PTL!!!!!

Today was our fourth day on the jobsite. First day, we built the foundation for the house, and two walls. Second day, we did the other two walls, the loft, and the rafters for the roof. Third day, we sheeted the roof and shingled it, and trimmed the house, built a porch and a ladder to get into the loft. Today, we finished shingling the roof, finished the trim, finished the drywall inside and put electricity in the houses. Today we finished the houses, and dedicated them to God, which all in all, was a very powerful experience. Pedro's good friend, Sergio, did a mini-sermon in the doorway of each house, speaking both in Spanish and in English, for there was a crowd of each listening. it was one of the most beautiful things anyone could ever see, giving a house over like that, handing the keys to a family.. It was very emotional. Most of us girls had a little Mexican girl in our arms, they warmed up to us very quickly..
Ahhh man it's been fab.. I have to cut this short, and write some official stuff for pedro and jude.


Dad had his surgery today. After I talked to him last night, I cried and I cried and I cried, downstairs, surrounded by a ton of people. It was crazy. Today at the worksite, we prayed every like.. fourty five minutes, no joke. We'd just stop whatever it was we were doing, and we'd hold hands and pray. Sergio prayed in Spanish, it was beautiful. On the way back, we stopped at this seven-eleven type store, and they had phone boxes in them, where you talk and then pay.. a very small amount. I called mom, and Everything went soooo well.. The surgery took half the time they thought it would and everything was BENITO! SOOOO GOOOOOD!
So praise God.. I just about cried when I heard the news..

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER! ALL THE CREDIT TO THIS MIRACLE GOES TO HIM TODAY!

MUCHO GRACIAS EL SEINOR (yeah I can't spell in spanish.. my bad)

I know I said I was gonna go, but heck.. Im sitting up here in Lupe's office using her computer, and it's right next door to a church. There is a choir rehersing in there, and they sound sooo amazing.. Course I can't really understand what they're saying,but it's alllll good..

K peace out

Love Forever Shle
xoxo

Hola from Tijuana

HOLA!
You'll never guess where I am.. Ok mabye you will. So after three long days on the road, here I am, finally! We made it through the border in the early afternoon, and I was definately expecting something a little more.. secure.. But we didnt even have to stop going through the border... Im not joking.. anyways, so here we are.

Today was our first day on the worksite, we started building four out of eight houses.. and we built our foundation and floor, and two walls and framed a third. It's great! When we first arrived, I saw this group of little girls. I took out some balloons (Globos, in spanish) and gave them to the girls. It was super fun, they told me the colors of the balloons in english and spanish, I was impressed.. And this one little girl, named Gabriella, came running up to me afterwards and gave me this huuuuuuge hug.. It was marvelous!

Oh this group of Aussies that we're working with is fab, they're so much fun to chill with. I've learned quite a bit of thier lingo, which is fun.. anyways...

Im having a good time so far. for a first missions trip, it's going quite well.. But we have only just begun.. Anyways, I cant really type alot, cause .. well this computer is crap and I dont want to loose anything.. so yeah..

Im gonna go for now, I miss you all, but Im having a great time building these houses and workin on my tan in the process.. Oh and.. I'll be honest.. these young aussies are quite the hotties. yeah.. it's true.. Even some of the mexicans are lookers, but I cant talk to them, (the whole language barrier thing) so it's kind of awkward.. ok so funny, this kid came on to the worksite, and we totally dont know he can speak English, so for the first half hour, we're trying to talk to him, and finally he bursts out laughing and says something in English, and we were all like.. Whaaat? ! you can speak english!
hahah

Yeah .. it's uber hot here. I love it..

Ok Love to y'all

Peace Out

Ashley

(Anyone know any mexican songs? Feliz Navidad? ahaha.. goodnight all)

Mexico tomorrow

Hey y'all !
Im headed to mexico tomorrow, so this is just to let y'all know, incase you try to contact me and all that jazz. I'll be back on August seventh, it's quite possible that I'll be able to use a computer at least once while I'm down, but we'll have to see.. Mi na go promise nothing

Keep us in your prayers, sil vous plait..

Bless
Ashley
xoxo

My future!???

Hey y'all..

I havent blogged in awhile, it's retarded. I've been really busy, and I know that's my excuse every time, but you know how it goes. So here I am.. It's four days to mexico, and I suddenly can't believe it. It's hard to imagine what it's gonna be like when I'm there, I've got people left and right telling me all about it, but I can't really know until I've crossed the Tijuana border, and I'm there myself. I was totally ready for my Costa Rica trip, I think writing those papers helped alot, so I'm gonna do a little online thinking here, and consider some things.

I've seen pictures of Tijuana, and previous trips, and so I've gained a glimpse into the way it's gonna be. We are all meeting at nine am at doug and pats, and we're leaving from there. On the way down (three whole days) It's gonna be just me, Pete, and a guy named Rob from Austrailia. It's gonna be fun, bieng in the car with two Aussies, both of whom I'm sure will be full of fun stories and useless (?) facts that I wont ever forget. Ahhhh man I'm just ready to go and see this.. I'm ready to go and be a part of this team, I'm ready to get there and build EIGHT houses! I hear we're gonna be up at eight each morning, and going to the worksite, which I hear has a nice view of the ocean. That's exciting. I can't really imagine bieng in the Tijuana that's been described to me, and bieng able to see the ocean. So it'll be interesting.

One thing I've worried about constantly, is the language barrier. I've imagined myself going there, and wanting to talk to the beautiful children that I meet, but not bieng able to say anything to them. That would be frustrating. So I've learned a few little phrases, which I'm excited to try out and have them laugh at my accent.. But it'll be worth it.. Also I've thought that sometimes words arent needed. Sometimes all these kids are going to need is a hug.. and I'll be there with open arms for them.. Im so excited. But I'm so worried that one (Or all) of these kids are going to capture my heart, and I wont be able to leave without great pain..
Mabye this is gonna be God's way of pulling me into missions. It's crossed my mind quite a few times. More often than not.. that's what I think about.

You know what shocked me alot today? at church today Ron and Dorothy talked about thier mission in China, and casually mentioned the law that families can only have one child, and then my mind went to the thought of thousands of little Chineese girls who get put up for adoption every year because families want boys.. I had this random thought that I want to adopt a little chineese girl.. so ... let's see what happens. I mean, I'm way too young to adopt a child, but it's a thought.

Anyways.. things are random for me right now. Im going on a missions trip in a few days. It's going to be amazing.. I'm just here thinking about a million possibilites for my future, and I don't have a clue which way to go or where to start..

So I'm going to go for now, it's been a slice. I'll be writing in my journal in mexico, possibly blogging once or twice (depending on the location or existance of an internet cafe.) and if this doesnt work, expect a blog when I get home. Who knows, mabye God will reveal his plan for me, or at least a little part of it while Im in Mexico..

Please pray for that. I think that if I had any prayer requests, that would be the biggest one. That I would find God's direction for my life.. I want it to be right away, but I also need to learn to wait on Him. Only his timing is perfect.. so here goes nothing..

Love forever : ashley
xoxo

I'm a poor wayfaring stranger
While traveling thru this world of woe
Yet there's no sickness, toil, or danger
In that bright world to which I go
I'm going there to see my Father
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I know dark clouds will hang 'round me,
I know my way is rough and steep
Yet beauteous fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed their virgils keep

Calvin

I've only just realized that I havent shown you any actual pictures of Calvin yet, so here he is..
Blog readers, meet Calvin..



Isn't he just darling?

The newest member of the family.. heh heh heh..



Love and Kisses
Ashley
xoxo

God is bigger than
The air I breathe
This world we'll leave
And God will save the day
And all will say
My Glorious

wedding cake, helium and good times..

Well today was a pretty emotional day. I woke up on a random couch at six am, and was like... oh man.. my brother's getting married today.. And so me and my auntie and my uncle and mother went outside (yes, at six am) and made a balloon archway, and "clusters" as auntie ann liked to call them (as she lost half of them into the atmosphere... hahahah im joking) Anyways.. yeah we had some fun and decorated the whole backyard for this crazy wedding! It looked amazing back there, and just as we were finishing things were starting to come together... and when I say things, I mean people, cause all the guests were showing up... Anyways, we're sitting there during the cerimony, and grandma had to lean over and slap me on the arm, and say "HEY THIS ISNT A FUNERAL, STOP CRYING."
I'll admit.. coming from grandma.. that was funny. so I laughed and was still crying and it was stupid, and I dont get it. I dont quite know what I was thinking, just that a million things were racing through my mind, and I was like! AHHHHH THIS IS CRAZY ! So it's all over and done with ... It was a wonderful day overall, we all had a good time together.. Today was one of those family functions where no one actually fought with each other, everyone was pleasant and happy and crying and dying of allergies, but we still had a great time together.
So this afternoon, I was taking a break and holding Sammuel Jukema (Love that kid) and grandma points at me and goes "Three years".. and I'm like.. Huh???? and then she was telling me all about how I had three years to this day in which I have to get married... and so that was random... and then.. oh wait.. it gets better. Grandma told me I had to marry a person from NOVA SCOTIA and I laughed and had to tell her that all the people in Nova Scotia were either related to me, or above the age of fifty, or below the age of ten.. and I proceeded to explain that that situation just wouldnt work out... ahahahahahah great.

So yeah, Im so tired right now, but today was just such a good day.... Oh you know what else was funny? Cara was talking to my aunt, and I just walked up to her, after inhaling half a balloon full of helium, and said "Cara, I just want you to know that Im so glad you're a part of our family now.. so welcome.." and she just about died lauging..
it was great.

OK im going to bed now.. and Nicole is here so it should be interesting.. she's kind of wierd.. and by wierd I mean cool...
Ahahahahah

Love ashley
Xoxo