Adopt-A-Family Project Update

During my August trip to Nicaragua I started my first of many garden projects.

We are now helping 36 families in Coffradia grow their own food. They each received a shovel, hoe, seeds and an irrigation system. We also purchased 5 wheel barrows that they will share in that community.

We walked to each family’s house and talked with them about their knowledge of growing, their land and their wiliness.

The first day when a meeting was called only 25 families showed up. It actually made me sad. I just could not understand why people would not want this help. Later that day after I left the village God showed me why.

Most of these families are not Christians and that morning we were meeting at the church and the Pastor of that church was the one who went and gathered all the people. Think about it, if you are not a church going person would you be willing to come and meet in a church? What if what's being offered forced to me to go church? There were many things that went through my thoughts that day but the most important thing was to separate the church from this project for now. We need to draw them to Christ not force them to come.

I contacted the village leader and ask him to meet with us, he came and together we put together a plan of action. The next morning when I arrived every one was accounted for at a meeting in the school.

I have hired a man (who is a pastor of another church) to teach these people how to grow their gardens. He is working in the village with each family 3 - 4 days a week every week. I was told yesterday the families are already seeing progress in their efforts and all are working very hard. I can't wait to go back and see what is going on.

Before I left I did not have enough money for all 48 families. I was concerned about how I was going to handle this. God had it already figured out. I had enough for 30 families and received word from Tina Gilbert she had collected enough for 6 more families. Exactly enough...

It's amazing to me how God works things out.

I am working on the pictures now and will post them soon. I will be contacting each of you who sponsored a family soon with a picture and the names of the families. In December I hope to bring back pictures of their crops.

Each family was very happy to receive the help. One very old man was an excellent gardener already but was working with only a broken shovel. Imagine what he will produce with good tools.

Stay tuned for more on this topic.

God Bless each of you that donated to this project, soon you helping these families feed their minds, body and souls with God's blessings.

Angie

What's Going On...

Well a week has gone by and I know no more today about the adoption than I did the last time I wrote.

My lawyer went to Mi Familia and spoke to someone there but got little to no new information.

It appears that the person who told me the adoption was off may not have known what she was talking about. Since Mi Familia has not told us anything we are going to believe the old saying, No news is Good news..

The person that told the director of the orphanage may have just be shooting off the mouth and had no facts to back what she was saying or the director miss understood. I am not sure which is true but right now no one has officially told us the adoption is off.

I still can't contact the girls. The reason why is a crazy one but it just boils down to the fact they want me to follow their procedures and go and get a written request. My lawyer went on Friday but was not able to see the person making this a requirement. He will try again on Monday.

This has truly been the hardest week of my life. Not knowing anything can cause your mind to think of everything that could go wrong.

Until I am told by God we are not to adopt the girls I am going to fight. Don't mess with a mama bears cubs...

Please continue to pray for us as this is an unexplainable, crazy process that makes no since to anyone. Pray for favor. Right now I am not sure what Mi Familia thinks about me and I need them on my side.

I'll update you as I have something to tell you. Every time I get ready to post something, something new changes.

Please put our family on your churches pray list. We need favor in Mi Familia's eyes and we need for them to get going on the study of the dad. Right now that is the biggest hurdle we need to get past.

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Angie

Urgent Prayer Request for my girls

In the last 7 days I have been told so many things from people in Nicaragua it would make your head spin.

First, I was told by my daughters father that he was on his way to Mi Familia to sign her over to us. He never went.

Second, I was told by my case worker that MF called him and told him to come in because they had decided to give us the girls because it was the best for them and they needed to meet with him to take care of the paperwork. He never showed to their meeting either.

Third, On Friday I was told that at 8:00am he was on his way to sign. He did finally go.

Fourth, by 10:00pm Friday night I was told that he changed his mind and in fact was told by the delegate at MF that he should never give up his child and they would help him build a relationship with her. (After 9 years of no contact)

Fifth, I called the girls as I normally do every Sunday to be told I am not allowed to talk to them any more.

Because I am afraid that something I might say about MF will get repeated I will chose my words wisely and say that "rumor" has it that there is a chance my girls will never be mine now because they feel building that relationship with "DAD" is more important than giving both girls a life so if I can't get one I cant' get both. The oldest will be forced to stay in Nicaragua.

My attorney is going to visit the delegate tomorrow to get the facts and fight for my rights. I have been a part of their lives for 4 years. I have spent 9 weeks with them this year alone. They know no other mommy and daddy.

I can honestly say my flesh is weak but my spirit is strong and the God I serve is greater and bigger than any person at MF and he can change the hearts and minds of all of them in the blink of an eye.

Please join with me in agreement that GOD's will be done for my girls and that MF will get their act together on my case. It is so messed up because there are two offices trying to figure out who is boss and who is making the decisions.

Pray for favor and that "No weapon formed against me shall prosper" No even MF.

Pray for my flesh as this roller coaster ride has just make me sick and I want to get off...

P.U.S.H. - Pray until something happens.

Please pray for us over and over again.

Thanks,

Angie

News on the Adoption

During this trip to Nicaragua, Terry and I had the opportunity to go to Mi Familia and complain about the confusing information we are getting.

The office in Managua is in charge of our adoption case, the office in Chinandega is in charge of the future of our girls. The two of them are not working together and we are getting conflicting information from them. One office tells us the other should be working on things and then that office tells us the opposite.

We were very direct with them this trip and at this point it appears God's favor was upon us.

Both offices told us we needed to talk with Isamar's dad. This is unheard of in Nicaragua. Typically Mi Familia would never want us talking with him because of the possibility of paying him off. God's favor was there for us. We have earned their respect and they are on our side so we called the dad and made arrangements to talk with him.

On Monday of last week we met with him and for about 1 hour 1/2 he went on and on about how he felt it was God's plan for Isamar to be with us. He kept telling us that he had always seen her in his visions with him. He kept telling us his desires were to preach and to have his wife by his side. He never even mentioned having Isamar there. I was very discouraged for that hour but something kept telling me to be patient. I had gone there with the intentions of asking him to give us Isamar but as he kept talking I soon realized that just maybe God had answered our prayers.

He started asking us very personal questions about our family. He wanted to know all about us and what we do. We told him everything he wanted to know and assured him that Isamar would always be his but we wanted to give her a better life with her sister.

He finally told us that even though he felt that God had always shown him that he was to have Isamar that maybe it was God's plan for us to have her but to keep her in his life.

Yes, that's right. He agreed to give her to us. He said that if in fact Mi Familia told him Isamar didn't want to live with him and she truly felt that way that he would sign his rights to us.

Notice you don't hear me screaming through this website. I don't know him and I don't know how much I can trust him. I am choosing to guard my heart because I don't think I could take that kind of let down if he changes his mind.

He promised he would go to Mi Familia on Friday (two days ago) or tomorrow and talk with them, however, on Tuesday of this past week Mi Familia called him on their own and told him to come in.

They told me that they called him and said that they needed to get this adoption finalized and that the delegate felt that it was in the girls best interest to be with us and now they need to sit down and discuss what needed to be done next. (They are not aware we talked with the dad and he is willing).

Trust me that was God. This way he does not have a long time to change his mind and they are pushing for him to sign.

This is great news for us but until I know he actually signed I am not jumping for joy. I am praying he will do what he says and do it fast.

Please be in prayer with me that his heart stays true to what he has said already. He seems to truly want what is best for Isamar. Pray for him. His name is Francisco. This has to be hard for him. Isamar is his child.

What happens next..

If he signs her over I will have to go there and attend a court session where the judge will ask him in open court if he wants to give me Isamar. He will have to say YES in front of Isamar. The judge will discuss this with Francisco and with Isamar. Once the judge is comfortable with his answers, he signs the decree and Isamar is OURS, right that minute.

She will have to go back to the orphanage and stay until we get Carmen’s abandonment taken care of. Pray with me the lawyers at Mi Familia can get the same judge to view that case and sign her abandonment at the same time. OMG.. that would be the most amazing answer to prayer.

Pray with me that all of this works together this way. Families are waiting years for just a paper to be signed by a judge. I don’t want to wait years.

I know lots of you are praying for my family already but I am asking you to PLEASE put this at the top of your lists and don't just pray once and forget, continue to pray. Together lets watch what God is going to do in this case.

Please tell me how I can be praying for your family, together we can move mountains.

Rejoicing in the Lord,

Angie

Amazing Race Part 3

So after we arrived to the airport we soon learned that nice lady who worked for Delta DID not do her job and send our standby bags through as she promised she would. Thank God we had our clothes with us but all my seeds, irrigation systems, etc. was not there.

The next day I was told that one of the three bags was arriving so I went to the airport to get them. The nice man in baggage brought my bag to me and put it through the customs scanner. Immediately I knew something was not right. The man who scanned it flagged for me to come to him and my stomach got real sick, real fast.

He made me open the bag and in it were my tomatoes and radish seeds and a ton of irrigation stuff. He questioned me on the seed and I showed him all the nice authenticated paperwork I had from the US. The next thing I knew some really grumpy old man came and told me I could not bring those seeds into the country without their approval. I told him I had the documents I was given by the company who tested the seeds and that these seeds go all over the world. An entire container full is coming to Nicaragua next week. Did it work? Heck no... He took my seeds and gave me a document with a contact number.

The next day we called and they said that they would test one seed out of each bag for 35 Cordoba. That's $1.80 per pack of seed. There were 200 packs of seed total. You can do the math and figure out that was not going to happen. Then they told me if the seeds did not meet the first test it would cost $1,000 to do another test. Yea right... Here in the US the FDA has more regulations than the world has put together. I am sure those seeds were fine. But... rules are rules.

I had to leave to Somotillo that same day and could not wait on my bags to come. I was heart broken. I did not have the money to pay for the testing and did not have the money for new seed. Quickly this project was turning sour.

I had to drive about 15 minutes in Managua without a translator that morning and on my way to pick up Claudia my translator. Guess what? Yes, you got it. I got pulled over by the police. He says I ran a red light but I didn't. The cops there are always looking for someone they can harass and that day it was me.

Here I was in the truck just me and Terry and no one to talk for me. I called Carlos immediately and he talked to the guy. Now this part I am not proud of but I pray God knows the situation I was in. You see in Nicaragua cops get paid nothing and if they figure out a way to make a dollar they will. The cop told me he was going to give me a ticket and take my license. I would have to go and pay a special bank for the ticket, then go to the police station and get my license back. This would take at least a week. A WEEK.. I was leaving for Somotillo that minute and I would be coming home in a week and if I got caught driving again I would get two tickets.

Carlos convinced the cop to allow me to pay him for the ticket and he could go to the bank for me. That's all I'm going to say about that..

So to Somotillo we go. No seeds and 3 bags short. Claudia got on the phone and called a friend who worked at the airport to see if there was anything he could do. He told her to call someone else and by night we had someone who was willing to get my bags through customs. At a price of course.

So in one day’s time I had to pay off a cop, pay off people in customs and risk getting kicked out of the country forever. It was crazy.. My nerves were a mess. The devil was working over time. Don't forget about Jordon. It was this same day I found out he was sick. Can you imagine what was going on in my head?

Needless to say the next day came and went and I sent Carlos to the airport to get my bags, the guy snuck them out and he brought them to me.

I am not proud of what I had to do but it worked and it's their way of life. Conform to it or suffer. I'm not sure my heart can handle it again.

To be continued...

Angie

Amazing Race Part 2

I'm home now...

I did not have access to this blog since the last time I wrote for some reason. So I am sorry I have not been in touch. For those who are wondering Jordon is doing great. His pain has passed and the doctor says he is ok, actually he is confused by the doctors examination for his physical.

First let me say thank you to all who prayed for me. Trust me your prayers MOVED MOUNTAINS..

I have some crazy stories for you..

First, we went to the airport on Sunday to find that US Airways had cancelled two flights to Atlanta making all the Delta flights full with those people and the standby list was huge. We were flying with standby tickets and since it was an employee ticket we were on the bottom. We were scheduled for a 10:00 am flight and were not allowed on that one. The lady told us there was no way we were going to make it out of Charlotte today but our flight to Managua looked good. So we decided to rent a car and drive to Atlanta. We had plenty of time to get there so we took our time. Big mistake.... When we got to downtown Atlanta, 10 minutes from the airport, they had 3 of the 6 lanes closed for road construction. We sit, and sit and sit. It was getting later and later and we could not move. Traffic was at a stop. Earlier I remembered seeing a sign to call 511 for traffic help so I called and told them I had to get to the airport like 1 hour ago. Some lady told me how to go another way. We followed her instructions only to find 5 minutes down the road was a detour for that street. All the sudden we were in the middle of know where with no more road signs to follow.. By then my stress was at a max. It was 4:30 and our flight was to board at 5:10. By the grace of God we found our way back to the interstate and headed on to the airport.

We pull into the airport to the rental car place and there is no Thrifty place. We had to go around in a circle and still no place to drop off the car. I called the 1-800 number and they told me, oh yea we moved to another place outside the airport. By then it's now 15 to 5:00. We had not got gas and there were no gas stations to pull into so we had to pay $7.00+ a gallon to fill up the car. We told the bus driver to go fast we had to get to the airport like NOW.. He drove us really fast and we were just praying that the plane was delayed because we were not going to make it.

Now we get to the airport and the lines in the check in were long but God's favor was on us and we got to go through the lines for the Captains. It was now 5:10 and my heart was beating 90 miles an hour. We were running through the airport to find which gate and PRIASE GOD the sign said the plane was delayed and was not leaving until 6:10. I just about passed out...

As we where heading to the gate my phone rang and it was Tina Gilbert telling me her Sunday school class had sponsored move 6 more families. I almost cried right there in the tram. The stress my body was going through trying to get there was worth it knowing that I know had 40 families sponsored. I could have kissed Tina right about then.

God showed off that day. He not only got me to the airport and delayed that flight for me; he gave me a FIRST CLASS ticket. We got to sit in first class and be treated like kings and queens. It was great. That was my first time flying to Nicaragua first class. It was nice.

I have so many more things to tell you but I'll separate them so you can keep up.

Thanks again for your prayers.

Angie

Amazing Race Part 1

I love the reality show Amazing Race. It´s a show about people who are on a race around the world for a million dollars.

I am on that race now.

We have had some many things happen since we left Charlotte. I don´t have time to type them all now but I will tell you all the stories later.

For now PRAY.....

Customs took my seed that I brought and I am trying to get them out of customs, our bags did not come until today and I´m having to pay someone to bring them to me which was an added cost that I just don´t have and today we met with community and things did not go as planned, in addition, my son Jordon is sick and the doctor found two major issues yesterday.

So, the devil is really mad this trip and he is working hard to cause problems.

Please I ask of you to cover us daily in prayer and the people here I am trying to minister to. My family needs your prayers even more.

To be continued..

Angie

Leaving for Nicaragua on Sunday

August is here already. Time is passing way to fast for me.

Terry and I will be leaving on Sunday morning to Nicaragua.

I would ask that you pray with us for some specific needs.

1. We are flying on a Buddy Pass Ticket. Pray that we get seats on the flight from Charlotte to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Managua and back.

2. Since we are flying on a special ticket our luggage could be sent without us. Pray we all go at the same time.

3. I have money for 35 of the 48 families in Coffadia. Praise God for all who helped make a difference in these families’ lives. Please pray that I have wisdom on how to handle the remaining 13 families.

4. Pray for a finances to cover this trip. The cost is very expensive and we need support from others in order to continue doing what we are called to do.

5. Pray for safety and protection as we travel and for our boys as we are leaving them with a care giver.

6. Pray for my little Oscar. We paid to have his house fixed which will help him for now but without a daily/weekly shot to keep him healthy he is at risk. This shot cost over $30 each, without it the smallest virus will take his life. This is just an expense we can not pay right now. Pray God will supply this need. He is Oscar’s healer and He can take care of him or He will find a way to supply Oscar with the medicine he needs.

7. Pray for the families of Coffadia. Most are not saved and most have never seen the love of Christ. By providing them with the garden tools and working with them we are believing for a harvest of souls in addition to a harvest of fresh vegetables.

8. Pray for my heart. This summer has been very hard on my me with the death of my aunt, and my father-in-law. I truly never got to deal with my grief for either of them and now I am facing some very hard times which is bringing out all my emotions at once. I have had some unexpected needs for Oscar come up which has brought great stress to my life also. I am not one to worry or one to allow things to get to me but with all that has gone on in the last two months I can say I am at a breaking point. God is my strength and I am relying on him but prayers from you guys I am sure will help with all that is going on.

9. When I return from Nicaragua I must find a part-time job with benefits. Pray God opens that door for me when I return. Let me know if you know of anyone looking for a Great Employee with lots of experience in many areas of an office.

Thanks for all that you guys have done for me this year. God sees all of you and will return blessings back to you much greater than your gift to these people.

Your prayers are so needed and appreciated.

God Bless,

Angie