First Lady Donna Martin and Nika King Talk, 'Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot' - Interview

Repost from July 1, 2024:

‘Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot‘ premiered on Juneteenth with a profoundly moving screening attended by His Grace Bishop WC Martin and First Lady Donna Martin, whose extraordinary real-life journey inspired this deeply heartfelt biopic. Their presence at the event, followed by an insightful Q&A on The Adam Carolla Show at the Irvine Improv in Irvine, CA, infused the film’s debut with personal resonance and authenticity. During this press day, we spoke with First Lady Donna Martin and Nika King who plays the First Lady in the film, 'Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.'

St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV), “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity,” and no one in the last 30 years has embodied this passage more than His Grace, Bishop WC Martin and First Lady, Donna Martin, in not only adopting four troubled orphans that were shuffled around the foster care system, but another 22 families adopted 77 children in their small, East Texas community of Possum Trot between 1998-2000.
Directed by Joshua Weigel and featuring standout performances from Demetrius Grosse as the then Pastor WC Martin, comedienne Nika King as First Lady Donna, and Elizabeth Mitchell as the late Susan Ramsey, ‘Sound of Hope‘ masterfully captures the Martins’ unwavering commitment to adopting children from the foster care system. A standout among the cast, is 15-year-old Diaana Babnicova who shines as the severely abused Terri, whose portrayal of the struggles in overcoming early trauma is nothing short of mesmerizing, anchoring the film with emotional depth and authenticity.

I am still unfamiliar with some Protestant terms like ‘First Lady’, but my assumption would be it is similar to the Greek Orthodox tradition of πρεσβυτέρα or in the Arabic خورية, as translated to ‘Presbyteress’, a title for the priest’s wife in her position of ministry within the parish..
A poignant moment between Grosse and co-writer/director Josh Weigel, who also portrays Pastor Mark from a more affluent parish, echoes the biblical call to care for widows and orphans, resonating deeply with traditions like that of Eastern Orthodox Church, where one of the Three Holy Hierarchs, the Golden Mouth, St. John Chrysostom said in the 4th Century, “If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the steps of the church, you will not find Christ in the chalice,” showing us its relevance 1700 years later.