The World Race - Ashli Hanna

More.

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I forgot to mention how you could send a check in if you wanted to go about it that way for Spain. The information follows:

p://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/donate

If you would rather pay by check, make checks payable to G42 and mail to:

G42, Inc.

P.O. Box 17419

Fountain Hills, AZ 85269

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions! Also I want to say a huge THANK YOU to those of you who have already begun sponsoring me! God is providing through many of you and it is such a huge blessing to me! Thank you so much!

I am leaving Bloomington on March 25 and heading to Michigan for a few days. Then I will go from there to Colorado for a few days, then to Syracuse to see Dave :) and will arrive in Spain on April 5th. Hope to see as many of you as I can before I leave!

Spain Bound

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Most of you have heard me talk about going to Spain this spring. Some of you have read what about the opportunity I have in there. In case you haven't, here is a short summary:

G42 (Generation 42) is a leadership academy located in Mijas, Spain. "The 42nd generation is a network of Christ-followers with the mission to plant churches & ministries and to spread the Kingdom of God around the world-to inspire & develop leaders & radicals who are passionate about the poor, orphans, & laying their lives down for Christ."

"Our goal at the G42 Leadership Academy is to equip (interns) in three major areas-fulfilling your purpose & destiny, expanding your leadership abilities, and learning how to live out each of those in the real world-and then empower you to establish the Kingdom where God has called you. That's it. We work for the Glory of God and His Kingdom." (g42leadershipacademy.org)

For some reason, God isn't letting me settle anywhere-which I am enjoying. My heart has always been in love with change, missions, ministry, and travel. The World Race was just a first step of faith in giving my life fully to God and telling him HE could do what he wants to with it. Some day, maybe I will settle into one spot. But for now, my life keeps moving quickly from place to place. I know I am called to full time ministry and with that comes sacrifices. That is exactly what God wants. He wants all of me which means giving up all I want for my life.

Full time ministry also means getting support financially for a long time. Hopefully, you can see my heart in this. I'm not asking for you to donate to something I want to do, I'm asking for you to donate so that I can be a part of what the Lord is doing. Ultimately, I know that God will provide abundantly more than I could ask or imagine, in ways I can't even comprehend. In fact, it has taken me this long just to write this out because I have been waiting for the Lord to tell me how to go about pursuing my time at the leadership academy in Spain.

The cost of schooling, ministry, and room & board is $1,000 per month. There is also the cost of my flight to and from Spain. Currently I am working to save money so I can continue to pay my loans throughout the time I am in Spain. I want to be responsible with what God has given me and with my personal financial state.

What can you do?

1) Always, always pray please! Pray for God's provision. Pray that I would continually seek God's heart and always walk hand in hand with him. Pray for the finances of the trip, for safety and protection.

2) Ask any questions you would like. Ask me the hard things; I am more than willing to share with you all that God has been doing.

3) Keep me in the loop with your life too. I love relationships and want to hear about things happening in your life. Tell me ways I can be praying for you.

4) If you feel led you can support me in this, go to http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/donate and click on the button for donating to an intern. I am in need of buying my plane ticket as soon as possible. It would be helpful if a few people would be willing to give directly to me in order to purchase that ticket. This would mean it would not be tax deductible however.

I can't thank you enough for your dedication to the Lord's work and your support of me. The Lord uses us each in specific ways, each for the glory of His kingdom. Thank you for your obedience to him!

Birthday Bash

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Well, it officially happened. I turned 24. And in the midst of loss, heartache, and hurt in life, the Lord provided me with some very enjoyable moments on my birthday this year.

The following is something I wrote shortly after my birthday.

God challenges me in many ways.

Death has been the most recent challenge. It really makes you think, doesn't it? I mean, here I have lost my 44 year old uncle to cancer. He has been fighting for 3 years and one day it just slips out of control and then he is gone.

Then, in the midst of all of the chaos that is happening, all my heart can do is worship my Lord and savior and thank him for his complete and utter Faithfulness! Sometimes God asks you to share things you don't want to with people who may not understand.

Because of God's faithfulness, we can't deny what He is asking us to do. So we do the absolute last thing we want and allow God to use the vessel he has created us to be in order to speak his truth. And it isn't always pretty. But, God's love is shown through it.

Now all that is left to do is keep praying for heart change. He is so faithful.

Ande at my house for pie and ice cream the night of my birthday (after a 5 hour drive back from Ohio)

The giant fortune cookie that was sent to me by my loves Jen and Blair :)

And to continue with the theme of "You are Loved" Dave gave me this blanket. (remember the video we made him?)

Spain: Generation 42 Leadership Academy (G42)

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As many of you know, I am planning to head to Spain in April to go to the G42 leadership academy. I have been so thankful for the opportunity to tell so many of you about it in the weeks I have been home. Here is more specific information regarding what G42 is and what they are all about. Included are the classes I will be taking. There is a "course catalog" on the website that further describes each class and what I will be learning in it.

(The information provided about Spain is mostly a direct text from their website.)

Spain: Generation 42 Leadership Academy (G42)

www.g42leadershipacademy.org

The 42nd generation is a network of Christ-followers with the mission to plant churches & ministries and to spread the Kingdom of God around the world-to inspire & develop leaders & radicals who are passionate about the poor, orphans, & laying their lives down for Christ.

We aren't about titles or fancy organizational structures. We want to be an ethos that inspires Christ-followers to awaken from their slumber and arise to their destiny. The 42nd generation, including those ministries and churches who wish to affiliate with us, is about gaining our inheritance as Sons and Daughters of God - joint heirs with Christ to create a glorious church on Earth.

Your Kingdom Come ... On Earth As It Is In Heaven

The Vision of the 42nd Generation

Here at G42 we have a dream to raise an army of 100,000 to plant the Kingdom of God across the globe. We want to see a glorious church arise and bring dominion to the empty and desperate places on earth. That is why the leadership academy is not simply a leadership school or ministerial training center, it is also a jumping off point for people who have committed to giving their lives for Christ.

Our objective at the Leadership Academy is to become the life of God and to learn how to give the life of God. Our mandate, lost in Adam, but magnificently regained in Christ, is to bring dead things alive and turn barren places into the Paradise of God's Eden.

We are committed to see a generation come alive, to rise up to receive their full inheritance in Christ. This means to be like Christ in character, servant hood, self-sacrifice, & commitment. It also means to live passionately & full of joy, with a deep attitude of thankfulness, worship, & grace-with great hope for the future! To live fully alive & die happy!

The Goal of The Leadership Academy
Our goal at the G42 Leadership Academy is to equip you in three major areas-fulfilling your purpose & destiny, expanding your leadership abilities, and learning how to live out each of those in the real world-and then empower you to establish the Kingdom where God has called you. That's it. We work for the Glory of God and His Kingdom.

Partners of G42

The World Race; Orphan Villages, Swaziland; Adventures in Missions; Wrecked for Ordinary Life

Courses Head-honcho, Andew Sherman

Servant hood; Character& Discipline; Intimacy in Worship, Prayers, and Meditation;

Prophetic Activation; Discerning Life's Calling; New Covenant Realities;

Kingdom Eschatology;Covenant & Community; Tabernacle of David; Grace; Media;

Elements of Leadership; Team Building & Adventure; Oral & Written Communication;

Church Planting; Pastoral Care & Equipping; Release & Relationship;

Practicum's-local and field

For those of you who are interested in what "The 42nd Generation" means...here is the long version:

Numbers in the Bible do have some significance. And the number 42 has generally been considered to represent the coming of Christ. Take a look at Matthew, chapter one. It tells the genealogy of Jesus. Verse 17 says "Thus there were 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon, and 14 from the exile to Christ."

The problem is if you count up all the generations, they only add up to 41. We know that the Bible does not lie, so what's up? Either the Holy Spirit made a mistake, or there's a mystery we need to try to understand. There are only 13 generations from the exile to Jesus. But the text says "to the Christ." Matthew 1:16 says, "Mary of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." The 42nd generation is between Jesus and Christ.

Jesus came to earth, undressing all the way to enter his humanity. Jesus was the man part of God and Christ is the God-part. Yes, they are one and the same, but they are also different. The 42nd generation that this text is talking about not only was Christ himself, but also is us, the body of Christ. And to that extent, the 42nd generation will come about when Christ is formed in us as the body of Christ.

Mathew 16:13 says, "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi; he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" He asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Answered, "You are the Christ, the son of the Living God."
"Who is the Son of Man?" Jesus asks, narrowing it down. Jesus always narrows it down, "What about you, Peter, rock (church)?"

And the Church has locked itself down very often in a sinful simplistic acceptance of the wonderful Jesus as savior. It has refused to grow up into Christ. That's why Paul said, "I labor until Christ is found in you." The whole point of the Church is to get Christ formed in us. We must get past elementary things. We must move beyond the need for more inner healing and deliverance. If you have that need, get it and let's go. Get healed. Get over it. Let's get out of the bed. We need the bed. We have got plenty of beds, but churches are more than hospitals. You can stay in the hospital while you get healed, but you need to walk in health.

And we are going to labor, and we are going to preach it and we are going to try to live it until Christ is found in it and then we get the prize. We might just be the 42nd generation.

The Year of Two Thousand And Nine

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

2009 has been a masterpiece of events. A crazy, beautiful, meltdown and rebuilding of events, and of a life changed. As many of you have read, heard and saw sense I have been home, my life has changed. Anyone you talk to who has gone to do overseas missions will say the same thing; you can't even begin to describe all that you have experienced or what you have seen. However, I have appreciated in so many ways everyone who has allowed me to share my heart with them regarding this year. God has worked in mighty ways in many areas. One thing that sicks out profoundly is the Lord's vision all across the globe. He has given his servants his eyes and allowed them to reign his truth over parts of his kingdom in every single place I stepped foot this year. It is amazing to come beside people who love the Lord and are doing his work and get your hands dirty with them.

One thing I learned this year is that short term missions work really is important and impactful to a community. Honestly, WE as American's can't reach people in other countries nearly as well as the locals can. So they need people in their towns and communities who will cry out to the Lord and allow Him to work through them. But they need help too. They need discipleship. They need encouragement. They need truth. They need us to pray with them. They need extra hands and minds to help. And nothing speaks more to them than a group of American's leaving their country and coming to be with them, even for 2 weeks.

Dominican Repulic (above)...Youth Boys we discipled for the month. Haiti (above)...construction at YWAM base.

Anna, Jenn, and me on the plane to catch up with the group after our Miami incident.

The media team working hard in Cambodia Walking the bar area in Thailand praying

We had a lot of fun entertaining each other, watching

"Friends" and working on these videos for the church in

Phenom Phen, Cambodia. If you haven't watch them

yet, you can find them on my blog, or you can go to my

Vimeo page (vimeo.com) and go to Ashli Hanna's page

(This should help http://vimeo.com/4147752 copy and paste

into browser)

David and I in Laos

Mozambique was a hard month full of sickness and false teachings. However, the children will capture your heart any place you go. This girl looks so sad. And I know she doesn't have much at all. But hopefully through our help in teaching the truth about salvation to her village, she will find the love and joy of Jesus in her life too.

The girls out by the water waiting for the beautiful sunset!

Malawi outreach day!

Swaziland (left) was my favorite month over all and I pray God allows me to go back some day.

Romania was a short month, but I loved the countryside and the people. Stella (right) was a women I fell in love with. This women is the only Christian in her family, and she is dying from cancer. As she walks to streets to meet needs and minister, you would think this 50 something year old women was pregnant. However, her belly is full of fluid due to her cancer. She is the biggest influence and disciple to her family who desperately need Jesus.

Working with college students in the Ukraine was a lot of fun. These are two of my favorite girls!!!

Italy is one of the most beautiful places I have even been and would certainly go back to again! We enjoyed our time there getting to know some backpackers and building relationships with people. It was a good end to our crazy year!

The year wouldn't have been complete without the men praying over the women before we headed back to the states. We had been so faithful to each other in prayer before and during our trip, that it would have been silly to leave without praying with one another. Thankfully, our men really stepped up as leaders and took the iniciative to pray over us. This is Benny praying with me our last night together.

Even though I have traveled the work, I still am not sure what my calling is. I have experienced so many cultures, and so many ministries; some that I loved, some that I just liked. But I still don't know what I want to do. I know I am called to full time ministry, but I don't know where that is or what that is. So, as most of you know, I am heading to Spain in April. There, I will attend a Leadership Academy and pray the Lord will guide my path in the passions and specific minstry he has placed in my heart. I plan to write another blog about Spain to give you more of a detailed explaination about what I will be doing there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you have done for me this year! From following my blog, to praying for me and the people I was with, to helping m financially. Thank you for allowing God to use his servants to bring His encouragement and truth to people all over the world. Thank you for allowing me to experience so many things, and for letting my life be changed forever. You all mean so much to me! Love.

Here it is again

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although I may randomly post things on this world race blog...I have started a new blog. This new blog will allow you a view into my journey to Spain and my experience while I am there. Hopefully you will enjoy it!

Here is the web address: http://ashlihanna.blogspot.com/

More to come on Spain details!

What Have World Racers learned?

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you to everyone who came out to see me on Monday night! It was wonderful! I really enjoyed your presence! I hope to catch up with more of you soon!

Here is a short video Di put together of people from my squad who shared some things God has taught them this year. It helps you see all the work God has done in the lives of the 52 of us that went on this journey together...and that doesn't even come close to showing all the lives that were touched by these 52 and what God has done through that!

Overview

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here is another quick snapshot of what this year held for the 52 of us! It is a short one! :)

Coming Home

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The time has arrived...it is time to come back home to the good ol' United States! Please be in prayer for the 52 of us as we have a very long journey ahead of us to make it back. We begin our last quest as a squad in about an hour...(it is currently 2:30am now). We will be walking about 30 minutes to a train where we will ride for one stop and then get on a different train that will take us to the airport. Once at the airport, we will be taking a short flight to Germany where we will have an 8 hour layover. From there we will board a plane to head to JFK. Will should be arriving there at 7:30 on Monday, November 23rd! I am road tripping back with some friends from the race.

Here are a few pictures from this last week we have spent together as a squad in Vienna, Austria.

Me and the lovely Hollis.

The men who met us in Bangkok after we arrived from getting stuck in Miami.

Looking forward to seeing and talking to you all!!! Love!

Happy 27th Birthday Dave!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Happy 27th Birthday Dave!

Today is Dave Brown's birthday. He is not only one of our squad leaders, but has been an amazing spiritual brother to me on this trip. One of the things he tells everyone is, "You are Loved." By this, he means that God's love comes through him to you. He tells everyone this all the time, even in e-mails. So, several months ago, we came up with a motion for it (which you will see on the video). So to celebrate his birthday, David and I made this video while in Ukraine! Enjoy watching it!

Beauty Divine

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

God speaks to me a lot through songs. This song, Beauty Divine, by Brandon Heath, really touch me. God has used these words to speak to me in many ways. This link of you tube is a live performance of this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE6Ud5QdqGw

"Stop making sense, your weakest defense.

Just quiet your mind, let the world unwind.

Cause we're not alone.

He makes himself known in time, his own time.

Just be--It's what the world denies you.

You'll see, the truth is all around you.

Believe."

Gone Till November

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We are down to 2 weeks. Here is a quick team summery of the year. Please note the song lyrics!

The Next Step

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There have been many questions on my mind lately. The time has come for the end of my trip and the beginning of whatever God has next for me. Amazing how that time always seems to be upon me. So today I really began asking God all these questions. And in pursuit of these things, God have me three visions.

#1 The first things I saw was a statue of George Washington. Then it transitioned right into seeing money. And that was it.

#2 I was in a park area (although I couldn't see myself, I was looking from my own perspective). There was a paved walkway that I was standing on. All I could see was a long row of trees to my left that were a beautiful shade of yellow (it was obviously fall time). There were no people around except a lady with shoulder length dark hair walking, then quickening her pace toward me. She seemed so excited to see me, like we hadn't seen each other in a while. When she got right to me, she was suddenly embracing a young child. I couldn't tell if the child was a boy or a girl, or the age for that matter, it was just a child. Then the same thing happened again, I saw her coming towards me, and this time when she got to me, she was embracing a woman the same age as her. They were so happy to see each other.

#3 The third one was the most interesting for me. The few times I have had visions, and the several times I have had dreams that dealt with myself, it is usually from my perspective. Meaning I am seeing everything that is going on as if it were really happening to me. But this time, the first thing I saw was myself. I was standing at a brick bridge talking and laughing with some people. I couldn't see the people, but there were three of them. It was obviously autumn, because there were trees everywhere and they were all the same beautiful, bright yellow as the second vision. And in a matter of seconds, it was all gone.

As I began wondering what these meant, I went to the book of Matthew, where I have been searching through for several days now. Chapters 5 and 6 have been the only things I could read for over a week. For whatever reason, I stopped at chapter 10 as I was flipping to it. Verse 26 it home:

"So have no fear (of them), for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known."

Let's talk for a second about the direction of my life. Now, I will be honest in telling you that I don't know what I want to do with my life...or better yet, what God wants to do with my life. I have a hundred things I would love to do. I do, however, have an idea of what the next step in my life is (which will be revealed when I figure all this out). But as with anything, there are a thousand details that have to come into place.

I have questioned recently where my faith and trust stand. Do I trust the Lord? Of course! He has always provided, always done everything that has been needed-and more in so many cases. Do I have faith that God is bigger than all things and anything is possible through him? Yes. So where do I draw the line of asking him to provide for this next step in life? Do I ask him every day, which ends up meaning that I ask the same thing? Sometimes I think God is yelling to me to stop asking him the same thing all the time. He already knows! I just asked yesterday, do I think he forgot? But how do I maintain being proactive, or am I just to wait? Let me repeat, I know in God's time he will do what he is going to do and it will all come together the way He planned it to be. Let's face it, God doesn't need me to ask him anything really. But I know he wants me to. So, in hearing that "nothing is covered that will not be revealed" I begin to embrace the Lord's words. There lies his promise to me. Do I have the answer to my above questions? Well, no. But I have his reminder of his promise. And that is good enough for me.

After reading that verse (and the few that followed) I went back to chapter 6 and started where I left off...verses 25-34. I am sure many of you are familiar with this passage, "Do not be anxious." What a great reminder for me. Not that I am worried about what comes next. I just have some general wonderings. But verse 25 says, "Do not be anxious about your life." Plain and simple. But verse 33 hit the target,

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."

Now I can tell you that I have been asking the Lord lots of stuff lately. I have been praying for people and telling him all sorts of things. And I have been in this weird funk because the race is coming to an end. But I have not been seeking Him FIRST. Just telling him things over and over. I still have yet to figure out what his righteousness and me being righteous is. But now I know what needs to be done. Those visions now have a beginning meaning for me. And I don't think God is done with them yet either. Awesome how God will tell me what things he wants me to know when I let him.

Eva's Family

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It started with a bible study. As we work with a church this past week, we have had the privilege and honor of sharing our stories from this past year. We have had many chances to bring glory to Christ's name because of all he has done and all he is doing all over the world.

At the first bible study, we met a woman named Eva who had two very active boys running around. Eva was there with her mother Ella. They have been coming to the bible study for a little while. After the four of us had shared for a half hour about our experiences, Ella told us that her and Eva were very encouraged by what we had said. She told is they had been praying for a while about the youngest boy who is 2 1/2 and through what we said, they knew what they needed to do.

When they started the study part, the boys were just being boys, running around and having fun. You could tell Eva was longing to hear and be apart of the study. But her boys didn't seem to want anyone else playing with them (including the strange American who couldn't say a word in their language.)

Despite my attempts to help, Victor and Bartek (who I call Patrick) didn't want anything to do with me.

But in that time I really felt lead to pray with Eva and her mother. It was obvious there were some hardships in her life and that she was struggling with something.

(Eva)

When the bible study was over, the four of us women gathered around Eva and Ella to pray with them. In that time, we found out that Bartek has a problem with his aortic valve. There is a place where the walls of the valve are too skinny, making it very difficult to get blood through. Thus, causing him to have high blood pressure. He is to have surgery in two weeks that will cut out the part that is too skinny and connect the sides together.

We had the opportunity to go and see the family again the next morning. After spending more time with them, and being able to pray with them again, we decided we wanted to make a prayer blanket and a book full of promises, scriptures, and prayers. So we spent an afternoon working on them.

Yesterday morning we got to go see them for a short time and tell them goodbye. After we gave them the blanket, the boys played with it the whole time: hiding under it and playing peek-a-boo, covering us with it, dragging it all over the house. We never thought they would love it so much.

Please pray for Eva, Bertek and their family. The last we heard, they are looking for a different doctor to do the surgery. There were some unsettling things that were happening with the scheduled doctor. It had been scheduled for two weeks from now.

After asking Eva if I could write this blog to ask people to pray for them...she couldn't help but smile big and say, "yes, of course! Please, we would love as many people to pray as possible."

Thanks for taking the time to pray for someone you don't even know, and who is half way around the world!

More thoughts on Intercession and prophecy

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I guess my conclusion and findings for prophecy and intercession will never be final-because I will be learning more in each as I continue my journey of life.

Mainly, I have come to understand that prophecy and being a Prophet are two different things. They are different gifts. Prophetic words for fellow believers are simply the building and encouraging of the church-Christ's body. Prophecy (capital P) is a foretelling of the future gift that is very rare.

When it comes to prophetic words, one people almost always have a word for people or for a group. But it is not just for people who always have something to say. This is an action we can all put into practice. It is basically the same conclusion I found when seeking what intercession was and if it was something everyone does. God can give everyone times of intercession but for some that is a spiritual gift they walk in regularly. It is the same with prophecy. Some are meant to go sing and pray over places, prophesying over the nations. Some are suppose to speak words over the nations and individuals. All of this is to accomplish the same thing: to build into the church. In doing so, we must pray over each other.

For example, one night last month, my team had a time of worship and prayer. Before we ended, we spent time praying for each individual person. We would all lay hands on the person and pray as the Lord lead-all at the same time. When everyone was done, we would tell the person whatever the Lord had laid on our hearts. And I would get these (what seemed like random) things for my teammates. When I would speak them to that person, they almost always correlated with what others had to say, or with what that individual was going through.

Prophetic words. Words that encouraged and built up the person. Prophetic words always edify and bring life.

"...the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up building and encouragement and consolation." 1 Corinthians 14:3

Him

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

10.29.09

If only there were a way for me to describe the burning feeling in side me. I can't even say it is burning. I don't know what the correct word would be. But then, that has been a problem all my life. I was never good with words, and I could never find the right word to use in many situations. I guess that is still my problem today. Only now, I know what is going on inside of me-at least to an extent. I know that God has been cleaning house all year long. This feeling of the Holy Spirit inside of me is something I never want to leave. Even though I don't feel it on a regular basis, when it comes, I am overjoyed! So here God is, moving all around inside of me, in his temple of my body. All I know is that whatever is happening inside of me is the Lord. If and when you see me, I think you will notice something different. There is a joy that is only found in him. Though I have always been a happy and joyful person, I have never been filled in this way. And I have never experienced God's work and his hand in so many little things that each moment brings. I love this change of mind set. I love living my life as a ministry and not doing ministry at certain times of the day. Do I have it figured out. Na. Who ever will? But at least I am on a direct route of lovin' Jesus.

European Fashion

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Intercession and prophecy

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I have been thinking a lot these past few days about intercession and prophecy. I wanted to share my thoughts and findings and prayers about them, and in a few days, I will let you know the answers to my findings.

Isaiah 53 says yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. (end of verse 12).

This is, of course, Isaiah talking about Jesus interceding on behalf of the robbers also being crucified. He is what many like to call standing in the gap'. I understand that he does that. But what does that mean for humans and intercession?

Romans 8: 34 Christ Jesus...who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.

"There he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." Hebrews 9:15

Intercession: the act of intervening on behalf of another.

I don't doubt that God has given me the ability to intercede for people. He has given me very clear cut things for people. Sometimes those are things they are experiencing right in that moment. Sometimes I will get present struggles or happenings and future things. But I have never had the Lord reveal something in someone's future without it being in a time of intercession. And when those times happen and I actually remember the things that I had been praying for, I have never been able to tell someone those future things until a later time-usually being when they go through them. So is that prophecy intertwined with intercession? Through the gift of intercession, God has at times given me the ability of other gifts-dreams, interpretations, encouragement, and prophecy.

Prophesy: say that (a specific thing) will happen in the future; speak or write by divine inspiration; when a man prophesies; it is because the spirit of the Lord comes upon him

Does God use each of us in prophesy? Is there a difference between prophecy and encouragement? In my mind there is. Prophecy is future things, something spoken for the future. Encouragement is most generally for that moment in time. You usually give a word of encouragement of scripture for something someone is going through.

Amos 3:7 "For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servant the prophet."

Amos 3:8 "The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?"

1 Chronicles 25:1 "David and his priests...who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals."

1 Corinthians 14 (1) "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts especially that you may prophesy. (3) ...the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up building and encouragement and consolation."

Does this mean that there is encouragement included in prophesy? Are they one in the same or two different things? How does God want us to use these in our daily lives?

New and old Blog

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey y'all. I have this blog for the rest of the trip. Just about 5 weeks left! Crazy! As we prepare to leave the Ukraine next week, we are praying into which country God will take us to next month. We aren't completely sure, but had a good time of prayer last night regarding it. I will let you know when we know where we will be. I wanted to share my new blog on blogspot that I will probably be posting a lot of random thoughts I have. I am desiring to know and understand God's truth more and as I wrestle through that, I thought I would post it and see what other's responses are. I know God is giving me a lot to say, and for now, the only way I know how to do that is post it there until I talk to people in person. So, the website is ashlihanna.theblogspot.com and I just got it up and running so there isn't anything too impressive with it yet.

Also, here is a video from when I went paragliding! Enjoy!

Kids Games

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is a snapshot of what we got to do on Saturday. We were pretty tired that day....just a warning. It's month 10 and we were running on little sleep. We were getting a bit crazy. But hopefully you will laugh because we were crying we have laughed so hard about this. And we have watched it many times :)

Paragliding

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Getting to Ukraine

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

After a 10 hour bus ride, we arrived at a train station in Moldova (country) at 2:30am. The station was closed and we weren't exactly sure what we were doing (the 52 of us) so we just stayed there. The bus was really crowded and hot, so Anna and I hung outside with several of the boys, just talking and laughing. Around 7am we were really cold, so one of the guys got out his sleeping bag and Anna and I both got in and slept on the side walk for a while...the boys where out there with us, don't worry.

Our team split from everyone else for the month so we hoped in a van later that day that took us to the border, where we then got into two taxis and that brought us to the bus station in Odessa, Ukraine. It was a long 48 hours and I was so out of it from not sleeping. We got picked up by this sweet girl name Nitalka and carried our stuff all over this huge city. We ended up at this missionaries flat where we left our stuff, got dinner and then came back, picked up our packs, and walked about 20 blocks to a bus station where we took a 30 minute ride to another girls flat to sleep. We slept in, showered, and left around 12:30 with all our stuff to go back into the city to find a flat. By the end of the day we were moved into a 4 room flat! It is really nice to have our own place for once! Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom for Cathy and Noah, a living area, a two rooms in the basement where three of us girls are sleeping on our mats. It is a blessing!

We are working with a college students this month. Basically God just dropped these kids in our laps and we have taken off running with them! For the past two or three days, we have hung out with about 6 of them (3 guys, 3 girls) all who are age 17-19, except for Natalka who is 22 (and she is straight amazing!). But at least 4 of them are from Russia, and they are going to the Christian University here. They are really cute, fun, and full of life, not to mention they love being able to speak English with us. Last night we had them over after English Club for chicken wraps, tea, and to watch the movie Elf. We had a great time! I really think this month our ministry is going to be chill, laid back, and filled with just hanging out with these kids, and pouring into them.

God in Me

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I know God has something big for me...

He is going to use me in a mighty way, to proclaim truth and have his passion and his heart.

But my time has not yet come.

I have so much to learn.
So much.

I have fought this spirit of comparison all year long. Comparing other people to myself, their walks with the Lord, their gifts, their passion. I have made up excuses about God giving me a gentle spirit and living in the lie that I am timid and gentle, especially in worship and when it comes to speaking out the things God has laid on my heart. And because of that, I have not allowed my flesh and m heart to fully submit to the Lord. I have been afraid to give my all and to let my voice be heard and to let the Lord flow through me.

I think that I could never be like the man or woman who is passionate and stands up in front of everyone speaking the word that Lord has put on my lips. I believe the lie that feeds off the truth that I am a behind the scenes leader-that I stand in the background. The truth is, I do have a gentle spirit. I do serve and lead behind the scenes, but that does not mean my voice should not be heard.

God is well inside me.

There is more inside me than I have ever been able to dig deep enough to get and let out. I can be loud and boisterous. I can be passionate in the truth the Lord has given me. And I pray my passion of Christ becomes more and more so that it can flow out of me more.

Romania Video

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This video from Romania was put together by Di Dinnis (didinnid.theworldrace.org)

Enjoy!!

Dance-Off

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In a week we will be heading to a new place in Romania to go to a conference where all of the current World Racers and some alumni will be. My squad, H-Squad, has been challenged by the I-squad to a dance-off when we are there. To accept their challenge, we have made this video. I thought you would enjoy seeing it as it is something Di and several others worked on last month. We are all about making videos. Enjoy.

It is not so much discipline...as it is intimacy.

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A friend of mine wrote this to me after I sent out my e-mail regarding discipline. I thought these we powerful words, and was just able to read them the other day, as I am finally able to communicate with people from home. (Hope you don't mind me sharing these JoAnn!) Good stuff!

John 17:15-18
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

The Lord is teaching us, through our daily lives, that though our physical bodies are here...our life is in Him. He meets our need for escape from the pressures, our need for peace of mind, our need for companionship, intimacy, and love. He has is all...every ounce of it. And it is far greater than anything this world has to offer us. Go deeper.

Isa 54:5-6
For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;

He is called the God of the whole earth.

Swazi video

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Telling a thousand words....

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

They say pictures say a thousand words...
let me know what words come to mind from these pictures in Romania:

And, because the computer is working surprisingly fast, I thought I would add some more pictures for your enjoyment. These are from the past few months. Sometimes soon I will get a legit blog posted...so much has been happening here, I am not sure how to put it in words yet. Once I process through it I will get something out to you!

Lake Malawi: Bouaboa tree...HUGE!

Lake Malawi, right outside the house we were staying at for debrief. Awesome!

Another Lake Malawi picutre.

SKIM (Spectacle, Koinania, Indelible, Manna teams) leaders at debrief in South Africa. We had a fun get together to commemorate our time in Mozambique back in June.

Dave and me at the rugbe game in Joburg.

Another SKIM leader picture! We are a good looking bunch!

Jen Den and me taking fun pictures after the game. I like that one a whole lot...she's funny.

Mom, I did not find a African man and marry him there..

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

But we did make it to Romania! It was really tough leaving Africa, and I was struggling when we got here. But this place is absolutely incredible! Just when you think that you can't go any place that is more beautiful, you get to the next place and it is! The quaint town we are staying in is a long strip of houses on a main road that runs through the rolling hills of a lush, warm area in Romania. As you walk to winding dirt path through the hills, you find several lakes in a row. In the evenings, running up the hills to see the sun setting behind the lakes with brilliant pinks, oranges, yellows, purples and blues escapes over the horizon and beams up hitting the incredible cloud cover. I am such a sucker for clouds-and sun sets! They take my breath away every time, and we have experienced incredible ones with each new place we see.

I don't have much to report yet. We have only been at our location for 2 days now (this is our third day). Our entire squad is in the same village working with the same contact-that's 52 of us here, not to mention there are a few squads that came out on the field after we did and are here as well. God is working big in my life, as he always is, and is continuing to use me and grow me in intercession. It is amazing how much more I have been able to pray and intercede for people sense I have no longer been team leader! I am loving it! He is working on some fears I have that I didn't realize were there and the more he shows me, the closer I become to being freed of those things! Awesome! God continues to ask me to do things that are uncomfortable and to trust people and just speak that things I feel and the things that are on my heart. Even though I don't always want to, I am finding that it isn't as hard as I have always made it out to be.

Specific Prayer:

There is a huge spirit of hurt and legalism here. Please pray for us to be able to bring truth and light to so many lies that are here, even if it is to a few individuals.

Romania has one of the highest abortion rates in the world, please pray for my heart in that and that the people would be willing to hear truth in that. Many of you know that abortion is something that is very heavy on my heart, especially after my last year working at the pregnancy center (miss you all a lot! Hope things for the banquet are coming together or came together well!!!)

My team is doing well this month and is pushing hard to increase our little family and really pour into each other. Please pray for us as we take new steps in that and more toward a deeper bond.

**Mom...God still has me on this discipline kick! Sorry I can't write to you. I hope the blogs help you out! J I still don't know anything about flying home yet....sorry! I will let you know as soon as I know something!!!! Love you

Team leader

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My time as a team leader has come to an end. It has been four months, and those months have been fairly difficult. Starting leadership, we were going into an Ask The Lord month where you team simply asks and goes where you feel lead. There is a lot more stress in those months because you have so much more you have to take care of including all logistics, passports, visas, etc. When we came into Africa, we didn't have much planned out for us, so we had a lot of work to get done in getting all the teams to their ministry sites. We have had to do that the entire time we have been in Africa. Now we are heading out of our second ATL month and on into Europe-without me as team leader.

I have learned a lot from being team leader and have enjoying the time I have spent doing it. I love administrative work and this role has been a lot of that. Here are some things I have learned:

* having to lead your peers is very hard, but it had made me face conflict more than I have ever wanted to.

* being bold and not caring what other people think about me, just being obedient to the Lord.

* being confident in myself and speaking what is on my heart without question what I have to say in front of others.

Please pray for David Matthew as he is taking over as our new team leader!!

The squad leaders took out all the team leaders for a fun night...we went to rugby game in Joburg!!! It was such a fantastic night and so much fun!!! Here we all are enjoying ourselves after the game!