I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Acts 20:24
DAILY LIFE
The village life is vastly different from the the urban lifestyle. It is more simple, societal based and traditionally rooted. In the community, women centrally manage the household while men fend for their families.
A typical day begins with waking up before dawn to go the garden to farm and return home before most people rise. Then starts our daily chores, which include: fetching water from the well, gathering and preparing food, and hand-washing clothes. Only a few children in the village can afford to go to school, so most children are found working along side their mothers throughout the day. Later in the evening, men are usually found congregating in the trading center called Okapel to hang out as they relax.
ASHTON IN THE VILLAGE
As I lived in the village, it was important to blend in especially because I was a foreigner (the only American in the district) and did not want to draw added attention to myself. In addition to that, as professed even by other missionaries, there’s no better way to preach the gospel in the village than to live like one of them! Driven by the Holy Spirit and a deep desire, I quickly adapted to the culture and began living like a local, in a mud hut, eating with my hands, digging and farming the land, etc.
MINISTRY
I used the ministry opportunities that the Lord gave me and began carrying out pastoral training seminars, community outreaches, and personal evangelism. Communication was challenging as I ministered, but I had a friend who was also a tribesman of that land and understood English.
WHEN IT’S LONELY
Living so far out in the middle of nowhere was wonderful but also a struggle. The solitude was extremely peaceful; the peace allowed me time to walk with Jesus through out my day. The thoughts that would usually float through my head became all day prayer conversations with the Lord. I had in my house a pole which I would climb up to get a decent phone signal to communicate with my family back in America but, I still had a deep longing for friendship and community.
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