Hi from Uganda!  I am so excited to be sharing with you about how God has been working in my life recently.  So much of this story would be missing if I just told you about my time since I've been in Uganda.  God began orchestrating and working out this trip just weeks before I stepped onto the first plane.  I knew in my heart that God had asked me to step out in faith and travel to Africa for a second time, but I just wasn't sure how He was going to do that.  He was asking me to go soon, very soon.  But how in the world was I supposed to get a cheap plane ticket, coordinate a place to stay, update my passport, get a visa, and pack all of my bags in just 2 weeks?  It seemed impossible! Thankfully, I serve a God who is in the business of performing the impossible!
     There are three major purposes for me embarking on this journey. The first and foremost is because God has undoubtedly called me to it.  The second is to share the Gospel and disciple the young men I was able to meet during my initial trip to Africa.  And the third is to meet with a separate team in South Sudan and build a relationship an work with a local missions organization.
     After I knew God had placed this on my heart, I began to look into plane tickets and plan the duration of my stay.  When I first searched for plane tickets, the price was pretty high.  Not that I expected it to be super cheap, but I was hoping to reserve a ticket for much less than what the estimates were showing me.  I specifically said, "Lord, if you're in this, please help me find a ticket in my price range."  After fumbling around with dates and re-searching tickets, God sovereignly gave me a ticket at the exact price I needed.  It was then that God had really shown me He was in this.  But the cool part was that He didn't stop there.
     Once I got my plane ticket in order, I ran into a pretty major problem.  My passport was going to expire while I was on the trip and I needed to get it updated.  My flight was set to leave 11 days later. Doing all that I could, I got the paperwork turned in, expedited the process, and let God do the supernatural stuff.  Let me remind you that He is not limited by a passport complication or slow government paperwork.  In fact, what seemed like a set-back, God used as a set-up to prove His glory all the more.  So I waited in faith and received that passport the morning of my departure date, just hours before my flight was leaving!  "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
     If any of you have ever tried to get a Visa before, you know this process can also take several weeks.  I was within days of my trip when I began all the paperwork and knew that there was no way I was going to be able to send the papers up to the office in Washington D.C., get them processed, and sent back to me in time to leave.  By divine grace, my first flight out of Jacksonville was connecting in none other than Washington D.C.  I called the South Sudan Embassy office(located in DC) and they told me they might could get the process done in one day if I were to physically bring the papers into their office early one morning.  With hope that they would be able to do so, I called the airline and tried to get on an earlier flight to DC.  This would give me a longer layover and more time to ride the Metro train to the office and get back to the airport before my next flight.  The airline told me I must wait until 24 hours before my original departure time and see if there was any room on a sooner flight and that I would be charged a $75 fee.  My original flight was set to leave on a Tuesday at 2pm.  The hope was to get on the Monday night flight that left around 7pm.  So, Monday rolls around and I call the airline at exactly 2pm, just 5 hours before the departure of the flight I was hoping to get on.  God let me wait on hold on that phone for 45 mins just to stretch my faith in His sovereignty! After someone finally picked up, I was able to get the last seat on that flight, and they completely waived the $75 fee.  May God get the glory for all of that!
     So, I got the final pieces of my luggage together and headed off to the airport.  I arrived at the DC airport late Monday night and then traveled into downtown DC on Tuesday morning.  I was waiting at the office doors until they opened up to let me in.  They were able to complete the process and give me my visa in under an hour! It was so encouraging to see God confirm all of it and direct my path so clearly.  After several hours of flying, changing planes, and layovers, I safely landed in Uganda on Wednesday night.  I had friends waiting there to pick me up who I had met from my first visit about a year ago.
    When we arrived to the house I was staying at for the night I was so at peace.  The smell of "Africa", literally burning trash, was all too familiar and I felt at home again.  The transition was so natural and my African accent even came back to me!  I stayed in a house with some missionaries for the first week and was able to work closely with the local church, helping with projects and getting reacquainted with the people.  This last weekend, I moved in with a local friend of mine.  In doing so, I can build better relationships with the locals because they will see me as one of them, not just a white guy who goes back to the comfort of his nice home each night.  
     God has been humbling me and stretching my faith daily.  Today was very cool. I was able to talk with some of my neighbors for nearly 3 hours.  We opened up the word of God and read Romans 7 and 8.  It was so encouraging to hear them speak about their struggles against the flesh and we rejoiced together about the spirit of adoption God has given us.  Everyday I walk from my house to the local church.  On that walk I get to stop and talk to locals and share the gospel with them.  Then I work with the local pastor and church to help with whatever needs to be done for the day.  I have also had opportunities to travel to some of the islands on Lake Victoria and meet with the local people.  Each day is a new journey and God has opened so many doors.
     If you haven't gotten the point by now, it's that God is faithful in all things.  He has done so much already and I am expecting more miracles to come.  I have about seven weeks left in my time here and I will be spending one of those weeks in South Sudan with a missions team.  The best thing you can do for me is be praying! Pray that God will open the hearts of the people here in Uganda to be receptive to His word.  Pray that God will receive the glory for His goodness.  Pray that lives will be changed and forever impacted through salvation and sanctification.  And pray that I will be faithful in obedience wherever He asks me to go. I am so thankful for all of your prayers and support!  

    Through it all, God is faithful and sovereign.  May He receive the glory for all that happens and all He will do! 

-Ashton

" Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

"Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” Ezra 10:4

IBS

IBS week 18

Ephesians 3:21a               

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

I have quoted this verse several times and heard it quoted hundreds of times but, this verse came to live during this past week as I was on Namgombi. I was there  washing the small johnboat that I use to cross over the lake and I noticed that the bottom needed to be washed so I lifted the boat and kept it raised by setting it on top of a tire. As I went to lift the back of the boat it was significantly heavier and I could not simultaneously lift the boat and slide the tire under. So I saw a teenage boy who had been sitting there watching me and was now doing something with the trash that was there on the beach I motioned for him to come over then in my broken Luganda I asked him to push the tire under the boat as I lifted it. The boy didn’t understand but he walked back to the spot he had been toying with the trash and he brought it over. What he was doing was making an abrasive cloth that I scrub the bottom of the boat with; the boy didn’t stop there though he began scrubbing the boat himself. Eventually I was able to put another tire under the boat with his help. This boy helped me for nearly an hour.

                This boy reminded me of Ephesians 3:21a how we serve a God who is able to do more than we can ever ask or imagine. The way this boy did way more than I ever would have asked but then I think about the God I serve and how he is the same way that he can and does do so much more than we ask. The amount of amazing opportunities I have had has really shown me that as I have been here in Uganda. Just with all of the people I have gotten to meet work with and befriend I can surely see that he has done way more than I could have imagined.

I pray that as I return to the U.S. that I will continue to recognize the amount of love and grace the Lord shows me.

Acts 17:6

Acts 17:6

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

In this verse Paul is in Thessalonica and he had spent the past few Sabbaths reasoning with the Pharisees about the scriptures and how Jesus is the Christ. Paul debated that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise again. And the verses prior say that some were persuaded and some were jealous. So the jealous men went and gathered a mob of people that put the city in an uproar and then they attacked Jason’s house but they couldn’t find Paul and Silas.

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also,

“The men who have turned the world upside down” that is quite a title. I find it interesting that the mob was saying that those men had turned the WORLD upside down not just the city of Thessalonica but the whole world. It is possible that the men in the mob didn’t know what they were saying but it is very true that the message of the Gospel can turn someone’s world upside down.

As a person who is to be bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ I want to be known as one of the men who turned the whole world upside down!

IBS Judges 7:20-21

Judges 7:20-21

²⁰Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!"  ²¹Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled.

This tale that is shared with us in Judges is an incredible example of how the Lords power is beyond any of our comprehension. The Lord took 300 men that weren’t the most physically fit or strongest warriors to defeat an army of 145,000. One of the most interesting parts is the people the Lord chose to use. They were probably the last people that would have been picked to be a part of an army. Yet the lord saw fit to use them.

I can see myself in both of these categories of men that the Lord would chose and also in the group that was turned away because the Lord wanted all of the glory to go to Him. The things that the world will look at and see are so different from what the Lord is looking for in a missionary and really anyone who wants to serve Him.

I need to be willing to serve the Lord in any and every capacity that He would chose.

IBS Field Assignment- 1 Peter 1:1-2

IBS Field Assignment
1 Peter 1:1-2
 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ, and for sprinkling with his blood:  May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

    In this Greeting Peter isn't writing to a specific group of people, but he is writing to all of the people that are at the churches at the fallowing places: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. He first and foremost identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He  writes this because he knows that the people in these places are going to have false teachers come in that do not preach or prophesy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul also states that  he is writing according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. This shows that he trusted what he was writing was needed to be heard. Also Paul talks of sanctification, I would have imagined that there were a lot of new believers who were asking why are bad things still happening to me now that I have fallowed Christ. This is a question I know that plenty of born again Christians ask because if the all- powerful God loves me so much then why would he let me go through this persecution? The reason is that God wishes us to be set apart for His work and for us to be used by Christ then we need to be looking more like Christ.
    The next statement flows perfectly that we are obedient to Christ's calling on our lives.
This is my application from this verse is that I will be obedient to the call the Lord has on my life and I will be sensitive to what he would have me to do in the situations he places me in. For this to happen I will spend an extra hour in prayer this week.

Week 12 IBS

Week 12 Unity

Monday: Acts 2:42-43

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

This is an example of what the model 1^st century church should be about BIBLICAL teaching (teaching of the apostles), fellowship, and prayer. When this happened in Acts 2 awe came over the people because they were following the example that was intended for the church. The best ways that our churches can follow that example is to do these three things teaching, fellowship, and prayer. Far too many churches have strayed away from this but I have to have confidence that the Lord will direct the hearts of all of the people that are seeking and fallowing after him.

“Having an awe come upon every soul” this statement seems that I could be referring to a lot of things. My personal conviction is that the people were filled with awe because they never had felt a peace and contentment that was brought by the Holy Spirit. This seems so foreign to the American church it always seems that there has to be something new or better that can be improved; whether the church needs better child care or the youth department wants to build a rec center or the congregation wants more comfortable chairs there always seems to be something. This is not to say any of those things are bad but I feel so many Christians miss the amazement of God that satisfies far more than any child care program, or rec center, or comfortable pew ever could.

My Application: To spend an extra 30 minutes with the Lord in the morning worshiping him and spending time in the Word.

Week 11 IBS

Week 11   Purpose/Righteousness

Monday: Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they might see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

 On the surface this verse reads that “We are to glorify our heavenly Father through our good deeds” to me this sounds like we only have to glorify Christ when we are performing good works but when we accepted Christ we allowed his will to overtake our own will. This means that when he has called us to do something it is good but as we learn in??? we are to do everything we do to the glory of God. In my head there seems to be a slight contradiction here but the clarification of it is that all of the things we do are to be good works. So when we allow our lights to shine before all men we bring him glory because of all the good things that we are doing for Him.

I often times feel as though that I don’t allow my light to shine if I do not feel like having to answer questions about it.

My application: To pray for five minutes that I will never allow my light to dim but in all that I do I will bring glory to my heavenly Father. Also I am going to pray that God will allow me to sit next to someone on the plane home that I can share the gospel with. 

Tuesday: Matthew 5:17

Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

I have heard this verse quoted innumerable times! We are still to fallow Gods Law even though we are free in Christ. Paul put it beautifully when he said “Should I continue sinning that grace may abound? By no means!” we should strive to fallow the Law even more because Christ fallowed the Law in every aspect. And even though our carnal flesh will hardly ever allow us to do that, we can still chose not to sin.

When Christ fulfilled the law by living a perfect life, he created the bridge that we needed in order to be able to attain heaven. The fact that Jesus fulfilled every single Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah is incredible and defies statistics. I all too often forget to realize that Jesus ministry was so much more than on the cross; he resisted every single temptation that I have and will ever suffer and it was that that qualified him to be able to die in the cross. The perfect, sinless man could become sin that we might become His righteousness.

My application: To pray that God would continue to reveal the areas in my life that is not bringing total glory to Him and I will talk with my teammate Kyle about those things so he can hold me accountable.

Wednesday: Matthew 5:18

For truly, I say to you that, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

I feel that this verse is referring to the fact that nobody is going to escape judgment; nothing will pass from the Law. This is good reminder that everyone is accountable for their actions. Each one of us are responsible for the decisions we make; some of the decisions I have made are that I will rationalize the reason why I should not share the gospel with someone. Well I am accountable for each one of those decisions.

This verse reminds me that we don’t have all of the time that we want that Jesus could come back very soon and then there will be no changing someone’s destiny.

My application: to pray that God will burden my heart for the people I am around so I won’t pass up any opportunities I have to share the Good News.

Thursday: Matthew 5:19

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 This verse is interesting because of one specific saying we all say and that is “a relationship with Christ is not just a list of do’s and don’ts”. The truth in the matter is that there is a list of things we should and shouldn’t do, but there is much more to the Christian life than merely legalism. A relationship with Christ is about us recognizing our need and his sacrifice that he made out of love for each one of us and when I recognize that I should be compelled to do the things that he instructed me to do in both the New and Old Testament. However, I need to make sure that I strive to fallow all of the Old and New Testament commandments so when I teach people to fallow those laws they will see that I am doing the same thing that I teach.

When Jesus said this all of the New Testament commandments had not yet been given so he must be referring to the Old Testament Laws. I often times overlook many of these because I rationalize that I am in the new covenant of Christ, which I am but, The old testament Laws were given to the Israelites that they would be able to practice godly lifestyles. So why would I, a child of God, not want to practice the instructions that he gave his own people.

My Application: to do a study on the Old Testament laws. And to spend 10 minutes reflecting on how I might be able to practice these better in my life.

Friday: Matthew 5:20

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

My own righteousness will never exceed the scribes and the Pharisees. Although they seem that they were not very righteous because a lot of their deeds were out of selfish ambition and so I need to allow the love that Christ has shown me to move towards righteousness even then I will not be righteousness enough for heaven. However Christ’s sacrifice in living a perfect sinless life & dies allows his righteousness to cover me as long as I accept his free gift.

My Application: to continue my study on the Old Testament laws. And discover how to practice them in my life.