Hello everyone,
I want to share with you what I have been journeying with the Lord the past couple of months and what that means for the future.
Firstly I want to thank everyone for all the support you have given me this past year; from subscribing to my blogs and commenting on posts, to helping me become fully funded on this trip has blessed me so incredibly this past year, I have had multiple opportunities to bless not only my community but the hosts and ministries we have served alongside and made some really life lasting relationships.
So…… I hear you ask what’s next for Ashley Dawn Hewitt, well let me tell you all 🙂
Several months back, I was approached by some of my leadership team and amongst all the encouraging things they had to say, they also highlighted that they could see leadership in me and so invited me into a space of what could that potentially look like.
I have had to process a lot of things in that, one cause I didn’t feel like I saw leadership on me and therefore wondered what do people see on me.
One of the big things I have been learning on the race is to trust the Lord with everything and I really mean everything, even when everything means waiting for months at a time and walking through hard things feeling somewhat alone in them.
Through it all the things I have learned, though still working through is that obedience really is important in activating and stewarding your faith. In a moment all things can change and it will be your faith that leads and guides you into the more that the Lord has for you, what he has promised you.
Second choosing to be in community and not giving up when things are hard really does produce the perseverance needed in life to run the race well.
“And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love – Romans 5:4-5”
Through learning and walking these things out daily the Lord has continually been speaking to me and I love that I hear His voice so clearly in my life. I have had more dreams and visions of what life should be like, what it looks like to love intentionally those in front of me, being where they are and seeing them in their life rather than making them come into mine (they do that regardless in the most beautiful of ways)
Thirdly knowing I can trust the Lord with all things in turn he trusts me with a lot more than I thought I was capable of (thank you Jesus). God has this beautiful way of giving us free will to make decisions in our lives.
I always want to make decisions having invited the Lord in to them and with the choices I have made recently he has said ‘you can do whatever you feel on your heart to do, I will always be with you!’
WOW – My father really is that good to me!
So drumroll……….
I can now tell you that I have been accepted to squad lead with one of the mission teams within the adventures in missions organisation! AHH!
Squad leading, what is that you say?
Well it’s an opportunity to disciple and mentor other individuals whilst out the field doing what I am now just about to complete. I have been placed within a gap year program so it will be 18-20 year olds that I have the huge privilege to walk alongside. There is about 45-50 people participating and I will be leading with two other people, a mentor and 2 coaches.
The trip will be a total of 9 months going to 4 different countries.
CAMBODIA
ETHIOPIA
NICARAGUA
COSTA RICA
I am very excited to get to do this.
I have several prayer requests:
1. I have training to do in between coming home in August and leaving in September, pray that I will be able to do this in quick succession and that my transition from the race to leadership.
2. As I have a short period of time at home pray I will get rest and energy. Pray for my family especially as they continue to support me whilst travelling.
3. Lastly I have some fundraising to do. I have $3,800 dollars which is £3000 pounds. I would like to raise $5000/£4000 in total as I have to come home in November for family reasons and have to pay for flights. This is less than the $18,000 I had to raise for my first journey with World Race. Pray that I can do this and still be travelling as I have little opportunity to host events in order to raise the money.
I have been so fortunate in this last year to have done all the things and now I get to come alongside others and encourage them in this adventure.
If you would like to donate, the bar at the top of the page that says donate, click there and you can do all the things OR if you want you can donate to me directly through PayPal or my bank account.
If you have any questions at all please don’t hesitate to ask – WOO!!!
🙂
Blessings
