Ashley was commended to the mission field by Elles Road Bible Chapel in 2013, after participating in the GC3 Headspace programme. She has recently received a JH Baldwin Scholarship to further equip herself to continue serving overseas.
Ashley was brought up being taken to Sunday school by her aunty and later became involved in the youth group. At the end of high school, unsure about her future, her aunty suggested the Headspace programme. She decided to join the programme, which changed her life.
Ashley writes:
“Although I believed in God, I hadn't fully accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and it was at Headspace that this major change happened. I saw the sin in my life and the baggage I carried and made a choice to follow Jesus and accept him as Lord and Saviour.”
From there, her life changed even more radically. After Headspace, she studied a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Linguistics and Human Development at Waikato University.
Following university, she returned to Headspace, but this time as an intern. She says, “I felt like Headspace had given so much to me that I also wanted to give something back to the programme.”
During her internship, Ashley learned of a need for missionary volunteers on the Thai-Burma border. Though initially reluctant, after much prayer, she stepped into the role and served there for four years.
Sensing God leading her elsewhere, Ashley has been serving as a missionary in Eastern Europe since 2017, primarily through an education programme that supports children in their educational, spiritual, social, and emotional growth.
Ashley is finishing her current assignment this year and looking to where God is sending her next after completing her studies.
Michael Hanson, GC3 Executive Director, says, “We are excited that Ashley has the opportunity to take some time out to do further studies. We look forward to seeing where God leads her next.”
If you’d like to support Ashley’s work and studies, you can do it here by selecting the person "Ashley S (21)".
