“I found healing in my Lord Jesus Christ,” said one trauma healing participant, her voice steady as she sat with her family in their modest Jordanian home. For Haya, a staff member from the Bible Society of Jordan, this moment was unforgettable. “Just hearing the words, ‘my Lord Jesus Christ’, from someone who had gone through so much, was deeply moving … it was the first time I encountered a participant sharing how the healing power of Christ touched their life so profoundly that they wanted to bring it into their family.”
In Jordan, where an estimated 1.4 million refugees live — many outside formal camps — the emotional and spiritual wounds of war, displacement, and loss run deep. The Bible Society of Jordan, supported by Bible Society Australia, is responding with compassion and purpose. Their trauma healing program is equipping local churches to become safe spaces where people can begin to process their pain and rediscover hope.
“It’s not just a program,” Haya explains. “It’s something that’s starting a journey of both healing and spiritual transformation.” Healing groups meet in churches, community centres, homes, and even refugee camps — wherever there is need and a safe space. “There’s no formal setting for a healing group … it can be done in a refugee camp, in the church, in the community center, even in the homes with the families.”
One mother of six, also a Syrian refugee, shared that this is the first time she’s able to tell her story since she came to Jordan six years ago. She shared with Haya, “I was living for my kids and all I cared about was taking care of their wellbeing. But this is the first time for me to get to share my own emotions and my own story.”
The healing is not only emotional — it is spiritual. “Trauma … causes confusion about who God is … is he the source of the evil that is happening? Is this a punishment? Is this because God is not looking at them, not caring for them?” Haya explains. “It brings them back to the biblical perspective, the truth … restoring that broken relationship that the pain and the grief and the trauma caused.”
Participants often connect deeply with biblical stories. “In our ‘bring your pain to the cross’ lesson … we use the story of the bleeding woman. And they relate to that so much … it brings back the dignity and the honour to that woman … they really connect to that story in a way that was fascinating for us to see how much that story in particular just touched them so deeply.”
In 2025, the Bible Society of Jordan is expanding its reach. Plans include launching a community counselling school to train 25 church-based therapists. “We’ve been working on a two and a half year program … that will enable people that enroll in this program to become therapists in their churches and in their communities,” Haya shares. “This is a dream come true … for Jordan and maybe for the region.”
The program has been running for over nine years, with the local Jordanian churches being central to this mission. “The local church was actually what pushed us to bring this program to Jordan … it was the church that opened our eyes to this need,” Haya says. “We view the local church as our strategic partner … they are the implementing partner. We support materials, we support with resources, but the church’s mission is to reach people.”
With this support, the program has expanded its reach. “There are churches that have adopted the program as one of their ministries. There have been churches or people who come from churches that took this program and put it in their community centers. [They] have used this program to make the church a safe place for people to come to,” shares Haya.
The impact is rippling outward. “I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of people come back after the program praising the Lord … people crying tears and kneeling down to the floor, next to the cross as they are nailing their pain to the cross,” Haya shares.
“You really see how this is only done by the Holy Spirit … it can’t be anything else. It’s not science, it’s not psychology. It is the Holy Spirit with the help of all of that.”
Thanks to the faithful support of donors in Australia, this ministry is growing. “I have to say I was overjoyed to see that Bible Society of Australia [is] supporting the trauma healing program … it shows how much the Australian Bible Society really cares deeply about ministering to the people that are vulnerable, that are grieving, that are in need,” Haya says.
The support received from Bible Society Australia, Haya explains, “feels like someone is holding your back and helping you to move forward. And this is something we don’t take lightly.”
“When I first joined the healing group, I was in a very dark place. I had so much anger, bitterness, and resentment inside me. The pain from my past was overwhelming, and I felt trapped by it. I remember sharing in the group during our first session that I could never forgive the people who had hurt me. It felt impossible — like a weight I could never lift off my heart. As the weeks went by, something began to shift. With each session, I started to open up more and trust the process. I listened to others share their experiences, and for the first time, I didn’t feel alone in my pain. I started to see that healing was possible — not just for others, but for me too. The group provided a space where I could confront my anger and bitterness without fear of judgment. Now, six weeks later, I find myself in a completely different place. The anger that once consumed me has started to subside. I can’t say that everything is healed yet, but I’ve made a step forward. I am learning to let go of the grudges that have held me hostage for so long. The process isn’t easy, but I’ve started to forgive, not for the sake of the people who hurt me, but for my own peace and freedom. I feel lighter, and though the journey continues, I know I am no longer stuck in the pain of my past. I can now look forward, with hope and healing in my heart.” — Amal*
“When we reached the part where we were invited to bring our pain to the cross, I couldn’t hold back my tears. It felt like years of silence and heaviness were finally being acknowledged. I had never cried like that in front of others, but in that moment, I knew I was safe.” — Salim*
“For years, I carried this pain alone. But when I wrote it down and nailed it to the cross, something shifted inside me. I broke down, but for the first time, I felt peace. It was like I could breathe again … This space gave me something I didn’t know I needed!” — Lina*
A Christian Resource for the Deaf Community
Launching ‘Godaku Tjukurpa’ in the APY lands
