11 days left in the US!

dear friends!
it's been so long since i have last updated, but i figured I'd better squeeze in one last blog before this season of my life comes to a close. I've had an extremely bittersweet bundle of emotions the last week to say the least. I'm so ready to be home for a week yet so not ready for this season of my life to come to be officially over. I will never get this dynamic EVER again in my life. no matter how much i try, I'll never get this same atmosphere again. Yet, i know that i didn't come to discipleship training school to sit around and never become a real disciple. Now that this season is ending, it's time to do my duties- make disciples.

i will never be able to express to you all what an amazing three months this has been for me. i have met Jesus face to face, and completely changed my view of things in this world. I realize now MORE of who He really is, and i say more because with that there is even more to learn. i have found my identity in Christ. I have, for the first time, really taken the time to ask Him what He thinks about me. Who does He say I am? I've had revelation after revelation of how much He loves me, and it overwhelms me. His mercies really are new EVERY morning. His love really WONT ever change. He really does have GREAT plans for my life, and i trust Him with that. God is good. And i want the prayer of my life to be that i will praise Him in both the good times and the bad, for He has made them both. NOTHING at all ever happens without His allowing. NOTHING ever happens that He doesn't first put it into motion. and as difficult as that is to accept when tough times come, I still know that HE IS GOD. all the time. And for that i will continue to praise His name.

The goodbye's here will be far from fun. But with them come hello's at home. And then the goodbye's at home will be even harder, Yet with them come hello's in India. today as i complained about how my life has been so full of goodbye's lately, a good friend of mine said this, "Ashton, just remember with every goodbye comes a new hello." It really hit home for me. Yes i am saying goodbye to half of my family here at ywam since we will be split up in India, but i get new hellos once i arrive home to Corryton. And then with those goodbyes, i get to meet so many beautiful people in India. in the end- all these goodbyes become worth it.

This Christmas is going to be my favorite of all, i can just feel it. I've developed such a greater appreciation for my family and close friends while being away. I've realize just how truly blessed i am. I know that God picked all these things JUST FOR ME, why wouldn't i praise Him. This Christmas, in my heart, i will be celebrating Jesus. The WORD becoming FLESH. The baby in a manger. The savior of my soul. The ultimate servant, healer, friend, lover. That's whom i will celebrate this year. I pray that i may never lose this tasting of Him, that nothing will ever take away the love i have developed for Jesus and for the nations. I want to be a world changer. But i cannot do it alone. I need to accept his strength each morning, and pray for a fresh anointing to do the things He has called me to do daily. This really is the greatest season of all, Christmas.

To wrap this all up, I'm going to give you a brief list of what I will be doing in India and where I'll be living. My first week or two-ish will be in Mumbai working with an orphanage of rescued children from brothels. We, as a base, support nine girls that have been rescued and we'll be taking them and the other orphans to the Himalayas for a weekend to just hang out and love on them. Then back to Mumbai to minister in the red light district there- which is either 2nd or 3rd largest in the world after Amsterdam. Then my team will leave Mumbai and head back to Hyderabad where we will stay for the next month. There we are working in orphanages, schools (teaching English), AIDS clinic, AIDS hospital, the slums, and a prostitute colony. We will also be doing evangelism in the parks, mall, train station, and other various places. This is mainly what our ministry times will look like in Hyderabad. The next month (Jan. 28- Feb. 28) we'll be flying to Jaipur. There we haven't been told exactly what ministry looks like yet, but most likely it will be about the same thing. Then my last week will be spent back in Hyderabad finishing up ministry there. I am so excited for the amazing things God has in store for India. He is ready to bring a new, fresh wind of His grace to that place, and I'm so humbled to be apart of it!

Lastly, here are a few prayer needs i have:
1) as a school we still need around $10,000 in order for everyone in our school to go to India. Jehovah Jireh! God our provider.
2) my week at home, that i will continue to walk forward in my relationship with Christ. Even though I'm on break, i still need prayers. This is when the enemy likes to attack the most. (and pray for all the other students/staff as well!)
3) My family as I prepare to leave for India. Pray for a peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace that even they can't explain.
4) My grammy. I believe Jesus wants to heal her from all that nasty cancer. He is BIGGER than any disease and any diagnosis. Pray for complete healing. Just one touch of the master.
5) the hearts of India. That they will be ready for the HOPE that they've been searching for.


i love each of you more than words could express. your prayers, your cards, your emails, your support has been amazing. I pray blessings for each of you! Merry Christmas to you & your families! And Praise Jesus for the life He has given YOU :)

For I have tasted and seen that HE IS GOOD! To Him be all the glory, honor, and praise.

emailing from india.

hip hip hoooray, 3 weeks and 4 days until i'm off to India for 2.5 months! So in preparation for that, i'm making an emailing list. Here's the deal, internet access will be limited while i'm gone, but i know i'll for sure get one day a week to email and call home. If you would like to receive an update each week of all that God is doing then if you could please send me your email address to clapp_ashton@yahoo.com, send me a message on facebook, or leave a comment on this post i'll add you to the list!This way i can email everyone an update all at once which will make things MUCH easier on me. Please don't be offended if i don't respond individually, I promise i will try my hardest! Also, even if I don't personally know you but you'd still like updates, feel free to send me your email address- the more the merrier!

Each of you have been such a blessing to my life, and we are now about to see what all your prayers put into action! i am fully confident that God is going to do miraculous things in India, and I am so thankful each of you have a part in that. Like in Ezekiel 37, I am ready to see the dry bones come alive! Please continue to lift up my team and the others as well as we finish up our last 2.5 weeks of lecture phase!

-to God be ALL the glory!

let's pray for the nations.

every Tuesday morning we have intercession for the nations, and it hit me today- why on earth would i let it stop when i say amen? so tonight i'm bringing you all a challenge. let's pray for the nations. here's the deal, every Tuesday (which i actually only have 3 more left here in NC) ill give yall the nation. and the pray points in which you can join in on praying.

something i have learned over the past 11 weeks of DTS is the importance of intercession. I find it such a humbling yet special privilege to be able to stand in the gap and cry out for those who can't be heard. i would love nothing more than for every christian i know to rise up and change the world through active intercession for the brokenhearted, lost, hurting, and darkened hearts of our brothers and sisters. let's do this! *remember this: hate the sin, don't hate the sinner.


Today let's pray for Thailand.
here is the main prayer point i think we should lift up, but feel free to pray for whatever God lays on your heart for these beautiful people.

Sex trafficking.
*top 3 areas: Patpong, Soi Cowboy, and Nana Plaza
*in Thailand sex trafficking is illegal, however it is highly tolerated and practiced even among government officials.

pray that the light of Jesus Christ will come dwell over this nation. For where there is light, darkness cannot stand.

this is my prayer for Thailand, take some time and find yours. and let's join together and come against the darkness that is taking over in this nation!

"the people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2


challenge: take at least 5 minutes RIGHT NOW, and cry out for those living in darkness.

remind me NEVER to wait so long before updating again :)

carrying the flame forward. 50 years of YWAM


Loren and Darlene :)



the map!


some stuffing for the thanksgiving baskets!




Hello my long lost people! I sincerely apologize for my lack of keeping everyone posted these past couple of weeks. we've been outrageously busy getting ready for our thanksgiving outreach coming up this sunday! [side note: this year we are feeding 250 families in our neighborhood thanksgiving meals. We are delivering on Sunday, so please pray for opportunities to not only physically feel them, but also spiritually feed this precious people that God loves so much. That they would have a hunger FOR OUR SAVIOR.] Soooo pretty much i have A LOT to share with you all, but if i shared everything this thing might not ever end, so here goes nothing (for all that i leave out, i will share with you in....oh FIVE glorious days when i am officially in TENNESSEE again!)

Let rewind life a bit, and start with week before last when we went to orlando for the southeast YWAM conference and the 50th celebration! Yes, that's right YWAM has been in action for 50 years now. That's simply amazing to me. So the conference was really great, it kind of made of for the fact that i was missing the missions conference at home. Plus the best part is that the founder of YWAM and his wife, Loren and Darlene Cunningham, were the guest speakers. It was such a privilege for me to sit and listen to the very people who were obedient in what God had called them to do in order that I am where I am today. My favorite part of the entire week was the last day, where we all split up with our bases, and had communion together. It was such a special time. And then there was a giant map and all the ywamers and people there came together and signed the name to the place they feel God has called them to GO. What a beautiful picture it was to see all my brothers and sisters in Christ seeking God's will for their life and for the nations. It was incredible. (the picture at the top is the map) So to wrap up that week, i'll say this: The mission God gave us when he left us with the Holy Spirit was to carry the torch to the nations. To never let that flame Go out. I think it's time that we do just that...get off our butts and GO. We've got souls to save, let's not let the enemy win the battle over their lives. It's time to fight like we've never fought before.


Ah, now moving on to this week. I have NO clue where to begin except to say that this week i have experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit more in my life than i ever thought possible. The biggest thing i will take home from this journey thus far is this: that God is limitless. He CAN and WILL do whatever he wants, whenever He wants, however He wants to do it. In this western culture that we live in, we put God in a box. We don't experience spiritual warfare firsthand, nor do we experience the Holy Spirit in His entirety. But this week, i have seen a glimpse of what i've been missing out on for the past 19 years. I really can't put into words what has happened, nor is the a specific thing that i can pinpoint to illustrate this. All i can say is that this week i havent just simply experienced God. I have had an encounter with the creator of the universe firsthand. This week our guest speakers were Christopher and Jenny Hopper, and let me just say this- i've never met anybody quite like them. God used them this week in such a powerful way in my life, that i will remember this week as a mile marker in my faith forever.

My notes from this week are so long and extensive that i could never just pick one thing out from it, but i will say this. I am seeing God in a new light, a way i've never seen Him before. He is real. He is in me. And as i sat at RESET last night worshipping, I realized this simple thing: My only desire right now is that i may see so much of Jesus here on Earth that is possible, that the only way to ever see more is to be in heaven. I want to be so familiar with what He looks like that when i get to heaven i won't even hesitate in recognizing Him. For so long i've known about Jesus. I've had so much understanding about God and what He has done. But now i don't just want understanding, i desire experience. I don't just want to know about him, i want to know him. I want to come home from this season of my life and be unrecognizable because it appears as though i've stepped off the mountain of the presence of God, just like Moses, and my face is glowing with his glory. That's my desire. That's all i want. For the first time in my life i can
actually mean this when i say:

You're all i want, you're all i need. You're everything, Jesus.

I wish i had so much more time to write and share what I'm learning. But when i get home in march i'm gonna type up all my notes and make a notebook and then i will be happy to share EVERYTHING i am bringing home from this.

ALSO, a PRAISE! we have officially purchased our tickets to India. We'll be leaving December 31 (Yes, i will be in NYC on new years eve...hollaaa! and YES! i will be in the air when the clock strikes midnight!) I'll be in India until March the 7th. But Thank you all for all your support, it means the world to me to have so much support back at home! this is NOT possible if you hadn't been available and open for God to use you in such a special way in my life. i love each of you very much, and i can't wait to hug your necks!

TENNESSEE HERE I COME!

i will go, i will go, i will go. Lord send me.

This week I've been so homesick. so eager to see my family, and my sweet best friends. so desperate to be at my church. so ready to lay in my OWN room, in my OWN bed, all ALONE. in a house of 23 girls, there is never a moment of silence, nor a moment of alone time. Don't get me wrong, i love this place. i love what God is teaching me, i love how He is continually throwing me in "the refiners fire." It's tough though. It's different. It's just not home. This is week 7 and it is by far the most homesick i've been. Then i remind myself that i'm only 3 weeks out from being in the place i love most- my home. With the people i love more than life.

As i sit and ponder how much i want to be at home, I am reminded that my life will never be the same after this experience. It's different now. I am different now. And then God reminds me again that He has called me to a different place. Home will always be there, but I may not. I wonder where it is that He'll send me. I wonder what He has planned for me. I better not get ahead of myself- i must stop. I must regather my thoughts, my fears, my emotions. He is in control. He has a plan bigger than i see. And for now, I am here- for such a time as this.

"Let me not be blind with privilege, give me eyes to see the pain. let the blessing you've poured out on me not be spent on me in vain. let this life be used for change. i will go, i will go, i will go. Lord send me to the world, to the lost, to the poor and hungry. Take everything i am, I'm clay within your hands. i will go, i will go. send me."

that's my prayer. I want to go where He sends me. I have BIG dreams- dreams that most people probably don't think are even real. But watch me, God willing, those dreams will become my reality. I'm convinced, that God is using me- an ordinary girl- for an extraordinary purpose.


Could yall do me a favor this week? PRAY. pray that the homesickness will go away. That God will give me grace enough to make it through the next 3 weeks. Pray that I will have a clear mind and heart, letting God fill me with himself in order that I might be used. Pray that I am focused on the One that matters most.

I love you all, and I appreciate your love for me.

short and sweet.

This past weekend we had a free weekend, however without a car it wasn't possible to come home :( so brother came to trev's house and us and 3 of my friends from here went and had a WONDERFUL, refreshing weekend! It was much needed. This week and last week= SUPER BUSY! plus we leave on sunday for a week in Orlando, it's the southeast conference and then the 50 year anniversary celebration of YWAM! I'm pretty excited about it, minus the fact that we'll be staying in tents all week, blah! But that's just a forewarning that i won't be updating next week, but i promise to do a really thoughful, "what is God teaching me" blog either this week or the week after we get back. Once i get back from Florida, I only have 2 weeks until i'm home for thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you all don't understand how excited i am about this. This thanksgiving will be the best one ever. I have so much to be thankful for, and being away makes me appreciate it all the more. I can't wait to see you all, it will probably be the best reunion i've ever had! I love you all soooo soooo much! thank you for your prayers, they are still very much needed!

To God be the Glory :)

For He is holding my hand.

I was having my quiet time last week, and this is what God spoke into my life- it came as a vision, it played like a movie, and i wrote it as i watched.

I am a missionary.-I AM, not i will be someday, but i am NOW. this is what God created me to do. He had this all planned out from before I was made. At conception He was pleased. When he heard my first cry his face filled with excitement. I was finally here. My plan on Earth had officially begun.

He's walked ahead of me these past 19 years, but even better than that He's walked along side of me- holding my hand. Many times I begged for Him to let me go, to let me do things on my own- Even sometimes He'd release me from His grip but never out of sight. I was too special to his heart to get away. Once I saw and recognized i'd been stubborn, I always came dashing back. I couldn't stay away. I wanted to be near Him. I wanted him to lead. I wanted my hand in His. Thats where i belonged. Everytime i returned He'd look at me with a smile, embrace me with a hug, and whisper in my ear, "I'm glad you didn't go far, im glad youre back, cause i've got big things planned for you. It would've broke my heart to see you miss out on that. Welcome back my ashton."

So here i am walking alongside my Jesus, my Savior- the one who never lets me out of sight. The one who rejoiced at my birth and at His plans for my life. And I'm at this place when things are drastically changing. Here i stand at a crossroads in life- I look back and see normality, comfort, and habit. But i look ahead and see that everything is different. As i stand at this crossroads the Lord again whispers to me, "This time let's just wait. I need to prepare you for the things to come. we've got a lot to work through before it's time to take this leap of faith. Just trust me, my plans are good. I won't let go of your hand." For a moment i try to fight back, "But Jesus, i like normal, i like comfort. I can't do it, I'm not strong enough. I'm not ready to leave it all behind. Not me Lord. are you sure you have the right girl?" This was his reply, " It's you. I knew you before you let out your first cry. I had this planned long before you had even a clue of it. You may be weak, but I am strong. Hold my hand cause it's you that i want to take with me on this adventure. Life with me isn't normal, it's not easy, and it's not comfortable. But I AM the great comforter. I am your strong tower. Ashton, trust me- I won't let go. I don't expect you to leave it all behind, take it with you. It's who you are. But realize that greater things are yet to come. You are the girl for this job. It's you i made this for. Accept that i think you are good enough. I believe in you. Now believe in me."

At that moment I see who I am. I see what God has made for me, i see all the times He believed in me when i didn't believe in myself. And it's in that moment that i realize this- I am a missionary. I am called to a life where normality isn't always involved. I am part of a magnificent plan that God picked just for me to fulfill. He is my comforter when it gets hard- for He is holding my hand.

week 5!

hey everyone!

it seems my updating may be fewer from from now cause lucky little me has a broken computer. yay for that! NOT :) haha

um, let's see where to start- this week we separated from the guys and we did a video study called "ancient paths" this week. which i seriously think EVERY body (especially youth groups/ young adults) need to watch. it was so good!

basically it's been a time of healing our hearts this week, from parental hurts and failed relationships, fighting against the lies that the enemy throws at us and replacing that with the Truths from God. WHO AM I? that's the question. And who do i let answer the question?

praise the Lord, for the blessing of having wonderful, Godly parents that never spoke lies into my life and heart. Nor did they withhold blessings from me for letting me grow up. Did you know that God designed our fathers to hold the key to our hearts, as daughters, to release us into our destiny. Allowing us to go from being little girls, and in turn becoming the women God intended for us to be. I am so thankful my father understood that, and was actually present in my life- making me the person that i am today. This week has given me a new appreciation for my parents, i am one stinkin' lucky gal. I don't deserve them, but i no longer want to take them for granted. Thank you Dad and Mom for a job well done :)

This week has definitely been a lot to take in, emotionally & spiritually. But i can honestly say- i feel freed from a lot of past hurts and such that i've been carrying with me. God is faithful. week 5 and He is still teaching me new things daily. I'm so glad to be here with this opportunity, but i won't lie- i miss home. i can't wait to see the "welcome to tennessee" sign in about a month! what a wonderful thanksgiving it will be, for numerous reasons :)

Our internet cuts off at 8, so i've gotta wrap this thing up. I miss you all mucho! thank you for your prayers, I couldn't do it with out them. I pray God blesses each of you greatly for the time you take to lift me up during this season of my life! Your prayers are not in vain.

love you all, To God be the Glory!
-ashton :)

ps- if any of you feel led to support the last bit i have to pay, it's due before i come home for Christmas so pray about it and email me if you feel that's the direction in which GOD is leading you. clapp_ashton@yahoo.com THANK YOU!

nothing can seperate.

here is something God spoke into my life this morning, what a revelation! (there is more to this story, but for sake of being public i'll keep is short and simple.) Today, for the first ever, I realized why my perception of God's love for me has been so altered. For the longest time, i've felt the need to prove myself to him. Thinking if i did something good he might love me more, but if i messed up he was going to love me less. And for the longest time i didn't understand why this was my perception on His love, considering that both of my parents loved me in the most Godly way that i think was possible. They disciplined me so i would know right from wrong, but i never ever doubted their love for me. Nor did i think they ever loved me less when i did something they weren't proud of. So why on earth did I view God's love any different? well, today He showed me why. Somethings happened in past frienships/relationships where i in turn, changed the way i viewed God's love for me. But GUESS WHAT! I've got some really great news for all of you that struggle with this same thing.....

God's love never changes. He loves me the same today as He did yesterday. And being a missionary doesn't mean He loves me more, and not spending enough time in His word daily doesn't mean He loves me less. I don't have to prove ANYTHING to him. He loves the murderers, the thiefs, the abusers exactly the same way he loves me. The only thing it means when we are away from him, when we harden our hearts to Him- is that we miss out on receiving that love. It's still there, we've just chosen to ignore it. We all are his creation, created in HIS image. He finds joy in me, He delights in me, He calls me beautiful. And that goes for you too! what a beautiful picture that is! God's love will never change, it stays the same through the ages. What a refreshing thought that God brought to me this morning, such a relief to finally take off the lies of the enemy and see my sweet savior's love for what it really is: CONSTANT.

"He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is His love to those who fear Him." :psalm 103:10-11

SIDE NOTE: go listen to- "your love never fails" by Jesus Culture.

week tres, and missing home.

hey guys :)
here is my weekly update- this week i had some struggles, and had to recognize how desperately satan wants to attack this place and me also. Thankfully, because of Jesus i made it through and in the process i learned LOTS of things i'd never been exposed to before. This week we had a speaker from monroe come, George Davidiuk, and the beginning of the week he spoke on bible meditation. Joshua 1:8- "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; MEDITATE on it day and night." i've seriously read that scripture a thousand times, and all along i though meditate meant to read or study the Word. This week i learned that meditation seeks the practical application of information to a person's life. What does the scripture ask me to do? So for this first time this week...i MEDITATED on scripture and allowed God to reveal something that was appliable to my life through it! Later in the week George spoke on TRUTH. and we went over 21 questions that everyone wants to know the TRUTH about. (i have lots of notes, so i'll share!)- this day was so incredible. Finally, things i never truly knew the truth about were biblically explained to me. And lastly, on Friday we had Chris's friend, Benny Prasad (look him up on youtube!) come and share his testimony and music with us. He has the most radical faith i've ever personally seen in front of me, and God willing in November he will set the world record for traveling the EVERY country in the world in the shortest time (6 years and 7 months!) and all by the grace of God! His story is incredible to say the least.

okay so that brings us to the weekend- saturday we took a ywam family road trip to see the leaves and mountains! God took my breath away, it was such a refreshing day for my soul. I love that God took the time to create the mountains, and the beauty in them. We drove up to boone, and had bbq- such great bonding time! then today (sunday) we went to Chris's church, then trevor came to visit & took me, steph, and em to lunch & ice skating. Then we had a volleyball tournament with EVERYONE out in the yard. it was so intense, but i will say-my team WON, CHAMPS!!! hahaha

i'm starting to miss home so much. so shout out to all of my fairview family- being away makes me miss being at church with you all more than i could have ever imagined, even more so when i know daddy is preaching :( every sunday i wake up and wish i was "at home". at writing this brings tears to my eyes, thank you all for loving Jesus and loving me too. I appreciate your cards and prayers so much!

and next- momma bear & daddy- i miss you all more than you know. thank you for being supportive this past week and also for allowing me to spread my wings and be a big girl.

gram, brother, titi, uncle matt, allie gator & andrew: i cant wait for thanksgiving. I MISS YOU all so much it hurts.

my sweet best friends- i want you all to know that even though we don't get to talk as much, you're still MINE. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. And MADISON: put a smile on baby girl- i'll always be here.


alright, now that i have cried and gotten all emotional, i think i'll go to bed! hope this blog hasn't completely bored to death. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!


To God be the Glory for the GREAT things He has done (and doing!)
-ashton :)

i love this.

The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me to preach
the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind
up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for
the captives and release from darkness for the
prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor
and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort
all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-
to bestow on them a crown a beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment
of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will
be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the
Lord for the display of his splendor.

:isaiah 61: 1-3

God brought me to this scripture last week, and i just can't seem to let it go. this is my prayer today.

excitement has filled the air!!!!

first off, i will start by apologizing for not updating all of you beautiful people back home as often as i would like. this place is crazy busy & it's difficult to make time for the internet! so i decided, while i have a bit of down time i'll just lay it all out at once! so hold on tight, cause here we go :)

where should a gal start? probably by saying....I LOVE IT HERE! i have never been more at peace about anything in my life. THIS IS WHERE GOD WANTS ME. last week we got situated and started classes, we had a speaker named Dave (from nashville...holllllaaaaa!), and he was incredible. God spoke so much to me through his lectures. The first couple of days were on hearing God's voice, which is something i really took to heart, and just in the past two weeks i am beginning to hear God more and more clearly in my own life. Then later in the week, He touched on relationships and what a Godly, "right" relationship is supposed to look like, among eachother and with God. obviously for any 19 year old girl- this was exactly the topic i needed! haha so needless to say, It was a great learning week. On top of lectures, and various outreach and intercession times, we've really bonded and shared lots of laughs!

NOW, that brings us to this week. Pete Iliyn from Oregon came and spoke on repentance. And what that looks like in our every day lives. We are to view repentance as a daily attitude and perspective. My favorite thing we talked about was intimacy and what that looks like. So you know how when you see an elderly couple that have been together for decades, and you think to yourself, "wow they look alike?" well, that's what our intimacy with Christ should be too. Can you imagine what it would be like to look, act, and even SMELL like Christ? and then, how exactly do you get to that point? simple. -by dwelling in the presence of Jesus on a regular basis. Learn to soak Him in, take all of him, and walk away "looking like Jesus".

There is so much i wish i could share, but it's overwhelming to look through my notes and pick what to write about. I do promise that I will try my hardest to update more regularly and also touch more in depth about what God is teaching me. He really is HERE. I'm falling in love, and for the first time in my life- it's with the most perfect mate I could find. God is good, all the time. His mercies endure forever.

OKAY- don't stop reading just yet....the best part is yet to come!

we found out today in class that for outreach (after christmas) that we are going to....INDIA!!! i could NOT be more excited. The past 2 weeks God has put such a strong desire in my heart to be with these people, and now it's official. We've been reading a book about child slave trade, and human trafficking, and so hopefully that's the direction God will lead us for our work in India. As of right now, we do know that we will be split into about 3 groups because our class is so large, but we are praying about what state in India that God wants us to be. It's such an exciting time here!

Thank you all so much for your love, cards, and prayers. i miss each of you and can't wait to hug your necks! please continue to lift us up in prayer: prayers for more sponsorships for outreach, prayers for hungry hearts and open hearts, and prayers for the people in India that God has divine appointments set up for us to be apart of! i love you all so so so much!

To God be the Glory, for the great things He has done!!!

-ashton

update! update! update!

hi sweet friends!
i've finally getting settled in, and we're starting to have a normal schedule. things are AMAZING here, and i know this is EXACTLY where God wants me. I'm so excited to see what God does with my heart over the next 6 months. We already have had some incredible times of intercession, worship, bonding, and yes- even class is so interesting! i'm learning so much. We still haven't found out where we are going on outreach, but no worries i will let everyone know asap! my new friends are so great, and it's such a great feeling to be surrounded by jesus lovers all day/night long. what encouragement i receive! i miss you all, and can't wait to hug your necks are thanksgiving. Keep praying for the ways God will be moving through us! love you all :)


here is a bit of a normal day schedule around the base, i know some of you have asked-
7:00 breakfast
7:30-8:30 quiet time
8:30-9:30 we do intercession some days during this little break, others we have map test -i will soon know EVERY country!, or just compassion meditation, and we are reading through the new testament, so we do that on the other days
9:30-12:30 lecture
12:30-lunch
free time until 2:30
from 2:30-5:30 here is what it looks like- MTF, we do productive creativity (work duties-kitchen, house keeping, hospitality, yard work, clean up) and then on wed we split into two groups, one does evangelism and one does FRONT PORCH (which is outreach to the local kids, they come to our front porch for games, fun, snacks, songs, and just to be loved on). then on thursday we have compassion something but i forget the name which we wont start until next week!
5:30 dinner
then our night time stuff differs. small groups, RESET, free time, academic night,etc.
lights out at 10!

that's our schedule,very busy to say the least, but God is HERE!

be strong and very courageous.

i've been so anxious. so many thoughts. so much change. so many mixed emotions. life is changing, God is working, and I'm barely hanging on. i feel lonely, but yet so connected to my sweet savior, i wonder what is about to take place in my life. who will i be when i get home in six months? what changes will have taken place here in knoxville? my head is full to its capacity. deep breath, i'm still here. i'm ready yet so afraid.

i'm reading Joshua right now, coincidence? i think not. So Joshua is somewhat like me, He's been called by God to take on this giant mission. to lead God's people into the promised land, to take the place of Moses, to gain the respect of these people, and to lead. But the part that gets me, is this: Joshua has NO clue of what is to come, he's never done something so crazy or out of his comfort zone. this is ALL so new. BUT catch this- HE KNOWS GOD IS THERE. what a beautiful picture that is for me when i get overwhelmed. "Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't be discouraged. God, your God is with you every step you take." (Joshua 1:9 MSG)

And that right there is why i have the strength to go. the strength to leave all that i know, all that i'm comfortable with. Because my God is HERE, every step of the way.

"i like it, i love it, i want some more of it"

i like it, i love it, i want some more of it.... the country song? tell me you know it. well i was thinking today- what if that was the same mentality i had towards Jesus. what if i "almost lost my job" cause i couldn't get my nose out of my bible, or get my job done because i was too busy telling people about how much i love him? what if i craved him so much, that i couldn't even function properly in the real world? just what if? silly to relate my relationship with Jesus to a country song, but it really does open my eyes to see that's exactly what it SHOULD be like for people that love Jesus with their entire being. I wanna be that crazy. I wanna want more of him. I wanna be radical.

I wish i were leaving tomorrow...

Tonight, and the past couple of days have been so odd for me. You see, I never thought i would be ready to leave this place, these people, the ones i love most. But God has been doing some incredible things in preparing my heart for this. When i say that i am ready to go, i hope i don't bring offense to anyone, its just that I have finally reached the point where I've given up my life as i know it. Does that mean I won't miss home? or miss my family? my best friends? normality? of course i will miss it all. But at the same time, I know this is exactly why I was created in the first place- to love Jesus Christ with my entire heart, mind, strength, and soul, to give it ALL up for him, for it does all belong to him in the first place right? I'm so over this place of distractions. Americans are daily living a life full of distractions of all kinds. I just so tired of it, so ready to see the world from a new perspective. To see the world from the eyes of those who have nothing, but yet continue to have a smile on their face. And more so than seeing life through their eyes, I want them to experience the Hope and love of Jesus Christ. That's my desire. That's life. That's where I want to be. I'm ready to say my goodbyes, for I know that the Hello's that are to come, will bring so much joy to my life through the miraculous leading of my sweet, sweet Savior.

To God be the Glory!

25 days and counting!

it's really hard to believe that i will actually be moving out of knoxville for the first time ever in my life, in just 25 days! I am getting so anxious, but I must admit this is a bitter sweet feeling. All my best friends are back in school, and I sit and think about how differently i had my life planned out to be just last year. I would never have believed you if you had told me that i would no longer be attending UT, nor would i be pausing my plans of finishing nursing school. it's so bazaar! I remember being at student life camp last summer, and God just breaking my heart completely in two. Shouting in the clearest voice i've ever heard Him speak to me in, saying that He has put a burning passion inside of me for the poor, needy, orphaned children around the world. He opened my eyes that night to see that my plan for my life didn't quite line up with His. But once again, I could never have actually expected this- not even starting my sophomore of college? yeah right. I had big plans for myself, real big ones. I was gonna go to college at UT, become a nurse practitioner, marry an incredible- goodlooking man, have four kids, live in a beautiful white house with a wrap around porch. I'm tellin you what- I had a goooood life planned for myself, and nothing was gonna stop it. Boy was i wrong, God stopped it. Over the past two years, He revealed to me that HIS plan- the good, perfect, and pleasing plan, was the one I was going to seek after. No more living "The American Dream". He has something even bigger and even better ready for me. So that's why I am here. Not because everyone thinks its the best route to take (believe me, i've heard a fair share of opinions along the way), and not because it's what "normal" people do, not because it's the good life, and definitely not because it's going to be easy. I'm here because I heard God speak two years ago, preparing me for what was to come. I heard God speak, telling me my life wasn't going to be what I nor everyone else thought it would be. I'm here because I heard the call to missions, I saw the opened doors, and I jumped. So here I go, 25 days until i begin the greatest adventure i've ever taken. And I could NOT be more excited. I'm ready, ready for the world! let the games begin!

To God be the glory for the great things He has done-

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it ALL for the glory of God!" : 1 cor. 10:31

support!

and one more thing i must add: I am still in need of financial support for YWAM. if any of you feel led to help out, give me a shout! I am fully confident that God will provide the way for this chapter of my life, seeing how He has made it very clear this is where He wants me to go! thank you all :)

the beginning of an incredible journey, welcome aboard!

hey guys! i decided that i would start a blog to share the incredible things God is doing in my life. I've never done this before so here goes nothing! As most of you know, I only have about 29 days left in knoxville, before i move to Charlotte, NC for YWAM :) (youth with a mission) I am so anxious to see what all God has in store for the next 6 months of my life! I first off want each of you to know, how grateful i am for your prayers and love over the years. I figure this blog will help ya'll keep up with me, and help me keep my thoughts sorted! So let's see where it takes us, this journey is so exciting! To God be the glory for the great things He has done!

-Ashton