She Was the One Who Needed Help… Until She Became the Helper
In a quiet corner of Africa, a woman named Miriam* carried the weight of a childhood marked by loss and betrayal. Her parents had died when she was young, and the people she once trusted most had turned away. Without the tools or language to process the grief and trauma she carried, Miriam buried her pain. Over time, that buried pain surfaced as anger and violence—often directed at others, but always rooted in her own unhealed wounds.
She had grown up in church, hearing many teachings on love, forgiveness, and living a life that honored Christ. But what she truly needed was not another message—she needed a companion in her story, someone who could help her go back to the beginning and understand why she felt the way she did. She longed to grow in understanding, not just obedience.
That opportunity came when Miriam joined a trauma-healing training facilitated by local leaders equipped through RiverCross.
The training didn’t offer Miriam quick fixes or distant theories. Instead, it invited her to engage her own story with honesty, grace, and curiosity. She began to recognize how her past experiences were still shaping her present responses—emotionally, socially, and spiritually. As she learned about trauma and the brain, she also encountered the compassionate heart of God in a new way.
With each session, she practiced simple but powerful tools: calming her body through breathing, giving voice to her pain through lament, and keeping her relational circuits open even when triggered. These weren’t abstract ideas—they were practical, daily practices she could use for herself and share with others.
Healing didn’t come all at once, but it came. And as it did, something shifted: Miriam began to see her story not as a source of shame, but as a foundation for purpose.
She now volunteers with children in her community, many of whom carry wounds much like hers. Through a local RiverCross Club built on RiverCross’s GLAD model—Games, Listening to audio stories, Activities, and Discussion—she helps create a safe and engaging environment where children can be heard, supported, and loved.
The very tools that helped Miriam begin her own healing are now helping her guide children through theirs.
RiverCross’s trauma-informed training, rooted in both research and faith, is designed to be sustainable and replicable across cultures. Through high-quality audio dramas, culturally resonant storytelling, and hands-on group experiences, local caregivers are equipped to be the healing presence children need. RiverCross operates with a core belief: God has already placed the right people in the right places to care for children in distress. Their mission is to empower those people—caregivers, mentors, teachers, and community leaders—with practical tools, resources, and Gospel-rooted support so that vulnerable children can truly thrive.
For Miriam, the transformation she experienced didn’t come from RiverCross—it came through her encounter with the love of Jesus. RiverCross simply provided the framework, the guidance, and the tools to help her uncover what God was already doing in her heart and in her community.
Now, she hopes to become a RiverCross trainer herself, so she can equip even more caregivers to walk with children toward healing, hope, and lasting change.
Because when caregivers are empowered, children are protected. And when Jesus enters the story, no pain is wasted.
*Name and location changed to protect privacy.
RiverCross equips local caregivers with trauma-healing tools so children can thrive in their own communities.