February 17th, 2026
The first sober living home is officially open and our team has been interviewing ladies. We actually had the first woman move into the house a little over a week ago, but after 5 days she was feeling too homesick and chose to return to Marshalltown where she came from. Her decision was definitely a heavy one for me to process. In fact, it has been a really difficult couple of weeks all around. Thanking God for the little tribe of people who love our family so well and helped us get through some extra hard moments.
When God first began to call me into this type of mission work back in 2019, I was terrified because I have no personal experience with addiction. My most serious criminal charge is that I accidentally drove past a bus with its stop arm still out. To say I am completely outside of my comfort zone and completely inadequate for this work is an understatement.
It's just like God though, isn't it--to call us into places where we cannot depend on our own strength, knowledge, and experience to guide us.
Since 2019 I've had the privilege of connecting with and listening to 150+ women's stories in the jail and at Beje Clark, through drug court, and most recently as part of my internship at Prairie Ridge. Their stories have wrecked me in a way that is hard to describe. One of the verses I cling to most tightly now is the promise that God is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). So many of these women have endured more than I can ever imagine—so much so that turning to drugs and alcohol actually makes sense. All of the training to get my master's degree and become a certified alcohol and drug counselor has been good. It's certainly tools in the tool box.
But at the end of the day, I know without a doubt that accepting the Father's love, receiving His forgiveness to be saved into the Body of Christ, and becoming a temple of the Holy Spirit is the only path to true freedom, real healing, and long-term recovery. Knowing this, I have made the difficult decision to discontinue working for Prairie Ridge after my internship ends in May so that 100% of my vocational time, energy and focus can go to ministry at the jail and in the sober living homes. It is very tempting to try and do both--for job security and financial reasons and because, frankly, the work at Prairie Ridge is much less complicated. However, I know what God called me to and I know He is always trustworthy.
When my internship ends the beginning of May, we are trusting God to provide additional financial partners who feel called to invest in this kind of work. I will be offering no-fee and sliding scale pay options for counseling services through my private practice and at the jail, and will also be facilitating whole health recovery programming and bible studies through the sober living homes and in the community.
Please join us in praying for these additional partners. And, join us in praising God for His provision so far! At least 15 women, so far, have already reached out asking to mentor and volunteer in the sober living home. As we have prayed earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest, He has answered! What joy and privilege it is to be used by the God of the universe to partner in reaching the lost and helping reveal His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
With love from your sister in Christ,
Ashley
When God first began to call me into this type of mission work back in 2019, I was terrified because I have no personal experience with addiction. My most serious criminal charge is that I accidentally drove past a bus with its stop arm still out. To say I am completely outside of my comfort zone and completely inadequate for this work is an understatement.
It's just like God though, isn't it--to call us into places where we cannot depend on our own strength, knowledge, and experience to guide us.
Since 2019 I've had the privilege of connecting with and listening to 150+ women's stories in the jail and at Beje Clark, through drug court, and most recently as part of my internship at Prairie Ridge. Their stories have wrecked me in a way that is hard to describe. One of the verses I cling to most tightly now is the promise that God is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). So many of these women have endured more than I can ever imagine—so much so that turning to drugs and alcohol actually makes sense. All of the training to get my master's degree and become a certified alcohol and drug counselor has been good. It's certainly tools in the tool box.
But at the end of the day, I know without a doubt that accepting the Father's love, receiving His forgiveness to be saved into the Body of Christ, and becoming a temple of the Holy Spirit is the only path to true freedom, real healing, and long-term recovery. Knowing this, I have made the difficult decision to discontinue working for Prairie Ridge after my internship ends in May so that 100% of my vocational time, energy and focus can go to ministry at the jail and in the sober living homes. It is very tempting to try and do both--for job security and financial reasons and because, frankly, the work at Prairie Ridge is much less complicated. However, I know what God called me to and I know He is always trustworthy.
When my internship ends the beginning of May, we are trusting God to provide additional financial partners who feel called to invest in this kind of work. I will be offering no-fee and sliding scale pay options for counseling services through my private practice and at the jail, and will also be facilitating whole health recovery programming and bible studies through the sober living homes and in the community.
Please join us in praying for these additional partners. And, join us in praising God for His provision so far! At least 15 women, so far, have already reached out asking to mentor and volunteer in the sober living home. As we have prayed earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest, He has answered! What joy and privilege it is to be used by the God of the universe to partner in reaching the lost and helping reveal His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
With love from your sister in Christ,
Ashley
Posted in Ashley Coleman
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