When Healing
Becomes Real

"I've been walking with the Lord for over 20 years, and you'd think after that long you've experienced it all in His presence. But then you go somewhere and something just feels new — like fresh things are happening in you. That's what this was for me. I was guided and helped to release so many things that happened in my life, both before Jesus and even after coming to Him.

This course was truly life-changing. And the biggest outcome for me — the thing it lifted right off my mind — was a belief I had carried for a long time: that in order to help others, you have to be perfect. That you have to have it all together. And that's simply not true.

Through this course, the Lord spoke to me clearly. He said, "You want to help people? Then you have to understand them." And to understand them, you have to have been broken yourself. But you also have to have Jesus. You have to have the Word of God. And you have to have the specific tools that a course like this — focused on healing trauma — can give you. That's what makes you ready.

It was amazing. I told my wife, "You have to go." And honestly, I'd say the same to every one of you — you have to go. Because it gives you the chance to heal, to understand yourself, and to come out the other side ready to help others.

For me, that was the greatest outcome of all."

The testimonials featured here were originally delivered verbally and have been lightly edited for grammar, clarity, and readability. No changes were made to the substance, meaning, or spirit of what each person shared. Their stories remain entirely their own.

"At the beginning of my career, I was sexually assaulted. This class talked a lot about justice and forgiveness, and for the last five years, that's something I've really wrestled with — especially from a biblical standpoint — because the human part of me desperately wants to see justice. And I didn't get that. The person who hurt me walked away with a promotion, walked away with an award, and ETS'd out of the Army with full benefits. It felt like a slap in the face.

What this class showed me is that when people are hurting and they need someone to sit with them and grieve with them, we sometimes get so excited to share the Word of God that we miss what they actually need. And sometimes what they need isn't a scripture — it's just you showing up. Just being there.

That's one of the biggest things I'm taking away from this class: I feel so much more equipped to walk alongside you all and love you better. I'm not always going to have the right words, and honestly, sometimes the right words aren't even what you need. What I want is to walk through life with you — because we are no strangers to suffering in the military. Something happens to one of us every single day. The person to your left and to your right — you never really know what they're carrying.

As much as I love Scripture, sometimes the most powerful thing you can offer someone isn't a verse. It's, "Hey, let's get coffee. Let me make you a meal. Let's go for a walk." That's how I want to love and steward you all.

And that started with this class. I learned that vengeance is not mine. As much as I want justice — as much as I want righteousness — that's in the hands of the Lord. And that's something I have to lay at the foot of the cross every single day. I'm still learning that. So, thank you."

The testimonials featured here were originally delivered verbally and have been lightly edited for grammar, clarity, and readability. No changes were made to the substance, meaning, or spirit of what each person shared. Their stories remain entirely their own.

"I came into this course brand new to Fort Wainwright. I hadn't been here long, I didn't know anyone personally, and I only knew one name walking through the door. I was nervous and honestly didn't know what to expect — I had just gotten approved the night before, and all I knew was the title of the course.

I had no idea how much it was going to change me.

The course covered a lot around trauma — healing it in yourself, and then learning how to help others through it. Both of those hit close to home for me. I'm in the middle of my own healing journey right now, and as a lieutenant in the Army, I know that one day soldiers will come to me carrying their own traumatic experiences. So I took this seriously.

What did God do for me? He changed my perspective. I got to understand the trauma I've been through, where I am in the healing process, and how to come alongside others who are hurting. I got so much more comfortable — with myself, with this community — and I realized I'm not alone here anymore. And if you're sitting there wondering the same thing, you're not alone either.

Something shifted in me. My mentality changed. I learned that I wasn't broken — that healing was possible, and that it was already happening. I learned how to step into the Word and let it be part of that healing. And honestly? It's only been a week. It has already changed my life.

As for sharing this with others — I'm new here, so I don't know a lot of people yet. But the few I've talked to about this course were immediately interested. Some have already said they want to come to EYB just to hear more about what this experience could do for them. I hope I can help make that happen, because I want them to be able to walk the same path I'm on — maybe not the exact same path, we all have our own — but at least take a step in the right direction.

If it weren't for this course, I don't think I'd be leading anything right now. I don't think I'd be standing here with this kind of confidence. But I have a community now. And that means everything."

The testimonials featured here were originally delivered verbally and have been lightly edited for grammar, clarity, and readability. No changes were made to the substance, meaning, or spirit of what each person shared. Their stories remain entirely their own.

"I went through this course alongside Felipe, Charlotte, and Kelsey, and it was genuinely valuable — because it helps you understand what people are actually going through.

Here in Fairbanks, Alaska, one of the things we're consistently briefed on is how high the suicide rate is. And what this course helped me understand is that suicide isn't where you start — it's where you look if you want to understand it. You have to go all the way back to the beginning. The trauma, the triggers, the steps people go through before they ever reach that point.

I'll give you a real example. In 1-24 Infantry, we lost Staff Sergeant Arnold to suicide not long ago. People around him weren't able to identify the signs, and he took his own life. That's something we carry every single day. And just recently, there were one or two suicide attempts where someone did intervene — and because of that, those lives were saved.

That's exactly why this course matters to me. It teaches you how trauma works, how to identify it, how to sit with someone in it. And going through it yourself, being vulnerable in that space, opens you up in a way that makes people feel safe sharing with you. They don't feel like they're the only one. You're in it together.

For me, it felt like a missing piece — the bridge between recognizing someone is struggling and actually knowing how to help steer them away from a dark path. The connection between understanding trauma, walking with God, and preventing the worst from happening.

I'd recommend this course to anyone. And if you ever want to talk more about it, come find me — I'm happy to speak with you in person. Because here's the thing: it doesn't take a counselor or a chaplain to make a difference in someone's life. God can call any one of us to be that person for someone. So don't count yourself out."

The testimonials featured here were originally delivered verbally and have been lightly edited for grammar, clarity, and readability. No changes were made to the substance, meaning, or spirit of what each person shared. Their stories remain entirely their own.