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| Danielle Strickland, 35, Collingwood, VIC |
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This girl is ON FIRE! An internationally respected leader and preacher, Danielle is a Salvation Army Captain and the Social Justice Director for the Australian Southern Territory. She's married to Stephen, has a 6 year old son, Zion, and just got back from a trip to Thailand where she was researching ways to help women escape prostitution. She's written training manuals for the Salvos, a leadership book, Chaotic Order, and co-authored JUSTImagine: The World For God. Isaiah 58 makes Danielle's heart beat faster. Her life is intense and so is her commitment and passion to help the poor and oppressed here in Aus and around the world. You can read more about Danielle and hear her heart at http://armybarmyremix.blogspot.com
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| Letitia Shelton, 33, Toowoomba, QLD |
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Born and bred in Toowoomba, Letitia got her Bible College Degree from a uni in Texas, USA. When she graduated, there was a youth pastor's job waiting for her in Chicago, but she heard God calling her back to Toowoomba. In her own words, she "would die for this city. I just hope it doesn't hurt too much!" She was Toowoomba City Church's youth pastor for 7 years, before starting a youth group for unchurched girls called City Chicks. Letitia co-ordinates teams to work with needy girls through the Shine programme in primary and high schools, as well as running Girls Getaway camps for teens at risk. She also co-ordinates a project called City Women, which trains and networks women from various churches to support and encourage hurting girls and women in Toowoomba. She is committed to seeing God's Kingdom come to her city, whatever the cost. As if she wasn't busy enough, Letitia is also the CEO of Tape Dancing International. You can read more about City Women at www.toowoombacitywomen.com
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| Melinda Tankard Reist, 44, Canberra, ACT |
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Melinda is a Canberra-based author, freelance writer, social commentator and director of the national women's think tank, Women's Forum Australia. She worked as a political and media advisor in Federal Parliament for 12 years. Melinda is a published author of two books: Giving Sorrow Words: Women's Stories of Grief After Abortion and Defiant Birth: Women Who Resist Medical Eugenics. She's currently working on her third book, about girls and popular culture, along with a research paper on the harms of pornography. Melinda is editor and contributor to WFA's latest research paper: 'Faking It: The Female Image in Young Women's Magazines', which looks at issues around the objectification of women, body image and the premature sexualisation of girls. Involved in advocacy and support for pregnant women, Melinda helped pioneer a supported accommodation and outreach programme in Canberra for women who were pregnant and without support. Read more about her work with Women's Forum Australia at www.womensforumaustralia.org
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| Tanya Gordon, 35, Brisbane, QLD |
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Tanya loves God and she loves telling and showing people how much God loves them. She speaks, sings, writes, and gets people together at events like "All For One", in the hope that they'll find out more about God and what they were put on this planet to do. Tanya pours a lot of her time and energy into directing FYI because, quite simply, she thinks teenage girls and young women rock! Having survived an intense struggle with depression and anxiety, Tanya is passionate about destigmatizing mental illness and encouraging sufferers to seek help and healing. She is married to the handsomest man alive, ever, in all of history, no doubt about it. Currently, her greatest challenge is trying to help her three year old to understand that toilet paper doesn't grow on trees...actually, come to think of it... Read more about Tanya at www.tanyagordon.com
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| Esther Ballantyne, 26, Brisbane, QLD |
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Esther is one of the gutsiest girls you'll ever meet. At 26, she has survived open heart surgery twice, worked for a year as a missionary midwife in Zambia, married the love of her life just days after he lost his left leg to a rare infectious disease, and recently gave birth to their miracle baby, Joshua. Her confidence in God and phenomenal courage will blow you away.
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| Stacey Peric, 31, Brisbane, QLD |
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Ten years ago, Stacey, aka Stackles Piccolo, started out as a furniture sales rep. By the end of 08, she and hubby, Mark, will be heading up a multimillion dollar aid project in Africa. About to step into her dream job, Stacey has done the hard yards over the last decade, faithfully plugging away at a range of different roles including admin assistant, worship director, event co-ordinator, and creative ministries pastor. She has great hair but, more importantly, she has great passion for the Kingdom of God and serving the poor. Stacey's story will encourage you to be faithful where you are, trusting God to do far more through your life than you could ever think or imagine.
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| Ingrid Sorensen, 24, Sydney, NSW |
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A 24-year-old student at Sydney Uni, Ingrid reckons if life gives you lemons, you need to get some lemonade happening. A severe battle with depression almost ended her life a few years ago, but Ingrid fought her way through and now uses her experience to help other young people through The Inspire Foundation (www.inspire.org.au).
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MORE SPEAKERS to be announced soon...

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