Six MKLM missioners are serving in Chile.  When the earthquake struck, a seventh missioner was there hosting a service learning trip for Notre Dame and Marquette college students. All survived. Now, the missioners are answering the call to serve the people of Chile as they heal.

“As soon as the earthquake struck, I knew that my role would be to foster an intensive training program for caregivers in trauma and post-traumatic stress relief,” says Judy.  Studies show that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sets in from two to six months after a disaster.  “Folks become extremely aggressive or apathetic or simply ‘not there.’  If it is not treated, there are all kinds of consequences”.

Judy and her holistic-health teammates, in conjunction with Capacitar International, are organizing a year-long training program for 30-40 caregivers. The trainees, a combination of grassroots-trained caregivers and mental health professionals, will receive additional training on the proper protocols for PTSD therapy. As is common in cases of PTSD, the triggering trauma, in this case the earthquake, also triggers memories of earlier traumas, including abuse. Judy’s team will learn how to properly address the symptoms, and how to do so without also suffering stress disorder.

 “We are committed to facilitate the healing process. We, ourselves, are not healers.  People heal themselves. But we can empower folks to do just that – take back the reins of their own life and heal”.
Judy Ress, one of the MKLM missioners serving in Chile, has committed to facilitating the healing process by training dozens of health workers in the protocols of post-traumatic stress therapy. Judy’s ministry, Capacitar-Chile, develops formation and training programs that better the quality of life of poor women, with an emphasis on health.