| I was invited by the Lord to join HIM in HIS work in San Ramón, Costa Rica. It is a common statement that I hear by many missionaries that, "you think you are the one that will be used to transform lives in the ministry when infact it is you that are transformed and impacted". And I can certainly attest to this as a true statement for my life.
For the last 2 years I have been on the most spectacular and challenging adventure with the Lord. In that time and still now HE has been refining me. One of the ever appearing topics that HE continually puts before me is that it is day by day. HE will show you the next step. HE desires that you feed on HIS word and be before HIM in this day and that tomorrow is a new day. HE will guide your steps in this day and that is where you are to focus, what is right before you. Just as HE gave the Israelites manna for each day, so HE does with us. HE gives us just enough to make it through the day and then the next day is new and fresh. A new batch of hope a new batch of trust a new batch of HIS word waits for you the next day. So this is one of the very big lessons that I learned on arriving in Costa Rica and continue to learn as I now have come back to the states. I had no idea how or what would be done through me in the time that I was to serve HIM in Costa Rica. So every day I just went to HIM for guidance and instruction and HE showed me exactly what I was to do. In the bible we read about the very explicit details given by the Lord to build the tabernacle: all of the measurements, all of the fabrics to be used, who was to do what job, etc. In reading all of this, I never really internalized that this is exactly the same formula that God was going to use to direct my life to accomplish HIS WILL. It has all been very detailed and laid out step by step and HE has lead me the ENTIRE way! I have had many moments of reflection in just these short two weeks of being back in the states. I am astounded by the work that the Lord did through a very inexperienced and unqualified vessel...me, "That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2Corinthinans 12:10) I know that it was all the LORD that used every ounce of what I had and HE filled me with the thoughts, the ideas and the opportuities as well as the help to see me through that time so that I could accomplish HIS work. All of the glory is HIS for HE guided my steps every single day. I find myself now in the very same situation. I am here back in the states and I feel like a fish out of water. I feel as if I am on foreign soil and I really have no idea what the next step is, but my sweet and SAVING Lord does and I am certain that HE will guide my path and show me my next step. I am certain of this because I can attest to HIM doing it before. This is a part of my testimony and I will WAIT for HIS guiding and leading. I know HE will show me what to do and who will walk along side with me in the process that lies ahead. This lesson doesn't come without trial though. Don't think that it is an easy lesson. I struggle daily with my flesh trying to take on what is HIS. I try to make things happen. At moments I forget to trust and I take my eyes off of Jesus and notice my surroundings instead of HIM and I begin to sink. Just as Peter did in Matthew 14. However, we serve a loving and merciful KING that always extend out HIS hand when we cry out to HIM and HE picks us up right where we are at and asks us to follow HIM again and walk towards HIM. So that is what I will do DAILY! I choose this day to die to my flesh and all that comes with that: insecurities, my way and my desires. I am going to choose HIM every day. I am going to choose HIS way every day. Every day I will seek HIS truths and HIS will. Each day is given to us to choose as Joshua 1 tells us so this is what I will do. I also want to take this moment to thank many of you that have walked with me through this process as I know that I am not alone in this adventure. To my family at home who accepts me as I am and let God use me as HE so desires...THANK YOU for your constant support and never trying to intercede and pursuade me to come home. You have always loved on me and allowed me to rest everytime I came back to the states, with no expectations! I love you and I am grateful that HE gave each one of you to walk out life with me. I love you Mom, Dad, Cissy, Cody, Chris, Jedidiah and Judah and I praise God for using all of you mighty to bring me closer to HIM our Lord, Jesus Christ! To my sweet mentor Helen. You always had a word of encouragement that lifted me and prepared me to keep on moving forward. God used your wisdom and experience as a missionary in Brazil 35 years and as a solid believer to prepare me and impact my life and heart! He still continues to use you as I am in the transition process. I am so grateful to have your friendship and your love! Also, to many of you that have followed along through the website and facebook with all of the "happenings" in Costa Rica and have been my prayer warriors through it all! I THANK you very much for your dedication to pray over every moment I spent in Costa Rica. I felt covered by them the entire time. You prayers were heard and where answered and I thank all of the warriors out there that never ceased to pray for every moment in San Ramon. Know that God is moving mighty and HIS fame is being spread throughout San Ramon and many lives are being transformed radically! Never stop praying for what God is doing through Pura Vida Missions. Continue to pray for the missionaries there that are leading the mission (Jamie & Natalya Clemens and Marjorie Zuniga). Pray that God will use their minds, their hearts and their talents to continue on HIS work. Pray for favor between them as they are on the front lines of the battle field and their friendships and marriage will be hit hard by the enemy. Pray for the directors that lead this mission. Pray that their decisions will be put before the Lord and that they seek HIS guidance and will constantly. Also, continue to pray for the students and their families that are in our sponsorship program. Pray that they fearlessly seek the opportunities that the Lord has given them. Pray that they know it is all HIM that has provided these things. Pray that the families receive the blessing of HIS word and have a willing and ready heart as Natalya and Marjorie continue to go into their homes and disciple them. I also want to thank all of you that have financially supported me through this process. This was my first experience as a missionary as well as Pura Vida Missions' first experience having a full time missionary and none of us knew what to expect or how to go about fundraising. God however knew exactly what to do and as you were prompted by HIM to give, HE used your offerings to continue the work being done in Costa Rica and I thank you for trusting your finances as you felt called to be a part of supporting me and this mission. You are a part of the body of Christ that makes it complete without you we would be crippled. I am so grateful for your support and trust in what HE did through me and will continue to do through the mission. To my directors & their families that believed in what God could do through me...THANK YOU! Thank you 6 years ago for my first opportunity to come for the summer and intern! Every summer that you allowed me to return created more and more of a passion within me to do more and to seek HIS face more. I Thank you for giving me the chance to make many mistakes. I thank you for seeing HIS light through me and allowing HIM to do HIS work there through me! But most of all, I thank each one of you for the MANY sacrifices that you have made whether it be from your jobs or families all the way to financially supporting and sacrificing for the mission. God has used all of you mighty in my life and all of you have challenged me to dream BIG and know that God can use anyone to see HIS plan to fruition! I love you and I THANK God for you: Albert, Dan, Tony, Tim and each of your beautiful families. To the staff and volunteers for Pura Vida Missions. I want to also extend a BIG THANK YOU to all of you as well. From the ladies (Angelmira, Karla, Ileana and Ingrid) to the interns that come every summer including Kendall that made many guest appearances throughout the year and especially to Lisa who always brought comfort to the mission every time you came. You all made it a JOY to work there! You were always there to lift me up if it was a hard day or to fill the void when there just weren't enough hands to get the job done! Thank you for serving the Lord dilligently and challenging me to do the same. Without your help and your MANY countless and selfless hours of time that you put in to see HIS work being done there, it wouldn't have function so beautifully! God used your hearts and your gifts mighty and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of seeing HIM lived out through each one of you! I love you all and you are always in my heart! Last but not least to the family that GOD gave me there! Who knew that HE had a HUGE loving family of all different colors, ages and nationalities waiting for me there! To JP, Jorge, Maikel, Randal, AJ, and Jennifer. It was such a pleasure to walk out life with all of you! You were my first experience of a true community where we broke bread together and served one another. That time with you inspired me and rivived me! I will never forget any of you! To my sweet Cornerstone Church. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your body! It was a blessing to hear HIS TRUTHS laid out every Sunday in my own language! Each member was unique and so special. Thank you for your love and encouragement and bringing a piece of the states to San Ramon, Costa Rica. To the Burke Family: Tim, Rachelle, Tyler and Lindsey. I will NEVER forget the LOVE that God showered onto me through each one of your hearts. HE used each one of you to encourage me and challenge me to seek harder HIS truths! Thank you for the laughter, the exercise, the dance, the ability to play music, the acceptance and just letting me be a part of your family! I will always cheerish that time with you and will never stop thanking the Lord for our friendships! I love you all. And last but certainly not least, to my Marjorie. Who knew...only HE did! You are my best friend, my favorite latin dance partner and my sister! I love you and I can't even begin to THANK God enough for all that HE gave me through you! You stood by me everytime I felt alone. You were patient with me as I learned the language and customs. You gave me a love for your culture! Your fervor and convictions for the Lord still challenge me. I loved getting in HIS word with you. I will ALWAYS remember this time and be filled with JOY...indescribible JOY because HE used us mighty together and HE was the center of our friendship. I now understand why Jonathan and David wept and embraced the last time they saw each other in scripture. I imagine it was just like our last days together. I pray that God crosses our paths again and I can't wait to hear of all of HIS new adventures lived out through your life! I love you and I am so THANKFUL for your desire and passion to serve the Lord along side of me! It by far has been the most AMAZING adventure with HIM yet and I wouldn't have been able to pick a better person to walk along with me and HE knew it! The biggest THANKS or as we say in Costa Rica, "Gloria a Dios" goes to God! I praise you for this new life that you have given me through Jesus Christ my Savior and my King! You pulled me out of the dirt and washed me white as snow and will forever be GRATEFUL for this free gift that I did not deserve yet you lavished upon me! I love you and my life is yours! I thank you for this adventure that I assume has prepared me for my the next steps with you and so I pray that you continue to use me as you see fit! I desire a life that is willed by you and the marks left by me only have YOUR imprint. The amazing time that I spent in Costa Rica and all of the work that you did through me is for your glory...I KNOW that my vessel was directed by you daily so ALL of the glory and victory is yours! You have radically impacted my life and my heart and I will never be the same! I love you...my sweet Lord and Savior! Pura Vida! ~Ashley | 
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