On Expedition +

This is the title of our Divine Expedition Phase 3 training. Our overall aim is “to equip leaders to multiply viral, missional, disciple-making, leadership-developing, church planting movements,”…but to do so, we must help people find freedom from wounds and lies they carry inside them.

Our Phase 3 training walks participants through the wounds inflicted upon them by others, and the lies and vows that are internalized as a result (Phase 1 deals with the issue of our own sin). Our goal is to help people realign with Father God’s love, good intentions, and the new identity He has for them in Christ. The final step of Phase 3 is to be able to forgive (release the debt to God) those who have wounded us—as well as receive forgiveness for wounding others.

In training after training, we grieve as we hear of wounds people carry—but we rejoice at the new found freedom and healing received by those we are training as a result of realigning their hearts with God’s heart expressed through Jesus.

An example is Pastor Andrew in Uganda who during our Phase 3 training there commented, “I knew I was wounded; I just didn’t know what to do about it.”

Here is another example is from our recent Phase 3 training in Brazil:

I’M FREE! I’M NOT SICK. I’M NOT BROKEN. I’M A PRINCESS!

Hi, Dr. Linus.

You’re a very gentle person. Thank you for the words at my Facebook  Sorry for my writting, ’cause I haven’t pratice my english for many years so If I write something that doesn’t make sense, let me know it.

I will try to summarize the healing that God promoted inside of me in the Divine’s Expedition, I was healed from two huge traumas.

When I was a little girl of nine years old I had to pass trough two brain surgeries, it’s a long history. I fought against the disease for a year and I still need to take some drugs but I’m very healthy now and I have a normal life. But I lost a big part of my memories before that, it’s like my life started when I was there in the hospital. I didn’t forget my family, the people I knew, but I forgot the things that I had lived with them and some of them too….

When I came back home it started my first fight against injuries in my soul.  My brother started to hurt me, for 9 years of my life he said to me every single day that I should have died, or I was mentally ill, or he was going to kill me, and that he would be happier if I was dead and hated me…. I don’t know why. I know now that “hurt people hurt people,” and he was angry because of his disease. I think he hurt me because of that…I am not sure why. It’s horrible, there are no words to describe everything I have been through. I couldn’t stand it anymore and I kept all that for me [held everything inside]. I didn’t ask for help, I don’t know why. My mom always says when both of us were younger, he used to take care of me but I don’t remember. My only memory is of a horrible brother, a monster. I have fought all these years and it’s too much to tell but I want you to know I had already forgiven him years ago…but I was still carrying all those words He used to say to me.

I still believed in all those words. BUT I DON’T BELIEVE [THEM] ANYMORE! I’M FREE! I’M NOT SICK, I’M NOT BROKEN, I’M A PRINCESS!

I got older and in 2011 I had a boyfriend, we’ve met in our church. He was a musician that “worshiped God” with me. We started dating really serious, and I thought he was the one. I told EVERYTHING about my life, my sins, my mistakes and my goals. EVERYTHING. After He knew all, I have sinned against God with him. I had sexual intercourse (is that correct?). Anyway, a few times after we’ve sinned he started to hit me, scream with me, threaten me, control every little thing that I did. He raped me the rest of the time we’re together and almost killed me many times. I didn’t ask for help ’cause I was too embarrassed, I believed I deserved it. He’s a psycho, my parents and my pastors believe he’s satanist. He used to curse me at the altar, before I give worship at the church. I saw him several times possessed and often was not him who was talking with me but some of the spirits. The church offered him help but he didn’t want, he said He made nothing wrong.

It’s a long history, it happened too many things. But we won ’cause my parents started to pray together. It’s amazing the power of a prayer. Before that, I got engaged with him, but I wanted to run away. I’ve just said yes ’cause he’s threaten my family to me. But the night of the engagement I look at my father’s eyes and without words I asked him for help and He understood. So, my parents started to fast and pray, and I was able to broke up with him. He was after me for more than 2 years after the day I broke up and It happen a lot of things, I hope some day I will tell my all history to others, I’m not ready yet to talk to many people.

Now, I’m in a great relationship. The way that pleases God’s heart. And I was healed! I broke up with the vows [agreements we make to compensate for the wounds and lies we experience]. The biggest that I still used carry was “You’re broken and no one will want you. You’re dirty.” NOW MY HEART KNOWS, I’M PRECIOUSSSSSSSSS!

I’M A PRINCESS OF THE LORD!!!! I forgave my abuser and the trauma has no power over me anymore. Pray for me, ok? I’m sorry for my english, to many information, histories in part but some day I will tell everything and I’ll be a channel’s blessing (that’s how we call here in Brazil lol) [to others].

Thank you, for everything. It’s hard talk about this but I feel good.

May God to continue His work trough you.

God bless you and your family.  (Name withheld by request.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rejoice with us as we see people freed from wounds and lies, so they can move forward with the good news that God loves us, His intentions for us are good, and he can turn our mourning into rejoicing through the power and sacrifice of our great and gracious Savior, Jesus.

Hurt people hurt people…but healed people heal people.

Thanks for your part with us in helping heal the brokenhearted,

Linus and Sharon (for the entire Divine Expedition team)