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!