One With The Body of Christ

Christ desires for us to be one with Him and with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul expresses the need for us to be united as one.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. -1 Corinthians 12:12-14

We have all been made one through Christ therefore, we must coninue to edify and lift one another up - to bring glory to Him. We are all individuals but are all a part of one body.

The Yazidi people practice some but not all aspects of Christianity. The 3 word slogan for IMB is "Pray, Give, Go." The Annual Meeting for the SBC in 2015 will be held in Columbus, Ohio.

Haiti 2014

Dear Friends and Family,                                                 

Thank you so much for your financial support and prayer as I traveled to Haiti on my first international missions trip. I have waited to go on this trip for almost 3 years now and July 2014 was God’s time for me to GO. I have had a place in my heart for Haiti since 2010 and I knew that was where He wanted me to go. I want to tell you about this trip and all that it meant to me. I want to share every single detail with you and the best way I know to do that is through pictures. As I sit here and write this to you, all the events that happened last week play in my head like a movie. I am so honored to share my heart and all that I experienced in Haiti. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

We arrived at RDU around 430am on Saturday the 12th. After meeting and praying with our team, we all headed through security and off we went! After a layover in Miami, we arrived in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti at 3pm. We went straight to our compound where we were staying which is called “Our House of Hope.” We rested and prepared for our week of ministry. Sunday was another day of rest and we attended church twice at our partner church there in Haiti. Pastor Leny and his wife have a school in their church and Sunday night was the start of a Youth Conference that many of the Pastors in our group spoke at. 

Monday was our first day of ministry and we drove about 35 minutes away to an orphanage called “El Shaddai”, which means God, The Almighty One! While there, we lead a VBS (Vacation Bible School) with over 120 kids in attendance! We did a bible story time, game time, music time, and craft time. I was blessed to be in charge of the craft time and I had an awesome team helping me. After VBS was over, we fed the kids lunch (1st picture above): Peanut Butter sandwiches! 

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we went to a new church plant and led another VBS for over 150 kids-  ranging in age from baby to 18. These kids were broken into groups and we did games, craft, and music with them. The first day, this sweet girl (2nd & 3rd pictures above) named Kaisha RAN up to me and she never let me put her down. Everyday when she got there, she asked me to hold her. I love that child and I’m praying for her daily. I got to speak to all the kids using a Haitian Creole translator named Jerry(picture 4)! We fed the kids lunch everyday that women from the village made. The dishes were beans, rice, and meat (possibly goat which is common there).  On the last day of VBS, a few of the girls wanted to braid my hair (5th picture above). Every piece of my hair that they touched, they held up to the light and looked at it with such wonder- just as I looked at their faces in wonder! :) We finished up by giving all the children a small gift: a doll for the girls and a bag of candy and small toy for the boys.            

Our last day of ministry we went to another church plant and did a one day Youth Conference. 

While a few guys stayed back at the church and led worship and teaching times, the rest of us broke up into teams and were able to share the Gospel with some of the people in the village..

I learned that I have a lot to be thankful for, and that prayer DOES change things. God heard my cries and gave me the desire of my heart- to take His word to the Nations. I’m so thankful for all of you- for your prayers and love.

“Remember not the former things.... Behold, I am doing a new thing."

“Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹ Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert." 

Every time in sit down to write this, I get overwhelmed. Everything that has happened over the past week and a half floods back to my memory and sometimes I just sit in complete silence and let the happy tears run down my face. I'm okay with that. I guess the best place to start would be the beginning...
After the earthquake happened in 2010, I knew I would go to Haiti some day. I didn't know how or when but I knew I was going. When I heard that our church had a team going to Haiti, that was it, I was going. Hah, not so fast. The trip filled up and there wasn't a spot for me, so I decided I would go to Ukraine. Well, I bet you can guess what happened next- they cancelled the trip. Ukraine is having some civil rights problems and so it is not safe for us to go. Well, I double checked to make SURE there wasn't any spots open to go to Haiti and there wasn't. BUT there was another trip to Haiti, in August! I found out about this trip on February 27th... The deadline to apply was March 1st. Talk about God's timing. A little side note here, I had heard the normal time to get an appointment for a passport is about a month out... I called and they said they had an appointment the next week. How amazing is that?! After I said YES to going, got the confirmation email and everything, I found out that this trip is a medical missions trip. I have ALWAYS wanted to go on a medical missions trip. I'm completely in awe of how He continues to work every little detail out. 

Anyway, I leave for Haiti on August 9th, 2014 and I couldn't be more sure that this is where God wants me to go. 

I will be posting a few things between then and now and when I return. 

Hushed and humbled. 
Walking by faith. 
In His amazing grace, 
Ashley 

"Keep going, My Child. Don't Quit."

12:32 am... I am laying in bed almost asleep, and I hear voices in my head. These voices are telling me not to quit. These voices are telling me to keep going. I recognize these voices... One voice is my Mom. One voice is that of my Best Friend. The third voice is all to familiar but yet, I do not know whose it is. It's God. God is telling me "Keep going, My Child. Don't Quit." 

This may have had something to do with the fact that I had just watched 'The Biggest Loser.' And maybe it had something to do with the fact that I am struggling with my weight. HE is telling me not to quit. He will make me strong in my weaknesses. He will guide me. 

 ^"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." -Acts 20:24

I will finish this race. I will finish this task he has called me to. Only through Him will I be able to FINISH.  

God is Faithful.

"Wake up sleeper, lift your head. You were meant for more than this."

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: 

Who should I send? Who will go for Us?

I said: Here I am. Send me."

~Isaiah 6:8~

You were meant for more than this. You were meant for more than everyday life. You are a masterpiece. The Father sent his son to die... for you. What does that mean you can do for Him?

Be ready to go, wherever He has you to go. Whether it be to another state or to another country. Be the Light of The World. Be bright in the dark places. 

  You have amazing potential.

You can make good choices. 

You are NEVER alone. 

You can do hard things. 

You are BEAUTIFUL

inside and out. 

You are of great worth. 

He has a plan for you. 

Know who you are, a child of God. 

Hello!

Hi Friends! 

I have created this blog to share my thoughts and pictures. All of my posts will be Christ-Centered seeing as how I will be displaying the Light of The World.

So, join me on this roller coaster I call 'life'.