How a kid from Las Vegas ended up in Peru
Not a straight line, and not a dramatic moment either — just a steady pull I eventually stopped arguing with.
Hey, I'm Ashton
I'm 19 years old, originally from Las Vegas, and right now I'm in a two-year Bible college program at CBI Peru in Trujillo. If you told me a few years ago that I'd be living in South America training for missions, I probably wouldn't have believed you.
But God has a way of leading us exactly where we need to be — even when it doesn't make sense at first.
It hasn't been a straight line
My faith journey hasn't been a straight line. Like a lot of people, I grew up in church but had to make my faith my own at some point. That process took time, and there were seasons where I wasn't sure what I believed or where I was going.
But God was patient with me. Through different circumstances — conversations with people who challenged me, moments of conviction, and a growing hunger to understand Scripture — He drew me closer to Himself.
Eventually, I couldn't ignore the pull toward missions. It wasn't some dramatic moment where the clouds parted. It was more like a steady growing sense that this is what I was made for. Teaching the Bible, sharing the Gospel, serving people who need to hear about Jesus — that's where my heart is.
Why Peru?
When I started looking at Bible colleges, CBI Peru stood out. It's a two-year Bible college program in Trujillo — a city of over a million people in northern Peru. It's not the easiest path. I had to leave home, learn Spanish, and adapt to a completely different culture. But that's kind of the point.
CBI is serious about training disciples, not just students. It's hands-on and personal — the staff don't just lecture, they spend time with us, pray with us, and disciple us. We're also connected to a local Calvary Chapel church where we can serve and be part of the community.
Being in South America gives me a front-row seat to see how the church operates in a different context. It's stretching me in ways I didn't expect, and I'm grateful for that.
What I'm learning
What the program actually covers, and why each part matters.
Verse by verse
Working through books of the Bible a passage at a time, rather than skipping between topics.
Bible book teaching
Learning each book on its own terms — who wrote it, who it was for, and what it says.
Topical theology
Studies that pull a subject together across the whole of Scripture.
Hermeneutics
How to interpret a text honestly, so what I teach is actually what Scripture says.
Apologetics
Giving a reason for the hope I have, and answering the questions people really ask.
Church planting
How churches start and grow, taught by people who have done it here.
Discipleship
Being discipled, and learning to disciple others — the part that happens outside class.
Practical service
Serving alongside local churches and in the community every week.
Spanish
Living and ministering in the language of the people I am here to serve.
What's next
I don't have it all figured out. I know God has called me to ministry, but the specific shape of that is still unfolding. Maybe it'll be church planting, maybe teaching at a Bible college, maybe something I haven't even thought of yet.
What I do know is that I want to spend my life helping people know God through His Word. Whether that's in Peru, back in the States, or somewhere else entirely — I'm open to wherever He leads.
For now, my focus is finishing my training well, growing in character and knowledge, and trusting God with the details.
Pray with me. Here is what I'm asking for, and I send updated requests out each month.
Want to follow along?
I send updates on what's happening here — what I'm learning, how God is working, and specific things you can pray for.