Martha, 54
Madison, IN

… [A]s an innocent eight year old girl, I was molested by a distant family member. … Raped at 13 … Feeling dirty and abandoned, I developed an antagonistic attitude towards love and sex.

I was allowed to marry at age 16 … [a]fter three children, my husband betrayed me. …

During the brief marriage to my second husband, he tried to molest my two sons and became involved in drugs. … I moved back home to my parents for a year.

While there I met a man that seemed to be a breath of fresh air. My daughter was molested and raped by this “religious” husband from age eight to twelve. The betrayal was almost more than I could bear. ...

… In 1997, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which went into remission a year later. … Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2001, [it] is still a condition of which I struggle.

… My husband of the past 6 years had a brain tumor removed three years ago. Strokes followed … he had another major stroke July 6, 2006. He will never be quite the same.

… Throughout all the disappointments and trials in my life, I want to help those who experience betrayal and abandonment by really listening to their hurts. Not with a deaf ear, but listening with the heart and responding with empathy.

… I am determined to rise above all the negative circumstances in my life whether or not they could have been self-controlled. My goal is to turn those ugly situations into things gracious and beautiful. … I strongly believe to reach such goal is to help others to do the same.

This summer attending a women’s leadership conference, I became aware that Department of Corrections Chaplain is the destination for my life. To accomplish this would begin to make sense of the instruments of warfare formed against me.

My goal is to obtain a B.S. in Psychology online then onto a Master’s with special emphasis on Ministry/Chaplaincy. … Upon receiving the bachelor’s degree my denomination will ordain me as a minister. With my husband’s health and the fact that I must make a living, online study is the only choice that makes sense. … I have been fortunate to make a good salary. Unfortunately my income is such to receive little financial aid.

… At age 54 there was concern about beginning college and studying for the next six years. A wise friend told me that I could be 60 with a degree or 60 without a degree. Either way I would be 60. What wisdom!

I am excited that I can now begin to counsel bruised, battered and neglected women in a structured, intelligent
way. Having risen above adverse circumstances, the dream for my life is to have meaning and purpose. How fulfilling to see that dream coming true