Irene Gleeson

Nicole Partridge

Building an oasis of hope in a desert of despair

AT 37, Irene Gleeson was a broken woman. Her marriage had crumbled, her children were out of control, and she had spiralled into a deep depression.Her life changed when she walked into a small beachside church and encountered God.Ten years later, she was on a plane bound for northern Uganda to rescue war-affected children.Armed with nothing but faith, courage and dogged determination, Irene sold her beach home, said goodbye to family, and hauled her tiny caravan 13,000 kilometres to Kitgum, an isolated community besieged by Joseph Kony and his brutal rebel group, the LRA.Under the shade of a mango tree,"Mama Irene" gathered the children of war and taught them to sing, and read and write by scratching letters in the dust. And then, for the next twenty two years together with the locals, forged a ministry that would transform the lives of thousands of former child soldiers, a work now applauded by the rest of the world. Heart of a Lioness bursts with drama and glows with miracles, a tale that brings Africa's culture and characters to life, capturing the horrors of war, the heartache of poverty, and the healing power of God's love through one woman. This story will captivate your imagination, challenge your beliefs and demonstrate that, regardless of who you are, or where you've come from, with God, anything is possible.