Bethany Haley Williams - The Color of Grace : How One Woman's Brokenness Brought Healing and Hope to Child Survivors of War ebook EPUB
9781476766256 English 1476766258 A middle-class white woman in rural America and war-affected children in Africa find common ground in their journeys from brokenness to redemption. Author and psychologist Bethany Haley shares how her own emotional healing led her into treacherous war zones, where she provides care to former child soldiers and how young girls used as sex slaves. Faced with her own battle with shame and a rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International, a non-profit that implements art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care to restore and empower war-affected children--including children rescued from Joseph Kony's LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). One of those rescued young men, Solomon, was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well...for one day we'll return to take them too." Solomon is one of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens "after." Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for changing the fabric of their countries by becoming leaders for peace and advocates of the power of forgiveness., A middle-class woman in rural America and war-affected children in Africa find common ground in their journeys from brokenness to redemption. Author and psychologist Bethany Haley Williams shares how her own emotional healing led her into treacherous war zones, where she provides care to former child soldiers and young girls used as sex slaves. Faced with her own battle with shame and a rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International, a nonprofit that implements art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care to restore and empower war-affected children-including children rescued from Joseph Kony's LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). One of those rescued young men, Solomon, was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well...for one day we'll return to take them too." Solomon is one of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens after . Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for changing the fabric of their countries by becoming leaders for peace and advocates of the power of forgiveness., Brokenness and redemption are common ground in two vastly different cultures--that of a middle-class white woman in rural America and war-affected children in Africa. Author and psychologist Bethany Haley shares how her own emotional healing led her into treacherous war zones, where she provided care to former child soldiers, and how stepping into the unexpected stories of their strength, resilience, and ability to forgive changed her own life. Determined to provide these children with opportunities for a new life, Bethany founded Exile International, a non-profit that helps emotionally restore child soldiers rescued from a multitude of rebels groups, including Joseph Kony's LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). One of those rescued young men is Solomon. Solomon was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well...for one day we'll return to take them too." During four years of rebel captivity, Solomon was under the command of Joseph Kony himself. Apprenticed as a field medic, this young boy regularly removed bullets from fellow boy soldiers without anesthesia and in filthy conditions. Solomon is one of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens "after." Once the children escape or are rescued, they must find a way to live again. This is where Bethany Haley comes in. Faced with her own battle with shame and a rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International as a catalyst to implement art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care programs to restore and empower war-affected children. Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for changing the fabric of their countries by becoming leaders for peace and advocates of the power of forgiveness. ""If the world could learn forgiveness, resilience, and joy to this level, it would be radically changed." "And these young survivors would be our greatest teachers." "--Bethany" "Haley, Pain and hopelessness are the common ground shared between two vastly different cultures--a middle-class white woman in rural America and war-ravaged children in Africa--as author Bethany Haley shares her story of healing and how she built Exile International, a non-profit that nurtures child soldiers rescued from the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Meet Denis. Denis was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch members of the LRA murder his father and grandparents. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well... for one day we'll return to take them too." Denis is one of thousands of innocent boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens "after." Once the children escape or are rescued, they have to find a way to live again. This is where Bethany Haley comes in. Faced with her own failures and rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International--a foundation that uses art and expression therapy to help with the healing process. Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for making a difference in their country as peace-makers. Featuring a foreword by Katie Davis, author of the bestseller "Kisses from Katie," this riveting narrative shows us that no matter what hardships we have endured, there is always a way to healing and a positive future., When author Bethany Haley Williams gives white handkerchiefs to children who have experienced the horrors of rebel enslavement in Africa, she invites them to draw not only their pain but their dreams. She gently tells them that God sees their tears-their happy and their sad tears-and that he catches each and every one of them in his hands. One young man, when encouraged to draw his painful memories on a handkerchief, raised his tear-filled eyes and said, "There is not enough room here to draw all my pain." In the pages of this book you'll read stories of children like Solomon, who was abducted at the age often after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well. One day we will return to take them, too." Stories like Solomons are replicated in the lives of hundreds and thousands of other boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and were forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are not the end of their stories. Now through the work of Exile International-an organization founded by Bethany Haley Williams-these children learn how to forgive themselves and even their abductors. Little boys who were once taught to kill and maim and little girls who were used as sex slaves for their cruel captors now learn to dance and sing and smile...and dream. From children of war to leaders for peace, they are returning to the very villages in which they killed to teach about peace and reconciliation through dance, drama, and song. As Bethany shares the stories of these precious children, she also shares her own personal story of shame and brokenness and her desperate need for a new beginning. In her story, you will discover reflections of yourself and, alongside these children, you will find your own hope, your own healing, and your own door to a new future. Book jacket.
9781476766256 English 1476766258 A middle-class white woman in rural America and war-affected children in Africa find common ground in their journeys from brokenness to redemption. Author and psychologist Bethany Haley shares how her own emotional healing led her into treacherous war zones, where she provides care to former child soldiers and how young girls used as sex slaves. Faced with her own battle with shame and a rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International, a non-profit that implements art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care to restore and empower war-affected children--including children rescued from Joseph Kony's LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). One of those rescued young men, Solomon, was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well...for one day we'll return to take them too." Solomon is one of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens "after." Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for changing the fabric of their countries by becoming leaders for peace and advocates of the power of forgiveness., A middle-class woman in rural America and war-affected children in Africa find common ground in their journeys from brokenness to redemption. Author and psychologist Bethany Haley Williams shares how her own emotional healing led her into treacherous war zones, where she provides care to former child soldiers and young girls used as sex slaves. Faced with her own battle with shame and a rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International, a nonprofit that implements art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care to restore and empower war-affected children-including children rescued from Joseph Kony's LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). One of those rescued young men, Solomon, was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well...for one day we'll return to take them too." Solomon is one of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens after . Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for changing the fabric of their countries by becoming leaders for peace and advocates of the power of forgiveness., Brokenness and redemption are common ground in two vastly different cultures--that of a middle-class white woman in rural America and war-affected children in Africa. Author and psychologist Bethany Haley shares how her own emotional healing led her into treacherous war zones, where she provided care to former child soldiers, and how stepping into the unexpected stories of their strength, resilience, and ability to forgive changed her own life. Determined to provide these children with opportunities for a new life, Bethany founded Exile International, a non-profit that helps emotionally restore child soldiers rescued from a multitude of rebels groups, including Joseph Kony's LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). One of those rescued young men is Solomon. Solomon was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well...for one day we'll return to take them too." During four years of rebel captivity, Solomon was under the command of Joseph Kony himself. Apprenticed as a field medic, this young boy regularly removed bullets from fellow boy soldiers without anesthesia and in filthy conditions. Solomon is one of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens "after." Once the children escape or are rescued, they must find a way to live again. This is where Bethany Haley comes in. Faced with her own battle with shame and a rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International as a catalyst to implement art/expressive therapy and long-term, rehabilitative care programs to restore and empower war-affected children. Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for changing the fabric of their countries by becoming leaders for peace and advocates of the power of forgiveness. ""If the world could learn forgiveness, resilience, and joy to this level, it would be radically changed." "And these young survivors would be our greatest teachers." "--Bethany" "Haley, Pain and hopelessness are the common ground shared between two vastly different cultures--a middle-class white woman in rural America and war-ravaged children in Africa--as author Bethany Haley shares her story of healing and how she built Exile International, a non-profit that nurtures child soldiers rescued from the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army). Meet Denis. Denis was abducted at the age of ten after being forced to watch members of the LRA murder his father and grandparents. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well... for one day we'll return to take them too." Denis is one of thousands of innocent boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and are forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are just the beginning. The real story is what happens "after." Once the children escape or are rescued, they have to find a way to live again. This is where Bethany Haley comes in. Faced with her own failures and rocky journey toward healing, Bethany founded Exile International--a foundation that uses art and expression therapy to help with the healing process. Once these children learn to face their pasts, they are given hope for a future and a vision for making a difference in their country as peace-makers. Featuring a foreword by Katie Davis, author of the bestseller "Kisses from Katie," this riveting narrative shows us that no matter what hardships we have endured, there is always a way to healing and a positive future., When author Bethany Haley Williams gives white handkerchiefs to children who have experienced the horrors of rebel enslavement in Africa, she invites them to draw not only their pain but their dreams. She gently tells them that God sees their tears-their happy and their sad tears-and that he catches each and every one of them in his hands. One young man, when encouraged to draw his painful memories on a handkerchief, raised his tear-filled eyes and said, "There is not enough room here to draw all my pain." In the pages of this book you'll read stories of children like Solomon, who was abducted at the age often after being forced to watch LRA soldiers maim and murder his father and grandfather. His younger siblings were left behind, and his mother was instructed to "raise them well. One day we will return to take them, too." Stories like Solomons are replicated in the lives of hundreds and thousands of other boys and girls who have had their innocence stolen and were forced to do the unthinkable on a daily basis. But their horrific experiences are not the end of their stories. Now through the work of Exile International-an organization founded by Bethany Haley Williams-these children learn how to forgive themselves and even their abductors. Little boys who were once taught to kill and maim and little girls who were used as sex slaves for their cruel captors now learn to dance and sing and smile...and dream. From children of war to leaders for peace, they are returning to the very villages in which they killed to teach about peace and reconciliation through dance, drama, and song. As Bethany shares the stories of these precious children, she also shares her own personal story of shame and brokenness and her desperate need for a new beginning. In her story, you will discover reflections of yourself and, alongside these children, you will find your own hope, your own healing, and your own door to a new future. Book jacket.