A New Blog

I am leaving the blogspot world and going to worldpress.org

Check out my new blog

CLICK HERE or go tohttp://ashleymarble.wordpress.com/

I have fallen off the face of the earth....

Well.....it is a long time past due...but I am just stopping by to say that I have made it back to America (threeish weeks ago!) and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time. I actually just drove into Plano- my new home. I will update better later. Just wanted to drop a note to say that I have not fallen off the face off the earth...I will update soon.

Picture updates

I have picture updates.

If you want to see an album of the time I spent with Jac click HERE.

If you want to see updates of my last 25 days in Switzerland click HERE.

My bags are packed and each weight 49.95 pounds:-) There are a few things left to pack but it looks like it is going to make it. Tomorrow I am spending the day in a cute little town in France. I will be with a local church that is in France. Their intern team is having a day away and they invited me. This is a chance for them to spend some time alone...away...with the Lord. It is convenient that it worked out this way for me. I am excited!

THEN....Friday morning I will be getting on a plane home. It isn't reality yet. Soon enough it will be!

Packing

Well...one bag is packed weighing in at 49.95 pounds.....the limit is 50lbs. So that is the good news.....the bad news is that I still have a HECK OF A LOT of stuff to fit into one more smaller suitcase....and two carry on's. Hmm.......we will see how this all works out. Needless to say I am giving up for the night and going to bed!

I said two goodbye's today that were sad:-( Laurance Sprott and Lexie Luedtke. I am going to post about them later....

2 days....WEIRD!!!!!

4 days left

I can't believe it. I only have four days left in Switzerland. Well...only three and a half now. I was going to jam pack it with some stuff but I am not going to do that now. I just want to sit back...take it all in...spend time with people etc. etc. I am very excited about returning to the states...nervous...but excited. I am not sad about leaving Switzerland...I have mixed emotions. This place is BEAUTIFUL and there are a handful of people that I am going to extremely miss.

Maybe I will update again about all of this. But for now I need to go enjoy my days in good ol' Swiss Land!

Jac's Pics......

Things are NEVER dull when you spend time with Jac Pizzini!!!!!

Jac and I have been having a blast.....

To check out her picture albums click HERE (1)....HERE (2)
to check out the pictures I added to my album click HERE!!!

13 days:-(

I have added more pics to my album. Check them out here!!!!

It is official.....time is running out. SO SAD! I am glad that Jac is here to spend it with me! She arrived yesterday in Zurich. We had lunch in Zurich and then headed back to the Geneva area. She helped me do games for Corpus last night and then we all went out after youth last night. I love having her here! Today we are spending time in Geneva and then heading to two different year end parties. Good thing she is not shy!!!!!

I have so many mixed emotions about leaving. I don't want to leave this beautiful place and there are several people that I wish could just come home with me! BUT...I am so excited to be home....10 months...what the!?!?!?!? EAK!!!!! A couple of days ago I went on a hike with a group that is in Geneva for the summer to do some mission work. We went to France and had a FANTASTIC day! Who wouldn't in this scenery!

17 days left....really?

This is SO STRANGE!? I leave Swiss Land in 17 days. I am in tourist mode:-) Wait...I am not sure I ever left that mode:-) I bought some practical souvenirs yesterday. Practical meaning some swiss sticky notes....I LOVE those things!!!


My friend Jac Pizzini is visiting on Friday. O MY GOSH.....I can't believe it! I met this girl when she was just finishing the 8th grade:-) Now she is 17 and about to go into her senior year of high school. She is one of my best friends:-) I can't wait to see this girl and hear about her year.

Her coming is extra special because not only is she my friend, but I have been her intern for the past three summers in Mansfield, Texas. She has taught me so much about working with young people, being their friends, and learning what it means to meet their needs. She has a lot to do with why I am in Switzerland and I thank her for that. So, it will be exciting to have her here and let her see what she has influenced me to do!

My brother...

Here is an update on the project my brother is working on for the summer...

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=5391309

My last 25 days....

If you want to follow me and the happenings of my life for the last 25 days I have in the great land of Swiss Click Here!!!!

Update

Today our YFC team leaves for Ovronnaz, Switzerland. It is about an hour and a half outside of Geneva up in the Alps. We are spending three days together to debrief the year. It is so weird to think that when I get back my time in Geneva will be short lived. I hate the fact that I am leaving SWITZERLAND....I am going to miss this place. There are many things I am excited to leave....but not the place!!!!

One thing that has been such a blessing to me the past several months has been a friendship with a girl named Anne-Lydie. She is from Canada and moved here to pursue her passion of sewing through a three year apprenticeship. Several months ago I found out that she would be going to India for an extended amount of time to work with local Christian organizations. She will go there to observe and learn from various experiences where sewing is used in vocational training to improve the lot of poor women's families and share Christ with them. She will also be listening to see how this will later be integrated with her future work and ministry.


This girl is simply amazing. She asked me to be on her accountability team, helping her prepare for her trip. It has been such a fun thing to be a part of!!! There are seven others involved. We have met several times to help Anne-Lydie prepare...ask her hard questions...pray for and with her...and eat great food together!!!!!!!!!



Last night we had our last meeting because everyone will be parting their own way as of this summer. We had a sweet time of prayer and enjoyed an authentic Indian meal! Above is a picture of Sam and I eating the meal! You eat it all with your hands...not even kidding! It was a fun night!

If you are interested in learning more about Anne-Lydie, her trip, or how you could even participate please contact me. You can check out her blog too! The address is www.theindiatrip.blogspot.com She is currently studying for her last exams so she will not be updating for a bit....but keep watching!

One Month!!!

O MY GOSH...o MY gosh!!!!!

One month from today I will actually be in AMERICA. Seriously this seems so strange to me. I am SO excited. EAK!!!!!!!!!

Updated Pics....

Hey...here are some updated photo albums!!!



Added from the Church Retreat and other random time with Westalkers....click here.




I also added some Spring Scenery to this album....click here.



Here are pictures of Danya's Sweet Sixteen and the Youth Cookout...click here.


It is getting VERY bittersweet to leave these people.

Where did the time go?

Wow...

I have a small little calendar that I received as a gift for Christmas. I made it my little countdown calendar. I woke up this morning and all of a sudden I realize I only have 35 days left here. EAK! I am so so mixed with emotion. I seriously can't wait to be home with friends and family.

But.....

I have never really had to leave anything behind before. I have moved away from family and friends...I have left a wonderful job and experience in Mansfield...I graduated from college and left many memories and friends. But with all things I have left there has always been a return or an expecting reunion.

It is different with my life here in Switzerland. One, I have experienced this time alone. Ok...not like alone alone...but much of this year has been spent in solitude...sometimes a choice and sometimes it just happened. I have traveled alone, discovered alone, processed alone (not all the time...but the alone times have occurred more than community times). So the experience is mine and I will only be able to share it with others. That in itself is AMAZING...but it is different when you experience something with someone else...that way whenever you are missing it you just go to them and spend the time reminiscing. I guess this is where skype, email and extra phone calls to valued friends here will come in!

Two, Switzerland is across the ocean from America, my soon to be home. I know I can jump on a plane and visit...but it is a little harder than that. I am realizing as I am starting the good bye process that I will never see some of these people again in my life. I look out the window and realize it will be a while before I get to see the amazing Alps again. My heart is very much here. Imagine what it is like to invest your whole self into something for ten months....a close friend, a marriage, a job...etc. I have put all of me into this year...and this year has been extremely emotional and transforming. When emotions and transformation takes place you are attached for forever. And now I am leaving...leaving across an ocean...in 34 days.

There have been a lot of hard days. I have been doing a lot of reminiscing as I think about leaving. There are days that I just desired to be away from this place. There are afternoons I longed to be with family and friends. There were months (for real) I went without a hug (you know...one of those hugs where you just KNOW the other person loves you). But I can't help but be thankful for every moment of it. I couldn't become the person I am intended to be without every day of the past, what will be ten months.

I don't want to overshadow the fantastic times with the hard times. This year has been a blast! I have some friendships that will last a lifetime! I have seen parts of the world I never thought I would. I have been transformed in many facets of my life. My relationship with my family members have strengthened so much. I have lived in the freaking Swiss Alps that radiate with God's glory! I have experienced a new way of thinking by living in a new culture. I have learned new modes of communication. I have also received new ideas for future youth work I do. And of course, a year like this does not allow for the absence of God to be active. I had a choice to engage, luckily I did. My relationship with the Father is a world different. I enjoy a new form of communication with him. I have learned to receive and give to him. There is just so much there!

Wow....

I just came to "announce" that I am coming home in 34 days....and a lot more came out!

Cowboys!!!!!!

I am so very excited. I received an email from my brother today saying he had bought us tickets to the Cowboys game on August 18th. It is a pre season game against the Broncos. YEA!!!!! I miss the American Sports lifestyle! I CAN`T wait!!!!!

CORPUS PICS

Jesse just updated his pics from Corpus. He has a sweet new camera and you can see the sweet new pics by clicking here!!! It was Taco Bravo night! Adios!

My brother

I think that my brother is just the greatest! He is interning in Huston for the summer with Linbeck. It is a privately held nationwide facility solutions company offering a variety of services including program management, project management, and construction management services, with headquarters in Houston.

His summer project is the new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart being built. You can watch a video about it by clicking HERE. This is a picture of the predicted finished product!

Anyway...I am just proud of my brother...and I wanted to brag!

Deep in the heart of TEXAS!!!!!

When I was five my family and I moved from West Texas to Nebraska. Ever since that day we have always wanted to move back. Not that we didn't like Nebraska. Growing up in Nebraska was amazing (I wouldn't have always said that), and God really used the time in Nebraska to grow us. We have a wonderful community in Christ there as well as many many many memories! It makes me happy thinking about it.

But growing up I just always wanted to move back to Texas. All my decisions have been directed toward that. I looked at schools in Texas....but only got to Oklahoma (again...an amazing time of life). I interned in Dallas....but ended up in Switzerland...WHAT THE HECK!

BUT GUESS WHAT!!!! The day is finally here! As of August 1st I will be a TEXAS RESIDENT! EAK! I can't wait!!!!! I know I know, it sounds ridiculous...it is just a state...but is it really!?!? HA! I actually was in a conversation with a man from Chicago. He even said Texas is just Texas...you can't really describe it. And I think they only way you will ever understand is if you are a Texan at heart! Ok, ok...I will stop because you non-Texan readers are rolling your eyes and thinking I am crazy!!!!

I can't wait to have my own place, get Texas license plates, put yellow roses in my own place, sing Deep in the heart of Texas at Ranger games, a Texas drivers license, and maybe even get a little accent going on!

Eak! I am so so so excited!!!!!!

"awe"

I can't believe it....46 days left until I fly home:-(

I am in "awe" mode! Everything I do or see follows with an awe...I am so enjoying my time in Switzerland right now. The relationships are so rich as well as the time I spend with each person! I am very thankful!

EAK!!!! Time will go by way to fast!!!!

A Ministry of Hospitality

Well....over the course of the past two-ish years The LORD has started and brought about a calling on my life. Just recently it has made sense! This vision is a ministry of hospitality to run out of my home.

I am not sure of the actualities of it...but I have TONS of ideas and I am really excited! I am also realizing that I do not know a lot about hospitality. I want to research it a lot! I want to see what it was like in the Bible! I also want to incorporate the hospitality of other cultures!

There are two basic aspects that I do not want to overlook...
1) Be Practical!! I could easily become consumed with the how to's and how not to's...or the business of it all....but if someone needs a home....give them a home....if someone needs rest...give them rest....if someone needs time....give them time! I think this can happen naturally but I want to seek out opportunities as well.
2) Focus on the people while creating a space where the Lord can work. There are many different avenues that this ministry could go down. I plan on being intentional, while at the same time allowing for natural things to take place. I hope that through this my words can be encouraging, my space can be a place of rest and rejuvenation, my food can be soothing:-), and most of all people will encounter the Lord in my home.

Needless to say I am SO very excited to get back to the States and have my own place (God willing!!!!!!). I am excited to see how God incorporates this into my life! I kind of get overwhelmed thinking about it!!!!! EAK!!!!!

If any of you have ideas, suggestions or you have heard of other stories let me know!