Back to camp life....

Sorry that I have not updated at all this summer. Usually the words just flow as soon as my fingers touch the keyboard, but this summer they just have not. I want to thank each one of you for your faithfulness in prayer and encouragement. I truly have been blessed this summer by you all. I currently have an overflowing support account for camp and I have been so relaxed and unstressed this summer compared to the past few summers.

I'm not going to share an update on Haiti right now because I think it's more important to update you on the current ministry I'm in, and my time is very limited with the internet at the moment. I do have lots of stories and pictures to share with you all very very very soon.

Currently, I am serving on the leadership "BASE team" at Camp Good News, a part of the Urban Slingshot Ministries at CEFOntario (Child Evangelism Fellowship of Ontario). This year my job has been a lot more relaxed then the previous two years, and I have had the opportunity to work with an AMAZING staff.

Two weeks ago we had our Leaders in Training Build Week. Our focus was on preparing the LiTS mentally for camp, while also preparing things for the upcoming four weeks of camp. The LiTs blew us AWAY! We actually gave many of them extra weeks of camp because they reached and surpassed the bar we had set for them. To watch them grow and change, seek the Lord, and serve the kids has been my biggest highlight so far this summer. The past two summers I have also directed the LiT team and we have pushed through a lot of struggles and trials. After completely rebuilding the team this spring, I wasn't sure that I could expect as much growth as we saw last summer, but these girls and guys have blown me away. Most are only 12 years old yet they have stepped it up and even in some situations surpassed counselors in their maturity and willingness to serve. Please pray for these 11 young people.

Last week was Jr. Camp, which marked the start of 4 intense weeks of camp. We wondered what God was doing the first day when so many of the kids didn't even show up to the bus stop. But with these extra spots open, we were able to invite another girl last minute to join us for the week. She ended up being in the cabin I was supervising for the week. At first I just had a really hard time connecting with her, but as the week progressed she started to open up more and more. On the last night, an invitation to accept God as their father and believe in Jesus as their Saviour. She came back and just started to cry with me and two of the LiTs for a few minutes. Eventually, I was able to get her to talk and she shared some things about her home life. We explained to her that God was the ultimate father and answered some other questions she had. At the end of the conversation, she asked God to become her father and to forgive her sins. Me and the two LiTs just sat there for a few minutes hugging her, completely amazed at what God had done. I'm not sure about the exact numbers but of the 26ish kids between the ages of 6-10 last week, about 10 of them accepted Jesus as their Saviour. Praise God!!!!

This week is Sr. Girls' Camp. It's the first time we have split up the girls and guys for camp and so far it is going really well. The theme is created with love and the girls really experience God last night in worship. It was truly awesome! Me and my friend Miriam had the chance to share our testimonies so far and they both have impacted the girls greatly. God has been so good to us this week. Especially in the face of such trial to start our week. We learned on Sunday morning just before the kids arrived that one of our CEF summer missionaries had a terrible accident the night before and had not survived her injuries. Needless to say, it shook our team pretty badly, but in the end everyone felt a greater purpose to stay and reach the kids with the Gospel.

I have to go but I will update again soon!

Thank you all!!!!

<3 Ash

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Safely in Haiti

Hi everyone!

First of all thanks for all your prayers so far. My first flights from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale were not very pleasant. :( I ended up being very sick and lost count of how many times I was sick. God provided for me though when I met up earlier than expected with the rest of the team in Charlotte during my layover.

My flight today to Haiti was much much much better! We are now safely here. The time difference from most of you is about 1 hour earlier because of Haiti not having day light savings. Even though the pictures show Haiti as it is, seeing it in person makes it so much more real. We have a busy schedule this week and will actually be going to some schools after all. Please pray for us, especially that we are able to communicate with our translators well. They will be translating into Creole for us (a mixture of French, Spanish, African and English). I am surprisingly understanding a lot of the French. French class was good for something :)

<3 Ash

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Obsessed with Jesus

Ever since I first found out I was going to Haiti, I have heard the same things over and over again. "Aren't you scared?" "That's so dangerous" or something along those lines inferring that I should reconsider.

But ever since I found out I was going I have had a sincere sense of peace about it. Who am I to say that where God is calling me is too dangerous? His children live there everyday. Who am I to question whether He will take care of me and use me for His glory? He promises to be with me wherever I go.

In the fall I was reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and I was hit by what he said. "People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress."

Just a thought for your own life. How obsessed are you? Are you willing to endure hardship, trial, or possibly even death for your King?

♥ Ash

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And the adventure begins...

So the day has finally come! Tomorrow I will get up bright and early and head to Pearson Airport. My first flight will leave at noon with a layover in Charlotte, NC before reaching Fort Lauderdale, FL at approx. 6pm. I would really appreciate prayer during my flight because it's my first time flying and just prayer that the transfer would go smoothly and I would meet up safely with the rest of the team in Florida.

We will be staying in Florida until Saturday doing some final preparations and getting to know each other before flying to Haiti. In Haiti, we will be sharing the Gospel with many children. Unfortunately our previous plan to share in the schools has changed as the children have exams during the two weeks we are there. However, we now have the opportunity to share in orphanages and do 5 day clubs. Please pray for this change and the children that we will meet.

I am sorry that I don't have much more to share right now. We really do need your prayers though.

Please pray for:

-our team (Jerry, Brenda, Chioma and myself)

-the national CEF staff in Haiti

-the children that we will meet

-favour as we enter the orphanages and any other places we might teach

-safety as we travel

-the approx. $200 I have left to raise

I'm not sure how much internet access I'll have if any at all. If I can update you I will... but otherwise I'll be sure to post some of my pictures and journal entries as soon as I get back. :)

Thank you all for your prayers and support!

♥ Ash

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How it happened....

Over the past couple of years, God has provided me with many new and stretching experiences in ministry and life. Last summer I had the opportunity to intern in the urban ministry of CEFOntario, developing the ministry and experiencing leadership in ministry in a new way. I returned to Heritage in the fall for my 3rd year of my degree and had the opportunity to be the Resident Assistance (RA) of 10 girls, which has been a great blessing.

During this time, I began to feel God calling me to consider overseas ministry. I had never before felt called to do anything ministry wise overseas, whether it was short-term or long-term and so I spent a lot of time praying and seeking wisdom from mentors in my life. As time progressed I felt a deep peace that this was where God was potentially leading me and in light of this, I changed my program at Heritage slightly, adding another major in intercultural studies, and began to pray for God to open doors for direction. As the months past, more and more doors seemed to be shutting and I felt that God was just opening me up to the possibility of going in the future and that for the present I was going to be staying in Ontario and working this summer. About a week after I had come to this conclusion, I followed up with a contact that I had been put in touch with by a mentor and found out that in my surrendering of it over to God, He had been working in a way I never thought.

In June, I will be travelling with a team of four people from CEF Canada to Haiti. As you probably are aware, Haiti is a country that has been devastated over the past year. While the rebuilding process has begun, there is still little hope for people who have yet to begin that process. Roman Catholicism is widely practiced throughout the country, but voodoo is also wide spread and there are many who do not know the hope that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.

I will be flying from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale, FL on June 1st and then 3 days laster flying on to Haiti. We will spend just over two weeks there sharing the gospel with children through a school ministry in the morning and 5-day clubs in the afternoon. The schools have been very open in Haiti to the CEF ministry and we will have the opportunity to teach Bible lessons to many children. In the afternoon, the children will be out of school and that's when we will be holding 5 day clubs in the neighbourhoods. Though I have experienced a lot of CEF ministry before, the context and culture are quite different in Haiti and it is sure to be stretching in many ways, but also exciting as God has been opening the doors for many ministry opportunities in the country.

Please pray for me and the team as well as the children from this still hurting and struggling country.

♥ Ash

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To Haiti in June!

Just a quick update to let you know that I will be travelling to Haiti for two weeks in June with CEF Canada. There we will be teaching clubs in the schools and also a 5 day club in the afternoon. Haiti is still a very broken country with many hurting kids.

Will you commit to praying for me and the team and the kids that we will present the gospel to this summer?

♥ Ash

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Lots of changes...

God has been presenting lots of new opportunities and challenges in front of me lately. Hopefully I'll be able to update you all very soon on what's happening :)

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