Update #3
Hello Family and Friends!
We are now going on week 7 here in DTS, and I believe there are only 5 more weeks of lecture phase before we head off to Cambodia and Taiwan. God is doing so much within every single one of us during this time. It is so beautiful seeing everyone from different backgrounds come together and have special encounters with the Lord. There is also so much zeal and desperation within our school. The fire everyone has for the Lord is so evident. Every speaker we have had so far has prophesied that the majority of us will go from this place and enter into full time missions for the Lord.
Last week, we as a DTS spent the week in Spokane, Washington for a mini outreach. This time was intended to prepare us for what our upcoming outreach overseas will look like. We did a lot of things within our outreach groups, and I really feel like my Cambodia team (Cam Bam Fam) grew so close during this time. I am so excited to see how we work together as a team in Cambodia in just a few weeks.
All of us had some amazing encounters with the Lord during this time in Washington. I have so many amazing stories of what the Lord did this past week which I would love to share if you're interested! It was so beautiful to see how the Lord met everyone during that time.
I was continually reminded that we were not there for comfort, but for the Lord. Sleeping in the same room as 20 other girls was not ideal, but it did teach me a lot of patients. Sleeping on a 3" thick pad for a week was not ideal, but it was better than the floor. Stuffing my sweatshirt and coat in a pillow case and calling it a pillow was not ideal, but it gave my head and neck support. Sleeping in a hot room was not ideal, but it kept us warm from the snow and cold weather. There were a lot of challenges we had to overcome, but through those challenges, the Lord reminded me of why I was where I was.
Walking the streets of the city of Spokane was really eye opening for me. I felt the heaviness and darkness of the city everywhere we went. All the gift shops around the city were full of things encouraging witchcraft, crystals, satinism, and lots of drugs. Some conversations I had with the people were so heartbreaking and hard. In one of the shops that I went in on our free day, all the people, both employees and customers, totally avoided me and the people I was with. They wouldn't even look at us which was super weird.
Something I have really been enjoying here is the EBPN (Ending Bible Poverty Now) elective. I am learning a lot of practical things to carry out on outreach regarding sharing the Bible with people. Something cool that we did in that elective was make worksheets for teaching English to people in Cambodia and Taiwan. I took a Bible passage in English, and found the Khmer translation, then put them side by side along with some vocabulary words for the students to learn. I feel like the Lord has really given me a heart for the Bible, and so with that, I have gotten so excited about learning how to take the Bible to the unreached people who have not heard the Good News.
For all of you who may be asking, "What is the Lord calling you to do next?" my answer is I don't know. I have no idea what I will be doing after DTS is over, but during the week of forgiveness and repentance, I verbally gave God Lordship over my life. I am committing to letting Him lead, and answering His call with obedience. At this point in time, I am not sure what that will look like. It could mean doing a secondary YWAM school studying the Bible, it could mean going home and working for a time, or maybe He is calling me to go overseas.
A highlight from this past week was definitely the snow! The first snow happened while we were in Washington which was a fun dynamic!
Prayer requests: I still do not have a flight home, sickness, peace of mind, and safety in the ice and snow.
Hope everyone is doing well, and feel free to reach out whenever! I love to hear from everyone back home! I miss you guys!
Blessings,
Ashley
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