We had a really special and fun Christmas this year. Not only did we get to enjoy lots of quality time with the Teele family, but we also had some time to enjoy our first Christmas as a married couple. So thankful for the memories we have made this week that we can treasure for a lifetime!

A beautiful present from my husband

Presents at Christmas time are so much fun, especially giving them. I find so much joy in watching others open the gifts I've given them. I think that's what God must feel when He gives us blessings in life... It truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

Our first tree and presents

Clint and I loved opening the gifts from each other on Christmas morning, and we also got to open gifts that my family sent from back East. It almost made it feel like we got to celebrate with them too! By the way, Mom, Dutch Blitz was the perfect gift... it's already gotten used like five times! :)

Christmas celebrations

Christmas celebrations with the Teele family included a name exchange where we drew names and bought a gift (or several) for that person. It was so much fun getting to open those gifts on Christmas morning with all the family. 9 of the 12 Teele siblings were there, as well as 5 grandchildren, so it made for a full, chaotic, and very fun celebration!

New puppies at the Teele farm

There's always new life at the Teele farm, and some puppies arrived just in time for Christmas! Their eyes are almost open, and they are super cute!

Enjoying some Dutch Blitz

Almost any Teele gathering is incomplete without at least one game of something, whether it's invented on the spot or an actual card or board game.

Paintball with slingshots (photo from my mother-in-law)

Yesterday, we had a really fun game of paintball using slingshots. I can't resist a good, sportsy game, so I added a bit of extra padding around my middle and joined in! We had tons of fun, got plenty dirty, and loved every second of it! One nice thing about playing sports with the Teeles: if you get a group of them together, you automatically have large teams! :)

I hope your Christmas season has been a wonderful one, and even if you weren't able to celebrate with family this year, I hope that this time of celebrating the greatest Gift of all was special!

It's a Wonderful (and Busy) Life

We have been busy the last few weeks, something I'm actually very grateful for. Most of the busyness has been related to Christmas events, and it's been so much fun to get together with fellow believers to celebrate Christ's birth.

The ladies at our church here picked a wonderful theme for their Christmas party this year. They invited a speaker who works with an organization that helps free women from the sex trafficking industry in Nepal and provide them with jobs as well as teach them about Christ. After listening to her explain about the organization, we were then able to buy various handmade goods that these women had crafted as their means of support. What an incredible way to be a part of freeing the oppressed, which is exactly what Christ came to do 2,000 years ago.

Clint has kept busy cutting and selling firewood. I'm so grateful for my hardworking husband who has a desire to provide for me and care for me! It's been a huge blessing to have a bit of extra cash, and we're also able to save half of what we make to put towards our future home in Papua New Guinea!

Our baby has been busy growing and moving. I definitely look pregnant now, and I guess that's a good thing since I am! :) Just over 16 weeks to go!

We're really looking forward to the next few weeks with all of the holiday celebrations. A bunch of Clint's siblings are coming home this week, so it will be fun to spend time with them! And then on New Year's Eve, we're planning to head back East for one of my cousin's weddings, and we'll get to spend a few weeks in Georgia with my family as well!

Annndd... just for kicks, here's a picture of us, since we haven't posted one in a while. :)

Christmas is Coming!

Anyone else feel like Christmas is coming waaayyy too fast? Ok, glad I'm not the only one.

Our First Christmas Tree!

That being said, I also have to say, I absolutely LOVE Christmas time. I know in many circles there's an air of commercialism. A spirit of killing the Baby and promoting the Stuff. I know in other circles there's a debate about whether we should even celebrate Christmas since it was originally a day to worship the sun, not Christ. But honestly, I think the idea of having a special time to celebrate the birth of Christ is a precious one. Of course, the gifts are fun. The decorations are beautiful. The traditions are special. But a Baby born in Bethlehem is the most beautiful and special gift of all!

With my own baby on the way, I've had a lot of time to envision what things must have been like for Mary. When she felt her baby kick, she must have been in awe over the fact that the Son of God who had created her was so small, so helpless, and so dependent on her for life. When she dealt with morning sickness, she must have wondered why God had chosen her to bear the Messiah. She must have marveled over the miracle of life, but even more so, over the miracle of God becoming a man. What an incredible experience that must have been for her!

I hope that you are enjoying your Christmas season, and may we all think often on the Christ of Christmas... the miracle Baby who came to save us all.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

Giving Thanks

Yes, I know Thanksgiving was yesterday, but hey, being thankful should go the whole year round, right? I've been challenged this month to really focus on being thankful. I've been attempting (and failing quite often) to think of at least 3 things that I can be thankful for whenever I encounter a frustrating situation where I normally would tend to complain. It's amazing to me how gratitude can change your entire outlook on a situation and can make your day so much more enjoyable. Paul was definitely right when he exhorted believers to always be thankful!

There are so many things that we have to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for God's unconditional love. I'm thankful that He calls me His daughter. I'm thankful that He never gives up on me. No matter what.

I'm thankful for an incredible husband who loves me, takes care of me, and is my best friend. I'm thankful for the new life growing inside me. I can hardly believe I'm halfway done with pregnancy!

I'm thankful for my wonderful family. For my loving, caring parents who hunger after God and His Word. For my beautiful sisters who are so much fun and love me, God, and others. For the beauty of adoption. For wonderful in-laws who have welcomed me with open arms.

I'm thankful for a warm, dry home. For the truck God provided for us so Clint can haul firewood. For food to eat each day. For how God has met all of our financial needs.

I'm thankful for my church family here and around the world. For the freedom to worship God. For having access to God's Word in our language.

There are so many other things I could say. God's goodness is overwhelming. His mercies know no end. What a reason to give thanks!

PNG Fact of the Day (4)

Question: What's the first step in taking the Gospel to an unreached tribal group in Papua New Guinea?

Answer: I would love to say it's something glamorous and very missionary-ish like eating grubs or sleeping in a mud hut with mosquitoes eating your insides out (because after all, isn't that what all missionaries write home about?) while you then use a few simple phrases to speak to the tribal people about Jesus and then about 200 people accept Christ and there is a huge revival. (I'm not really sure if all of that counts as only one step, though some people kind of try to lump it all together like that)

BUT... that's not reality

Really, the first step is a lot of work, and most of the time, it's done way before the missionary team actually gets there. It's called People Group Assessment (PGA for short). What's PGA you ask (even if you didn't know you asked)? Basically, it's where small teams of missionaries visit various tribal groups in a country to find out where is the most need for new missionaries to come. Currently, there are at least 15 new people groups in Papua New Guinea that have had a People Group Assessment and where New Tribes Mission would like to place new missionary teams. We will most likely be going into one of these groups in the future.

Here's a pretty cool, short video just released by New Tribes Mission that tells a bit more about PGAs. Check it out. May not seem "glamorous", but it's definitely necessary!


First Step // New Tribes Mission from New Tribes Mission on Vimeo.

The Ways of the Lord

My heart breaks for our missionary friends, Jon and Adie Leedahl and their three young boys. We have so many wonderful memories with this family from our training days in Missouri. They have such a heart for God, for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the lost.

In mid-October, almost a month ago, Jon, who is a highly skilled missionary pilot working in Papua New Guinea, had a terrible motorcycle accident. Both his legs were severely injured, and he lost almost all his own blood. Blood donations from other missionaries kept him alive until they were able to fly him to Australia for treatment.

Jon lost his right leg. His left is battered and scarred.

When we heard the news, we sobbed. Hard. Why, God?

"Well, I guess this must be God's will." Some might say.

Yeah, but just because He allows it to happen doesn't make it easy. Doesn't make it fun.

Sometimes God's ways are definitely not my ways. I wish I could be like Jesus, crying "Not my will, but Yours be done," even in the midst of terrible tragedy. But my humanity gets in the way so often. I hurt. I question. I don't like the results. I don't understand.

Through it all, I have to remember that God is good. So, so, so good. God is loving. He is kind. He hates evil and suffering as much as I do, yet He uses each bad situation for the good of those who love Him.

If He is the most loving Being that exists...that will ever exist, I know I can trust His ways, even when I don't understand. Even when I don't see the beauty in them.

And there will be beauty in Jon and Adie's lives. There already is. There has been an overwhelming unity of believers around the world who are coming together for one purpose: to lift the Leedahls before the throne of God. Such beauty in the midst of brokenness!

Perhaps Jon's accident will call others to go. Will challenge others to lay down their lives in the service of a King who is so worthy. Who is so, so good and loving.

Perhaps it will cause others to pause. Take inventory of their lives. Ask "What am I really living for? Am I really willing to count the cost of following Christ?"

All I know is, God will bring beauty. That is His way. Even though all I see is the broken, He sees the beautiful.

The ways of the Lord are good.

You can follow Jon and Adie's story at http://theleedahls.com/.

PNG Fact of the Day (3)

A lot of people ask us about the weather in Papua New Guinea. Let's just say, it's hot there. Like really hot. It wouldn't really be so hot if there wasn't like 98% humidity all the time (ok, well, I might be exaggerating a bit. It's probably only 95%).

So basically, it's hot and humid, at least most of the time. There are definitely times when it cools off, and certain locations at higher elevations (like over 4,000 feet or more) have slightly cooler temperatures. But usually, it's pretty hot and pretty wet (if it's not wet outside from rain, you're wet from sweat). Yay for being close to the equator.

The Joys of Motherhood

I think it's starting to really hit me that I'm going to be a mom really soon (um, wasn't I just a kid like a few years ago???). I had a prenatal checkup yesterday, and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time! What an amazing, breathtaking experience! I can't wait to meet this little one!

I also gave in yesterday and bought my first pair of maternity jeans. So much more comfortable than regular jeans for my ever-growing belly! I'm showing quite a bit now, at least to those who know me well. Other people probably just think I'm getting fat, which is probably also true, but I guess I have an excuse. :)

Even though I know that raising children is a difficult task, one that requires a lot of patience, hard work, and sacrificial love, I am excited out of my mind and so incredibly joyful to get to be a mom! I'm so grateful for the godly example my mom showed me. I hope I will be half as good a mom as she is!

Oh Canada

We had a wonderful (and very busy) first weekend in Canada! We spent most of Friday and Saturday at Peace River Bible Institute where Clint attended several years back. We got to sit in on the school's missions conference, and we also attended a class reunion on Saturday afternoon, which was a wonderful time of fellowship with some of Clint's friends and former classmates.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of sharing about our future ministry with Gospel Light Alliance Church. It was such a blessing and encouragement to interact with fellow believers who have such a heart for God, His Word, and spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth!

We've also been blessed to spend quite a bit of time with several of Clint's siblings who are living in the area. It's been good to connect with them and get to see some more nieces and nephews (well, really just one nephew).

Thanks for all of you who are praying for us during this trip! We appreciate it! Pictures to come soon! :)

Fall is Finally Here!

It's finally starting to feel like fall here on the Oregon coast. The temperatures are starting to drop and so are the leaves (I really miss the gorgeous fall colors that we have back East!). Time to start breaking out my tea cup and warm blankets! :-)

I also love fall because, if you're lucky enough to live near an apple orchard, you can pick apples and make apple pie, apple cider, and all those other delicious fall-ish apple things. We picked a bunch of apples (for free!) last Thursday. The result? 28 quarts of canned homemade applesauce and 14 quarts of homemade apple pie filling plus a few large boxes of leftover apples that are going in the basement. Yum! All set for the winter months!

We're headed up to Canada early tomorrow morning. Looking forward to seeing a bunch of our Canadian friends and several of Clint's siblings who live up there, and we'll also be speaking in at least one church. And I'm also looking forward to taking Baby Teele to Canada for the first time, although I guess it's not really very fun for him because he can't see it. Oh well. :-)

PNG Fact of the Day (2)

Ok, it's time for another fact about Papua New Guinea.

I'm sure all of you are familiar with the story of the tower of Babel. Right? (if you don't remember, check out Genesis 11) But what you may not be familiar with is that God did a REALLY good job of confusing the languages. Don't believe me? Ok, take a guess at how many languages there are in the world today (and don't look it up on Google first).

If you said anything short of about 6,900, you're wrong. Yup, that's right. There are almost 6,900 known languages spoken in the world today!!! Pretty mind-boggling if you ask me!

According to the Linguistic Society of America, "one area of particularly high linguistic diversity is Papua New Guinea, where there are an estimated 832 languages" (click here for article)

So, your fact of the day for Papua New Guinea: there are over 800 different (and distinct) languages spoken in PNG! There is a trade language called Melanesian Pidgin English, but it is a very basic language with only about 2,500 words.

One of our jobs when we move to Papua New Guinea as missionaries will be to learn one of these languages so that we can share the Gospel with the people in their own language. It will be tough, but we're excited!

Learning a new language is hard work!

Teele Daily Life

Wow, where in the world has September gone? I just realized sometime in the middle of the night last night that I haven't posted much this month... and now the month is almost over! Yikes!

Anyways... the last few weeks have been very good. We celebrated Clint's 28th birthday last Sunday. I made him lasagna and a blueberry pie... he was in heaven. :) And then last Monday, all of Clint's hunting excursions (pretty much every morning for the past month) paid off when he shot a cow elk! It's a huge blessing to have all that meat for the winter! 

Pregnancy has been going well for me. I think the doctors would say I am at about 12 weeks right now! I haven't been that sick, which has been a HUGE blessing! I definitely have bad days, but overall, it's been a fairly easy pregnancy. I'm so grateful! And it's super exciting to start to see a little baby bump! :) Can't wait to finally meet this little one!

As the weather gets cooler, Clint is starting some part time work thinning fir trees on the property where we are living. We are very grateful for the work as well as a wonderful place to live!

Yup, so that's a glimpse into our daily life right now. A bit ordinary, but it's definitely wonderful and full all the same. I hope that this month has been just as wonderful and full for you as well!

PNG Fact of the Day (1)

Since we aren't going in January to Papua New Guinea anymore, I thought I'd start a new kind of blog post where every so often, I post a fact about PNG or our future ministry there, just to keep the excitement up! :)

Soooo... the PNG fact for today is: it's PNG Independence Day! Well, actually, it was yesterday for them since it's already September 17 there. But anyways, September 16 is the day when PNG gained their independence from Australia back in 1975. And apparently, just like here in the States, Independence Day is a big deal over there. They celebrate with traditional dances, celebrations, and costumes. It's pretty cool!

Here's a photo of the festivities from a missionary friend of ours who is in PNG right now

I Believe in Miracles

Our society says you have to have hard facts and solid evidence to prove something to be true (but people also say "truth is relative"... not sure how those two go together???). It's definitely the case in a court of law. But when it comes to the existence of God, most people wouldn't say there is any solid evidence that He exists.

I disagree. There is. Most definitely, there is. One piece of evidence is called "miracles". 

In the past few years, I have seen miracles. Real miracles. When I was a kid, I used to think, "Oh yeah, miracles happened back in the Bible when Jesus was alive and could heal people and stuff." 

But He still does! Not always. Sometimes His plan is for someone to endure a terrible sickness, the loss of a loved one, or some other type of emotional pain. And there is a certain beauty about those who have endured such pain but have trusted God through it all. And yet God still does work miracles. 

One miracle that is precious and dear to my heart recently is the miraculous healing of my mom. (Sorry, Mom, I may be overstepping my bounds here, since I haven't seen you post anything about this...) :-). The doctors found a tumor... and they diagnosed the worst. 

I could hardly believe it. I still can't. My mom? My world tilted, spun, shook. And so did hers. And my whole family's. 

We prayed. So, so hard. Every day. Multiple times a day. And God worked a miracle.

After a few weeks of not knowing, the test results came back completely clear. The doctors were stunned. From their original diagnosis, things didn't look good at all. But the tumor was totally benign. 

Our God is a mighty, awesome God! He still does work miracles!!! And I'm so glad He did for my mom!

My Hunting Husband

I'm a temporary hunting widow this evening while my handsome hubby is hunting elk. Sooo... I thought I'd post since I haven't in a while.

We just got internet set up at our house, which is nice so we don't have to run to the library constantly or steal it at Mom and Dad Teele's place. :-)

I also have to brag on my husband a bit. We just got back on Thursday from a week long camping/hunting trip in eastern Oregon with a bunch of Clint's family. Super fun! Anyways, Clint hunted pretty hard while we were there... and when I mean hard, I mean HARD. Like LOTS of walking and hiking. It's pretty rugged out where we were. Like really rugged. Like there are canyons that are 2 miles across. Beautiful, but not very fun to track deer or elk.

But anyways, my hubby still managed to shoot a buck deer, and while it isn't very big, the fact that he got one and packed the whole thing out by himself (at least 70 lbs) is pretty incredible!

 

I'm crazy about that man! :-)

A Little One

After the looong week of waiting (ok, well it felt long), I can finally post about this!

We're going to have a baby!!!! I can hardly believe it, and writing it makes it seem even more strange. But it's true, and my stomach can already attest to it! :)

It was very unexpected, but so, so exciting. When I first found out, I could hardly contain my excitement. I wanted to tell the whole world! But being able to savor that moment with Clint was something so special and unique. I will never forget it!

I'm kind of worried now that everyone knows. Worried that I'll have a miscarriage or that something will go wrong with the pregnancy. I know so many women miscarry within the first trimester... and I'm only 1 month along. But I know that God knows best, and He will bring this baby to full term if it is supposed to happen.

Little One, I am so excited to meet you. So thrilled to get to be your momma, even if it is just for a few weeks or months inside of me. You are an incredible, beautiful blessing from God, and I can't wait to see how He knits you together. I love you already, Baby Teele!

Full

I know I haven't posted recently. I blame it on being busy. Moving in to our house... hanging out with family... camping with friends...enjoying the warmth and rugged beauty of the summer Oregon landscape.

The past few weeks have been full, but good. I think that's how I'd describe myself right now. Full. Filled to overflowing with the goodness of God. I don't understand the way He works. I'm not sure why He orders events like He does. But He is so, so good. So loving and gracious. I feel full of His love and goodness today.

He Has Done Great Things

God is able

He will never fail

He is almighty God

Greater than all we seek

Greater than all we ask

He has done great things

I absolutely love the lyrics to that song, "God is Able". If you haven't heard it, you should go listen to it. It's so rich. So powerful. God will NEVER fail! 

And He has done great things. Awesome things. Just in this last month. If I went back further than that, I could write volumes about the great things He has done in my life.

He has brought us 3,000 miles across the country in a little car that is still running.

He has provided us a place to live for the next 6 months. A place that is almost fully furnished with everything we could need.

He gave us the words to share during the week of Family Camp. When we didn't have strength or inspiration, He gave it.

He has continued to raise up a support team for us. We're at 32% of our recommended level.

He has completely healed my nephew, Jaeger. Such a beautiful baby!

He has provided for all of our daily needs.

He has done great, mighty, awesome things. What an incredible God we serve!

There are still things that He hasn't done. One of the biggest things on my heart right now... He hasn't yet healed a loved one who just discovered a possibly malignant tumor. But I have seen His goodness, and I know that He indeed is able. 

He has done great things. He will do great things. He always does. 

Places and People

Wow, what a week! It's been such a blessing to see so many friends and family during our drive out here.

During our trip we've...
...driven over 2,000 miles
...traveled through 5 different states (surprisingly, it's only been 5 so far!)
...seen 43 different state license plates (still hoping to find Alaska and Hawaii... who knows?)
...seen some incredible scenery and watched the landscape change
...reached 11,000 ft elevation while driving on the highway
...watched the show "Jonah" at Sight & Sound Theatres... definitely worth any trip to see!
...played Mario Kart 8 a few times (I think... Grant, correct me if I'm wrong ;) )
...gone swimming
...gone line dancing with friends
...helped pass out invitations for a neighborhood Bible study
...sheared some llamas (well, Clint did at least)
...visited the Colorado National Monument
...had an awesome time visiting friends and family!

It's been such a neat and encouraging time getting to hang out and fellowship. We're so grateful for the time we've had, and our trip isn't over yet! We're heading to Idaho tomorrow to see some more family, and then we're heading for Oregon on Thursday!

And... pictures!!!!

Driving in our very packed car

Enjoying time with cousins

Enjoying time with cousins

"Jonah" at Sight & Sound Theatres

Hanging out with friends from the Training Center in Missouri

Classmates from our Training Center days

Colorado National Monument

Independence Rock behind us!

Beautiful scenery!

Thanks so much for all your prayers and thoughts as we are traveling! Praise God, the car is holding up, and so are we! It's been a great trip so far!

Heaven Looks So Good

I can hardly believe it's our last day in Georgia. Tomorrow, we'll hop in our (very loaded) car and begin our trek to Oregon. It's exciting, but it's also sad. Really, really sad. I am starting to realize that I'm not going to see many of my friends for the next four years. It hit me last night that I'm leaving the first home I've ever lived in with my husband, saying good-byes to precious people, and I started crying my eyes out. It's hard. Really, really hard.

It makes Heaven look so good.

We packed up our car yesterday, trying to cram everything we need into our little Honda Accord. I felt kind of like the pioneers who were the first to head to Oregon hundreds of years ago. There's so little space for everything you want to take, things that feel precious and valuable. And there's so much that has to be left behind, given away, thrown out. It's hard. Really, really hard.

I had to wrestle with God today. "It's not fair that I can't take all this stuff! What about that pot, or that cozy blanket, or that picture that my little sister drew by hand for my birthday. I feel like I have to give up so much already. Do I really have to do this?"

And God asked me, "Are you willing to surrender to me, Ashlyn? Really? Am I worth it to you? This is just stuff. What you're going to do, where you're going to live... it's so much more worth it!"

And then it hit me... all this giving up... it's really gaining. What I lack here on earth in material things, God will provide. What I have to give up, it's really allowing me to be more free. To not be so tied down to this world. To experience God more fully.

Really, it makes Heaven look so good.

I am so excited for Heaven. I can't wait for the day when I don't have to say good-bye. When I can see the fruits of all the sacrifices I have had to made. When I can live forever with the One who loves me unconditionally. Who will never leave nor forsake me, no matter what comes my way.

It will be so worth it. So, so worth it.

Heaven looks SO good!

Thank you SO much for praying! Both Clint and baby Jaeger are doing fine, praise the Lord! Clint was able to get a root canal yesterday and, after 3 hours, the offending tooth was taken care of and he was feeling tons better (he was also smiling crooked because his mouth was numb... I wanted to take pics but I felt to sorry for him). :-) And baby Jaeger is far more stable now! He's still in the hospital, and we're still waiting to hear official news on how he's doing, but as far as I know now, he is doing much, much better! What a HUGE miracle from God!

Thank you so much to all of you who prayed!

I wanted to attach a few more pictures of the baby... I hope you don't mind, I just love baby pictures!

When You Don't Know What to Say

I don't know what to say. My heart hurts, a deep, searing pain for a little tiny person I've never even met. My new nephew, Jaeger, was born just 3 days ago on my birthday, so I already felt a special connection with him in my heart. I was so thrilled to have a nephew that shares my birthday! And now, this precious little boy is in the hospital with doctors fighting for his life. They don't know what's wrong, just that he's a very sick baby. Please pray. Please, please pray!

And then yesterday, my incredible husband who is always so strong and capable was laid almost flat on his back for most of the morning with stabbing pain in his mouth. Come to find out, he has an abscessed tooth, and has to have a root canal done, hopefully tomorrow. Please pray for him too!

I don't know what to say. I don't know how to comfort my sister-in-law and her husband who have already had so much loss in their lives with other children. I don't know how to comfort my husband who drifts in and out of throbbing pain in his head.

When I don't know what to say, God does. He says He's in control. He's all-powerful. He has a reason. He knows the pain I feel, that my sister-in-law feels, that my husband feels. He is there. He cares. He's my loving Daddy.

I'm so grateful for that, and I choose to trust Him, even though I have no words of my own.

YAY!

Ok, it's going to be a short post today (yes, breathe a sigh of relief everyone. Please do it.) but I just am so excited that I think I'm gonna bust! So you all can suffer for it. Haha!

We just got a TON of paperwork for PNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! *happy dance*

Most of you are probably like, "Huh? Paperwork is NOT exciting!"

But it IS exciting. It really is. Like really! It means we're finally going to get our visas and our work permits so we can live in PNG! Woohoo!!!

Ok, you can now return to the busy worlds that you live in. Thanks for suffering from my joyful insanity! :-)

Soon and Very Soon

I just realized yesterday that we have less than 3 weeks left before we leave for Oregon. I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday that we were packing up in Missouri to head here.... that we were searching for a house.... that we were planning our wedding.... that we were getting married....

Time has flown so quickly, and we've loved every second of living here in Georgia for the past six months. 

It's a bit nerve-wracking thinking of moving to Oregon, but I know God has it all under control and it's going to be awesome there too!

It's also been so cool seeing how God is raising up a team of people who will send us to Papua New Guinea. I'd say it's been one of the most encouraging experiences in my life... just getting to connect with so many individuals who have a heart to follow hard after Christ. It's awesome, especially in this culture that is so quickly rushing in the opposite direction.

It'll be hard leaving Georgia so soon, but I'm also excited for the months we'll have in Oregon with Clint's family and friends.

To My (Clint's) Dad

Hi there,
If you're thinking this doesn't sound like Ashlyn, you're right! This is Clint! We have set up our blog so that I can also write on here. So if you notice a post every once in a while that doesn't sound like Ashlyn well it may be because it's me...or it may be because Ashlyn is writing when she is tired.

My Dad

I think it is appropriate that I write my first post about my dad. And since it's Father's Day tomorrow that works out fine. When I think of my dad I think of someone who can do anything and do it well. As a kid growing up, it seemed there was never anything dad did not understand or know how to do. As I look back now I am so thankful for a dad that could do so many things, and taught me how to do them as well. I know many of them will be a help on the mission field, most of which I learned at least in part from my dad. Running a chainsaw, general construction, plumbing, fixing mechanical problems, and farming just to name some. Dad also taught so many valuable lessons about work ethic, how if a job is worth doing it's worth doing well. Dad rarely took short cuts...unless he was driving!

Dad has also taught me through example so many life lessons, like forgiveness, honesty and patience. I know my dad wasn't perfect by a long shot...but I am so thankful that God gave me the dad He did, knowing that in Papua New Guinea I would need so many of the things I got from my dad.

So thanks dad...not for being a perfect dad...but for being my dad.
Happy Fathers Day!

I love you

Clint

PNG or Bust!

As each day passes, I think it's becoming more and more real that we will be moving overseas very soon. It's exciting, intimidating, and humbling all at the same time!

AND we just found out today that we are officially considered "Enroute" to Papua New Guinea! Woohoo! Lord willing, we'll be heading over there in just over 7 months! Can't wait!

Our Garden + 2 Months or so

I just realized that I'm long overdue for a post about our garden. A lot of people have been asking me about it lately, so I should probably post a few pictures.

It's been a lot of fun watching our garden grow over the past few months. It's definitely not as big as we would like it to be. The leaves on the surrounding trees are blocking a lot of sunlight. But I think we'll at least be able to get some green beans, carrots, radishes, peas, and turnips before we leave in July. Yum! :)

This garden makes me think a lot. It makes me think about how God created plants to need sunlight to flourish and grow. He didn't have to do that. But He did.

He does the same thing with us. He created us to need Him in order to flourish and grow. We desperately need Him. Just like plants, we will die if we don't have His light in our lives.

It's so amazing to me how even the littlest things in creation can be such powerful illustrations of God's truths. 

Mr. and Mrs. Keim

It's hard to believe the second 2014 Teele wedding is already over. Congratulations Autumn and Jesse! It was such a beautiful wedding, and we thoroughly enjoyed being there to celebrate it with you both! Autumn, you were so beautiful! Jesse, you weren't, but hey, that's ok, you weren't supposed to be. :-)

We love you guys and can't wait to have a lot more adventures with you in the future! Congratulations again!

The last week has been a whirlwind!

This past weekend, we got to share about our future ministry with a local Hispanic church. It was a great time of worship and encouragement. It's so exciting seeing God raising up more people and churches who are passionate about the gospel and bringing it to all people. Thanks so much for all your prayers!

Currently we are in Northern Alberta (Canada) for my sister-in-law's wedding. We flew into Seattle on Wednesday and then drove up here arriving Thursday afternoon. We had a fun drive up and were able to see lots of wildlife. Here are a few pictures!

Man, God's creation is so magnificent! It was so awesome getting to see so many different kinds of animals so close to our car and see such breath-taking scenery!

It's also been great seeing the whole Teele family and getting to spend time with them. I'll post some pics from the wedding soon!

Awesome Inadequacy

I just recently decided I love feeling inadequate. Ok, maybe I don't love it, but I love seeing God work through my inadequacy.

One of the things we've been doing recently is sharing with various groups and families about our future ministry and the need for missionaries around the world. It's been awesome to get to connect with people in this way and be able to share some of our hearts with them. But boy, oh boy, do I feel inadequate!

Just last night, we had a chance to share with a youth group. It was fun hanging out with the kids and talking about missions, but it was amazing seeing how God took our inadequacies and used them. So cool and so humbling!

Our heart's desire is not that people would learn more about us necessarily, although it's great that they can get a better understanding of what we'll be doing. But really, we want people to see the desperate need for missionaries all over the world and God's heart that all people would come to know Him. Honestly, we're completely inadequate for that task. But we have a God who is more than adequate, and that is awesome!

We have two upcoming presentations this weekend, so we definitely appreciate prayers for that! And maybe I can share a few pictures as well!

To My Mom

My mom is amazing.

I know I share the same sentiment with many other people around the world, but it's definitely true for my mom. She is amazing. 

She's always been there. Some of my earliest memories of her are when she'd come in the room to wake us up in the mornings. She'd always call us, "Angel faces," and I thought that was funny when I was little.

She was the one who led me to the Lord when I was 7.

She home schooled me all the way through until graduation. That was an enormous feat in and of itself...

She brought me up to know and love God.

She was and is a beautiful example of Christ-like love and service to others.

She was a steady rock when circumstances in life were crazy difficult.

She knows the meaning of sacrifice.

She gives from the heart, all the time, no matter how little she has.

She's an understanding and sympathetic person. One you know you can share things with.

She is definitely a Proverbs 31 woman.

Mom, I love you. Thank you for being such a blessing to me and so many others. You could have had a prestigious career in the world's eyes, but you didn't. You sacrificed to be our mom, and I am so, so grateful for that.

I love you!

P.S. Sorry this is a few days late. :-)

Life Right Now

It's a weird stage of life right now. We're not working an 8 hour job. We're not in classes. We're not learning a new language. We will be. But we're not right now.

Right now, we're focusing on people. On building relationships and friendships. On spending lots of time with family and friends, since we won't see them for a few years. It's kind of weird. I don't think I've ever been at a place where I wasn't working consistently, wasn't studying, wasn't constantly busy. And I like it. I like it a lot.

But it's also insanely challenging in a way I never imagined possible. It's humbling to tell people that we're not working all the time. I'm not sure exactly why. I guess it's just the way our culture focuses so much on work. It's become our identity.

I don't want to be defined by how much I worked or even what kind of work I did, but instead by how much I loved people.

So yeah, I guess we're not working consistently right now. We will in the future. But right now, it's been an awesome time. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Family

There's always something so comforting and familiar about being with family, whether it's immediate or extended. It's been wonderful getting to spend time with family here in Georgia, especially since we won't get to see them for several years after we move to Papua New Guinea.

This past week, we spent time with some extended family in North Carolina. We had a blast with them and their six kids! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly kids grow. This may be the last time I see them for four or five years, and most of them will be teenagers by that time.

I have to admit, saying good-bye to them this morning was really hard. I guess it just made it all the more real that some day very soon, we'll be saying good-bye to all familiar faces for the next few years. It kind of feels overwhelming.

But it also makes me so grateful for the time we have with family now. I want to treasure every second!

Easter According to Paiye

As many of us celebrated Easter this past weekend, I'm sure we were thinking a lot about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Many of us have grown up celebrating Easter our whole lives. Most likely, we've always known about Jesus, even though we may not have believed right away in what He did for us.

So I know most of you have heard the Easter Story dozens, if not hundreds, of times before. But here's a different re-telling of the Easter Story. It's a re-telling from a man named Paiye. Paiye lives in Indonesia on the island of Papua. Just 20 years ago, these people were living in complete spiritual darkness. They had no hope, no peace, no Jesus, and no Easter.

Missionaries from New Tribes Mission have been working among Paiye's people, the Moi, for several years now. After they learned the Moi language and culture, they taught the Moi people through the main stories of the Bible, working from Creation to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and many of them believed in what Jesus did for them. For the first time in centuries, we finally had Moi brothers and sisters.

Paiye shares the Easter Story in his own words. Listen and be blessed by his simple, powerful faith.

Our Garden

Over Thursday evening and Friday morning, Clint and I planted a garden beside our house. We had tons of fun! We can only plant certain things that will grow fast enough for us to harvest them before we leave in July, so that made it challenging, but it was fun to try to find things that we could plant. We ended up planting turnips, radishes, carrots, lettuce, peas, green beans, tomatoes (which may take longer), cucumbers, squash, and zucchini. They may not all grow, but at least we were able to enjoy the process!

Since we didn't have a hoe, we ended up breaking up the ground using a shovel and an ax. :D Ha! So classic! I wish I had gotten some pictures. And guess who used the ax? ;-)

When I mentioned to Clint that I was going to write a blog post about our garden, he was like, "Cool. You should write about how our garden is like the tribe we're going to go to."

I was like, "Huh?"

And he explained. Just like our garden, the people in that tribe will need to be prepared. They will need to have the soil of their hearts tilled by the Holy Spirit. There's lots of roots. Lots of rocks. Lots of dirt clods. We can't break those up. Only God can. We'll be planting the seeds of the Gospel in the soil that God has prepared. We'll care for those seeds, nurture them, water them. We may have to wait a long time to see any fruit from our labor. But in the end, those seeds will grow only by the grace of God. Not by our works, but by His.

Wow. I love how God's creation can teach us so many lessons. And I know we'll discover so many more through this garden. I can't wait to post updates as the little seeds begin to grow! At least, I hope they do. :)