November 18, 2019
Greetings Everyone! Fall and cooler weather is finally here! The holidays will soon be upon us! We are so thankful for each one of you and blessed for you to be a part of the Ashlynn Bailey Foundation. We would like to update you on how God has been moving since our last newsletter.
As you know, one of our Highlands College Students, Anthony Colon, graduated this past Spring 2019. He has been serving as the leader of the Pastoral Care Team at the Greystone Campus of Church of the Highlands. He has recently been called to be the Small Groups Pastor and Dream Team Director for a sister church located in McKinney, Texas: Revolution Church, which is a part of the Association of Related Churches (ARC). We are so excited as Anthony, his wife, and his 4 precious children prepare for this next season of his life!
One of our Highlands College Students who recently graduated is Carlie Elkins. On November 5, 2019, Carlie was in fatal car accident on her way to serve. We are grieving the loss of Carlie from this present world, but not in the way of those who do not believe for we know that Carlie is home healed and whole with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Carlie had a passionate relationship with Jesus and was gifted with exhortation and service. She was also very creative and used her gift to bring joy to others in her writings, events, and weddings. Even though Carlie had a brief time here to serve the Lord, her eternal impact was huge! Since the time of her accident many have come to know the Lord either as first time believers or as a rededication of their lives to the Lord. Carlie Elkins will continue to make an impact for the Kingdom from her Heavenly Home. Her story is not over yet! We love you Carlie. We look forward to God’s unveiling Glory and using what might be seen as a horrific tragedy to form beauty from ashes and create praises instead of mourning!
Along with these two graduates, we currently have several other students enrolled in Highlands College. We have one student that will be finishing Highlands College this semester and will have her formal graduation ceremony in the spring. This young woman is on fire for God, and we cannot wait to see how God continues to unveil His plan for her! Also, this semester The Ashlynn Bailey Foundation was able to scholarship two more students to Highlands College. God already is formatting His plan with these two exceptional men! One will be pursuing a leadership role in a recent Highlands Church launch in Sylacauga, Alabama! The other student is advancing his expertise in leadership as he continues to direct, mentor, and lead at Restoration Springs, a secondary recovery facility founded by the Will Bright Foundation. In this secondary program, men learn job and life skills to enhance their transformed life from the bonds of addiction.
In addition, this semester we were able to scholarship a powerful young woman to Kings Way College to advance her current ministry for girls/women who struggle with addiction. She already has completed college, has a Master’s degree and is working on her PHD in counseling. She is currently employed at Grace Klein Community. Her goal in the near future is to build a recovery home specifically for women very similar to Radical Restoration Ministries founded by Dawn Knighton-Adkins.
We are thrilled beyond measure with how God is moving in these students’ lives! God is using the Ashlynn Bailey Foundation to transform His children into mighty warriors! These transformed warriors will be the very ones that serve, mentor and help break the chains of addiction in others!
So, a huge Thank You to each one of you! All of this is possible because of your stewardship and generosity along with God’s gracious ability to multiply what is given out of sacrifice. “He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them…Now those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” (Matthew 14: 19, 21)
God is continuing to develop and grow this ministry. We look forward to its wonderful revealing! We hope that you will continue to pray for us as a foundation. We know God is calling more students to be transformed into His warriors in the battle to fight addiction. We greatly need your continued generosity into a foundation that is restoring many lives. “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9: 37-38)
We would like you to help us reach our goal of $25,000 in donations by the end of the year. Part of that money will go towards completing the endowment at Highlands College for a full scholarship for 1 student every year for the life of the college. The remaining money will be used to scholarship individuals to Highlands College Evening Program.
Thank you for being a part in sending forth workers and the building of God’s kingdom through grace and restoration.
Sincerely,
Mike and Deborah Bailey