Story Spotlight: Ashleigh 

An inspiring post by one of our TivaWater 1.0  trip participants, Ashleigh:

​I joined TivaWater back in May of 2013 as a to-be senior in high school. This trip was my first time experiencing abject poverty in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. It was difficult for a young, naïve heart to take in something so different from my life back home in the States. It was one of the first times in my life that my flippantly prayed prayer, “God, break my heart for what breaks yours”, was answered. On another side of the spectrum, I saw more passion in an outdoor church of twenty than I often see in my own home church of hundreds. This demonstrated one of the truest, simplest spiritual principles I have ever learned. Desperation for Christ and His Kingdom are crucial to really knowing Him. Stay hungry! Stay thirsty! I remind myself everyday now because it is honestly such a sheer joy to partner with Father.

I will never forget the conversation I had with my dad and two boys my age named Daniel and Joseph. Joseph had prayed for funds for school for months but had recently lost his only relative- an aunt with four other children to take care of much younger than he. His faith in God to believe that funds would come still convicts me when my heart doubts God’s kindness. He gently pulled my dad aside after a long get-to-know-you chat to the village church and said he had seen him in a dream the night before and felt like he was the one who God had provided as a means for his schooling. Our hearts were both ecstatic at God’s kindness in seeing each of His children so specifically. Joseph’s grateful heart was the most precious thing in the world. I often take for granted my schooling and to see his joy and value of something I just expect was incredibly eye-opening,

This demonstrated one of the truest, simplest spiritual principles I have ever learned. Desperation for Christ and His Kingdom are crucial to really knowing Him.

Another moving experience on the trip for me was visiting the escaped child soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Army and seeing the burial site from those killed in their village. I met “house fathers” who were fourteen and taking care of seven other kids. Seeing their resilience and ability to forgive their captors was phenomenal. They ministered more to me than I ever could to them. There are several more stories I could share as to how I saw God work on this short trip, but I know He is using TivaWater to accomplish great things.

About Ashleigh
            Ashleigh is currently a junior nursing major at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Upon her college graduation in 2018, she dreams of doing the World Race. The journey is an 11-month trek to 11 countries to present the gospel to the most unreached and poorest of the poor in the 10/40 window. She was raised in Knoxville, TN—Go Vols! She is an aspiring international missionary nurse with a passion specifically for children. She loves travel, being outdoors, reading, singing and truly getting to know people deeply.  ​