Miracle

God has been protecting us on this trip!!!  Thursday night Adam and I went to a couple's house for dinner and it was pouring rain.  The street is very narrow and when we got out of the vehicle to enter there house we noticed there was no door bell and we were getting soaked so we ran  back into the truck and i texted to let them know we are there and to open the gate so we ran out of the truck to enter.  Friday after being at Bucana working with the children Adam dropped me off at Barb and Fred's house to help set up for the couple's cell group we are now leading and he had to go to the dentist.  After two hours Adam had not yet came back so i looked for my cell phone in my purse to text him to see if he was ok and I couldn't find my phone. So i was praying I left it at home but couldn't remember if I took it out of my purse at home.  So the couples meeting started and I asked Adam when he returned if he remembered where i put my phone and couldn't but a little later on Barb's cell phone rang and it said Ashley. So my heart dropped my cell phone was in someone's hands.  At that point we didn't know if it was stolen or if I dropped it.  But the only place i was friday was at Bucana so we were afraid one of the kids took it.  Anyway we involved Pastor Johnny and Tata so they started calling my cell phone to talk to the lady who called barb's cell.  They were in their house while we were still recieving calls on Adam's cell or barb's from the lady.  She started to ask for me by name she wanted to nagotiate so we all thought it really had to be at Bucana.  Well Tata and Pastor Johnny came to Barbs house so that they could talk with the Lady who had my cell and so I could talk with her as well.  We found out after she asked alot of questions us that when we were saying Bucana she didn't think it was my phone because she never was near Bucana.  She was trying to get the real story on my phone before she would give it back because she thought i thought she stole it and she didn't want to get into trouble. The true story came out and realized that I dropped my cell phone without knowing and her brother who is a tricycle driver found it at the couple's house Thursday night. He really liked my blackberry so he took his cell phone to a pawn shop and sold it so he could have mine. He was using my post paid sim card and everything.  When his sister found out what he did she got convicted and that is why she started to call my contacts to find the owner and talk with that person.  She asked for me to give them the amount money his brother got from the pawn shop for his cell phone(that he already spent) so that he could get his cell phone back now that she is giving my cell phone back to me.  It was so amazing. So Pastory johnny took us to meet this lady and we only gave 1100 peso which is $25 and got my cell phone back.. Normally when your cell phone is stolen or you lose it you never get it back and it would have cost me alot more money to replace it.  God did an amazing miracle that night. It really strengthens my faith and Trust in Him!  We first thought it was stolen cuz that is very common here but ended up i dropped it!  Silly me!
Just thought it would be great for you to hear a great God story to demonstrate that God is still God and in control of all circumstances.

As well Adam had to go to the dentist this week because on Thursday he woke up with a big chunk out of his bottom left side back molar.  The dentist had to reconstruct his tooth.  It only cost us $85 in total. Amazing.  He had a filling on that tooth before and another cavity was growing and decayed the tooth which caused part of old filling to break off hence the chunk missing.  The dentist had to dig deeper to get rid of the new cavity as well.  It took over 2 1/2 hours to finish and ended up going back on saturday to have it filed down a little more. But all is good now!!  So that has been our adventures this week!!

many blessings!

The Past Week

This past week has been great.  We have been doing Language and Culture training.  The filippinos who we will be working with the most is doing the training so that is been good cuz while they are doing the training we are getting to know them.  This week we have been good but overwhelming in observing all the activities that go on in Bucana.  Which is the street ministry.  We went with Che and Cha who are a nurse and a teacher who are doing the feeding programs and tutorials for the children.  They took us to this community and they feed 20-25 kids.  Many of them are extremely malnurished, the one little boy that i have posted a picture was bed ridden for months due to not eating and his mom died of TB.  he is now walking and gaining some weight.  The children are very precious.  They go and feed them once a day.  We have gone twice with them this week.  Right now with the training we do not know what our roles will be but are seeing everything that goes on day to day.  the kids are out of school for summer now so they are planning skills training programs daily for the kids to learn how to play instruments, cooking, dancing, preaching, drama and art.  to keep them off the streets during the summer.  So we will be helping with that for the month.  the pictures below are the children from the community they do the feedings and Che does health teaching twice a month which she did when the pictures were taken. 

Devotion Sharing

It has been amazing how over the past 3 and 1/2 weeks God keeps bringing His word to give comfort and peace.  These past couple of weeks we have been just living each day at a time. We really don't know what we are going to be doing so we have been learning to just take each day at a time and know it is a gift from God.  Being here getting in the culture has been overwhelming and continues to open our eyes but it also brings on doubt and fear.  We have been going through spiritual warfare the past couple of weeks and Fred said it is very critical to keep drawing to the Lord cuz Satan is going to work his hardest to defeat us while we are here.  When I first came I was getting to busy and never gave time to God and after a night of being very overwhelmed and going through emotions i opened my devotion book and it read:

Refresh yourself in the Peace of My presence.  This Peace can be your portion at all times and in all circumstances.  Learn to hid in the secret of My Presence,, even as you carry out  your duties in the world.  I am both with you and within you.  I go before you to open up the way, and I also walk alongside you.  there could never be another companion as devoted as I am.
Because I am your constant Companion, there should be a lightness to your step that is observable to others.  Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for i am your burden-bearer.  In the world you have trials and distress, but don't let them get you down.  I have conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm you.  In Me you may have confident Peace.  Psalm 31:19-20, John 16:33

I want you to learn a new habit.  Try saying, "I trust you, Jesus" in response to whatever happens to you.  If there is time, think about who I am in all My Power and Glory; ponder also the depth and breadth of My Love for you.
This simple practice will help you see Me in every situation, acknowledging My sovereign control over the universe.  When you view events from this perspective-through the Light of My universal Presence-fear loses its grip on you.  Adverse circumstances become growth opportunities when you affirm your trust in me no matter what.  You recieve blessings gratefully, realizing they flow directly from My hand of grace.  Your continual assertion of trusting Me will strengthen our relationship and keep you close to Me.  Psalm 63:2; Isaiah 40:10-11; Psalm 139:7-10  

It is very easy to keep going on our own strength but for God to be God he wants us to let Him be in control.  That is very hard to do but it is amazing when you can surrender and let your guards down and say Lord im weak be my strength. Then we empower God and He shows us through Actions, People and through His Holy Spirit.   It can be very hard especially when in our human nature we believe that we are not believing in God if we are getting overwhelmed but that isn't ture it just means we have to go to God and show Him our emotions and lay it at the cross and then God can come in and Be God in our Lives! 

We have been doing the 5 levels of Fasting.  the church has been doing it the past couple of years once a year.  5 levels of fasting is 3 days of no food just drink then 5 days off the 7 days of partial (one meal a day) then 5 days off; 14 days of partial 5 days off; 21 days of partial 5 days off; 40 days partial and then it is completed.  fasting here just allows people to keep getting closer to God. spending more time in prayer and showing God that we will scrafice everything for Him to move in particular issues in our lives.  I was afraid to fast due to my past stomach issues cuz even though i haven't had much issues i need to eat and if I don't eat i can get into alot of pain.  So i didn't know if i should and i knew i wasn't trusting God in His power.  I started the partial on monday but i only missed lunch thats all i thought i could do well by wednesday i was in alot of pain and i cried out to God and said if you want me to fast you need to take the pain away and show me I can trust you with my physical body.  Since then I have only done the one full meal in the evenings and i have no pain.  God is showing me trust and power and it is great.  I am sure to go back to old habbit of just trusting myself but by God's grace I will brought back to Him and his power and i am thankful.

I just felt I needed to share this to encourage each one of us to know God and to trust Him and give up our control.  and to know that we are not alone when we are struggling to know what we are doing and what our purpose is.