its Summmer!

Hello everyone! I know we said we would blog once a week, but I'm pretty sure things have been crazy, or at least very different for everyone. I thought I would update you on what I've been up to and I hope that you will too!

After getting inundated with the truth of the gospel and the consequences of what we do with it resulting in our eternal residence in heaven or hell at Resolved I went home. Home is hard, but nothing I didn't expect. I think the only thing different this year is that I am a lot more aware of my sins and more frustrated by my inability to overcome them. I can liken it to what Paul describes in Romans 7:14-20, in which the last half of verse 15 says "for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." I don't mean to liken myself too much to a great father in the faith, but I have gotten into several arguments with my family members, not done my devotions for days on end, not done as much reading as I would have liked, not had as many deep conversations with the people around, and not kept up with you guys!

So let me just describe what a typical day for me looks like. I wake up and go to church around 8 to set up my classroom and prepare for madness to ensue once kids arrive. Attempt to teach them the Bible, and some other math or science or reading. Finish around 1 and zone out for a bit to try and recuperate then find somewhere to hang out and work on lesson plans for the rest of the afternoon with my co-teacher. Go home for dinner, work on more lesson planning, try to do some Japan team planning, or do some reading or spend some time with my family and encourage my brother. Knock out relatively early, usually before midnight and then repeat.

Through this experience, as trying as it is on my soul and my faith I know that God is teaching me something. I've learned that of all the theology that I study while I'm at school it doesn't really amount to much if it is hard for me to be a Christian around people who aren't receive different teaching than I do. I would like for this kind of break from school to be just a glorious time of spiritual growth. But God grows us in different ways and this is one of them.

Also I leave for Japan in 9 days! teaching 4 year olds is going to be a big change from the way I teach the 4th graders here, and definitely a big change from the way I try to teach people our age. Preparation is well under way but there is a lot more to do, at least for me, with lesson plans and two other nights that I am in charge of.

Please pray for our trip, for my consistency in quiet times resulting in more awe and dependence of our savior, and for faithfulness in my ministry at home whether it be with believers or non believers.

<3 ashley