WSU Cru alumni - Kelsey Martin and "Women of Hope International"

Kelsey Martin is a 2008 graduate of WSU. She was a leader with Cru during her time as an undergraduate and is now working for Highline Community College as an Employment Consultant. Kelsey has been actively involved with a ministry called "Women of Hope" that exists to bring whole person healing to women with disabilities in Sierra Leone. Here is a portion of a recent update we got from Kelsey...

A summary of our last trip is difficult, but we were able to accomplish the majority of what we had set out to do in the short two and a half weeks there. The first week was dedicated to meeting with the local non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), other humanitarian aid agencies and governmental officials in the area. Our focus was on assessing the services already provided to women with disabilities and to begin networking with those already serving women there. We were so thankful to be welcomed warmly by everyone we encountered as they openly affirmed of the tremendous need forWOHInt. We hired three full time Sierra Leonean staff and assembled and met with our SL Advisory Board during this time as well.

The second week was emotionally exhausting as we held focus groups with representatives chosen from the blind, deaf, polio, amputee, war-wounded and leprosy communities. Every woman had a unique story about how society tells her she is worthless and the many barriers she faces living in the poorest country in the world. Most women were sexually exploited in some way, and all experience isolation and significant poverty. We facilitated brainstorming around solutions. While I had been to the country before and I had researched the trials of women with disabilities, nothing could have prepared me for hearing their deeply personal stories for myself, and developing friendships.

I returned home overwhelmed. I wrote this letter three different times before today. Each time I struggled with communicating all that I learned while still questioning what role God has me play in His desire to bring restoration to the women. Today I am sure that God wants to use myself and Women of Hope International to facilitate healing and the restoration of dignity and hope to women with disabilities in Sierra Leone. He has given WOHInt a strategic plan of action and our prayer is that gospel transformation will take place for these women and inspire the development of a community!