It has been 4 months... 4 months since the Race ended. At times it seems like years ago, or like a dream that I had while sleeping one night, and sometimes it seems like yesterday i was eating meat on a stick in Thailand... Weird.

 

     It has been an easier transition home than I expected it to be. i have started to work at Trevinos Gymnastics again. I was a coach there before i left for the race, and I have found them to be very welcoming of me being back. I know that i am not going to be here long, and actually the plan is to move up to Syracuse, NY in June, and work with Dave Brown for a little while, so until then I will be working here. I will say it is really good to be around kids again. After spending a year around them you kinda miss it.  I had a little 5 year old girl tell me the other day.." Coach Matt. My mommy tells me that tattoos kill people..." as she looked up my right sleeve at both of my tattoos... and all I could do was laugh... I was coaching another girl and told her to stop bending her knees, and she very seriously turned around and stated," Mister Matt, God made me with my knees bent!"   Oh kids are funny.

 

      Along with working at Trevino's I am still waiting to date Hope. Lets define "Waiting" ... Hope and I have two hang out days a week, Tuesday and friday. On tuesdays i go over to her house and we watch American Idol, and walk around the park, fridays we play tennis or Corn-hole! We talk on the phone every once and a while and I guess you could consider all this "Dating." but I do not pursue her like a girlfriend...yet. We have not had really in depth conversations about our past, we haven't kissed, or anything beyond, we are not alone together if we are not in public, and I haven't said the three word phrase that make women want to get married. You see I feel that the Lord told me not to date until 6 months after Hope Graduates High School and that is what I am doing. We are on our fifth year of waiting for each other, and have 9 months left!

 

      Along with this I am trying to help my brother kameronkissinger.theworldrace.org to get ready for the race. He is supposed to leave in July and is trying to raise support. He has a very interesting story and i am excited to see What the Lord is going to do in his life this next year. His heart is for worship and really wants to just serve the Lord in faithful obedience. Please pray about supporting him he could use anything you could give. I will be posting a blog about him soon!

 

       Living at home.... it has been bitter sweet. I love my family, but I am ready to move past little Red Oak Tx. I am trying to be a blessing to my parents while I am here though. My dad work opposite hours as my mom and so anytime they can get together I try to let them... This means taking care of my cousins  that live with us.

 

 

      Prayer needs:  -I wrote a blog before I came home telling of my fears of what temptations might be waiting for me at home, and I think lust was at the top of that list. Well not saying that lust is not a problem now, but what is a big prayer request is just focus. Sometimes I feel so distracted here and I just need the focus and self discipline to do the things I need to get done while I am here.  

- Prayer for Syracuse that  i would be in God's will.

                                 

 

 

We just got 16 inches of snow in one day in North Texas.. ITS CRAZY!

 

 

Di Dinnis has made videos all year, and here are two videos she has just recently made since being home. The first one is about the growth that we have had during the world race and the second is a quick overview of the year. I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the view walking to down town where the university is that we go and Prayer walk at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bikes are chaned up everywhere!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the outside of one of the churches in down town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 this is the inside of the church.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the painting on the inside of the dome of the church.. It is a painting off all the levels of heaven to hell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A lot of our ministry this month is talking and sharing our story and lives with the americans at our hostel. We live in this room with 12 beds, and share everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the famous David statue, which this is a fake. It is out in the center of town with all of the HUGE statues. The real David, is in a museum that cost money, so we just visit the fake.... the Favid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is just a picture on the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 the team getting Gelato!!!

So good!

 

 

 

 

okay. So today is Daves birthday, and because we won't be with him beceuse his  is with Jen and Tonya, in Vienna planning our final debrief.. Hanna and I made him this video.  It is to the song Love Shack because If you around Dave for more than 3or 4 days he is sure to tell you ,"You are Loved."  Well, somewhere along the line someone on the squad but hand motions to it...starting from the top meaning Gods love comes down to me then from me to you {hence the motions you will see in the video.} In Mozambique we were in 'da bush' and the church we worked at was basically a shack, and so I nicknamed it the love shack because that is where people meet Gods love... but it WAS a shack.  all this to catch you up so you wont be competly confused... 

Happy 27th Birthday to Dave! from Ashli Hanna on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Dave, See ya in a few days!

Pictures of the team from all year.

 

 

Haven't posted In a while and I just want to update everyone on what is going on. We are currently in Warsaw, Poland working with a pastor and his wife here. Warsaw is a very nice city, and we have been very blessed by the family, and church here.

 

A lot of our ministry here this month is just telling people here about our trip and getting them excited about missions.

 

On the NOV. 4th, we head to Prague, Czech republic to spend a day there and catch a plane to Milan Italy, our next area of ministry this month. 

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     Going into this crazy thing I expected to be changed... I had NO idea what that change would look like, but I knew it would be there.  I think I fell into the category of people that think after a mission's trip and seeking God for a year that I would come back close to perfect. I mean I was a missionary for a year! Right...? Wrong. Throughout Africa God did a LOT of work on my heart. I surrendered and dealt with un-confessed sins, bondage, and fears. The Lord took me through the desert, and by the end of month 8, I thought that I had everything taken care of. However since arriving in Europe I have had all areas of temptation tested. Currently here in the Ukraine, God is preparing me for life after the race. I live in the downtown area of a nice size city, where people don't go outside unless they are dressed for the occasion; nice cars are everywhere, and there are sexual temptations galore. The very things that I thought I had under control are becoming a temptation again, and I am not even back in the states yet.  What about the temptations that Satan hasn't had an opportunity to utilize yet? What happens when I get home and my computer is there again? What does it look like to go home to a place that is comfortable? Back to a place where these things aren't seen as "strongholds" as much as everyday desires to be fulfilled. These are some of the questions that I have been facing, and wrestling with.

  

      Through this wrestling I have some grasp on the truth of the situation. I am coming home a changed person. Period. I can't help it... before I left for the race I was waiting for my time to be called into heaven, just trying to be a "good Christian" here on earth while I wait in line, and if I brought a few people with me than great but if not okay too. Now I passionately seek God's kingdom here on earth, not waiting for a heaven, but pushing to see heaven come to earth in my life now! I know that I will have struggles going home and some things may be a temptation but I also know that I will never be the person I was before the race again; that I can't have the revelation of whom God is that I have discovered this year stripped from my mind because it is written on my heart forever.

   

      I have to be honest that it is a very bittersweet reality... bitter in that to keep my integrity whole I am going to have to work and put forth more effort than I had originally thought. Sweet in that I am going "home" and get to see people that I love and haven't seen for 11 months, after the Lord has prepared me for it here in Europe. I believe that this is why our last months are in Europe...yes to minister to others, but also to be prepared and equipped for "home."  To live a changed man in a not so changed home. To live as a son of God and member of a heavenly kingdom, residing temporarily in this earthly kingdom.