Man, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to write! My husband and I welcomed our son, Andrés Mikkel, into the world almost 8 months ago. Between being a full time mami and all the other curve balls life throws, I haven’t found the time to sit and write out what has been on my heart.
I started this blog to share my journey here to the Dominican. It hasn’t turned out quite the way I expected. It has been one of the wildest, refining, yet most amazing journeys. Even through the tough moments, I would choose it all over again because it’s shaped who I am today. And through it all, God has given me the most precious gifts—my Alan and my Andrés.
My heart has really felt torn between the states and here lately. The Dominican has been my dream since my first trip in 2016. God really broke my heart and opened my eyes on this trip, and when I went back to the states, I felt homesick for the Dominican. Now after 6 years of living in the DR, and never knowing the next time I will see my family, I am praying that the Lord will provide a way for my husband to be able to travel to the states.
For those of you have followed along, you know that the road has been long and we have fought really hard do everything the right way, the way that is pleasing in the Lord’s eyes. I have found myself at another place of surrender. I am re-learning how to release control and watch the Lord’s hand orchestrate a miracle for us, just like I did with my Dominican residency.
Matthew 6:25-34 has been the most encouraging passage to me in this season. The Lord fills the birds’ bellies, and they don’t even work for it. He clothes the flowers of the field who are here today and gone tomorrow. How much more will He take care of us? He knows our every need even BEFORE we take it to Him in prayer. Over and over it says, “do not worry!” But instead, we seek first His kingdom and righteous and all these things will be added to us.
One thing that has given me so much comfort is that God foresaw everything that we have been through and everything we will go through even before Alan and I met. The Lord has intertwined our stories knowing that we would come from different countries resulting in lots of paperwork and hoops we’d have to jump through to be together. And He knew exactly what we would need to jump through those hoops. This has given me so much peace. He is the author of our story, and He will supply all we need to do what is honoring in His eyes.
It’s crazy how my journey has come full circle. It isn’t easy having your heart in two countries. And yet, it is so beautiful to get to love people so deeply from each country that it hurts to be away from them. I’m eager to see (and share!) the next chapters of the story that God is writing.
Estoy sentada debajo de una manta gruesa con un cafecito en mi mano, y todavía tengo frío. Pienso en mi casa en la República Dominicana y como casi nunca necesito una manta (excepto cuando llueve mucho). A veces cierro mis ojos e imagino que estoy ahí con el aire fresco, un Bruniño loco, y mi amado esposo. Puedo oler el café en la greca y escuchar los motores en la calle.
Yo he estado en los Estados Unidos por un rato, bueno un largo rato. Estoy loquita por volver a la casa y mi vida en la RD. Puede parecerles loca, pero extraño las cosas pequeñas. Cómo caminando por todos lados, el olor de la bandera (arroz, pollo, y habichuela), escuchando, “colmado!” en nuestro complejo de apartamentos. Extraño saludar a mis amigos con, “hey klk”, pasando la noche en la terraza y viendo las luces de la ciudad, o las noches cuando la luz se va y nos sentamos en el balcón y hablamos sobre las cosas profundas que tenemos en nuestros corazones. Cree en mi que la lista puede seguir.
Sabes qué hay muchas personas alrededor del mundo que dicen, “aye los Estados Unidos es mi sueño”? Bueno, la República Dominicana es mi sueño. Y nunca quiero olvidar que fue Dios quien me hizo un camino para vivir allí.
Este tiempo en los Estados Unidos ha sido tan difícil. Mi esposo y yo estamos comunicándonos a través de un celular, y hay tiempos en que no tenemos una buena conexión de internet. A veces siento como que no puedo compartir mi vida entera con mis amigos aquí porque no tienen las mismas experiencias. Cuando estoy aquí, extraño a mi esposo y gente en la RD. Cuando estoy ahí en la RD, extraño a mi familia y gente aquí. Mi corazón está en dos países y eso no es fácil.
Estoy desesperada por un poco de esperanza ahora. Nunca he luchado contra Dios o cuestionando a Dios antes. Pero durante esta etapa, quiero preguntarle, “Dónde estás Señor? Estás escuchando? Estás viendo lo que está pasando?” Estoy tratando de estar firme y confiar en Él. Pero mi cerebro humano quiere tener las respuestas. Mi cerebro humano quiere saber por qué tengo que estar separada de mi esposo por mas que dos meses y por que siempre estamos luchando pero no vemos el fruto de nuestra lucha.
Yo soy una mujer terca. Cuando tengo algo en mi mente, no me detengo hasta que llegue a donde quiero estar. Este tiempo ha sido tan difícil porque no puedo controlar nada. Tengo que esperar en el Señor. Y a pesar de que creído en Dios desde que era una niña, a veces tengo dificultades para liberarle el control. Pero cada día, estoy aprendiendo más.
Aunque Dios no contestó en el tiempo que yo quería, este tiempo tiene un propósito para el reino de Dios. A través de este largo tiempo, Dios me enseño muchas cosas que nunca quiero olvidar…
•Aunque Dios no te ha respondido, Él está obrando todavía. Suena tan cliché, verdad? Entiendo perfectamente. Nunca vamos a entender las formas de Dios. Él es soberano. Jesús puede ver todo lo que no podemos ver. Él ve lo que está en frente que no alcanzamos ver. Es como estamos viviendo en un gran rompecabezas y no podemos ver todas las piezas. Pero Dios es el jugador. Él puede ver todas las piezas que tienen que conectar para completar el rompecabezas.
•No podemos controlar todo. Gah, es una lucha para mi. Quiero saber lo que va a pasar y quiero planificar todo. Cuando me mudé a la isla en 2019, planeé mis días. Pero cada día nunca iría como estaba planeado. Pensé que yo sola podía controlar las cosas alrededor de la casa. Mi pobre esposo. A veces estoy estresada porque quiero que la casa esté de una manera exacta cuando tenemos visitantes. Alan siempre me dice, “hey tranquila. Nadie va a ver ese polvo en la mesita.” Bueno, hace casi 3 años y todavía estoy aprendiendo cómo poner todo en los pies del Señor. Ahora, apuesto que tú puedes imaginar lo difícil que ha sido este tiempo para mi. No tengo a mi esposo, no tengo mi pasaporte, estoy esperando al consulado que no nos comunica, y no se cuando voy a volver a la casa. Estoy aprendiendo a cómo dejar todo en las manos del Dios.
•VALOR…estudié algunos versículos sobre esperando en Dios y la palabra que vi muchas veces es: valor. Cuando pienso en esta palabra, siempre pienso, “ah si es la fuerza que tenemos para hacer las cosas que nos asustan.” Pero para tener valor no solo significa eso. Para ser valiente es tener fuerza en el dolor o tristeza también. Quiero ser una mujer valiente con la fuerza de Dios en momentos de miedo y momentos de dolor.
•No tenemos que sentir Dios para saber que Él esta con nosotros. Aunque estoy leyendo la Palabra de Dios y orando todos los días, no siento su presencia todos los días. Tenemos momentos espirituales altos y momentos espirituales bajos. Me gusta pensar en el camino de la fe como una montaña rusa. He estado atascada en un tiempo bajo pero yo se que Dios siempre está conmigo. Él ve todo lo que Alan y yo tenemos en nuestros hombros, Él escucha nuestros gritos. Nunca nos abandonará.
•Necesitamos estar alerta y atentos en cada momento. Hay una guerra espiritual alrededor de nosotros. El enemigo siempre está buscando y planeado una manera de sacarnos o sacudirnos del camino de Dios. En su primera carta, Pedro dice, “Practiquen el dominio propio y manténganse alerta. Su enemigo el diablo ronda como león rugiente, buscando a quien devorar.” (1 Pedro 5:8, NVI) Si el enemigo no puede derrotarnos, hará todo lo que pueda para hacernos sentir como que estamos derrotados. Él quiere mantenernos apartados de Dios en vez de caminar en la libertad con Jesucristo. Pero con el poder de Jesús que vive en nosotros, ya hemos vencido.
•Amo a la gente, no a las cosas. Cree en mi que me encanta ir de compras. Me encanta buscar decoraciones para mi casa, ropa para mi esposo o yo misma, juguetes para mi Bruno, y regalitos para mi familia. Pero he encontrado que esas cosas nunca va a llenarme. Nunca me voy a sentir completa con ropa nueva, una casa llena de decoraciones bonitas, o un carro nuevo. No no no. El mejor regalo es tiempo con mi gente. Cuando comparto un buen tiempo hablando o escuchando a los demás, eso va a llenar mi taza. Siempre debe ser personas sobre las cosas.
•Me encanta mi vida sencilla. Amo a mi familia muchísimo, pero mi familia tiene un vida tan ocupada. Siempre están afuera de la casa trabajando, haciendo las diligencias, en partidos de fútbol, en algunas reuniones, etc. Es la forma de vivir aquí. Y algo tonto… siempre tienen luz y agua. Yo crecí aquí en los Estados Unidos pero ahora estoy acostumbrada de mi vida en la República Dominicana. Durante mi tiempo aquí, he extrañando la simplicidad de mi vida en la RD con mi esposo. Si no tenemos agua en la calle, no hay problema, tenemos tanques. Si no tenemos luz, no hay problema, tenemos velas. Hay tiempos en que mi esposo y yo pretendemos que no tenemos luz, hacemos una cita con velas en el balcón sin los celulares y luego conversamos sin distracciones. Son momentos tan especiales. Extraño mucho a esta forma de vivir.
•Mi hogar es donde está mi esposo (y mi Brunie también-claro). No me sentía como yo misma sin mi Alan. No me importa donde estamos, pero si estamos juntos, ese es mi “hogar”. Quizás suena queso-ey (como tonto o tan romántico) pero es la verdad. Si tienes que pasar un largo rato sin tu pareja, tu vas a ver.
•Más que nada, he aprendido que Dios va a cumplir su plan en su tiempo perfecto. No estoy segura cuando voy a volver a la casa o por cuánto tiempo estaré aquí. Ha sido tan largo, pero yo se que Dios está en el control. Tengo que dejar de presionarme y cuando pueda dejar de hacer eso, podré encontrar paz y descanso en Jesús. No puedo esperar hasta que pueda sacar esta manta y empacar mi maleta para volver a la casa. Pero hasta ese momento, voy a seguir aprendido y confiando en Dios.
When I began my journey to the Dominican, I told myself that I would keep it real. That I would not sugar coat things, and that I would be honest about the struggles of missionary life. I have failed to do this. I have fallen into this pressure of trying to appear as though I have it all together. Part of this is because I live in a culture where everyone is always watching and talking-whether true or not, because I am seen as a leader and so others come to me when they are wrestling and I need to set myself aside, and so on. But the truth is, I have not been ok for a long time.
Today I cried out to God while in stand still traffic with the hot sun beating down on my car and no air conditioning. My Bruno bear was riding with me, slobber running out of his mouth due to the horrendous hot sun. As public cars were cutting me off, those around me were honking like crazy, and my poor pup was desperate for water, I sort of lost it.
This past year and nine months has been the hardest and loneliest season of my life. Finding people to click with and grow together with has been so hard. Ministry is demanding and sometimes so difficult when you work with a computer and do not always get to see the fruit of what you work so hard at. I am learning to be an adult in a new culture. Paying bills, maintaining the home, car, all of it looks very different here. Sometimes I schedule an appointment for a certain time then wait four hours for a person to show up, having to cancel my meetings for the afternoon, and then they tell me I must be patient and wait for them when I check why they have not arrived. On top of this, everything I touch seems to break. Thing after thing has an issue, needs fixed, or goes totally wrong.
I have been going and going for so long that I have forgotten what it is like to rest. I cannot even remember the last time I took time to do something for me or even what I would want to do if I had the time.
In July, I got on my knees, opened my palms and said, “God I am desperate to hear your voice. Speak to me.” He said, “this is faith. We walk by faith and not by sight.” Shortly after, I felt the Spirit whisper to me one simple word. “RAIN.” I had dreams of fire and then rain showers in my bedroom. As I went through my devotional, the author wrote about heavy clouds ready to explode and how God will release the rain, but we must stand under the cloud with arms open wide ready to receive all He has for us. When quarantine hit, I got plugged into a church based out of Orange County, CA called TFHOC. I have grown SO much worshipping and digging into the word with them from my couch. They recently did a series on RAIN.
These were just a few times that God kept reminding me, ‘hey Ashley, rain is on the way.” I write in my prayer journal often, “la lluvia está en camino.” But I am still waiting under the cloud, hoping it will burst and downpour soon.
Here is what I am learning as I stand under this cloud with my arms wide open:
IT IS OK TO WRESTLE. Man, I have really wrestled and asked God, “why?” lately. Last week, I wrote in my journal, “God where have you been?” Which is something I have never asked before. Wrestling produces depth and growth. It is in our wrestling that we learn to fight on our knees, the urgency of prayer and crying out to God. And He meets us here. He hears our cries and loves it when we call upon His name.
WORSHIP IN THE WILDERNESS. I love spontaneous worship where the leader does not just follow the lyrics in front of them, but they sing from their guts. They let the Holy Spirit lead and take the spotlight. I have been playing worship throughout my house and just trying to create an atmosphere that ushers in His presence.
PROCLAIM THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER IT ALL. This has really helped me. Whether sitting on your comfy couch, pushing a cart at the store, or sitting in your office chair, sometimes we need to declare out loud over our spirits and situations that God is good, He is unchanging, and He is fighting for us. Stating Truth over hard situations refocuses our attention and reminds the enemy that he is already defeated.
GOD IS OUR SOURCE. My prayer has always been that my eyes would be fixed on the Lord as my source of provision. Not my employers, wallet, significant other, nothing but Jesus. Fundraising to be a missionary was very intimidating to me (and it still is to be honest), but I knew that God honored big faith. So I asked boldly of Him to provide in full within five months, and He made it happen. During this hard time, He has reminded me of His constant faithfulness and the way that He shows up and provides exactly what I need in the most perfect timing (although sometimes I try to rush the process). He made mana rain down to fill the Israelites bellies and used ravens to carry food to Elijah and fill his belly. He made a way then, and He is still making a way now. HE IS A GOD OF MIRACLES.
CREATE THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU CRAVE. I have been really hurt in relationships in the states and here in the DR. Sometimes relationships feel one sided, and it stings a little. During this time of being physically separated from others, God has really been working on my heart and convicting me to fully forgive. In my disappointment and frustration, I have found myself shutting down to have relationships with others. But that is the enemy’s tactic. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy. He delights in making people feel divided and isolated. We must step out of the “poor me” mindset and pursue these deep, meaningful relationships even if we feel that we are the ones initiating it. Because it is worth it. Because we are designed for community. My momma Linda says, “lavish love.” Christ lavished love on those who spat at Him and mocked Him. Oh how I want to be more like our Jesus who went after those who rejected Him.
NO STRIVING JUST ABIDING. I do not know about you, but I am always on the go. I have like a thousand things on my to-do list and even more thoughts running through my head. I get so caught up in the “doing” that I forget to just “be.” I have found myself guilty of being more of a Martha than a Mary. I want to sit at the feet of Jesus more and listen to what is on His heart. I want to put the dirty dishes down, and just sit and linger in His presence. As I feel the cloud above me about to burst, I am reminded that this new season of rain will bring less striving and just abiding in Him.
When I dove into fundraising and preparing for the field, I prayed that my journey would inspire others and take them deeper in their walk. That God would show up in such mighty ways that would only point to Him and draw those around me into a more intimate relationship with Him. So every time I sit down to write, I tell God, “I want to say something that matters. I want to say something that hits home for someone or spurs them on in their faith.” I always pray before I start writing (and during) that God would speak through me to reach someone that needs encouragement. I want to be real and vulnerable as I journey through ministry, the Dominican culture, learning to be an adult, etc. and I pray that God uses it all to spark something in whoever reads (even if it is just one person it is worth it).
So if you are like me (and if you made it this far in the blog) keep standing under that cloud. Keep singing your guts out and proclaiming the goodness of God, keep standing firm when the enemy throws thing after thing at you and those you love, keep fighting for those friendships, keep pursuing the heart and presence of our Jesus That cloud will soon burst and God is going to down pour crazy refreshment on you.