Mikayla Hagen

Mikayla here! God ignited a passion in me for ministering to girls who have been abused and forgotten when I was only six at a mission conference. Studying Amy Carmichael, I decided then that someday I wanted to be like her. I wanted to serve girls, who have suffered through so much; and help them instead experience the redemptive love of Christ- the kind of love that is never finished writing our stories and can use even the hardest chapters for His glory. 

 In college, I studied how to help people process their life stories in a way that allows them to compare their beliefs and actions to His truth in order to enact change. Throughout my time in college, as well as the year after, I worked at a camp in Missouri that serves court-ordered youth in residential treatment, many of whom are abused and cast aside by the people who should have loved them the most. I also spent the past two years in the Philippines as a house manager at a home for girls rescued out of sexual abuse and online sex trafficking. 

At both places, I received training in how to work with youth who have experienced trauma, and am now a TBRI Practitioner. TBRI, or Trust Based Relational Intervention, provides a curriculum for helping us better understand how God designed our brains to process and heal from trauma. It includes both brain science as well as practical tips that we can utilize in supporting healing in survivors’ lives. Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, we can cause harm to survivors or push them away from God and the church merely because we did not take the time to understand how God designed the process to work. This is why I am passionate about trauma training. How can we as the church better support survivors and invite them into our Father’s healing arms?

Growing up in the Philippines as a missionary kid, I grew a heart for the Filipino people. I am excited for the opportunity to be able to work in the Philippines in this field once again. During my first two-year term at the girls’ home in the Philippines, I trained and coached the staff in trauma-informed care and abuse prevention. While there, it became increasingly evident to me that the need for more of these trainings is immense as many children’s shelters reached out asking for training. Because of that, I am excited for my ministry to expand beyond this initial home to provide trainings for various organizations and to support their staff in their vital ministry. 

I truly believe He has created me to sit with the broken-hearted and proclaim His peace and gospel hope. I am honored to be the hands and feet on the ground in the Philippines, and am so grateful for those who partner with me to make that possible.