For those of you who have been with ACE since the beginning, you may remember the first draft of our Children’s Village or even the update last year. It seems a long time in coming, but do we have great news for you!
This month, ACE has finally begun building one of the first homes of the Village. While the layout has changed drastically, the vision has remained the same. All along, ACE has been planning for the day and place where we can build a safe haven for families to live, grow, and thrive in life. ACE had faced many roadblocks in finding the right location to begin a community. With the acquisition of 830+ acres just outside of Port Maria, our new Green Life Llanrumney Farm property seemed the perfect fit.
If you recall from a previous newsletter, the first home to be built belongs to LaToya and her children, two of whom are in our Child Sponsorship program. A few months ago, volunteers took apart the home ACE originally built for her and stored it while they stayed temporarily in our farmhouse. We are now ready to move it to its new location in the Village. A generous couple who loves Kingdom work sent down two Jamericans (born and raised in Jamaica who now live with their families in the States) to help our local staff in this process. LaToya’s family has endured many hardships in life, so it was an easy decision to move them into the Village onto the most beautiful spot on the property.
Stay tuned for pictures of the final move in. They will not have electricity and will be off the grid, but we are looking into supplying them with one solar panel and one battery to get them started. If you feel led to help contribute to this purchase, please contact our office. When we told LaToya there would not be any electricity available, her comment was, “It doesn’t matter. I can live without it.” She is fully embracing what we tell our volunteers before every trip, to let go of all expectations.
Please pray for this family as they let God lead the way in their lives. He has blessed us with knowing them and allowing ACE to be His hands and feet. This home is just the start of great things to come.
TRIP COST
There is an old proverb, “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” History proves that lasting change in a poverty culture is achieved by empowering the people to reach their full potential and become self-sustaining. ACE is invested in our community long-term and in conjunction with our partners in the US, we are identifying the circumstances of those around us in order to find real solutions for their unique needs.