Leanne Mallet

Your past doesn’t define you - God’s truth does

Leanne Mallet speaks to Katie Wright, the newest member of the Aspire team.

Katie, can you give us a bit of background about how you became involved with women’s ministry?

I’ve been a Christian for 16 years, and I remember going to my first women’s conference called Colour, that was maybe about ten years ago. I remember coming away feeling so impacted by what I had heard and experienced, that I thought I’d love to get involved in something similar back home. Over the last couple of years, God started to open some doors for me in the area of women’s ministry and I now lead the ladies’ team in Plymouth. My heart is to show the love of Jesus, whether that’s with many women or just the one.

I know you have a heart for reaching out to young women in particular, and part of that has been through fostering. Tell us a little about that. Not long after becoming a Christian I really felt God laid it on my heart to foster. I didn’t have a very easy upbringing. I left home at a young age and experienced a lot of rejection which led to low self-worth and many other difficulties, but I really believe that God is using me to minister to many young girls in foster care through my past pain and suffering.

It made no sense at the time that my husband Paul and I applied to foster but what should have taken six to twelve months to be approved actually only took three. I feel fostering was clearly part of God’s plan for our lives. That was 13 years ago and we’ve never looked back.

You recently shared with me about how you love to reach out to women in prisons. Can you explain a bit more about that?

Yes of course. One of our girls we used to look after, who totally turned me grey but equally has my heart, sadly got into drugs and alcohol. She made some poor choices which have led her to a four-year prison sentence.

I try and visit her every other week and as I’ve been visiting her and hearing some of the stories that she shares with me, I’ve started to understand even more just how little hope and love there is in the lives of these women and it just breaks my heart every time. As a result I’m looking at getting involved in prison ministry for women to try and share with them the love that they are missing.

You are organising our new Aspire Regional Devon/Cornwall Conference. Can you tell us more?

I am so excited about this year’s conference! We have an amazing team here in Plymouth and they are just as excited and passionate about hosting our first conference. It’s going to be on October 19 and speakers will be Christy Wimber and Kate Martin.

My prayer is that ladies who already know Jesus will receive more from him but that we will also be able to invite and reach out to women in our communities so that they are able to experience the love of God for themselves.

What is the best bit of advice you have learned that you can pass to other women?

One thing I am continually learning is that your past does not define you but God’s truth does. Just as I’ve had others encouraging me on my journey I also love to cheer others on wherever I can. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Katie and her husband, Paul, the associate minister at Plymouth Christian Centre, have been married 16 years and have two daughters, Amelia and Olivia.

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