Deep Release E-Newsletter August 2011

Dear Friends

We are off for a week's holiday visiting friends in France on Sunday, so our newsletter will be arriving with you a day or two early this month.  We are really looking forward to the break, and are hoping for some warm sunshine.  I hope you have the chance for some relaxation during August.  I still can't believe how fast the year is going, but then again, I probably say that every year now!

We have been through some difficult days recently.  My sister and brother-in-law, Mo and Ewan, have been in Uganda with a small team seeking to raise money for Kisiizi Hospital's mental health service.  Ewan and some friends cycled 330 miles over five days cross country to help buy a vehicle for the hospital's mobile clinic.  The team went out with such excitement, spurred on by lots of sponsorships, and I received texts saying what a great adventure it was.  And then Jamie, the four-year old only son of two of the team, Avril and Jim, became seriously ill.  We now know it was e coli, the same as infected people in Germany recently.  Jim was called back from the cycle team and they drove Jamie to Kampala, from where he was medivaced (air lifted) to Nairobi where there is a specialist paediatric hospital.  Meanwhile, back in UK, we were summonsing up support for Avril and Jim, now alone in Kenya with a critically ill son who had gone into renal failure.  More and more people were being drawn in to pray, contacts were raised, especially by our friend Ken, and we heard that a local radio had picked up the story, and love was pouring in for Jamie from all over Nairobi.  Members of the Mission Aviation Fellowship turned up at the hospital to give blood.  I contacted the High Commission who went to give support, and all the time more and more people across the world were praying.  Over the next few days several times Jamie rallied and seemed to be turning a corner.  Our faith surged, only for the bacteria to overwhelm his system again, but it still felt like we were winning.

And then came the text:  I'm sorry to have to tell you that Jamie died an hour ago. 

I cannot tell you the devastation I felt in that moment.  Something about this family had touched so many hearts and it all seemed just such an awful, unbelievable thing to happen, out of the blue, during such a big adventure.  Jamie had loved seeing the African animals; it was his father's first visit too.  So many people had prayed when he became ill.  So many were helping in every way we could.  But Jamie died.  I felt angry, raging, grief-stricken for a family I had never met, and I felt desolate.  I wonder if I hit a well of pain, but I just know I couldn't stop crying for literally hours. 

Perhaps you have been somewhere like this.  Perhaps you too really believed that someone would be healed, that a relationship would be restored, that the most awful thing you could think of would not happen.  And then it did.  My heart goes out to you in a new way today, because the place I touched was very dark.  Slowly I recover.  It's not me who's returning to a child's empty bedroom.  My life goes on and somehow I find the faith to pray for other issues and keep believing that it's worth it.  I've been through painful times of unanswered prayer before, and I'm still not sure why this had such a big impact.  But to be honest, I'm not full of rejoicing this month.  I think it's important to be real and not pretend, and right now I'm struggling.  I found myself thinking of the disciples when they were at one of their lowest ebbs and most confused, and Jesus asked them if they wanted to give up on it all.  They answered:  Lord, who else can we go to?  You have the words of eternal life...

And so we go on.  I am glad of a bit of a rest this month though.  Even though our own hearts may be bruised, as counsellors we are called constantly to reach out to others who are hurting, to bring them our love, understanding, compassion and hope.  It's a high calling and I honour all of you who are involved in this work and may God bless, strengthen and resource you.  We were checking in at the Counselling Diploma class this week and several of us were finding it tough going.  But one of the group was celebrating some really good things, and we acknowledged how important this was.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep... It's the sun and rain together that produce the rainbow - our most dramatic symbol of God's goodness and faithfulness.  

Some really good news is that Libbi MacGregor's new CD is out:  The Dream is not Over, and it's fantastic!  You can get it direct from Libbi for £10 + £1.50 P&P.  Libbi has an amazing voice and she is our very own Deep Release songbird, so do encourage her.  There are some wonderful new songs on it, plus some more familiar ones.  Contact Libbi direct to order your copy!

Training courses will start again in September.  Those of you who want to know more about what we do in Deep Release, why not book into the Principles & Practice of Deep Release Level I, 16-18 September, in Brentwood.  And if you would like to train to be a DR counsellor, this is where you start.

Tuesday 13th September is the Childhood Sexual Abuse training day, followed the next day by Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder.  These are challenging days, but so important - you never know who the next person will be to walk into your counselling room! 

At the end of the month is the Creative Counselling weekend, beginning on Friday 30th September.  This is a great opportunity to increase your skills in creative therapy and enjoy a weekend of self-discovery into the bargain.  Remember, you don't have to be artistic, and we are all creative!

Well, dear friends, keep on keeping on.  We're all in this together.

With love

Pauline and Chris