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Elena's major work following the earthquake devastation in Chile made use of her recent training by Brookfield Institute in trauma healing.
Brookfield Institute Provides Trauma Healing for
Chilean Earthquake Victims
A few weeks ago, Elena Huegel, missionary in Chile, was a participant in a workshop offered by the Brookfield Institute, called Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience. Immediately following the earthquake, Elena was prepared to offer trauma healing strategies to people most affected.
Who could have predicted how timely the training would be?
Elena and several others who attended the workshop gave a brief instruction in first aid for trauma for 100 Sunday school teachers. Each teacher oversees 20 classes. Within a few weeks following the earthquake, trauma healing will be brought to hundreds of children.
Elena also gathered a group of children in some of the most affected areas to process their experiences. These drawings, painted by some of the children at the workshop, depict their hope of what can be.
Maria Isabel, 8 years old Damien, 7 years old Geraldine, 6years old
The devastation from the earthquake in Chile, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale, is mind-boggling. Homes and businesses are rubble, bridges are upended, cities are flooded with 8 feet of water and whole families have died.
Other organizations will provide the desperately needed shelter, food and water needed for physical healing.
And Centro Shalom will provide the trauma healing.
The nine newly certified trauma workers from Centro Shalom, the Brookfield Institute’s Chilean partner, have been helping heal the emotional and spiritual wounds that are all too rampant after a disaster, particularly in children.
When the quake stuck, the workers were in the mountains at Centro Shalom, leading a retreat to teach others about first aid for trauma — both physical and emotional trauma.
As they slept, the first shock of the earthquake rumbled across the mountains, knocking some people out of bed. They banded together to check on neighbors, equipped with lanterns, water, food and first aid. Assured everyone was OK, they began the trek down the mountain, carrying supplies and ready to face what lay ahead.
They traveled to Talca, the city with the highest death toll at this writing, immediately putting their training to work as they cared for families without homes, or those who had lost loved ones. The Centro Shalom staff has continued to reach out to traumatized communities across Chile.
One young woman wrote: “I am grateful for the workshop in trauma healing. I have been inspired to help many people in these days. The course and the leadership have served me well. I have applied everything that I learned. Without a doubt, many people will need this help in the days to come.”
At the Brookfield Institute, we plan to continue and extend our work in trauma healing in Chile through Centro Shalom, a peace and environmental education camp sponsored by the Pentecostal Church of Chile and our partner for 10 years.
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