One day, during lesson, she went back to her apartment...and was shocked to see that her boyfriend was cheating on her...in her own apartment....Instantly, she kicked him out of her apartment....she cried for days....and later, she got herself a new housemate after putting up a flyer. She named her housemate "fruitcake" in her journal. Day by day, Ashley cried about her boyfriend.....and day by day....fruitcake's action began to affect Ashley....
One day, while both of them were hanging around chatting in the kitchen, Ashley found that fruitcake is still a virgin...Ashley was really curious of fruitcake and she asked her:" why are you living such a perfect life? why are you being so obedient to God? aren't you tired?...and the Fruitcake said: " can I pray for you?"
Ashley didn't let her...she've always thought that she was way too screwed up for God to care. But she began to think, fruitcake is different....different from any other christian....unlike her mum, her stepdad, and her stepbrother.
Less than a month after fruitcake moved into her apartment.....one day, Ashley finally did it..She asked fruitcake about God....and Fruitcake played a dvd of Passion conference "Indescribable" for Ashley....Ashley watched with disbelief...she couldn't believe that people actually had sermons on dvd....but after watching....she cried...and she accepted Christ...That day itself.....she phoned her mum and told them that she has accepted God into her life.....
Ashley began to mail to the Louie guy who was the speaker in the "Indescribable" Passion Conference...and she was really glad that he replied....
After only 3 months of knowing God....one day, Louie received a call from Ashley's mother....she phoned to inform him that, Ashley has died in an car accident....
A few days later, Louie received Ashley's journal from her father....After her father realized how God has changed Ashley, he wants Louie to share Ashley's journal to God's people....he wants her testimony to touched their hearts.....
and hence, Loiue read Ashley's journal in the Passion concert on 3rd August 2008....and that was where I get to know about this testimony....
Last Sunday, I went to this Passion Conference in Sunway Convention Centre. 2 hours before the doors were open, thousand of people were already lining infront of the entrance....including us...
At 6pm, the conference finally began.....
I thought that I've never heard about this Passion conference thing, until the speaker, Louie mentioned the "Indescribable" dvd....then only I realized that he was the guy from the dvd that was played in the last church camp....the guy which used planets and universe to explain God's words. I remember the word " Indescribable". In the conference, he shared with us Ashley's journey...It was hilarious when he read exactly what she wrote....Imagine a mature guy saying words like "cool", "totally", "whatever".....but of course, he replaced the foul words with "blanked"...which appeared more than a couple of times...lol...but everyone was no longer laughing when he reached the end of the testimony...he hold up the empty pages journal and said Ashley has returned to God after involving in the car accident.....
then Chris Tomlin came out and sang the song Amazing Grace....(My chains are gone)...and the lyrics touched everyone in the hall...
"Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)"
Amazing grace How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see'
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbid to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine
When I heard the lyrics, I felt as if this song were for Ashley, as if she was singing too...
This Passion conference was held for only youth from the age of 18 to 25...focusing on university students in this generation.It was held in many places including KYIV, Stockholm, Sao Paulo, Kampala, Paris, London, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Mexico City, Vancouver, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney. This conference is all about God's name and finding a place in a story so much bigger than ours. I'm really glad that I went.
It was really a great conference...
For more information,
http://268generation.com/blog/
1 comment:
I was in church this morning and our pastor was starting a new series about redeeming grace. He told us of Ashley and the fruit cake. Our congragation laughed, cried and felt as if we knew this Ashley, and in a sense we do because at one time or another we have been there. God plants people in places where he needs them and Fruit Cake was planted with Ashley and if she were true to her beliefs of a non-believer, she would never have bunked with Christa. God had a plan and he knew where Ashley would be and why she would need Christa. God I thank you every day for my life and the unconditional love and grace you show me, even when I don't feel like I deserve it. I pray that everyone I know and those that I will never know be blessed with your grace. In Christ's name, Amen........
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