The Tree of Life

Ciao Friends! I hope this blog finds you well. Easter is tomorrow! Can you believe it? Another year full of God's glory and forgiveness because of the blood and resurrection of Jesus. This years, I decided to watch some videos each day discussing what Jesus did during the days leading up to his death. One of my favorite quotes from the series was this.

The cross of Christ is the new tree of life. Because of what Jesus did, he

opened up the door to paradise once again.

Through his pain, faithfulness, and love, we are able to respond in our brokenness and come near the cross. I hope tomorrow during the communion you reflect on the Last Supper Jesus had with his dear friends. I'm sure they went into that dinner expecting the norm. Expecting the usual Passover dinner. But no! Jesus redefines by redirecting the focus from the saving blood of the lamb to the saving blood of himself, the ultimate lamb. He sacrificially gives his body and blood for us to partake in so that we can celebrate and experience the forgiveness of our Lord. One night. One table. One meal. One sacrifice. And the one and only son of God allowing us to walk away from the table with a "song in our hearts" to share with the world. If you find yourself stuck, just honoring the bread and the wine and not sharing with others, I beg you to reflect and turn the tables in your heart. Share and spread the words that save life, give us freedom, and lead to an eternal life in paradise.

He is risen

christian tree of life

tree of life

Update

This month has been a month of planning. I have gotten to the point where I've already finished the material I wrote at the beginning of the semester with my students, so I'm slowly writing more lessons as each week passes. I've also been involved in planning the Convegno delle Donne (women's conference) that is coming up next weekend. We have a lot left to do! But we are so excited to have around 30 women from all over Italy come to Tuscany to commune and learn more about Christ. Please pray for all of the women traveling! As we've been planning, we've seen the devil at work trying to discourage many. We don't want that! Another thing we've been planning is the summer! We don't have classes in the summer so Nathan and I are looking at visiting different churches in Italy and other missionaries to give encouragement and a helping hand in whatever they may need! So we will see where our planning leads us. Please be in prayer for our students... and us! Like I mentioned last month, we are coming to a more comfortable place with many of our students. They are becoming more willing to discuss their beliefs with us every week. Many of my students are starting the see the difference in my conviction and knowledge compared to their position and understanding of the Bible. I believe this is a great place to be! Many questions are being asked and many "hmmms" are coming out of their mouths. So please pray for God to open up their minds to see the power of our Jesus and the goodness the Word of God gives us.

Thank you so much for everyone's support! This month has been a highlight in our time here. We have received many emails and even more letters than ever before! We love hearing from you and hope to write you back soon!

Peace and Blessings,

Ashley