Exciting things are
happening here in Uganda, here at DOORS Ministries, and here in my life.
For starters, DOORS
has purchased an acre plot of land walking distance to our DOORS Home, Joshua
Home, and DOORS Mission School. We have named this plot Yahaya’s Plot after a
young boy who we knew and who DOORS tried time and time again to bring home
from the drug-addicted streets of Kisinye. His story is written about here: http://hispicketfence.blogspot.com/2014/02/we-remember.html.
The vision for this new arm of ministry is to empower, disciple, and love
families living in Namuwongo slum where DOORS Primary school is and the hard
street children in need of hope (such as Yahaya was) that attend weekly street
programs in the Kisinye slum; to provide training in applicable and
implementable sustainability and revenue generating projects for families
living in slums that they may not only be able to attain a higher quality of
life but also realize identity in Christ alone; to be a place of learning for
DOORS Primary School, DOORS Mission School and Secondary Sponsorship pupils; to
be a place for farming of nutritious fruits and vegetables to add to the diet
at DOORS Primary School in order to fight micronutrient malnutrition; to be a
place of revenue generation and employment activities for DOORS such as a
jewelry workshop, bakery, tree nursery, and mushroom growing; to be a place of
peace, rest, praise, righteousness, and rejuvenation; to be a place where
Isaiah 30:18 can come to fruition. “The
Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have
compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are those who
long for Him.” As you can see the vision for Yahaya’s
Plot is huge, and it is something I am very excited about, and that DOORS is
very excited about. When we first began looking at plots back in October, we
were originally just looking for empty plots that we could build upon. In the beginning
of January, the Lord brought the plot we ended up buying along our path.
Already built upon it is every structure we had envisioned from a quarters we
could transform into a bakery to a private residence included to chicken coops to
sample slum homes. As of the end of March, Mallory and I were fully moved into
the property and taking full possession.
While yes, we have
taken full possession, there are still some obstacles ahead of us. Through all
of this (the gift of the land and the opposition faced), I have been reminded
to continually stand on the promises God has given. One promise the Lord has
continued to remind me of is from Deuteronomy 28:7-10. “The Lord shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be
defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee
before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your
barns and in all you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which
the Lord your God gives you. The Lord will establish you as a holy people to
Himself, as He swore to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God
and walk in His ways. So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are
called by the name of the Lord.” Please pray for us as we continue to trust
the Lord and move forward with the Yahaya’s Plot vision even in the face of
obstacles before us. We are starting the renovations next week to begin to make
this vision a reality.
Along with that, don’t
shrink back from standing on the promises God has given you as an individual,
and those given through His word. Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not of those that shrink back to destruction, but of those
that have faith to the preserving of the soul.” What has He promised you,
and how are you standing upon and moving forward to attain that?
Until next month,
Ashley
