Kelli Palmer
Relationship Development
Kelli is committed to being the hands and feet of Christ to the abused, abandoned and trafficked.
Kelli serves on the operations side, focusing on forming relationships and creating opportunities for team members to share about Compassionate Hope on the radio, on podcasts and online.
Kelli is an extroverted, passionate woman of the word, always excited to share the freedom found in Christ. She trusts where God leads her, using her gifts of leadership, teaching and wisdom for the benefit of God’s kingdom. Kelli thrives in an environment where she can meet new people while teaching and discipling. She loves to support others in their walk of faith and to help them grow in a deeper relationship with the Lord.
Kelli first became aware of “the least of these” when she was just a young child when her childhood church in Massachusetts, provided services for the Cambodian refugees during the late 1970’s. God would reignite that ember that had been lit over 40 years prior when she became aware of the plight of children being preyed upon by the enemy.
Kelli was born in Massachusetts and graduated with a degree in Finance from Bentley University in 1994. After spending several years in the corporate world, she and her husband agreed it was best to become a full-time, at home mom, to care for their 4 daughters. Kelli was a homeschooling mom and held various board positions for a variety of her daughters sports/clubs. Later, while living in Southern California and Shanghai, China, she spent time in the health and wellness world, teaching seminars and participating in health/wellness videos.
While Kelli spent the first 8 years of her life attending church, circumstances removed her from growing in the faith for 33 years. During that time, Kelli explored many different faiths including Buddhism. She was a practicing Buddhist and even studied under monks while living in Shanghai. While she was unaware at the time, God was further equipping her to better understand the struggle many Christians experience while living in predominantly Buddhist cultures. Since accepting Christ in 2013, she is passionate in sharing the gospel, teaching others how to go deeper in their faith, serving others by helping “the least of these” to be seen, heard and cared for.
It was in 2019, when Kelli felt God calling her and her family to Tennessee and to focus on ministry. She has spent the last several years teaching bible studies, organizing women’s events, leading women’s ministry for a local church, attending seminary and being nominated for various ministry leadership training programs.
Kelli became aware of CHF through a church friend, who was also a longtime friend of the Hensons. When Kelli expressed the desire to get involved with a Christian organization committed to being the hands and feet of Christ for the persecuted, abused and trafficked people, her friend knew God was orchestrating a divine appointment. Just 4 weeks after first meeting Susan Henson, and several other meetings and phone calls, Kelli and her husband Bob, booked airline tickets for their first “vision trip” to Southeast Asia. Their experience on this first trip, forever changed them both and affirmed what they had already been feeling in their hearts, “called for such a time as this.” They are excited to return to Southeast Asia to build deeper relationships and to tell the stories of those they meet back in the States. Both Kelli and her husband are excited for what the Lord has planned as they continue to follow where He is leading.
