This story comes from International Mission Board writer Caroline Anderson.

Women in the slum brothels of Kampala, Uganda, are learning God has not forgotten them, there is hope and redemption in their life stories, and He has given them a new name.  

IMB missionary Allie White remembers riding in motorcycle taxis past slums housing brothels, and she would look down the alleyways and ask, “What is this place?” 

Allie told one of her Ugandan national partners, Victoria, that she wanted to go into the area. 

“I’m not going down that alley,” Victoria said firmly. However, the Lord turned her heart toward the women as she began praying with Allie and other Ugandan Christians. 

“It’s a very high area of prostitution, so we began to ask God to open doors for us down there,” Allie said. 

Victoria said God used future trips riding past the slums to open her heart.  

“Whenever we were passing by, I would feel in my heart that I should go and meet these ladies. The more we went down there, the more we felt deep in our hearts that we’re supposed to start drawing close to these ladies and then see how their life is and how can we reach out to bring the gospel to them,” Victoria said. 

When Allie shared her desire to minister to prostitutes with her language teacher, she told her, “My heart burns for this too.” 

The women had enough interest to start a weekly Bible study. Six people came the first week. The second week, they asked a local councilman to encourage women to come. Sixty women came the next week.  

Many women gave their lives to Christ that day and are still involved in the Bible study. They’ve chosen to get baptized and are involved in a local church in the slum. 

This story continues at IMB.org.