Forty-year-old Ishaku was filled with rage, and he had every reason to be.

He saw firsthand the ravaging destruction bloodthirsty terrorists had leveled against his people and hometown just outside of Maiduguri, Nigeria. When militants attacked, he fled with his young family to the mountains in the northeast of the country.

His family hid in a large cave for a month until they trekked over the mountains in Cameroon to a refugee camp. The terrorists repeatedly targeted Ishaku as a known community leader. He was very angry and rarely smiled.

Then he learned about a Bible-based trauma healing session taking place nearby.

The session was part of a Bible-based trauma healing program for those who have been severely traumatized and lost their trust in God. The program, which receives support from American Bible Society’s financial partners, combines sound biblical truth with mental health best practices. Over a million people have completed this program for spiritual healing, and thousands have committed their lives to Christ.

Slowly through the program, Ishaku gained a deep understanding of true forgiveness and the freedom it offers. Soon, Ishaku was leading a workshop himself!

Ishaku says, “This trauma healing experience changed me. It’s what gave me courage. I have felt the impact of this in my own life and now have a deep desire to take it to my people.”

One of the men who attended the workshop led by Ishaku said, “We thought you were the one that was going to lead us into revenge, and now we see that you are leading us into forgiveness, instead. If you can forgive them, I can, too.”

This is the type of miraculous transformation that our generous financial partners spark through Bible-based trauma healing and other programs of American Bible Society.