Ashley's Great China Adventure: October, my birthday! (end of October)

October Recap:

Sometimes the Father seems to withhold a lot and other times He opens up the Heavens and rains down what we ask for. September was a time of waiting, of looking over the new fields He had given me and beginning to plow the hard ground. October has been a time of rain. It has been full of celebration and REALLY good conversations. I’ll give you a little recap of what has happened this month:

October 14^th: My birthday! The week preceding my birthday my whole team counted down with me. My roommate even gave me gifts everyday to count down. The day of, I woke up to a sign outside my door and a little stuffed Dalmatian. (I have a thing for dogs) On my way to class I was stopped by a student who gave me birthday cards from her whole class! Then, during the break of my first lesson, at least 5 classes brought me cards that they had made for me! My team had told all my students, former and current, to make cards for me. The rest of the day followed in the same fashion with 4 cakes and multiple other surprises from students and team (who made me a homemade video and a journal just for my writing, which, by the way, made me cry.) The Father poured down His love on me that day; He reminded me again the importance of team. There is a completeness in joy that comes with not just celebrating the Father, but celebrating the Father as a corporate group, as a family. I am so thankful for the family He has given me these past two years.

For the next couple of weeks the rain kept coming but in a different form. This time it came in conversations. One week in particular, it seemed I had a meaningful conversation with a student every day. I was able to open up to a student, Gavin, who has been struggling a lot with the death of his grandma and anxiety over the future. This is someone I’ve spent a lot of time with but never had the opportunity to share. The Father opened up the door that day.

I also began building a relationship with a girl I met in my English corner, Kate. The way our relationship has developed so quickly is uncanny. It began with a simple conversation about miracles and how she doesn’t believe and ended with us going to fellowship together. It seems, every time I am with her the Father gives me something just for her to hear. At one point, I told her how He loves her so much He is pursuing her. She was taken aback when I told her this, “He’s pursuing ME?”.. I wanted to yell, “Yes, He loves you!”

Lastly, Bridge and I have been able to start a study together. A discipleship relationship with her is something I should have pursued more in the past but it is finally unfolding. It began when she told me she was unhappy with herself because she does not care enough about the Father, so we talked together and decided to study every week.

It’s been an exciting and fruitful month. Other than my conversations, we have two new brothers! Please keep lifting for what is happening here at Hua Qiao. Here’s a list of what you can lift for:

1. Gavin and his grief over his grandma as well as his anxiety over the future.

2. Kate who is seeking. She is being fought against by what she has been taught thus far, it doesn’t match up with Chris…ianity.

3. Bridge and I’s study, please lift that it would continue to be fruitful.

4. The upcoming holidays, these always pose good opportunities for us to share.

**Special Request: One of the new teacher’s mother has been diagnosed with cancer, the same cancer that Dave was diagnosed and healed from last year. Please lift for healing and peace for the family.

Thank you for your continued support!

Ashley