There is a saying that goes, ‘No matter how long it takes, when God works it is always worth the wait. And that is exactly what Fig Tree Training Institute (FTTI) experienced after a 3-year wait to see our ‘train the Trainer’ project become a reality.
Our goal is to train Caregivers who in turn can help the broken and hurting in our churches and community. Over the years we have looked at several training options that fit our goal and resources, and God in His perfect time, provided an amazing opportunity to do the training in partnership with ‘Hope for the Heart Ministries’ for the ‘Lifeline to Hope’ training course. Lifeline to Hope is an 11-week lay caregiver training and certification program that utilizes content drawn from the Keys for Living Library at Hope for the Heart, alongside the 40 years of mental health and ministry experience of course designer and lead trainer, Dr. Eric Scalise, and co-facilitator Haley Scully.
We planned to train 10 Trainers, we ended up training 16! We had 5 churches represented in the group. Sheïda Meyer (pastor's wife) did the course via Zoom in St. Maarten. Errol and Igraima Zimmerman are from Curaçao and serving as full time missionaries in Dominican Republic. They were 'stuck' in Curaçao for a few months due to Covid-19 and thus could participate in the training course. A divinely timed interruption! At the end September 2020 they will return to Dominican Republic. Thus 3 Caribbean islands, Curaçao, St Maarten and Dominican Republic, were represented... God is good!
On Saturday September 19, 2020 FTTI planned a graduation celebration. It was indeed a time of celebration and sharing testimonies of God's faithfulness in our lives. Dr. Scalise and Ms. Haley joined us through Zoom and shared an encouraging word. (You can click on the links below to listen to the highlights of these testimonies).
Our trainers are ready, excited, and humbled to be entrusted with this “Sacred Trust” – caring for and loving the broken, the wounded and the hurting – to God’s glory and honor.
2 Timothy 1:9 NIV: He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time
