Darv & Carol Smith’s Newsletter – Nov, 2009
Greetings from Worcester, South Africa where we are having oursecond ABCS in Africa! We have just finished the first three weeks. Thereare 15 staff from 7 different countries and 19 students from 11 countries. During the first week the staff and then the students shared their stories of growing up in a dysfunctional family, childhood trauma, addictions, becoming Christians, and about current issues. The second week was about support & therapy groups. Darv taught the third week on Understanding Addictions. Weall are coming to a new understanding & revelation about ourselves.
Our year of travel began with teaching in the second ABCS in India led by Robert & Christina Pallath Jan 27 until Feb 15th. Carol taught a week on Human Maturation in our ABCS and also in another school on campus. Darv taught a week on Understanding Addictions. On the last of February we left to minister in Australia. We stayed with our former ABCS staff Gloria Datt who lives in Sydney. We visited some YWAM bases and enjoyed the zoo, the Opera House tour and sightseeing in Sydney as tourists. We taught in a 2 day addiction workshop in Newcastle. We then flew to Canberra where we taught for 2 weeks in the Foundations of Counseling Ministry (FCM) school led by Dr Jun & Sohee Kim until we returned to USA in March.
On March 28th our family attended Carol’s sister, Amy Bauernschmidt’s wedding to Jack Julien in Tucson, AZ. In April Darv did Emergency Medicine locum tenens work for 2 weeks on the Native American Rosebud Reservation in Rosebud, SD. Darv was appalled at the high incidence of alcoholism there and very little effective recovery. After this we attended the YWAM North American Leadership Conference in Estes Park, CO. We spent time getting to know Dr Clair Schnupp and his extensive counseling ministry to native people throughout Canada, Alaska, and Greenland.
In May we enjoyed attending “The Path of Paul” tour in Turkey and Greece with two Denver Seminary professors and 37 participants. It was exciting to see the various ruins, the well constructed “Roman roads” and the site where Lydia became the first European Christian in Philippi. After that we went to Kiev, Ukraine where Carol taught a week in a FCM school while Darv visited a new rehab center. On our way home we stopped in California to visit our son Scott and attend Carol’s high school reunion. Darv then went to Kona, HI to teach a week in an Addiction and the Church workshop with Korean pastors and their spouses. After returning to Boulder Darv resumed doing ER work in TX until we left to attend various U of N counseling leadership meetings in Chatel, Switzerland. From there we came to Worcester, South Africa.
Our main challenge here has been to help staff and students find ways to pay their school expenses. Those from undeveloped countries are in special need. Nine of our 15 staff have minimal ability to pay their base fees of 4,900 Rand = $660 USD. This total is about $5,900 USD. The school fees for tuition, lodging and meals is $1027 per student from undeveloped (category C) countries for a total of $9,200. We have agreed to scholarship those staff and students for about 50% of their fees through our non-profit ABMI (Addictive Behavior Ministries International) account. This was set up with the gracious help of members of First Presbyterian Church in Boulder. Most of the funding for ABMI comes from Darv doing emergency medicine work between other ministry activities. We have encouraged our staff and students develop more income generating projects. Some have already started small gardens, animal & chicken projects, and making colorful jewelry from colored paper. We will attach some stories of staff and students and their countries and categories. The C category is for those from undeveloped countries, B for developing countries, and A for developed countries. These categories are similar to the UN classification categories.
Tax deductable donations to ABMI may be sent to our home /office address at 3228 Ninth Street / Boulder,CO 80304. The checks will be deposited into the ABMI account and the money given to the YWAM base for these donees. We will then provide a receipt for tax purposes.
Please pray with us for our school leader Jonathan Mumbi from Zambia, our staff, and students for the success of the school as well as for the financial area.
Darv recently went to Accra, Ghana to teach pastors and others in an ISAAC (International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition) workshop for 4 days. We have enjoyed the excitement and healing of the students and staff in the school thus far. We are enjoying the pleasant spring weather as summer approaches here in South Africa.
Blessings, Darv & Carol
December, 2008 Newsletter of Darv and Carol Smith
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from our home in Boulder, Colorado to all of you nearby and those living
in various parts of the world! This year of 2008 brought many blessings and some
disappointments and challenges.
We traveled to Uganda, Africa January 1 and stayed through April 15 to help lead our first Youth With A Mission (YWAM), University of the Nations (UofN), Addictive Behavior Counseling School (ABCS) in Jinja, the city known as the source of the Nile River. (We took a boat to see this bubbling spring between Lake Victoria and the Nile.) The students in this first ABCS numbered 23 from 7 different African nations. The theme for this school was Hosea 6:1-3 (please read this). As we repeatedly read these verses in class both students and staff were greatly impacted. The verses were amazingly relevant to the students’ life experiences - their lives being torn apart through war, family violence, etc. All experienced some measure of healing and restoration which they will in turn take back to impact their own nations. This is what we pray will happen in each of our ABC schools. After the conclusion of the school we traveled to Durban, South Africa and enjoyed visiting our daughter, Melanie and her family. Melanie is working in an HIV-AIDS project, while John is working on a graduate music degree.
We returned to the States May 7th, ready for a road trip to visit family in Ohio, Missouri and Iowa. During this time we attended Darv’s great-nephew’s wedding – a wedding done up in hot-pink and black – the current rage in wedding colors. We also attended a Life Model/Thrive Conference in Illinois dealing with brain science and trauma recovery taught by Drs. Karl Lehman and Jim Wilder. We were especially encouraged by this cutting-edge teaching/ministry because it is an area in which we ourselves want to grow and heal. We would like to include many of these concepts in our ABC curriculum since trauma is the soil of all addictions. A long-overdue Bauernschmidt family get-together happened in Branson, Missouri with Carol’s two brothers and sister and their families. Four birthdays were celebrated, including Carol and her twin brother Joe’s birthday…a wonderful time!
The much anticipated ABC School to be held in Canberra, Australia was cancelled due to a limited number of student applications. This was a great disappointment! We hope for another school in Australia at a later date.
We are especially amazed and grateful for the leadership for ABC Schools around the world – Linda Subris (Palau) and Ashang Kasar (India) in Kailua-Kona, HI ; Sylvie Bolay in Chatel, Switzerland; Jong Kook, Jungwoo and Jin Ho in Jeju, Korea; Emmanuel Muchanga (Kenya) in Uganda. In 2009 we look forward to Robert Pallath in Lonavala, India in January; Linda Subris in Hawaii in April; Debra and Jeremaia Nakora in Fiji and Jonathan Mumbi (Zambia) in Worchester, South Africa in September 2009. Each school in the University of the Nations has a 3 month classroom phase and a 3 month outreach/practicum phase – 6 months total.
In between ABC work, Darv has been working as a locum tenens emergency medicine physician in hospitals in Texas. Carol has been kept busy with taking piano lessons (first time in decades) and home projects. We’ve also been active in a small group in which we study a book and pray for various personal, local and national concerns. Our current book is “The Pleasures of God” by John Piper.
We are thankful that Jesus was born and gave his life for us. May you experience His kindness and His presence especially during this Christmas season throughout the New Year – 2009.
With blessings and love, Darv and Carol
We have set up a non-profit corporation, Addictive Behavior Ministries International, (ABMI) for tax deductable donations so that others may partner with us in this addiction and trauma recovery ministry and vision. Contributions will help support our international students and staff. These may be sent to ABMI at our Boulder address.
Dr. Darvin and Carol Smith
Addictive Behavior Ministries International (ABMI)
3228 9th St.
Boulder, Colorado 80304
Tel: (303) 444-4747, FAX (303) 927-7717
E-mail darvsmithmd@msn.com
carolstollsmith@hotmail.com
NEWSLETTER 2007 DARV AND CAROL SMITH
August 2007
Darv & Carol Smith Ministry Report from Addictive Behavior Ministries Int’l
In 1989, after attending a Discipleship Training School and two counseling schools as students with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) /University of the Nations ( U of N ) in Hawaii, we were asked to create /pioneer the Addictive Behavior Counseling school (ABCS) which includes a 12-week classroom phase with some guest teachers & a 12-week practical outreach phase. Since this time we have led or trained leaders for over 20 ABC schools around the world. In 2006 we coordinated 5 schools in India, Hawaii, Ukraine, Switzerland, & Korea.
In January, 2007 we went to Kenya, Africa to visit with some of our ABMI leaders and students. Darv attended leadership meetings in March in Kona,HI for the U of N & in Dordrecht,NL with International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition (ISAAC). In April Darv taught on Understanding Addiction in the ABCS in Kona, HI. In May Carol and Darv went to Arnhem,NL to lead a Breaking the Bonds of Addiction Workshop with a former ABCS student’s church. We then went to Chatel, Switzerland where Carol taught on Human Development in the Introduction to Biblical Counseling (IBC) school followed by a week of teaching in an IBC in Kamchatka, Russia. In June we attended the YWAM Int’l HIV/AIDS Conference in Uganda. In July/Aug we attended a Thrive Conference with Jim Wilder in Michigan and were tremendously blessed and encouraged. In August Darv will be teaching in Hong Kong and then will attend a YWAM U of N Workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In October we will be attending an ISAAC Congress in Holland and then Carol will be teaching in a YWAM school in Switzerland. In November Darv will be teaching in Korea & Mongolia.
In 2008 we will be overseeing and teaching in 5 ABC Schools – in Africa; Kona,HI; Korea; Switzerland; & Australia. We have been preparing for our first ABCS in Africa to be held in Jinja, Uganda. We will be on staff to train / mentor Emmanuel Muchanga from Kenya while he leads the school.
We have been blessed by First Pres Church helping us set up the non-profit organization: Addictive Behavior Ministries International (ABMI). This non-profit organization was birthed to encourage others to be partners in our expanding ministry. Donations may be made to ABMI and sent to our address (3228 9th St. Boulder, CO,80304 Tel: 303-444-4747) for tax free giving.
We also very much value your continuing prayer support.
Blessings and Thank you Darv and Carol Smith
We have been blessed by First Pres Church helping us set up the non-profit
Darv & Carol Smith Ministry Report from Addictive Behavior Ministries Int’l
In 1989, after attending a Discipleship Training School and two counseling schools as students with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) /University of the Nations ( U of N ) in Hawaii, we were asked to create /pioneer the Addictive Behavior Counseling school (ABCS) which includes a 12-week classroom phase with some guest teachers & a 12-week practical outreach phase. Since this time we have led or trained leaders for over 20 ABC schools around the world. In 2006 we coordinated 5 schools in India, Hawaii, Ukraine, Switzerland, & Korea.
In January, 2007 we went to Kenya, Africa to visit with some of our ABMI leaders and students. Darv attended leadership meetings in March in Kona,HI for the U of N & in Dordrecht,NL with International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition (ISAAC). In April Darv taught on Understanding Addiction in the ABCS in Kona, HI. In May Carol and Darv went to Arnhem,NL to lead a Breaking the Bonds of Addiction Workshop with a former ABCS student’s church. We then went to Chatel, Switzerland where Carol taught on Human Development in the Introduction to Biblical Counseling (IBC) school followed by a week of teaching in an IBC in Kamchatka, Russia. In June we attended the YWAM Int’l HIV/AIDS Conference in Uganda. In July/Aug we attended a Thrive Conference with Jim Wilder in Michigan and were tremendously blessed and encouraged. In August Darv will be teaching in Hong Kong and then will attend a YWAM U of N Workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In October we will be attending an ISAAC Congress in Holland and then Carol will be teaching in a YWAM school in Switzerland. In November Darv will be teaching in Korea & Mongolia.
In 2008 we will be overseeing and teaching in 5 ABC Schools – in Africa; Kona,HI; Korea; Switzerland; & Australia. We have been preparing for our first ABCS in Africa to be held in Jinja, Uganda. We will be on staff to train / mentor Emmanuel Muchanga from Kenya while he leads the school.
We have been blessed by First Pres Church helping us set up the non-profit organization: Addictive Behavior Ministries International (ABMI). This non-profit organization was birthed to encourage others to be partners in our expanding ministry. Donations may be made to ABMI and sent to our address (3228 9th St. Boulder, CO,80304 Tel: 303-444-4747) for tax free giving.
We also very much value your continuing prayer support.
Blessings and Thank you Darv and Carol Smith
We have been blessed by First Pres Church helping us set up the non-profit