LIFE is good

So much has happened since I blogged last I really don't know where to start!!

Since, my last blog I have had some 1st time experiences that have totally changed me :)
Well I had the chance to visit the Caribbean Sea for the first time in my life... and it was beautiful!!
I went to the city of Puerto Viejo with a group of SCORE missionaries for one day and one night!! What an experience that was :)
We stayed at the El Pizote surf lodge ... and there were two phrases that best describe it... 1. Rustic 2. In the Jungle
It was pretty neat, but quite a different experience for us to say the least!!

My second 1st experience here in the CR was... I had the opportunity to lead a young lady (21 yrs. old) from the poor village called Alajuelita, to the Lord IN SPANISH!!!!

It was the first person who I lead to the Lord using only Spanish!! I am so thankful for the opportunity and I know the Lord's presence was there because His provided me with a peace like I have never experienced before! God is so good and I give Him all the praise and glory for this lady named Valeka, who is now my sister is Christ!!! I hope to follow up with her when the next group travels to her village!!

Here are a few pictures of the experiences I mentioned above!!!

Costa Rica June 2011

Hello everyone it sure has been awhile...

This summer I am spending two months overseas. I am serving as a SCORE international intern in Costa Rica.
It is a unique opportunity too because my brother Troy is here with me and he is SCORE's photography intern.

It is such a blessing to be back here in Costa Rica!! I love it so much; the culture, the people, the weather,etc.
This past week was my first week here and I had the opportunity to travel with several short-term mission groups from the U.S.
and participate in their mission work.

I went with a Church group and helped them prepare for a movie night at a newly planted church in the city of Coronado.

I went with several different sports groups to assist with their clinics and games. It is such a blessing to have the opportunity to translate for the groups.

Here are a few pics from this past week :)

Last day of Theology :(

Today is officially the last day of Theology class. It has went by so fast, it feels like class just started. This class has been extremely beneficial to me, even though it is a required course at Liberty I have really enjoyed it!!

In class today I learned about the difference between sects and cults. A sect is a group that does agree on the basic principles of Christianity but differs in their ethics and polity. Then a cult is a group of people that changes the doctrine of Christ and salvation, which ultimately affects eternity. We also discussed how any good Christian or any good church is capable of becoming cultic. Secret societies or organizations are some common examples of cultic groups.

Another topic that we discussed was the question, " Did Jesus go to hell?" Many Christians do believe that Christ did descend into hell in order to preach to judgement to the wicked people of Noah's day. Others believe Christ went to hell in order to free the Old Testament saints who were there waiting for atonement. Then there are some that believe that He went to hell in order to provide a second chance for them to believe in Him.

My personal belief on this subject is that I do not believe that Christ descended into hell. I believe this because when Christ was on the cross and talking to the thief beside Him, it clearly states that Christ promised that the thief would be with Him in paradise when he died, the same day. Since the Bible does say this, then that would imply that Christ ascended to heaven and did not descend to hell. This is just one point out of several that support my belief that Christ did not descend into hell.

In class we also touched on the question, "Was Christ capable of sin?" I happen to believe that since He was 100% man and 100% human then he was capable of being tempted, as found in Scripture. The best way to state how I believe concerning this question is through the statement, Christ was able not to sin. Sin was indeed hypothetical and yet since He was Christ, He conquered sin.

I am so thankful and proud to serve such an AMAZING GOD!!! He is awesome and this class has increased my capacity to love Him more.

May God Bless You, Dios le bendiga
Ashley :)

Day 3 of Theology :)

Today is my third day of Theology class. I had absolutely no trouble waking up this morning due to the fire alarm that woke up all us girls living on M30!! So, I came to class hoping to learn as much as possible today.

So at the beginning of class this morning Dr. Caner did a little devotion about God's call on our own individual lives. He was encouraging us to not let men's rejection discourage us or even stop us from fulfilling God's specific plan He has just for us. He went on explaining that sometimes His call is extremely clear for some of us and for others it may take more time and patience in distinguishing His plan for us. One awesome point that Dr. Caner shared was that we should not do God's will because of other's approval but rather because of the burning desire and passions the Lord has instilled within each of us. Last Caner challenged us to not let the expectations of men keep us from doing what the Lord calls us to do, even if it does seem extremely challenging!

We talked a great deal about creation today, We learned that in fact there are exactly 3 kinds of life. There is an unconscience life that consist of vegetables, trees, plants etc. in other words they contain no soul. The second form of life is conscience life. This consists of animals which have no soul as well. Last, there is self-conscience life, which are of course humans and we of course do have souls.

We talked about the "age of accountability" or the "age of conscience." The fact that we are not judged on our sin nature but rather based on our conscience. Another cool point that Dr. Caner brought to memory was that, "God brought everything into existence but He actually formed us as humans into existence." This proves that we are in fact individually created and designed for a specific purpose. We also discussed many different quotes that were about evolution and creationism. These are just some of the topics we covered along with many others. I hope you have a wonderful day :)

Jesus loves you sooooo much He DIED for YOU!!!!
Praise and thank Him today!!

Day 2 of Theology :)

Today is TUESDAY... which means that it is the second day of Theology class! I really looked forward to coming back to class today and learning more. Here are a few things I want to share from today's lecture!!

In theological debates many different Logical Fallacies can be used. Below are some of the different types:
*AD HOMINEM- which is an attack on the person rather than on the question of topic
*RED HERRING- which is where an irrelevant issue is brought up so that the attention is then directed away from the main topic
*GUILT BY ASSOCIATION- is equating socializing with someone to advocating their beliefs
I found these very interesting and helpful to be aware of when in a theological conversation, debate, discussion, etc.

In class we also talked about inspiration. The Bible was inspired by God and therefore it is inerrant. Inerrant simply means that it is infallible and without error. This means that we can not go wrong with the Bible. Many people have tried to disprove the Bible, and all they had to do was find one little error and they then could disprove the entire Bible. Even greater they would then disprove Christianity in itself. It would then be pointless to worship God or try to be like Him if the Bible was disproved, but thank you Lord is was not disproved. The fact that we link the authenticity of the New Testament to that of the Old Testament, shows that if any error was to be found in the Old Testament then the New Testament would automatically be disproved.

There are 4 links between God and us. They are as follows; Inspiration, Canonization, Transmission, and Translations. These four links simply prove that Scripture is the Word of God. The fact that the Bible was inspired by God, means it is from the mouth of God. Canonization of the Bible, means it was collected by the people of God. The the transmission of the Bible, means it was copied by the scribes of God. Last, the translations of the Bible were proven to be translated by the servants of God.

These again are just some of the cool things I learned in class today. I could totally keep going, but I will stop here until tomorrow! Have a relaxing day :)

Later

*Theology Intensive*

I cannot believe that it is already summer!!! This week I am taking a one-week intensive course here at Liberty. I am taking Theology 201 with Dr. Ergun Caner. So to be perfectly honest, I was rather intimidated about taking this course at first. However, after the first few hours I felt completely comfortable and learned so much. The word, "Theology," itself was a little intimidating to me because I had no clue of what to expect.

So, I just wanted to share a few things that I learned today in this course with you and maybe they will help you learn something new today! We talked about the key issues that Theology involves, here are a few: 1. The Name of God, 2. The Nature of God or His defining characteristics, 3. Love vs. Wrath. I also learned that truth with no love = legalism, and love with no truth = liberalism. Also, Theology is not man talking about God, but rather how God reveals and defines Himself.

Sometimes we may wonder why is it important to study Theology, and we can find in the following 2 verses the importance of studying Theology.

1 John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.


We also talked about how religion is not Christianity. Religion is defined as a set of rites and rituals by which man seek the favor or to stop the wrath of a god or gods. I would like to leave you with one final thought/statement.
Jesus Christ will NOT give you salvation, hope, joy, peace, etc. but Jesus Christ actually takes your sin and He BECOMES your; salvation, hope, joy, peace, etc. This is a very powerful statement and I believe we should always praise Him for what He has done for us and what He will do for us in the future. I will be updating my blog daily with new information I learn in the course. Hope that you enjoy reading it!!

May God Bless You
Ashley :)

Second Semester at Liberty :)

Time goes by so quickly, it seems like just yesterday that I was in high school!! I have had a wonderful time so far studying here at Liberty, and I learn new things through the experiences God gives me everyday!! I am currently a prayer leader and love the 5 girls in my group. As a prayer leader, I am responsible for these 5 girls by praying for them daily, doing accountability with them, and leading them each Tuesday night in a devotion. It is so cool how the Lord provides you with the opportunity to impact specific people in your life? Sometimes we go through the day and are totally oblivious to the fact the Lord is the one who granted us with the opportunities to minister and impact the lives of those we come in contact with daily!!

I am majoring in Spanish and working hard to get the best grades possible!! I am so thankful for the chance to be here, and for the continuous support of my family!! I love them so much and they mean the world to me!! Even though, we have had a TON of snow here at LU this year, I try to keep a positive attitude and to remain focused on the Lord daily!! He has everything under control :)

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Even when those around us change and move on with their lives, Christ remains the same and in Him we need to put our trust because we can ALWAYS count on Him!!!

*College Time*

Wow it has been awhile since I last updated my blog. So just a little to get you caught up... I am studying at Liberty University and totally love it sooo far. I have met some really awesome people and the Lord has blessed me tremedously with the opportunity to attend LU!!! Clarence and kitty are going to have their baby boy in less than 1 week, crazy isn't it. Well, I better go for now catch you later :)

God is amazing

So, I was just sitting on the front porch of the villa watching the sunset this evening,and it was like God just painted, right in front of me the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen!! You know what the crazy thing is... I have never seen 2 sunsets that are exactly the same. God is so creative and sometimes I am too busy to stop and admire His artwork!! I serve a Wonderful God and am so glad to be daughter of the King :) Thank you Lord blessing me in so many ways!!
Today is also Mother's Day!!! I would like to give my Mommy a shout out on my blog!!! I love her so much and wish I could be there in person today to tell you how much I love you :) You are the best Mother I could ever ask for thanks for setting such a godly example for me!!! I love you so much <3 Your daughter, Ashley Suzanne

Nicaragua

This week I was blessed with the chance to visit another country. We had the option whether or not we wanted to go to Nicaragua... so it ended up that only 11 people wanted to come. It was an all girls trip, which was totally amazing!! Well we did have SCORE reps with us Marlon and Manolo, they were a blast!!! We left Tuesday morning early and hit the border early that afternoon. It went pretty smoothly except for a few little things!! We arrived at the ABEM camp later that evening, it was absolutely beautiful!!
The next day we woke up bright and early to a wonderful breakfast and headed to the grocery store to buy some food for the orphanage which we visited later that afternoon. What a blessing the children were at the orphanage... we played games and shared the Word of God with them.
Later that afternoon we had planned to visit at an all women’s hospital and visit bed-to-bed sharing the Word of God with the women. However, when we arrived they would not let us in due to the flu so we had to change up our plans, and the Lord knew exactly what He was doing. We had the opportunity later that afternoon to go into the city of Managua and visit a site where families had be living and protesting for 2 yrs due to a pesticide within Banana Farms where they had previously been living and working. The pesticide caused the women to become sterile and created problems with the men as well. I have never been in a place as poor as what this place was. It was a very neat and humbling experience, because it made me realize how much the Lord has provided and blessed both my family and I. It was so cool to share Christ with those people, because they were so desperate physically as well as spiritually.
That was a wonderful day to just to share with the Nicaraguan people and show God's love to them. That evening all of us girls came together and shared with one another all that the Lord has taught us and it was a beautiful time in the Lord. I know it brought us girls closer to one another.
The next day we went to Lake Nicaragua which is the biggest, fresh-water lake in the world and is the only place where fresh-water sharks exist. We took a little boat tour on the lake and saw many beautiful islands throughout the lake. We later went to the ancient city of Granada and had lunch. After that we had a short time to shop and then went and visited with a missionary's family there in the city.
The next day was very CRAZY we got up at 4 am left and hoped to catch breakfast later down the road. We reached the border at 8 am and were all really sleepy!!! So we all get in the van about 11 am in hopes to head into CR!!! Well, there was a little problem... there were 8 miles of semi trucks blocking the exit of the border that were protesting their rights. So, we sat in traffic for hours with hundreds possibly thousands of people. Not to mention they were from tons of different countries and could have been infected with the flu. So, we were using hand sanitizer like every 15 minutes it was an exciting day.
We chilled in our van until about 5 that evening... good thing we had crackers because we had yet to eat breakfast or lunch!!! At 5 p.m. all the passengers including us formed a march up to the government building and argued the fact we could not get by the truckers. It was absolutely crazy; I was officially participating in a protest in Spanish on the border on CR and Nicaragua!! How exciting!! That lasted for a good 2 hrs until we began laying on horns and everyone was going crazy!!! Finally, they let us through about 7:30 pm. It was crazy to see 8 miles of semi trucks lined up!! We finally made it to a restaurant that evening about 9:45 it was wonderful to get some real food!! Then we arrived at the villa that morning at 1:30 am. What an adventure it was... I had never been so glad to make it back safe to the villa in my life!!! Wow, thank you Lord for one more adventure you allowed me to have in my life!!!

Dad and brother visit

Last week during Easter my dad and brother Troy came to visit me here in CR!!! I was so excited we had a great time with them and we even had the chance to celebrate Troy Arron's 15th birthday together!! We went zip lining one day and it was a blast. I had so much fun!! Thank you Dad and Troy for the wonderful time together... love you all very much!!

Guacimo

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go with 4 other GAP students to a church 2 hrs. away and stay the night with a Tican Family!1! It was amzing, but I totally had no clue what to expect. Well when we got off the bus I started sweating b/c it was so humid compared to San Jose, and didn't stop sweating until the next day when we arrived back in San Jose LOL. I arrived at Guacimo and we had a guy named Carlos there showing us around. He just led us on this dirt road and dropped each of us off at our homes. Then when it came my turn to be dropped of at my home, Carlos said, "See that taxi over there, go get in it and your host family is in the car and will take you to your home." I am not kidding, for a few seconds I was scared b/c I had no clue where I was and no clue who was in the taxi. Once I got in I turned and looked and there sat a mother and 2 lil girls!!! I was so relieved!!! I loved my family so much and the lil girls and I had the best time ever. The mom was a single mother trying to support her two girls ( 3ys old, and 8 yrs. old) I got to be Jesus to this family and it was wonderful. Eventhough, this family had very little they offered the best of what they had to me!! When I first met the lil girl who was only 3 yrs. old I think she was scared of me b/c (obviously I looked like a giant compared to her) she kept saying to her mother in spanish, "We have a white girl living in our house!!" It was sooo cute!! That is one experience in CR I will never forget. Just to see where they live and what they have to do just to get places was incredible. I am so blessed to be a Daughter of the King. I wish everyone had the opportunity to go and stay with a family like this, it truly is unbelievable!!! Here are some pics from my weekend...

Time with my mom :)

The last month here in CR has been absolutely crazy!!! We have been so busy and had the opportunity to do so many cool things!! In March my mom came down and spent 5 days with me!!! I was so thankful that the Lord provided her with the opportunity to come and visit me!! We went too the beach for a few days then we went downtown San Jose a few times as well!! God is so good!!! Thank you mom for coming down we had the time of our lives LOL!!! Love you very much <3
Ashley

Panama <3

My Trip to Panama…
I left the villa at 9:45 pm on Sunday Feb. 22!! We were all set and ready for our mission trip. We took a few breaks every once in awhile, but at 2:45 am. we stopped at this gas station in a random lil town that reminded me of the town off of the movie Cars. The bus driver and Noel got out and propped the bus on a rock… then the next thing I knew it was 4:45 am and we were still all on the bus and still at the same gas station. So we had to wait till the station opened so we could buy a part for the bus. We ended up sitting at the gas station for 7 hrs. So we finally left about 10 am and headed to the border. When we finally reached the border it only took 2 hrs to get through. It was a great experience going through customs on a bus!! We made it to Chame, Panama which was the city were the Word of Life Camp was located about 10 pm. So basically we were all on that tiny bus for 24 hrs. We just tried to picture the trip as a time to bond with one another and get to know each other MORE than we really wanted too LOL!
We basically helped out at the camp on Tuesday as well as Wednesday. We helped clean, play games, zip line, volleyball, soccer, and many other different things. The theme was “A world of Adventure.” So they had a lesson that involved missionaries around the world. In the evenings that had a great speaker, and often did dramas to get the teens attention. It was very interesting and I really enjoyed my time there. The camp was for teens from 12-20 yrs old, there were over 200 teens and probably over 100 adults. At the camp there were these 2 lil boys by the names Jonathon and Rafael. They were precious and were 10 yrs old. Tracey, who was the director of the camp explained to us that after camp was over that these two boys no longer had a home to return to. It was heartbreaking to hear about their home life. So, those boys were a blessing and I know the Lord will watch over them and provide for them.
On Thursday our group went to Panama City and went souvenir shopping. The city was different than any city I have ever been to. They also took us to a huge mall in the city and spent a few hours there. Later that afternoon, we returned to the camp to help out with the bonfire that evening. I love having bonfires at camp!!! Friday was the last full of camp so we enjoyed spending another days with the teens before they had to leave. That evening they had a banquet and all of the guys had to ask a girl to the banquet. It was a lot of fun and a perfect opportunity to practice my Spanish.
Saturday was the last day of camp so we helped clean up the camp and said our goodbye to everyone. That afternoon all of the staff packed up and went to the beach. It was a blast to get to know the staff some more. The beach was beautiful and the waves were huge!!! That evening we returned to camp and had a cookout and slideshow for the staff. It was kinda sad that evening, because we built relationships serving the Lord with the staff and then after tomorrow there is a chance you might not ever see them again until Heaven. So, the next day the GAP group went to the city and attended a Bilingual Baptist Church called “Crossroads Baptist.” It was a great church and wonderful to here a english speaking pastor. The Spanish in Panama is quite different than the Spanish spoken in Costa Rica. It is spoken much faster and many of the words are not the same. So, it was a challenge to adjust to the way they speak!! That afternoon was really neat, we also went to the Panama Canal!! I got to see many different ships come through the canal and took many pictures. It was so cool!!
Monday morning was a very adventurous day. Some of the people in our group wanted to climb this huge mountain that we could see from camp. So, we did. We all woke up at 5 am and began our hike. It took 4 hrs total, but I am so glad I did it, it was so worth it when I made it to the top and could see the unbelievable view. The rest of the day we rested up for our 20 hr. bus ride home that evening!!!
On Monday evening at 10 pm we set off in hope to reach the border by morning. Well, about 30 minutes into our trip we stop to get snacks, then return to our bus to find the driver once again underneath the bus fixing something. I was like, “This is not a good sign guys.” So, then 30 minutes later Noel comes over and says a part broke on the bus and we have to buy another one in the morning. So, we had to go back to the camp and sleep there for the evening. In other words we didn’t reach the border until like 5 pm that evening. We also had a delay in the trip about 2 hrs into CR, we were traveling on a 2 lane road and a truck hit a man on a bike head on. The man died right before we got to the curve. So, we had to turn around and go the long way which involved a one lane dirt road with huge trucks passing one another. It is safe to say my trip to Panama and back was an ADVENTURE!!! The Lord taught me several things on my trip and one of the things was to be FLEXIBLE LOL!!! It was necessary for this trip or it would have been miserable. Thank you to all who prayed for my trip and please continue to keep me in your prayers. I only have 3 more months here and I want the Lord to do all He can in my life while I am here!!!

La Playa Punta Leona

This past weekend I went with my group to a nearby beach resort for a day!! Here are some of the pictures from my trip!!! The beach was so beautiful... we all had a great time and wished we could have stayed :)

Dios es bueno

Today was unlike any other day of my life...
I woke up at the same time as usual 5:50 went running, then to spanish class. Then we came back to the villa for lunch and they announced we had a guest speaker for Bible class. I had never heard of the speaker before, but his name was Randy Ray, from Florida. His message was such an encouragement to me I have no doubt that the Lord was totally speaking through him,to me. Today I could feel the presence of the Lord in my life like never before. I cannot explain how it felt, but it was amazing. So, many times we (myself included) get so wrapped up in our daily routine we fail to recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to us and teaching us!! I just really ask for yall to keep praying for me, because prayer is powerful!! I leave for Panama in just one week and that trip is going to require patience, endurance, and the Power of Christ!! I am really excited and cannot wait to see what all the Lord has in store for me in Panama!!

Colosenses 4:5-6:
5 Andad en sabiduría para con los extraños, redimiendo el tiempo. 6 Sea vuestra palabra siempre con gracia, sazonada con sal; para que sepáis cómo os conviene responder á cada uno.


Colossians 4:5-6
5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

*Ashley*

Camp Brittney

So this week I started back with my classes but on thursday we went to help with a camp about one hour away!! It was Camp Brittney, there we basically helped out wherever we were needed and just played with the kids!! It was a great time, and their were 4 souls saved during the week!! Praise the Lord!! In less than 20 days I am going to Panama on a Mission Trip!! I am really excited, but I have a lot of spanish to learn between now and then. It is going to be very different than any other trip I have ever taken, because we are taking public transportation to Panama from CR, and it is a 20 hour bus ride. Please pray for me to be prepared and ready for my trip!!

Palabra de Vida Campamento: Word of Life Camp

I am now back in Costa Rica to begin my 2nd semester!!! I arrived here the 10th of January and then on the 14th I went to help out with a Word of Life Church Camp, with the rest of my group for 10 days. It was a blessing to help out with the camp. I had the opportunity to practice my Spanish with the campers as well as the other staff. I was faced with some challenges in those 10 days, but through those experiences I learned many new things… I learned how to cook like a Costa Rican because my job was to cook the food for everyone!!! I really am blessed to have had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with all the campers and staff  Several of the campers accepted Christ as their personal savior so that made all the preparation and hardwork worth while!! Here are some pictures of the camp! Please continue to pray for me as I begin classes again on Tuesday!!
Dios le bendiga (God Bless You), Ashley

Happy 45th Birthday Daddy

Yesterday was my Dad's 45th Birthday and we went to a local Mexican restaurant to celebrate!! We had a great time and really enjoyed all being together :)