NKWAGALA = LOVE

20 mins.
i have 20 mins. left in the internet cafe to tell ya'll how everything is going :) ahhhh

well, let me just say how blessed we are and what a GREAT GOD we serve!!! no one has been sick this whole trip!!!!
i am learning to speak the language with the locals and the kids which is just soo awesoem to be able to communicate liek that ;)
going to the slums (the poorest part of the town) was very humbling and hard to see. we went with some of rebecca's friends and the pastor from her church-- the pastor basically told us to pair up into groups of 2 and 3 plus a translator and go and talk to ppl about Jesus. ok. i have to be honest-- of course you want to talk to ppl about jesus but it's kinda intimidating being put on the spot to think about what you want to say to someone then have a translator tell them and then ask the translator what they are saying back. but God is so good. i got to lead a young girl through a prayer who wanted to be born again :D that day there were 8 ppl saved!!!! plus, we clothed a lot of children :)
the next best thing about that day was when we went to visit mary, she lives in the slums with 8 of her children and her husband in a dorm size room -- she makes beads out of old magazines-- it's amazing!!! we all bought so much-- very cheap. and she was sooo excited and she was crying thanking all of us for coming- she said i know have enough $$ to send my son to school, you serve such a good god. -- ahh my heart just melted!

i promise that when i have more time i will give more details about how my heart is feeling and what i am learning.

helping out at the school has been wonderful!! we have taught them 2 lessons that have to do with a bible verse and a craft- think vaca. bible school ;)

i miss home. but i'm not homesick. there is so much love here- i mean having 14 children around you (when they aren't at school) is pretty fulfilling ;) i do wish i could hear the voices of my momma and family and friends but i'm praying for ya'll!!!! God is keeping me safe.

today i get to meet up with bethany parks-- she is from MVNU and studying abroad in africa :) so it will be awesome to see a familiar face and love on her for her momma :)

thank you thank you thank you for ur prayers and support and love. my team and i are extrememly blessed to have so many ppl behind us :)

p.s. Alex-- i don't know what i would have done without my lil care package-- we have all used those hand wipes soo much!!! haha very thankful :) r u surviving without text messages??!! ;)

i probbably won't have internet again till the amsterdam airport.

LOTS OF LOVE

closer to heaven

I MADE IT TO AFRICA :)
thank you all for your continued prayers!!!!!
i have very limited internet time but i haven't missed it, or my phone, or texting-- not when you have children to love on :)

wow. i have so much to say. i will try to run through some of the highlights so far :D

1. best plane ride from Detroit to Amsterdam-- even met an OSU fan who was our flight attendant, lives in the Brewery District!!! Small World right??!!
2. they really love their wooden shoes in Holland
3. i have found my soul-mate on this trip a.k.a. alex-anna (a girl on my team)- god def. knows my heart and who i would need.
4. the weather is AMAZING!!!!!
5. i wish i could show ya'll pictures of where i'm staying, it's not bad at all and i just pretend the mosquito net that drapes over our bed is a princess canopy ;)
6. the children bless my life soo much. ya'll they will hold ur hands, hug you, tell you stories- they just want your attention soo much.
7. the food is very different from America.
8. seeing the faces of rebecca and the orphanes open the bags of donations was incredible!!!! rebecca said for the past 2 wks. they have been using this lil bit of tooth paste until we got there :/ BUT now they have an ABUNDANCE!!!
9. today we are traveling to the slums. please pray for protection. we are going to give them clothes, bibles, water, love.
10. i just feel that by being here the veil between heaven and earth is a little thinner. the faith a little bolder. the love a lot more free. the worship passionate.
11. i have learned a few lugandan words...yayaya!!!!

it's so humbling to see a 4 yr. old on their knees praising god. praying and knowing their prayers were heard and will be answered.

i love you all.
i'm sorry i don't have a lot of detail right now.
none of us are sick- praise god.


keep those prayers coming!!!

can anyone hear me....

this was one of the toughest weeks.
i felt as though i was just jogging in place as fast as i could. getting nowhere. at night i wanted to just remove my mind so i could just have a few moments of peace.
Wed. was the beginning of Lent. the service at Vineyard was really good and much needed. i just couldn't get over the feeling of doubt. was i ready for this trip? what if all my support $ didn't come in? have i spent enough time with my family? when do i start packing? how will the concert go? a lot of distractions. (yet all week joyce meyer was preaching about coming boldy with confidence before the cross. ask and you shall recieve).
i found myself that night leaning on friends and just being honest with where i was. crying always releases something, refreshing, like OK- i can do this. up until this point in our journey nate was the one saying ash, i just don't know, how this is gonna happen? $1800 is a lot of money to raise. and that night he had this awesome peace from God that he shared and it was really encouraging to me- i still had to dig pretty deep to believe that everything would work out.
for the first time in a long time there was nothing, nothing i could do to make it better. i can't grow $$ on trees-- so the faithfulness of God and His ppl to give to nate and i has been truly amazing to witness.

fast forward to sat. night :) the extended melody project hosted a concert to benefit uganda/the orphange/the school -where we will be. 4 bands, over 200 friends, and somewhere around $1500 later my heart was overflowing :D
THANK YOU JESUS!!!! i am truly thankful for everyone who helped make sat. night a sucess-- you do not know how much your efforts are appreciated-- lives will be changed for generations b/c of your love and generous hearts to GIVE and be a part of something BIGGER than yourself. thank you.
SIGH :) LoVe

this wknd i also got to travel to upper sandusky to see my family :) walking into church today i was flagged down by a friend and past cheerleading coach. she is very near and dear to my heart-- she handed me an envelope with support money in it and while we were hugging i felt so greatful. so humbled. she believes in me. i could hardly tell her thank you i was so shook up. some of you may be reading this thinking really...you were crying... but yeah. i was. when you are brought to a place of full surrender by god and he blesses you- it does something.
ok illustration :) i will take u back to the childhood movie of The Grinch who Stole Christmas....remember the part where his heart grows and grows and grows?!! :) haha he just bursts with JOY!!! thats kinda how it feels... so to all of you who have supported me financially- you have made my heart grow ;) god is teaching me the true meaning of trust.

forever let ur church proclaim

i just have to post this song.
it is SOO good :)
my heart has been touched this wknd.-- thank you church

sweet 16

16 days.

2 months ago god presented this amazing opportunity to me and now i'm just down to DAYS??!! unreal.

every morning i wake up to this MOUNTAIN growing in front of my bed-- no, it's not laundry ;) (i don't live with amber bryan anymore-- haha love you amber, don't let me fool you i miss our room) this is a different kind of mountain...one that contains medical supplies, coloring books, school supplies, clothes, vitamins, beanie babies, and an iphone :) b/c of your generous hearts- through donations, prayers,and support financially- i get to bless the ppl of uganda!! you and i get to be a part of something that will touch lives for generations :)

this past week has been draining in all ways.
studio 187 photography (where i work) moved it's location and let me just tell you, over the past year i have gotten really good at packing up a room but moving a whole studio in 5 days...who does that?! i felt like i was on an episode for extreme studio makeover haha. long nights, paint stains, and sore musceles later we are a brand new studio :)
just taking the time to slow down has been a feat in itself. i really want to be mentally and spiritually prepared for this trip and how god wants to use me.
i really don't find it a coincidence that the season of lent is falling around my trip. i have really been searching my heart for what god wants to do in this time, how he will reveal his love, and show me his strength where i am human and weak. to sacrifice, to give up something that you give your time, energy, devotion, cravings to... for 40 days. allowing god to refresh you, to move in you in a real way, to meet you right where you are at.
this wednesday is ash wednesday- it marks the first day of lent.
for 40 days you can give up anything.
video games? facebook? dare i say texting/twitter??? ok. breathe. did ppl even communicate ten years ago?? ;)
short story- i will never forget discussing what i should give up for lent with travis keller (a friend of mine and then resident dir. at mvnu), i was pretty set on giving up t.v. but the new season of the bachelor was about to start up again... haha i know i know- and travis said, yeah ash i guess jesus didn't have to have 2 nails in his hands. wow. - i don't tell you this story to put you on a guilt trip, and travis didn't mean this in a rude way- but it has truth to it.
allow god to stretch you!! be challenged!!

thanks for reading :)
please continue to pray for the preparation of my team (of 6) and i.

lots of love