Author Archives: bukallifeministries

June 2014 Updates

Here are a few things in the recent past, present, and recent future.

1.  Gabby Mecca (from Virginia in the US) is joining our group for a few weeks… assisting us in Disaster Response, and Hospital work and more.

2.  May 25 – June 5th. Visayas Trip. This was our… 4th or 5th trip to the area devastated by Typhoon Yolanda (aka Haiyan) since December. This trip was in partnership with PBTS, PWMU, and others. 6 team members went. Celia, Alexis, Joylene, Jeanard, Gabby, and Lea were at two evacuation centers in the Tacloban (Leyte) area for half of the trip. Half did Vacation Bible School (Faith, Hope, Love) with the children, while the other half did Psychosocial Processing with the adults. Joylene and Jeanard went on to Mindanao, while the other four travelled to Concepcion, Iloilo. They split their work there between two islands, Mangalabang, and Baliguian. Their they continued the work done in Tacloban, and added the initial groundwork towards a community development program there.

3.  June 2nd. This was the start of an introductory clinical pastoral training group led by Celia and assisted by Jehny and Becky. 6 trainees are Fr. German, Sr. Amelia, Alexis, JB, Gabby, and Joel. Most of their practical ministry work will be done through Baguio General Hospital.

4.  June 19th. “Models of Pastoral Care and Christian Counseling.” This will be a mini-seminar on various forms of Christian ministry in the area of counseling and pastoral care. The goal is a basic understanding of hte different goals of each and their belief regarding the relationship between psychology and theology. This is a free seminar starting at 6:30pm and ending at 9pm at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (Baguio City, Philippines)

Children in Mangalabang Island

Children in Mangalabang Island

 

Baliguian Island

Baliguian Island

 

Beautifully Broken

Carl Jung gives the concept of the “wounded healer”… the idea that the drive to become a counselor flows out of an experience of past brokenness. Hardly a shocking revelation. I had a friend in High School who had had lots of work done on his teeth over several years. He wanted to become a dentist (although he ultimately went in a different direction).

Father Henri Nouwen, among others, have gone further suggesting that the sens of being wounded or broken, actually facilitates the counselor as a healer of others.

As a metaphor, one could look at the idea of Kintsugi (golden joinery) or Kintsukuroi (golden repair) from Japanese craftwork, for the view that brokenness may provide a special form of beauty.

Here is a two-part article that explores this idea. It could easily, I believe, be brought over to be looked at from the idea of being a counselor or pastoral care provider.

Kintsukuroi Faith: Beautifully Broken. Part 1

Kintsukuroi Faith: Beautifully Broken. Part 2

Project Visayas June 2014

Our latest trip to the Visayas Region in response to Typhoon Yolanda was from May 26 to June 4. The team is a partnership between PBTS (Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary) and Bukal Life Care. The team of 6 includes Celia, Jeanard, Alexis, Lea, Joylene, and Gabby.  This day (27th) is the second day of DVBS in Tacloban. There were over 120 for day one at the evacuation center and over 190 on day two. Psychosocial Processing (PSP) is also being done.

The 31st, the team will travel to Baliguian Island. DVBS and PSP will be done there as well as initiation of community development work there.

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Listening and the Spirit of Unhurried Leisure

Craig Thompson's avatarClearing Customs

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“Get busy.”

That’s the mantra of many a boss.

“Look busy.”

That’s what coworkers say when the boss is coming.

Busyness isn’t always a synonym for work. In fact, busyness can get in the way of productivity.

Eugene Peterson, best known for his translation of the Bible, The Message, also served as a pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland, for 30 years. One of the consistent themes in his teaching and writing is that pastors should not fall into the seductive trap of busyness. Instead, as he writes in “The Unbusy Pastor,” his goal in his role as a church leader was to do three things, things that are too easily pushed aside by a busy life: to pray, to preach, and to listen.

Listening, he says, needs “unhurried leisure.” This leisure is the opposite of busyness. And just as busyness does not equal work…

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CPE Graduation, May 2014

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The CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) Summer 2014 team. They completed 1/2-unit from late March to early May 2014. The team is from left to right: JM (on first unit), Alexis (advanced unit), Sr. Annette (on first unit), Celia (supervisor), Sr. Isabella (on first unit), Cori (advanced unit), and Rob (on first unit). Also thanks to Becky and Jehny in assisting the training.

Bukal Life Care is a CPSP-certified training center for Clinical Pastoral Education. Our next training starts on June 2nd, 2014. If you have any questions, contact us at 0933-302-0373, or email us at info@bukallife.org.

 

June 2014 CPE Half Unit

We intend to start a half unit of CPE supervised by Celia Munson (CPSP) in Baguio City. It will start the first week in June and continue 6-7 weeks. If you have any questions, email us at info@bukallife.org, or text/call us at 0933-302-0373 or 0916-557-9549.

June 2014 Mini-Workshop

Many have been asking about our next Mini-workshop. Our next planned one will be in June (probably 3rd week… exact date TBD). The topic will be “Counseling: Models of Interaction Between Psychology and Theology.” This will be a brief (2 – 2.5 hours) lecture and discussion groups on various models: “Levels of Explanation,” “Integrationist Camps,” “Christian Psychology,” “Biblical Counseling,” “Transformational Psychology” (and Spiritual Direction), “Historical Pastoral Care,” and “Modern Pastoral Care.” It will be held at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (Baguio City). Probably More details to follow.