assassination. There are now hundreds of women and children in Colombia whose husbands/fathers have been murdered because of their involvement in Christian ministry. An especially horrifying part of the story is that, in their efforts to intimidate the church, the assassins deliberately try to make the murders as traumatic as possible for the survivors. So they will routinely do things like going into the pastor’s home and killing him in front of his wife and children. Not surprisingly, almost all of these women and children develop PTSD, most of them also develop associated problems such as bitterness and depression, and many of them withdraw from involvement in church and ministry.

However, God’s power to heal is even greater than the enemy’s power to destroy. As I write this (March 2010), it has been just two weeks since Charlotte and I had the privilege of spending an evening with Sarah (a woman working with the persecuted church in Colombia), hearing first-hand accounts of the redemptive healing the Lord has been providing for these women and children. In September of 2008, Sarah went with a ministry team to work with 48 of these widows. The mission team was able to lead the Colombian widows through the Immanuel process, and every single one of them appeared to receive profound healing. The team was able to go back for a second visit in July of 2009 and worked with 60 more widows, once again leading them through the Immanuel process, and once again observing that every single participant appeared to receive profound healing. Initially, almost all of the women described persistent despair as one of their heaviest burdens; but their healing encounters with the Lord have resulted in such dramatic transformations from despair to joy that acquaintances have made spontaneous comments about the participants being “changed women.” The women participating in these Immanuel missions have also consistently reported resolution of the various signs and symptoms of PTSD.

When we met with Sarah two weeks ago, she said that all of the women they have been able to follow have continued to do well, with continued freedom from PTSD, continued freedom from depression, and continued restoration of joy. Furthermore, most of these women now report that they have been able to use the Immanuel approach to facilitate emotional healing for their children.

The following story is just one example of the kind of trauma the Lord has been working with and the kind of redemption he has been providing. Pastor Enrico, his wife, Rebecca, and their family lived on a small farm in an area where the Marxist guerillas and other paramilitary groups frequently skirmish for control. One day in 1995 soldiers came to the farm. Soldiers often came to the farm, usually demanding food or livestock, but on this day they decided to assassinate pastor Enrico. No comments. No questions. They just shot him, leaving Rebecca without a husband and their four small children without a father. Rebecca developed PTSD, became depressed, and withdrew from ministry. At the time of the mission team’s visit in September of 2008 it had been 14 years since she had lost her husband, but her pain seemed as fresh as if he had died the day before. And her children, in addition to developing PTSD and withdrawing from church, expressed intense and persistent hatred towards the perpetrators. The team was able to lead Rebecca through the Immanuel process, with the Lord providing profound healing for the trauma of her husband’s murder; and not only has Rebecca remained free of PTSD and depression since this healing work, but she has also been able to use the Immanuel approach with her children, all of whom have also experienced profound healing and are now free of PTSD and depression. In fact, the Lord’s healing work has been so complete that the children have been able to forgive the men who killed their father, Rebecca has returned to ministry, starting a house church that is now bursting at the seams, and the children, on their own initiative, have started a youth group that is also now bursting at the seams.

Outsmarting Yourself, pages 73-75.