Close friends know that I have a strong aversion to saying “goodbye.” For some of us, saying the word “goodbye” feels like a part of our heart is shattering. If I sound a bit over the top, forgive me, I’ve said a lot of goodbyes in my lifetime – and another one is about to happen this week.
This past weekend – after an incredible Horizon 8.0 gala! – marked the end of an incredible 3+ year journey for me and a colleague of mine, Ashley (AKA Ginger). If you have not yet picked up on it, Ashley has beautiful, red hair. But Ashley’s gorgeous, red hair is just one of the things that makes this woman amazingly beautiful – and this blog post is about her. It’s my way of saying “goodbye” (see you again!).
Here’s just a few of the things I love and appreciate about Ashley:
- She loves God and she seeks to serve him faithfully – it’s why she moving to Kenya!
- She loves people and she lives in such a way as to honour others and serve them well.
- She is generous with her time and resources.
- She has an incredible work ethic and get’s what it means to do things with excellence. I am seriously going to miss this!
- She hurts when others hurt, and she shares in others’ joys, too.
- She’s forgiving – she had to put up with me!
- She’s influenced me in ways that will continue to bear fruit long after she’s gone – I am a better woman, leader, and friend because of her.
- She is a woman of worth and a rare treasure.
I am going to miss Ashley is ways I can’t put into words, but I am excited for her, with her, and I pray the Lord’s blessing upon her in this new season of life and ministry.
I’ll be seeing you Ashley! Thanks for being a beautiful image-bearer of Christ!
The Reverend Carmen Kampman is a woman on the road of leadership. Ordained with the PAOC, she is a steward of God’s call to women in ministry. She is on staff at Horizon College & Seminary, an Associate Pastor at Westside Pentecostal, and holds an MA in Leadership & Management from Briercrest College & Seminary.