Darv & Carol Smith’s 2017 Newsletter
Dear Family and Friends January 4, 2018
We begin this newsletter by sending our love and blessings for a HAPPY NEW YEAR! for 2018.
Our year 2017 began with teaching in the Addictive Behavior Counseling School (ABCS) in Jeju, Korea led by Mango Kim with 32 Korean students. Carol taught on God’s Design for Maturity – 6 stages of maturity. Darv taught on Understanding Addictions and brain pictures of damage caused by addictions. (pic)
While in Korea, Darv flew to Warsaw, Poland to share with the International Substance Abuse & Addiction Coalition (ISAAC). This ministry networks Christian leaders working in the addiction field globally. Darv, along with others, pioneered ISAAC and was a previous president.
Darv and Carol went to Chatel, Switzerland in March for 3 months to serve on staff and teach in the Master’s (MA) program on Whole Person Health and Development. There were 10 international students from the University of the Nations who were invited to do this program.
In July, we went to Curitiba, Brazil to teach in the ABC school led by Chilean leader, Humberto Perez. Darv taught on Understanding Addictions including the definition from Proverbs 23, the Tree of Addictions and Alcohol Physiology and Pathology. Carol taught on God’s Design for Maturity.
Carol taught in Salem, Oregon in the Foundations of Counseling Ministry (FCM) school. This is a basic counseling school and a prerequisite for attending the ABCS.
In September, we hosted the Addictive Behavior Ministries International (ABMI) Consultation for our international leaders in our home and office in Boulder, CO. We shared our stories and prayed for one another. We prayed about the requests for future ABC schools in other countries, including a new one in Ukhrul, Manipur, India in 2018. ( Pic of consultation)
Our leaders were invited to attend the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) World Conference with about 7,000 attendees in Nashville, Tennessee, September 25-30, 2017. We were graciously granted free admission to attend all the plenary sessions and workshops.
In October, we were invited to attend a leader’s meeting of ISAAC in Ciudad Real, Spain. Five of our main ABCS leaders were invited to attend and participate. It was a blessing to all of us to relax and bond together. pic
In 2018, we will be busy helping the leadership to continue working with our 10 MA students in Cambodia, January 9 – March 15, 2018. We will continue teaching in 3 or more ABC schools in Switzerland, Brazil and Manipur, India.
We wish you a joy-filled and blessed NEW YEAR. Darv & Carol
