Evolution of a healing ministry

By Amy Julian

In December, Carol Kling, the director of the Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat of the Western Dakotas, needed to make a decision. The last two RV retreats had canceled due to a snowstorm, and then to Covid. “I was not going to let this retreat cancel,” she said.

At a peak of Covid cases, and being unsure of what the spring would bring, the RV Team of the Western Dakotas decided to try what seemed to be impossible — to use ZOOM to bring healing to those suffering from the spiritual and emotional consequences of abortion. “We were completely unsure if this would work,” Kling said. “Healing from abortion requires willingness to allow yourself to be open and vulnerable to Christ, and to the people who are accompanying you on the journey. Trust is essential. How on earth were we going to pull that off on ZOOM?”

Providentially, the Dallas RV Team was willing to share their experiences. “They sent us their adaptations, as well as PowerPoint slides. It was a great head start.” Armed with the Dallas materials, and weeks of rehearsals, the team set up in individual rooms at Terra Sancta, ready to virtually receive the women who felt called to the retreat from three different states.

Did it work? “Yes!” exclaimed Kling.  “Were there things I would have done differently? Sure. But we were blown away at the healing that these women experienced,” she continued. “It was almost surreal, seeing them achieve these breakthroughs on ZOOM.

“In the end, it turns out that Jesus can even use ZOOM to spread his healing touch!” Asked if she would do this again, Kling said, “Probably not by choice. I missed the hugs, but it is a great option to have in our back pocket.”