A Lay Counselor's Journey

With curiosity, eighteen years ago I joined the first training group for Lay Counselors in this wonderful organization. My skills had leaned towards listening rather than speaking and I felt guided to learn to listen well. Then the question was, where could God use this ability? My focus and improvement over the years coincided with the timing of Anew Day opening. After training I began to serve here. Through that experience I saw how much I didn’t know.

I took a break for more education in psychology courses. The subject fascinated me, yet obtaining a license was not the road for me. A bit later another Lay Counselor who had been facilitating support groups at Anew Day asked me to assist her. We had a great time! It nudged me back into the organization. Since then, Anew Day has given me an avenue to reach out with Christ’s UNCONDITIONAL love. It has been super rewarding!

I don’t take many clients because each one gets my full attention when they come to me. Having that kind of care makes a difference to them and they express it with phrases like, "I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders" or "Now I have tools". What a privilege to be part of someone’s relief! With our help they are introduced to new approaches to their challenges, and they often see other choices they can make. Especially meaningful to me has been giving them the sense that they are not alone.

The work as an Anew Day Lay Counselor is amazing. We are a team that shares a wealth of resources to pass onto our clients. Among the remarkable contributions our organization makes to care for our clients, these two stand out to me: we decrease the loneliness in our county, and we participate in the incredible joy of sharing God’s bountiful love. Clients are blessed and helped not only with wisdom and new concepts to explore, but more importantly because they are loved!

Bonnie Prudhomme

Lay Counselor

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