Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

Women in Uganda find escape from brothels and hope for salvation

  • March 23, 2022
  • International Mission Board
  • Featured, International Mission Board, International News, Latest News
A Ugandan believer walks through the slums in Kampala, Uganda.
(IMB photo)

Women in Uganda find escape from brothels and hope for salvation

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.

International Mission Board 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.

Receiving a new name

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.

“Our goal is to restore women who are affected by the sex trade industry and prostitution, and to empower them with dignity as they proactively engage in a spiritual transformation,” Allie said.

Allie said God led her and her national partners to Revelation 2:17: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

They learned that the women have a “work name” and a “home name.”

“When we first meet them, a lot of them give us their name that they go by at the brothel. We’ve seen a lot of cases when they come to Christ, or they get comfortable enough with us, that they share their real name with us.”

Allie said the verse is a “beautiful picture of how, when we become God’s children, we receive a white stone of innocence, even though we deserve guiltiness. We get a white stone with a new name written on it. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s forgiveness in our own lives and with these women.”

One of these women is named Sarah, who comes from a Muslim background.

Salvation of Sarah 

After Sarah’s husband passed away, her father-in-law sold everything they owned and put her out on the street. It wasn’t what she wanted for her life, but to provide for her children, she turned to prostitution. Sarah committed her life to Christ at the Bible study, and she knew she couldn’t go back to prostitution. She began making soap to bring in an income.

When Sarah was almost evicted, the church, located in the middle of the slum and without much income, raised the equivalent of $200 to cover Sarah’s rent for six months.

“God has really changed Sarah’s life. She is hungry for the Word of God. She is bringing other women in that area to the weekly Bible studies. The love of Christ, it just exudes from her,” Katie Hall said. Katie also serves in Kampala with the IMB.

Sarah recently received her first Bible and was baptized with seven other women who also left prostitution. Sarah’s 19-year-old daughter asked why the Christian women visited, Sarah shared her testimony, and her daughter committed her life to Christ.

“God is using Sarah among the women there,” Katie said. “She’s not turning her back on the women that she worked with. She’s actually actively drawing them toward the church and toward the ministry. You can just see Christ radiate from her.”

Come as you are

“We include women who are still very deep in prostitution. We let women come who have a deep desire to leave but just don’t know how to. The women who have left also are involved,” Allie said.

“It is very challenging, because a lot of the women have been in this business, the sex trade industry, for a long time. Some of them started very young, so they don’t necessarily have the education or [knowledge of] other trades,” Allie said.

Their faith and courage encourage Allie.

“When they say they are done with prostitution, they are giving up their job, they are giving their housing, because most of them live in the brothel. They’re saying, ‘I trust God enough to give up this and suffer,’” Allie said.

Katie said the local church’s involvement in the ministry is massive. The pastor’s wife had been trying to find a way to reach these women.

“Our national partners are walking very, very closely with these ladies because they can enter into a space that we’re not privy to often,” Katie said.

The involvement of local church members and national partners in the ministry required trust.

“Our national partners have probably experienced more pushback because they had to cross some cultural barriers for themselves to even go in that area,” Katie said. “They’re taking a risk being associated with it, so they really have had to step into an area that they were uncomfortable stepping into in order to engage the women.”

“Ladies from the church are walking side by side with Allie. They’re leading out in a lot of the one-to-one discipleship that’s happening,” Katie continued. “They’re also walking hand in hand with them.”

Allie agreed. “My main job is to walk beside my national partners,” she said. “They are the ones that are in the trenches every day.”

Katie said consistency is key.

“Lots of people might come in once, give some things or vomit the gospel, but then they just leave, and they don’t come back,” Katie said.”

Allie, Victoria and other national partners’ consistency makes all the difference.

“It’s that they keep coming back to the places that aren’t lovely. They keep coming back and they keep chatting with the women, and they keep just sitting there and they keep taking some of their abuses because some of them are drunk and yell at them and are mad that they’re there. They think they’re going to take their customers. Allie and Victoria have continually gone back and continually loved and continually just shown up,” Katie said

Pray now for the continued service of Christians in the slums of Uganda, the IMB asked, and that God will deliver more women out of prostitution and into an eternal relationship with Him.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was written by Caroline Anderson and was originally published by the International Mission Board.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Nashville school shooting: Multiple injuries reported, shooter is dead
    Nashville school shooting: Multiple injuries reported, shooter is dead
    March 27, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • 27 Christians killed in two separate attacks in Nigeria
    27 Christians killed in two separate attacks in Nigeria
    March 27, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson for April 2
    Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson for April 2
    March 27, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Nashville school shooting: Multiple injuries reported, shooter is dead

Police are investigating a shooting reported Monday morning (March 27) at a private Nashville school. According to local authorities, there were multiple injuries and the

27 Christians killed in two separate attacks in Nigeria

Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists killed 27 Christians in two attacks this month in Kaduna State, Nigeria, Morning Star News reported. Both attacks took place

Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson for April 2

Remain in Me John 15:1–17 Viticulture is an interesting year-round business. My contacts in the vineyard business testify to the hard work involved as well

Children’s ministry leader shares helpful practices for teaching gospel to kids

Talking to her eight grandchildren about Jesus comes as naturally as breathing for Jenni Carter. “I pray for them to have authentic relationships with Jesus,”

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel