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
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