Heart of a lioness : sacrifice, courage & relentless love among the children of Uganda / Irene Gleeson with Nicole Partridge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gleeson, Irene, author.

Partridge, Nicole, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gleeson, Irene--Travel.

Gleeson, Irene.

Child welfare--Uganda.

Child welfare.

Christian converts--Australia--Biography.

Christian converts.

Orphans--Services for--Uganda.

Orphans.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (186 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Franklin, Tennessee ; West Ryde, New South Wales : Authentic, 2014.

Summary:

At 35, Irene Gleeson's life was all but over. Her first marriage had fallen apart, her family home had been sold and her children were on a path of self-destruction. Disillusioned and anxious, she sought answers in all manner of places, but when this all came to nothing, she spiralled further into the abyss. Broke and depressed, suicidal and trawling the night clubs looking for love, Irene made an unexpected discovery of God's love on the 28th of November, 1982. Standing at the back of a small beachside church, the presence of God embraced her, and in that moment, she was finally free. With a renewed sense of purpose, peace and several answered prayers, Irene asked this of her saviour: "Jesus, you've done this for me, what can I do for you?" What followed was a commitment by Irene and her then second husband to sponsoring children from around the world and embarking on short-term missions' trips. But it was a visit to Ethiopia in 1988 to meet their sponsored children that would be the turning point. In February 1992, Irene and her husband sold up everything, waved goodbye to family and friends and shipped their modest aluminium caravan 12,000 kms from the warm, white sands of Australia to the red, dust of Uganda. In a small isolated community on the Sudan border, the couple began their work of rescuing and rehabilitating child soldiers and orphans. Irene taught the children to sing and then to read and write - eventually adding feeding, education and medical care to her repertoire. While the work continued to grow and flourish, her relationship didn't, and before long, she found herself alone - yet again. Irene forged ahead despite the hardships - extreme isolation, swelteringly hot days, repeated bouts of malaria and several attacks by rebels. Hand in hand with Jesus, she carved out a global organisation that has left an indelible imprint on the hearts and lives of 20,000 war affected Ugandans. Heart of a Lioness will take readers on Irene's journey of obedience, sacrifice and unwavering faith. A moving narrative filled with drama, humour and deeply personal insights, Irene recounts story after story of God's miracles amidst the frustrations of running a ministry as an older single white woman. The book will challenge and inspire readers to find their mission in life and will reinforce the notion that no matter who you are, or where you've been - it's never too late to find your purpose.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface (Nicole Partridge)

1 Ambushed

2 The Unlikely Missionary

3 Searching

4 The Call

5 Letting Go

6 On Our Way

7 The Land of Hills and Valleys

8 Parcels and Prayers

9 Kitgum Bound

10 Frustrations

11 Free to Sing

12 Evil Plans

13 Moses Bricks

14 Breaking the Curse

15 Our First Trip Home

16 Child Sponsorship Begins

17 Red Tape

18 Our First Christmas

19 Training Ground

20 The Sound of Silence

21 Breaking Strongholds

22 Pressing On

23 A Special Visitor

24 Betrayal

25 Struck Down But Not Destroyed

26 Another Fiery Dart

27 There is no Condemnation

28 Kampala'S Street Children

29 Widows And Orphans

30 This is The Day The Lord Has Made

31 Battlefield

32 Visitors

33 Light In The Darkness

34 A Future And A Hope

35 His Banner Over Me

36 Gideon'S Army

37 Lessons In The Darkness

38 Proclaim The Lord

39 Confusion In Their Midst

40 Let God Arise

41 I Will Build My Church

42 He Never Fails

43 Blessings For His Children

44 Celebrating Birth-Days

45 Living In Two Worlds

46 Lord Over Kitgum

47 Eternal Hope

48 Where Need Abounds

49 Restoring Dignity

50 The Beginning Of The End

51 Love Defeats Despair

52 Easter Time

53 A Certain Future

54 Very Important Persons

55 On With The Task

56 Full Circle

57 The Wheels Keep Turning

58 From The Heart Of A Lioness

Afterword (Irene Gleeson Foundation)

Appendix (Further Notes and Stories from Irene)

Bibliography.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed July 13, 2016).

ISBN:

1-78078-249-7