Staff Highlight: Ashley Wagner
Well, folks, it’s Friday which means we’re featuring our next member of our Hope 4 Liberia team! I’ve interviewed and written about several of our Liberian members and thought today I would take some time to tell you a little more about myself. I work in Public Relations for our ministry and enjoy being able to serve wherever I am able, which, of course, includes jumping on the plane along side of my mom and our other team member, CeCe, and heading to Liberia.
I’m going to take some time and answer the questions that I’ve asked the others.
What are you most passionate about?
I would say that one of the things that I am definitely most passionate about is sharing the gospel through song. I have been amazed at all the doors that the Lord has opened for me to share my story and minister through music.
I love serving the Lord.
When did you surrender your life to Christ?
I don’t remember the exact date. I was 9 though when I came to the realization that I needed Christ and couldn’t depend on my parents salvation to get me to heaven. I knew that I was a sinner in need of a Savior and so, in the privacy of my bedroom one quiet afternoon, I surrounded my life to Christ. It has been the greatest decision of my life.
What do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy doing a lot of different things. I love singing, cooking, and hunting whitetail deer. I have been enjoying the sport since I was 12 but am still waiting for that trophy buck to walk my way.
I also love traveling, spending time with my family, 4-wheel driving in the Rockies, being an Aunt to my amazing nieces and nephews, of which I have a passel of! There are 13 to be exact, with 2 more on the way! I’m so blessed!
My Grandmother and Mom instilled in me a love of sewing which I’ve been doing since I was about 7 years old. I loved sewing costumes ranging from the Titanic Era, to the days of Little House on the Prairie, the Victorian Era and 1940’s-1950’s. As a result, I am also a collector of patterns and fabric and I may have brought a lot of fabric home from Liberia with me because of it.
Name a time in life that you sense God’s presence real with you.
When thinking over this question there’s one instance in particular that immediately stands out to me.
In 2013 I began having seizures and in 2018 they got to the point where I had around 60 in the course of several months. There were times when I unable to walk, talk or even feed myself. Because of this I feel into depression and deep discouragement. During one of my hardest days, our good friend and my Liberian Dad, Pastor Charles called to ask how I was and to pray for me. He prayed over me and also shared the request with his church family that was holding a prayer vigil. Within a matter of an hour or so, I was able to get up off the couch and felt stronger than I had in days and praised the Lord. I truly felt the Lord’s presence in a way that I could physically feel. I went on to have 6 months seizure free for the first time in 5 years! Though I have battled with them since that time, I will never forget that moment. God is so good!
I’m thankful to be able to help serve along side my family in Hope 4 Liberia and have been amazed to see all that the Lord has done. It’s more than we could have ever imagined. I can’t wait to see all that He has in store for this ministry!
Thank you for taking the time to read this even though it is always slightly awkward writing about oneself.