Aaron and Joanna, SIM USA global workers, faithfully serve in East Asia, where they have prayed for years to bring a trauma-healing ministry to the region. Their passion for this work is deeply rooted in their desire to see lives transformed and hearts healed through Christ. Now, they see the fruit of their prayers as God creates opportunities for them to bring trauma healing to various countries throughout Asia.
Their trauma healing ministry addresses the deep wounds of people who have experienced various forms of trauma, helping them find hope and restoration in Christ. Aaron and Joanna are taking these trauma healing initiatives to numerous Asian countries, working to bring healing through Christ to those who have suffered.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Isaiah 61:1
“I could tell you stories all day long about trauma healing, and about the lives that the Lord has worked in, and even, in some instances, how we’ve seen people come into a relationship with Christ in healing groups,” Joanna said.
Their stories of transformed lives highlight the powerful ways God is at work through trauma healing ministry.
Following the “Pain to the Cross” lesson, participants explored the theme of forgiveness in their trauma healing groups. It is designed to show individuals how Jesus will take the deep emotional burdens they carry upon Himself. As part of the ceremony, participants are encouraged to reflect on their pain and trauma, writing down their struggles and hurts on a special piece of dissolvable paper. This paper represents the weight of their suffering, a visible sign of the inner wounds they carry.
Once their pain is written down, participants walk to a cross, symbolizing Jesus’ willingness to take their burdens upon Himself. They place their paper into a basin of water at the foot of the cross. As the paper begins to dissolve, it visually represents how Jesus takes away the pain and trauma. Watching the paper disappear in the water can be a deeply emotional and spiritual moment, symbolizing freedom from the weight of suffering.
During one “Pain to the Cross” ceremony, a local woman named Hoa participated with an eager heart. She carefully wrote her pain on the dissolvable paper, then carried it to the cross. With deep curiosity, she watched as the paper began to dissolve in the water. She was so captivated by the moment that she reached out and touched the paper as it disappeared. It was a transformative experience for her. As the paper fully dissolved into the water, Hoa felt a deep sense of relief and release. She lifted her hands in worship to the Lord.
“When I put the paper in the water and it started to dissolve, I sensed the Lord taking all of that pain I was carrying,” Hoa later shared. “I realized I didn’t have to carry it anymore.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
This act of surrender and release through the “Pain to the Cross” ceremony is a significant part of trauma healing ministry. It serves as a powerful, tangible reminder that through faith, Jesus bears the weight of our suffering, offering healing and restoration.
At another “Pain to the Cross” event, participants explored the theme of forgiveness in their trauma healing groups following the ceremony. Among them was a Buddhist woman named Shui, who was deeply moved by the concept of forgiveness—a theme that resonated with her in a way she had never experienced before.
Intrigued, Shui reached out to one of the group leaders after the event, asking if they could continue the conversation. Eager to share more about the gospel, the leader gladly agreed and met Shui for coffee. During their meeting, Shui explained that throughout the trauma healing sessions, she had become increasingly aware that the leaders were introducing the idea of one God. This concept was unfamiliar and perplexing to her because, in Buddhism, there are many gods.
However, what captivated Shui most was the idea that this singular God could offer forgiveness. In Buddhism, she had always been taught that every action creates karma, which must be worked off over time, with no direct promise of forgiveness. The thought that the one true God would not hold her past against her and could forgive her entirely was astonishing.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:7
As Shui continued to meet with trauma healing leaders for discipleship, her understanding of God’s grace deepened. She learned that forgiveness through Christ is not something that must be earned but is a gift of love freely offered. Eventually, Shui decided to step into a relationship with Jesus.
Praise the Lord! Shui no longer feels bound by the need to work for good karma. Instead, she now walks in the freedom of knowing that Jesus loves her, forgives her, and has washed her sins away.
Aaron and Joanna consider it a profound privilege to stand alongside individuals in their struggles, listen to their stories, and ultimately guide them toward hope and healing in Christ. Their mission centers on pointing people to Jesus, who bears their pain and offers redemption.
“We’re not the savior. We want you to meet the Savior who carries your pain and who died for your pain,” Joanna said.
One of Joanna’s favorite passages to share with participants in trauma healing is from Mark 5:24-35. This story recounts the miraculous healing of a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding condition for twelve years. Despite seeking help from many physicians and spending all her resources, her condition only worsened. When she heard about Jesus, she believed touching His garments would heal her.
“And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said,“If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Joanna explains the significance of this story in the context of trauma healing. She notes that the disciples must have been confused by Jesus’ question, given the large crowd surrounding Him. However, she emphasized that Jesus’ act of public restoration was not just about healing but also about taking away her shame.
“He restores her publicly because otherwise people would not have believed her,” Joanna explains. It’s the fact that he restored her publicly and that he took her shame. He not only takes the pain that people carry, but he takes our shame.”
This story of Jesus healing the woman with the bleeding problem powerfully illustrates His ability to address both physical and emotional suffering. For Aaron and Joanna, it reinforces their mission to bring people to a place where they can experience complete healing through Christ.
To learn more about trauma healing ministry, connect with Intl.Traumahealing@sim.org. You can also connect with a SIM USA coach to learn more about global ministry opportunities.
Donate to support SIM USA trauma healing ministries here!
*Names have been changed for the privacy and safety of our workers, ministry partners and those we serve.