Wait on You

Wow, it's been a full two months since I last wrote a blog post. Today as I sat down at my computer and went in to start writing, I saw the last blog titled "It's finally happening". I sat here and quietly chuckled at the title knowing where we are now. Let me take you back and fill you in on the wild and crazy, yet beautifully amazing journey God has taken me and Fish Co. on in the last two months. 

Two months ago, I was working the last days of my 9-5 job. Things were lining up seemingly perfect for Hannah and I to move to Haiti January 15th. We were getting physical donations to be sent with us. We were getting lots of monetary donations to support us, and every detail was falling in to place. I could see the full picture of what my life would look like and I knew how I was getting there. It WAS happening. Just like my last blog said. 

Then things started to shift and change. We heard the devastating news of 17 missionaries being kidnapped. We kept a close eye on the happenings in Haiti, but we kept seeing our dream get pushed back farther and farther. Day by day we would pray about our next move and what it would look like, but day by day we saw more confirmation of the hard truth that we were going to have to postpone our move. Our drivers and translators warned us of coming. Our close contacts in country let us know of the struggles of lack of gas and how that trickled down to so many more problems than what we could even see on the surface. We finally made the hard decision to postpone our trip and wait on God to tell us it was time to move forward again. 

But what now? We knew God had called us to be missionaries and he had lined everything up perfectly to support us. He even called me out of my job. So what were we to do??

"I know you're in this God, but what are you doing? How do we move forward?" This seemed to be questions I found myself asking many times throughout the year. Each time, God showed up in BIG ways and ended up opening up doors for even better things. So I knew he would do the same this time, but the grieving of this change seemed to linger a little longer this time as well. 

One thing I am sure of through every change and shift is that God has specifically handpicked the incredible Fish Co team for me to walk this journey with. When I took extra time to understand what God was doing, these ladies were patient and understanding. When I came to them in tears not understanding how I fit in to the picture, they cried with me and encouraged me, telling me how valuable I am to the team. This team, and all the other amazing women I have the privilege of serving with, are one of a kind and God continues to show me through them what it truly means to surrender and serve God no matter what. 

So that's what we are doing. We are taking one step at a time. Looking for the next right thing and knowing that God has every detail planned. We don't know exactly what that looks like on a large scale, but we do know God has already opened several doors that we get to explore and create a beautiful adventure. 

We still believe wholeheartedly that we will get back to Haiti and that Hannah and I will get to spend at least a portion of next year there, but for now, God is showing us new opportunities that are proving to be something we prepared for all along. 

In February, we are partnering with One Ball One Village and traveling to Dominican Republic where we will be serving with an optometrist and dentist doing medical checks, but what's really cool is that part of our time we will be serving some Haitian refugees where Hannah and I will get to use our Creole that we have been learning the last couple months. 

There are so many other open doors that I can't wait to tell you all about as they get fleshed out, but what I can tell you is that despite it looking different than originally planned, it is STILL happening. God is so good and continues to surprise us each time we reach a new level of surrender. God, we will wait on you. On your timing. On your schedule. 

-Ashley

Also in Fish CO Go.