About Us

In July of 1995 while in the hardest hit AIDS area in the world, God planted a new ministry in our hearts. I noticed one little girl in our daily seminars, serving food and helping, and I was drawn to her as if she was a powerful magnet. Poor clothing and the observation she was not in school betrayed the fact she was an orphan.

I tried to avoid this strong pull, thinking, “Lord, how can we handle more financial responsibility?” We were already caring for orphans on a small scale back in our home village, but to take on more? How could we add this new and costly burden? But God was saying in my heart, “These children are not burdens, they are my little lambs; now feed them!” On the last day of the seminar I was resting in my tent before the final meeting. My companion Robert came to my tent announcing a visitor. I was too tired to move, hot sun and all, but God said, “Get up! This is my guest”. Scrambling from the tent I saw that little girl! Knowing instantly God was doing something special in our life and ministry. I invited her to sit on a bench by our tent. I nearly wept as she told me her story.

She lived in a primitive mud shack along with other orphans being cared for by an old loving “granny”. Both parents had died from AIDS. No money in the home Just surviving by what they could grow. No good food, no school, no medical help, no nice clothes; just a starvation existence.

Realizing she was thirsty, I sent out for a Pepsi, knowing it would be her first ever. When I handed it to her, her pretty little eyes lit up with a new-found joy! I turned and walked away for a moment in prayer still trying to understand His message. In a few moments I turned back and now instead of a ragged little orphan on my bench, there were five! I didn’t even see them slip into the tent area.

What I saw changed my life forever. That little orphan girl, holding the only Pepsi she ever had, was going down the line giving each little friend an equal share of her precious Pepsi1 I wept.

In that moment I knew God was saying, “If that little girl can share her only Pepsi, surly you can share the resources I send to you”. We launched the program almost immediately and it quickly began to spread to many parts of Uganda.

Ron & Shirley DeVore