April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Founder and minister of Heartland Ministry, Mary Lingelbach, will be presenting, “Rise Above the Pits of the Past,” a free interactive discussion where she will talk about her own journey through the aftermath of hardships due to incest, abortion and miscarriage. By “living intentionally free every day,” she hopes to help women break the cycle of internal guilt and shame associated with such tribulations.

Her presentation will be from 4-6 p.m. on April 30 at the Grand Hotel’s Skein Hall in Minot.

Lingelbach is a speaker, minister, entrepreneur, and author of the book, “Because He Lives I can Face Tomorrow.” In her spare time, she organizes trips and acts as a tour guide for seniors and developmentally disabled adults who may be hesitant on traveling alone to somewhere new and unfamiliar. She takes great pride in helping individuals live their dreams and reach beyond their perceived limits.

Currently residing in Riverdale, Lingelbach was born and raised in Minot but after traveling the world, she is eager to bring her services back to her hometown.

“He (God) took me out of Minot to grow me up, to give me strong distinction, so I can come back to where it all began,” she said.

She’s been holding workshops in the surrounding area for about seven years and has been offering her one-on-one Christ-based coaching to women all over the state for more than two decades. Growing up, her parents were heavily involved in the community, her mother worked for Trinity Hospital for 35 years and her father worked for the City of Minot for 30 years. This resulted in Lingelbach having a strong pride in the city, and an even stronger desire to help those who need support in the area.

“Your voice matters. It matters. Your situation matters. Your situation isn’t your destiny,” she said.

Lingelbach’s goal is to start a network of women in Minot who need encouragement to embrace change, whether that be through in-person coaching or online group discussions. She wants to create an email list of women who would like to receive weekly uplifting messages and reminders that they matter.

“Sometimes women, even successful women, they do really well up front but yet there’s something they fall apart on the inside about, but on the outside, boy, do they look strong — things that have happened to them 20 years ago, 30 years ago, but why does it still haunt them? Why is it sabotaging their tomorrow? That’s what we talk about,” Lingelbach said.

Lingelbach expresses that past traumas affect the way that people unconsciously lead their everyday lives and that negative thoughts will sow the seeds for continued disdain. She looks to help individuals break out of their negative routines to start a new path of intentionally placing positivity into their lives.