MTP 51: Ashlee Balena, Part 2, How a Syllabus Link Led to Saving a Woman’s Life in a Guatemalan Dump

Dr. Ashlee Balena is a senior lecturer of Spanish at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. In this episode, she shares powerful stories of following God's promptings in everyday life, from small acts of kindness to moments of deep spiritual impact. She also discusses her approach to classroom engagement, including her strong stance on technology use, and reflects on the blessings that come from stepping out in faith.

Read more about Ashlee Balena online:   https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/ashlee-balena/

Ashlee Balena’s Campus Email: balenaa@uncw.edu

Main Takeaways:

• Small steps of obedience to God can lead to profound blessings and opportunities.
• Removing technology from the classroom fosters deeper student engagement and personal interaction.
• Building connections with students, even in online courses, is possible through intentional communication.
• Following God's nudges, even when uncomfortable, can open doors to ministering to others.
• Trusting in God’s provision is key when making sacrifices for others.

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Transcript

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My name's Bridget. My name's Asani and we're students here at University of North Carolina, Wilmington and we're psych majors. And our question is, what is your biggest pet peeve in the classroom? Welcome everyone to Meet the Prof. This is the podcast where we interview Christian professors using real questions from college students. Our goal is to encourage Christ-centered conversations on the college campus. I am so glad you're here. Thanks for taking this time out to join us. And you're in for another treat with hearing part two of my interview with Ashlee Balena. Dr. Balena is a senior lecturer of Spanish at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. One thing that I really appreciate about Dr. Balena is how she tries to be so open to God's promptings and to say yes, if she has an idea, maybe God, you're leading me to talk to this person, to go and do this or that. I think you'll be encouraged to hear about her stories and what has happened as she's taken those steps of faith. So before we jump in, if you please remember to click on subscribe, follow or like on whatever app you're listening to. And let's jump in now. Here's part two of my interview with Dr. Ashlee Balena. Well, any other stories come to mind? yes, let me give you one more. I'll give you one more. So I was in Roses, let me tell you why I was in Roses. So my daughter is very rough on shoes. She's always been rough on shoes. So I walked in, got her some shoes and then I get into the line and someone had just gotten in line, like they just seconds, you know, it was like, you're, kind of like, you know, they didn't really cut in front of me, but it was like so close. was like, gosh, if I'd had just been a minute faster. But anyway, so I got behind and then it was like all these things ringing up, ringing up, ringing up. And I'm sitting there and you know, of course the flesh wants to get impatient. Like, but I was like, okay, I'm just going to be calm. And so the lady was ringing it up. And at the end, the woman said, okay, you just need to fill this thing out. It was for layaway. And the woman wanted to decorate her bathroom, you know, just a simple thing to decorate her bathroom and put some She had little carpets and a little curtain and the woman said, well, you need to fill this form out. And I thought to myself, that is just so sad that someone who she wants to fix up her bathroom, she wants to have a nice bathroom for her family and she has to put this stuff away and then pay on it and then come back. I thought, you know, the Holy Spirit just said, pay for her stuff. and I'm thinking to myself, I don't know her. She's going to think I'm crazy. But then I was like, OK, OK, I'll do it. I'll be obedient. And so I told when the woman went to go fill something out, I told the lady at the register, said, I'll go ahead and pay for her things. And she said, what? was like, yeah, I'll just go ahead and pay for it. And I don't remember. I think it was like 70 bucks. But I was just so I did it. And I was like, OK, OK, I did it. And then the woman. came back and was gathering her stuff and she said, the woman told her, it's yours, you can just go ahead and take it. And she said, what? And she says, yes. And then she looked and she said, she paid for it. And then I was like, gosh. You know, because I was like, I really don't wanna, you know, and I said, all right. And she said, she just couldn't believe it. Like she was just so stunned that someone would buy her things. And then she asked me, she said, Are you you you you have Jesus in your life like she's like and I said, yeah I do and she said what church to go to and then you know, we started talking about the church and and she was just so happy and and that just filled my spirit and the great thing is my girls witnessed it like they saw that. They were there? And remember I was saying that after obedience, there's a blessing? Well, let me tell you the blessing that came my way after that So at the university there was a policy at one time that you could only do one overload class per year. So kind of like what would be equivalent to overtime, you know, overtime pay. And then that particular year, they are actually for several years. They they took that away and we could see a huge cut in our monthly salary. Well, so this happened. And then the Monday after that, they I got the email saying that they were reinstating the overload. And I'm just like, Hallelujah. I was like, I mean, I don't know if this was related to this, but all I know is that I was obedient and I put the sacrificial 70 bucks on the line, you know, and then the next thing I know, I got my overload back. God's gonna take care of it. You can't out give God, right? You can't out give God. So be obedient and you'll see a blessing on the other side of that obedience. Wow, thank you, Ashley. Yeah, yeah, it's great just seeing these just how just being aware you have to be aware, you know, so when we're in our phones we can't be aware. So you just have to say you know show me and show me who you need me to be your hands and feet for and when he shows you don't say no, say okay I see what you're doing here. It could be an encouraging word, it could be offering prayer, it could be anything. So when you talk about not being on your phone, I was picturing your classes. I was wondering if this is something that you challenge your students with, having self-control over technology. Is that something that's been important to you to teach? Really? know, so back, I don't know, maybe eight years ago, I was teaching my online classes and I thought, okay, you know, I'm a tech person. I'm gonna let people bring in their laptops and pull up the textbook on the laptop and take notes on the laptop and that kind of thing. But some people on the swim team, I won't name any names, but so I noticed that one person was over here, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, and then the other girl laughed. And then tap, tap, tap, tap. And then this girl laughed and I'm like, this is no bueno, no bueno. This is not. So I decided after that, I'm like, no laptops in the classroom. I'm done with it. You're gonna have to have a paper textbook, no laptops, no telephone, nothing. is like, you know, just communication. And I've seen a huge difference in the students when they don't have their laptop in front of them or their phones out. Like I'm very, I have a very strict rule that phones have to be put away. Laptops have to be put away. This is like conversation one-on-one old school. And the class is so much better that way. It really is. I'm seeing more engagement. I'm seeing conversations happening. People aren't checked out on their phones. Another thing I do is I'm changing the groups constantly and I'm having them meet each other and everybody's work by the end of the semester, everyone's worked with everybody in the classroom and hopefully they know most of the names. That's the idea. But it's just so important, I think, just to get those students to interact with each other and just have real meaningful. conversations even in Spanish you can tell them that like in Espanol like no inglés no inglés yeah but they have to get out of the technology at least in my class then well I mean we'll do a Kahoot game I don't know if you're familiar with Kahoot okay so yeah so I'll let them take their phones out for that but even with that they do them in groups of two so they have to communicate with each other deciding still social And they can't tell, they can't say it in English either. So they have to say, I teach them how to say rojo, verde. So they have to pick the colors and yes. And then I taught them how to say dang it or gosh darn it. In Spanish they say miércoles. So miércoles, yes, so miércoles. It is A plus for you. Where's my gold star? Let's see here. Yes. no. Why is that the term? Wednesday. Wednesday! So in English, you say shoot instead of saying the other word, right? So in Spanish, the other word starts with me. I'm not going to teach you that. We're going to bleep that out if I said it. So that's where miércoles comes from. And so I always tell them, I'm like, why would one say Wednesday when they're upset? It's because it sounds like the other word. So I teach them that, right? So during the class when they get one wrong, they're like, miércoles. So everybody's saying Wednesday in my class. Probably faculty who are listening who teach other languages have their own versions of things that funny plays on words at all. always like, what is the word that we're trying? I'm like, no, no. Yeah, I'm like, no, I'm not teaching that. You're not learning it from me. Alright, well have another question from two students together that relates some with you in the classroom. So take a listen to their question. right. My name's Bridget. My name's Asani and we're students here at University of North Carolina, Wilmington and we're psych majors. And our question is, what is your biggest pet peeve in the classroom? Hmm Thank you for your questions. I have no pet peeves, So what has happened is my pet peeves have turned into rules on the syllabus of what not to do. I kind of have a couple if that's okay. So I don't like it when people get there late. Like I'm very punctual. Unlike my husband, he's Latino. Have you heard of the Latin hour, right? La Hora Latina. Yep. that's one part of the culture we're not gonna do in class, but yeah, being on time, being very punctual. So that's a big one. Also, we were talking about the technology. really what my teacher voice comes out. So I'm just like really nice and happy. I'm like no teléfonos en la clase. So those two things are probably the biggest, know, just not paying attention, not being, and then coming in late, probably the two biggest pet peeves. But I have them on my syllabus as part of the classroom policies to, you know, be on time and tech, put the tech away. Have you had any students who have responded to your syllabus when they've seen the church link you have or on concourse? I think you said or what apps you share something? Canvas, have a section under the syllabus. I have a link to the syllabus, a link to the calendar, and then under there is Conocer a tu profesora. When I was in Guatemala, the student who encouraged me to take this mission trip with her and her church and her family, her parents always take this same trip. I didn't realize this, but When I was in Guatemala, the student's mother came up to me and she said, I just want to thank you for putting your church and your faith out there. Because when my daughter saw that, she was really encouraged and she knew that she was in a safe spot, like she was in a safe place. And she told her mom about it. So she never said it to me. Until one day when I was talking about how I had a heart for Guatemala, then she told me about it. But I think by knowing that I was a safe place and when I talked about Guatemala, then it's like, okay, I can tell her about my mission trip. And that mission trip was just so amazing, so life-changing, just connecting with the people there. And that was the first time I prayed in Spanish. You know, you're talking about challenges and Mm-hmm. don't know why I get my head with it. Like when I'm teaching my classes in Spanish, but I guess I've always been a little bit of a shy prayer-er. I don't know. I feel like I have to be on stage with it. like, you know, give me the outline of what I need to say in my prayer, you know. But I know it's a conversation with God and I know my pastor's told me that I was like, don't get in your head with it. You don't have to sound Shakespearean. It's not Elizabethan, you know, English or Spanish, you know. and those in your prayer, yeah. and you know it doesn't have to sound like that it's just a conversation. And I knew that it's like I knew it but I finally had the chance to pray out loud and it was for a woman who one of the part of the missions trip is we would visit the city dump. So there are people in this city in Guatemala where they live in the dump. And why they're there is they're taking out the plastics, the aluminum. They go there so that they can divide out and then take those materials and make money with it. So we were visiting the different, I don't even want to say homes because they're not really, just like a structure where they have shelter. They're like shelters. So we visited one shelter and there was a woman there and her leg was she had been in a motorcycle accident and her leg did not form correctly. And so she hadn't been able to walk. She was in the bed in this this place and it's just putrid there. I if you can imagine you're walking down and it's just flies and then smells and and that's where she's living. And so she was there and we were all around her and They said, well, let's say a prayer for her. And I don't know why, but I just, again, when I say, don't know why it's the Holy Spirit, of course, I need to lay hands on her. And that's not something I do. I never have done it. I don't do it. It's just, but I just felt like I needed to put hands on her. And so I did. I put my hands on her and then I started praying for her out loud at first in English. And then I switched over to Spanish. And during that time I was praying the Holy Spirit brought to mind stories of healing. And the blind man, the lepers, and all these stories were just coming to my mind in Spanish. And I was just telling her that she could also be healed and that I wanted healing for her. So I prayed, that was the first time I prayed out loud in Spanish during that mission trip. And when I left that little structure area where she was, I just felt it in my heart. The Lord say, well, what if you could do something to heal her? And then I was just like, well, I don't know what I could do. But it just kept. It wasn't going away. was like it was there. so I was able to about that same trip, I was talking to someone who has a nonprofit who It was a doctor who helps the people there and I said, is there anything I can do to help her? So long story short, because of that prayer and because of that conversation, I was able to help this woman get the surgery she needed to fix her leg. yes, and the doctor, and so this past year we went back to Guatemala. She was walking. She was out of that bed. She was out of that bed. And yeah, and one of the ladies who is one of the translators who is also helping with the ministry, she told me that the doctor said that if she had awaited just one more week, she would have died like her. had such an infection that she was going to die. So I really felt like the Holy Spirit really was touching my heart because she needed to be healed. and you know Jesus can do an automatic healing we know that. You can have automatic healing sometimes you need healing through medicine sometimes God wants to use people to to help in that healing and so I was a part of her story and so the next year I have a picture of her her name's Maria and So it's just the whole obedience, know, listening and hearing what God wants you to do. And then on the other side of it, you know, what a blessing to know that she's alive today because of because God told me this thing and I listened. So it's a beautiful thing. Yeah, Maria. So she's she's on her feet now and she's alive and she's healthy and she started going back to church. And so all these great blessings came from that. I find myself thinking, God, what have I forfeited by not really being available to step out in obedience sometimes? Do you think that can be a healthy kind of a challenge? So yes, well, I think sometimes a little bit of discomfort is a good thing, right? So if you have a little bit of that gnawing, that's a good thing, right? When he comes knocking on your door, you know, okay, yeah, just listen. you know, he'll give you another chance. could, I mean, we have limitless chances to be his hands and feet. And if you didn't say yes today, well, you'll say yes tomorrow, right? Main thing is just don't talk yourself out of it. Just a beautiful, beautiful thing can happen on the other side of that obedience. I have some lightning round questions then to close with. these are the first things that come to mind for you. What advice would you give to other Christian faculty who want to have some kind of a witness for Christ on their campus? I would say fear not fear not. When you have you have that opportunity and you feel the Holy Spirit saying you need to talk to her You need to say something you need to pray do it do it. Don't be afraid Do it Just do it. and even if something did happen where you if someone were to come at you and say, well, you shouldn't have said that or this, that and the other. mean, you're in good company because Jesus, I mean, how many times did the Pharisees come at Jesus? So you're in good company if if someone does reprimand you for for for being Jesus's hands and feet. Good point. What advice would you give a student who came in similar to you as a freshman who would consider themselves spiritual but they're not sure of what to do with this Jesus character? Mmm, I would say that the spiritual life right the I'm spiritual not religious and you know, Jesus didn't come to start a religion, right? It's about relationship. So I would say give him a chance Just ask them in your heart to come into your heart and he will and he will I'd say just just just call out and And he'll be there. So I would say spirituality will only take you so far. You'll still have a hole in your heart, which I did. That hole was never filled until was like I had head knowledge of Jesus, but then I had a heart knowledge later when I asked him in. And nothing's going to fill that hole as he will. What advice would you give faculty who are struggling with a heavy workload? I think part of the problem is we put way too much stress and pressure on ourselves. And so, you know, you're always going to have a to-do list. That's one thing I've learned. You're always going to have a to-do list. There's always something to do, but you do have to take that time out. And even if it's, you know, five minutes or just before you go to bed or, you know, in the morning, just Get in the word. Like do one thing that's helped me is the Bible app. They have like really short, you know, just read a short devotional and with a verse with it and just that little bit of time. Because then that's going to make the rest of your day. If you give God that part of your day, just like the tithe, if you give 10 % of your tithe, he'll bless the 90. So if you give your time to the Lord in the morning, He's going to bless the rest of your time. And then also to see what's important because it's so easy to go down a rabbit hole. Do I need to spend an hour looking for the perfect image for my PowerPoint? No, I don't. I don't. Yeah, so try to find balance and ask God into your life to have that balance, to show you the balance. What can you let go? You don't have to have, you don't have to do every single thing that comes your way. Okay. What advice would you give faculty who are struggling to connect with their students by teaching online? Yeah, that's hard. That is really difficult It's just not the same. So I teach online and I teach face-to-face for the online students you know, it's more through emails and comments, so I just try to make a connection with so one thing I do is at the beginning of the semester They have an all about me post And then during that post they have to say where they're from, what their hobbies are, have they used Spanish, have they traveled abroad, those kind of things. And so what I do with that is the first time I grade something, I say, I read where you like, I don't know, some sort of music or sometimes they'll share that they go to church. Then I'll say, well, I go to this church and I love this about my church. So I just try to make my comments personalized with something that they've shared. So it's still not the same as being face to face and having those interactions, but there is a way to connect by taking things in their personal life. And if they have a dog in a picture, like, well, I have a dog too. So just trying to connect in some way. Yeah. Well, Ashley, this has been a treat. Thank you so much for taking this time out to be here. Thanks for the stories you shared. Thanks for how you're walking with the Lord on campus. thank you, Shane. I appreciate it. I've had a good time. gracias por tenerme aqui. Well, isn't Ashlee great? And did you pick up a little bit of Spanish through all of this? I was so encouraged just by Ashlee's stories and it really does encourage me to look for where I might take steps of faith in everyday opportunities. Before we leave, if you would please take a minute to leave a comment, whether you're in YouTube, Spotify, Apple podcasts, or any other app, would you leave a comment below for Dr. Balena with any thoughts you have, anything that was encouraging to you about the interview, any questions you might have? So until next time, we hope this encourages you to have a Christ-centered conversation on your college campus.