Apologies. It has again been a very long time since I posted.

But it is not because I have not thought about it or wanted to, quite the opposite.

So, here we go again playing catch up.

Thursday night we went to our adopted families house (from our church). They fed us some amazing mexican food and we talked till much too late. We really had plans to leave before then, but the conversation literally had not one second of silence. So, we had no opportunity to casually excuse ourselves. So, we got back to the dorms at like 10:15. Starting Bible study at that hour of the night is a less than optimum idea. Needless to say, we were all very tired, and not in the mood for Bible study. So we cut it short, and went to bed around 11:30. 

Friday

If you haven't seen a normal day-in-the-life of Ashley, here is your chance. So, I usually get up at 5, get ready fairly quickly then sit down to have my quiet time around 5:30. I eat breakfast and do that until  6:10 when our ride leaves to go to work. We get to work around 6:45, and begin work officially at 7. We have a long morning. Work from 7-9:30 break from 9:30-9:45 (except it turns into walk to the break room from 9:30-9:35, break from 9:35-9:40, walk back) Lame. Anyway, get back to work and work until lunch at noon. Those stretches have been some of the longest of my life. Yikes. So, we have an hour lunch break which goes by so fast. We get back to our area around 12:45 and have a back massage circle. :) Then we work till our break at 2:30, then finish the day at 4. Its a long day. So, this particular friday, we got news that we were privileged (ha) to have overtime all next week. In the land of Coach, this means you begin work at 6 instead of 7. So we were all a little distressed. SO!  This Friday, we had Survivor: Jacksonville. We were split up into teams, and my team was ready to win. We ate dinner together, trying to figure out our team cheer/chant, then headed back to the Crossings (our dorms). The four activities were: Life size minesweeper, eating spam and anchovies, the hang, and king of the hill. Minesweeper was pretty much finding our way without talking through a grid. Eating is self explanatory. The hang was a guy and a girl from each team had to hang from the balcony bars for as long as they could. Much to all your surprises, I got nominated for this. I was in the top 1/4, but the railings are slippery, so lost that one. Then King of the hill was a huge mound of mattresses that a person had to climb on and keep hold of it for 10 seconds while the other teams were trying to knock them off with pillows and shoving. Very safe. :) Anyway, we pretty much lost. haha, but it was still a lot of fun. :) Afterward we went out with our team Gumbati for some froyo.

This is Liz and me on the way to froyo. (for those of you who don't speak college kid...froyo = frozen yougurt)

Saturday 

So, there is no rest for the weary, especially at Jax. I was up at 6 to have quiet time with one of my friends, then we went to pray for the nations. That took until 8: 45 when we left to go to E-Training. Of corse, we stopped and got our Starbucks (Thanks mom!! :) :) :) ) E-Training this week was about our testimonies. We spent the morning in the Word, then headed to the beach to share at 1. Unlike last week, the beach was FULL of people. When we first stepped onto the beach, there was a gypsy-looking crowd of people dancing and playing and singing, so naturally we went up to them and asked what they were doing. They claimed that the dancing and chanting of God's name (in some language I do not know) draws them closer to God. We tried to feel out where they were coming from, but the music was very loud. I went this week with a girl from another team. We had the privilege of talking with two older ladies who ended up being strong believers. They were eager to talk, so we asked them about their testimonies, and prayed with them. Huge blessing, we continued on and got rejected many many times. Some had already been asked, some just didn't care, but God is faithful. I have come to realize after three debriefings, that God might not work visibly in the people that I talk to, but he has always worked in someone. And, if all of us hadn't gone out, that interaction never would have taken place. So, yes beach evangelism is scary. It takes much prayer and boldness to talk to people, but in the ways I've seen God work, I don't know how I could pass up the opportunities that lay waiting. Just to show you one example of God working in cold evangelism....Two girls last week were feeling very nervous, so they decided to pray and practice the bridge for an hour. There were not too many people, but by the time they got up to go walk around, lots of people were dispersed along the beach. They had walked not one minute when they came upon a lady, who they stopped to talk to, and before they could even begin the bridge illustration, the lady broke down in tears, because she had just finished praying that God would send someone to encourage her, and show her the way back to Him. They prayed and cried the whole next hour together with a complete stranger showing her truth, and exchanging contact info. There have been many stories like that, and God is working. :)

This is my team, ready to go out for Kayla's birthday.

After evangelism, we came back and got ready to go. It was my teammate Kayla's birthday! We went to Moe's (a burrito place that is definitely not as good as pancheros), then we went to the pier. :) We had a great time taking pictures, and we even held a baby shark that someone had caught. We ended the night with a game of bowling, and then collapsed from exhaustion.

These pictures are from the pier.

Sunday

Me and Thys. 

Got up early, again, to have quiet time before heading off to church. During second service, I help out with the little kids. :)

For anyone who knew me as a child, especially for my mom, this little girl is in the nursery at church. Doesn't she kinda resemble me with her glasses? :)

After church, all the Jax people piled in three cars and headed to St. Augustine. I think it's the oldest town in the USA? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I'm told. Its basically this cute touristy town with lots of shopping and whole-in-the-wall places to eat. We began with lunch where most of us got UFO's. This is basically a burrito that is instead of a cylinder, more like the shape of a ufo. Crazy,  I know. Then they grill it. It was real good.

We then split into different groups and went around to the different shops. I didn't really get anything besides a really good quarter pound of peanut butter fudge, and a delish iced white mocha from the most adorable coffee shack as seen here:

This is the fort.

This is Jill and I at the fort. We were sending this to our friend Rachel. 

My team at the fort.

We then went back to the Crossings, and I did a little Bible study before a meeting. We had to come up with a skit for rally night about relationships. :) That lasted far too long, and as soon as it was over, I folded my laundry and went to bed.

Monday

Up at 4, worked till 4, then ate dinner quick. We went to rally and had a great time doing our skit, and heard a great testimony of one of the couples here with us this summer.

(This was our skit group) (good lookin kids huh?) :)

They're story was far from perfect, but it was great to see problems turned over to God, and Him working out a love story that could never have worked otherwise. Came back to the Crossings, had team prayer time, did some more b-stud, and went to bed.

Tuesday

Woke up at 4, had my quiet time,worked till 4. This day was rough. I was quite sleepy most of the day from lack of people to talk to. Ate dinner, then watched a great scene happening in the Crossings as the police attempted to free a guy who was stuck in the elevator. :) I then had my one-on-one with Jill as we talked about relationships and God's plan for relationships and the awesome relationship he has given me :) I am so blessed with a Godly man. After we came back, I played some soccer with some fellow Jax people, and then drove to Starbucks again with Crystal to get some liquid energy for the morning. Crystal is an amazing girl that I have become friends with. She is so good. Praise God for sweet relationships. Anyway...I NEED to go to bed!  I have to be up at 4 am once again.

Prayer Requests:

- My friend Rachel Dietrich is sick and in the hospital, pray that God would heal her body and that he would be glorified in the process. 

- Pray for energy this week. It is stressful all around, being relationship week, but also we have mandatory overtime, so that is draining. Pray that I would continually draw energy and dependence from God, not my own strength.

- Pray that I (and everyone) would be faithful to God in daily quiet times and finishing Bible study well.

That is all my tired self can think of. Thank's so much for your prayers! Love y'all!