A New War At Home

I am Jacquelyne Kancir from the United States of America. As an American and a wife of a USMC Purple Heart Veteran with post-combat PTSD, I’d like to apply my ministry to spouses and families of other veterans affected by the recent OIF and OEF conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Our VA system offers counseling, medication, and other worldly helps, but true healing requires a strong spiritual fight against the deceiver’s lies. I want to help equip wives to become that spiritual help for their suffering husbands. These veterans signed up for a physical war, but many had no idea the spiritual war that would await them when they returned home.

While I had known the Lord for as long as I could remember, I was introduced to legalistic doctrine early in my childhood. I was raised in a home that taught of a punishing God and rules of religion. In my twenties, I fell from my faith after a series of significant traumas. My mother-in-law introduced me to the truth of the Lord, modeled a beautiful loving relationship with our Father, and I was born again in my thirties. From there on, I sought a relationship with the Lord. My entire mindset and way of life changed. I truly have been renewed, and I seek daily for a continual renewal.

My ministry dream is to help others that may currently be in a place of darkness or suffering from traumas or relationship pains come to see the great miracles of healing that can only come through a relationship with our Savoir. I have been abundantly blessed and filled with the Spirit, and I want to be a willing vessel for the Lord to use me to spread His loving message to others.

I identify most as a small group leader. I’m often finding women’s Bible studies to attend, conferences, and I’ll purchase materials and invite other women in my life that can share in the experience with me. I also lead a Christian support group for wives and family of OIF/OEF post-combat PTSD veterans.

My husband and I suffered for years through the effects of PTSD before I turned it all over to the Lord and allowed him to work miracles in our lives. Women like Stormie Omartian, Joyce Meyer, and Katie Souza were instrumental vessels in getting me to hear the message of surrender to God, the Father. As in I Peter 4:8, I learned to love my husband fervently, to provide him the charity of love, (even in times I personally didn’t feel him deserving), and that covered a multitude of sins, both his and mine. I learned that I could be strengthened through Christ in ways I couldn’t fathom. I experienced amazing peace in midst of the most tremendous storms. I became very difficult to offend and quick to forgive (Meyer, “Power Thoughts”). I watched God melt my husband’s heart and bring him, me, and our entire family into alignment with His will. I became a warrior for a spiritual battle that my husband was suffering in versus battling him. We became a team for God’s plan. As I watched other women continue to suffer in their marriages from the post-war effects, I felt a yearning to share this good news, that healing was possible!

In my area of ministry, my main challenge is the secrecy and shame often associated with PTSD in veterans. Many are unwilling to admit they have a problem, and even for those that do, often they try to suffer on their own, instead of allowing their wives to help. Thus, there are many wives that aren’t even aware what is causing their marriage such difficulties or changing the love of their life. In my experience, hearing from even one other wife that they are not alone can help ignite a flame that fuels these women to find hope and healing.

A scholarship at CLI will give me the support, knowledge, wisdom, and growth I need to remove the callouses from my eyes and ears to better see and hear the will of God, to allow myself to be molded into a true working vessel of the Lord’s message. My ministry spiritually arms and supports people walking in incredible darkness with strong demons. It is absolutely imperative I maintain a very close walk with the Lord. Please pray that I may remain strong to help others.