Adopt-A-Family

On Sunday our pastor preached on Make Us Great.

The basis of this was on serving.

He asked a question, "Do you love others like you love yourself?" What would your answer be?

In Matthew 22:37-39 the bible tells us to love the Lord your God will all your heart,.... but it also says, "A second commandment is equally important, Love your neighbor as yourself".

I had to think about that. Do I really love my neighbor as myself? Would I do for them what I want done for me? Would I give to them as I give to my family and myself? Would you?

What would happen if you started giving to others as you give to yourselves? If you were pumping gas and paid for the car beside you or were in the grocery store and noticed a woman searching for extra money, would you be willing to step up and pay for her groceries? These are some of the examples our Pastor challenged us with.

Now I am going to challenge you.

When we are serving the Lord we are at our best in God's eyes. We are acting out the most important commandment God gave us.

Here is your chance.

I am going back to Nicaragua in August to start a garden project in the village of Coffadia.

These families have to smuggle goods across the border, risking their lives in order to feed their children. They need a better avenue to earn an income and that project is much larger than I can do right now but what if we did for them what we can do for ourselves and gave them the ability to grow a garden and feed themselves.

They will need wheel barrows, shovels, hoes, and matics to do this. An irrigation system and seeds are also a must. I am checking on pricing today for the tools and it's not cheap in Nicaragua.

Would you be willing to sponsor a family and give them a chance to feed their children?

In return I will provide you with the following:

Receipts for the purchase of 1 shovel, 1 hoe and 1 matic. (Wheel barrows will be bought also but not for every family since the cost is so much)
Receipts for the purchase of seeds and the irrigation system.
Pictures of the family and their house, and children.
Their names and any additional information you would desire.
Pictures of the garden project from beginning to end
Pictures of the results.

With any project there are no guarantees. We can invest in them and the outcome is glorious or we can invest in them and they do nothing with the stuff. To avoid this I plan on holding them accountable before they get the equipment. They will have to put forth an effort to receive the products. In other words, be invested in the effort, not just receive a hand out.

I will require them to build a fence around the garden areas to keep out the animals and I will require them to carry the water every day and buy the fertilizer. This way they are able to see their efforts in producing the food and it not just be something we gave them. Don't you feel much better about a project when you have worked on it?

I just saw 12 young men come to know Jesus at this village last week; can you imagine the seed that will grow from those 12 men? We have an opportunity to serve and truly make a lasting difference for years to come with this project. Will you join me?

There are 48 houses in this village. In one house may be multiple families. For now I am only focusing on each house.

The cost to do this will be $150 per family. The wheel barrow alone will cost $80 - $100 so I am asking for enough money to buy several wheel barrows for them to share and the rest will receive their own shovels, hoes, etc. That cost will be around $65 per family.

Can your family give up pizza, eating out after church every Sunday or just splurging over the summer to help a family for $65?

Here are some suggestions on how we can raise this money;

Get your bible study group involved – with 10 people that’s only $6.50 per person.
Get your Sunday school class involved? With 20 people you would only need $3.25 a person.
Your extended family – with 30 people that’s only $2.17 each
An office pool – with 65 people it’s only a $1.00 each

Together we can change these peoples lives for the cost of eating out a couple of times in a month.

We don't have to do this, We GET TO...

There are 48 families on this distribution list and about 20 more who read it. If all of you pitched in every family would receive the needed tools to feed their families.

Will you join me?

I would need the money by July 30th. That gives you two pay periods, 4 Sunday school glasses and many other opportunities to turn dollars into crops.

If you can't do the entire amount would you be willing to do something?

Over half this community is not saved. What a great way to show them Jesus.

To donate please send your tax deductible check to:

The Power of One Ministry
198 Mellwood Drive
Charlotte, NC 28214

Attention: Adopt-A-Family

Please pray for this project. If you can't help maybe others can. Tell them about it. Get others involved.

Let’s watch what God does with this project. Email me and let me know I can count you in.

God Bless,

Angie

My Friend Oscar

In July during my visit to Nicaragua, Dr. Anderson told us about a little boy that was really sick who lived down the street. He had been born with a bad kidney and was losing the other one.

His mother Francisca brought little Oscar to see us. It was an immediate bond between his mother and I and little Oscar didn't mind the attention at all.

Each trip I have gone since July I have visited them and taken him clothes, food, toys and even a new bike for his birthday. It was so great to see him smile.

God did amazing things to Oscar after we left in July. Within months a fragile, sick little boy was a vibrant, energetic, growing boy. Even Dr. Anderson told me in October that Oscar had received a miracle from God. There were no explanations for his healing but God.

In December I returned to find that his mother and father had been arrested and place in jail. Immediately I had great concern for Oscar. His mother kept him clean and feed. She gave him better care than most children get here in the US. What was to happen to Oscar now? That's all I could think about during my trip in December. By March, when I saw him again he still looked really good but was covered in dirt from head to toe. I warned his aunt that Dr. Anderson said he needed to stay clean at all times.

Now in June Oscar lays in a hospital bed in Managua hanging on for his every breathe. I am so blessed that I was there last week. He had been asking for me and wondering when I was going to come and see him. I went to the hospital to find him weak, un-talkative and not at all the healthy little boy I say two months ago.

On Thursday of last week Oscar had dialysis done on his only kidney. The doctors said it was a miracle he lived through it. His system is very weak and fragile and on top of everything else the medicines he needs can only be bought in the US.

Oscar's favorite characters are Power Rangers and although I don't allow my kids to play with them I had to give in to Oscar. We looked everywhere in Managua until I found a nice Red one for him. We took him some fruit and of course candy. The doctors there said he could have anything he wanted. That's not a good sign.

Please pray for Oscar daily. He is only 6 years old. He has the rest of his life to live for the Lord. God is a healer and can do all things. Agree with me that Oscar will receive the care he needs to get better. They are going to test his mother and father to see if they are a match. At the speed they go in Nicaragua it could be too late so pray for a speedy process.

Click here to view pictures of my visit with Oscar.

God Bless,

Angie

Many Prayer Requests

I have a lot going on in my life right now as you already know but there are some specific needs I have that I would ask you to be in agreement with me on.

1. I need a job. During the summer months our work is very low and the increase of gas and food caused our spring months to be lower than normal. We don't have enough money to carry us through the summer months and be able to minister in Nicaragua as we feel called to do. I have lots of computer skills, clerical skills, just about anything in an office I have experience doing. I can wait tables, answer phones, you name it I'll do it. I only need a temporary position. I can work from now until July 27th with the exception of July 11, 12 & 19.

2. I need to find a contact with Budget, Avis, or Hertz. To rent a truck in Nicaragua is about $80 a day. It's the most expensive part of my trips. If I had a contact there that could give me an employee discount it would help tremendously.

3. Is your husband/brother/cousin in the National Guard or the Army? I need a contact with a military group here in Charlotte that might be able to help me with getting the small shovels that fold to Nicaragua. In August I want to start helping Coffadia plant a garden. There soil there is hard as a rock and without tools it’s impossible. I am researching to find out how much it will cost to buy the needed materials there but that requires more money to raise.

4. Do you know of a wonderful Christian college student that will still be home from August 4 - 12th? I have a wonderful friend and his wife that takes care of my kids while I am gone but I do not want to wear them out. I am looking for someone who loves kids and loves missions. By watching my kids they are allowing me to do the work God has for me. I just know there are young adult ladies out there that would love to help us out. Please think about your friends and see if you know of someone who would like to serve the Lord through babysitting for a week.

I know it seems like I am asking for a lot so I'll share a testimony of how God is already working this out.

In the airport in Atlanta the agent announced our flight was over sold and they needed volunteers to give up their seat for a $400 ticket and a hotel voucher. Terry and I decided hey this is a way for us to get a ticket back to Nicaragua so we volunteered. While I was at the desk telling them we would take the offer I mentioned we were adopting and another agent starting asking questions. I told her my story and she smiled and say, "Hang on a minute I think I have something you can use". Within a few minutes she handed me a note that said she would be happy to give me two buddy passes to use when ever I wanted. She looked up the flight and told me it would be $80 to fly to Nicaragua and back. $80, can you believe that. A total stranger offering me her tickets to use. She then went on to say that if for some reason she could not help me she knew many others that could. God is working on my behalf. He is opening the doors He wants me to walk through. Sadly, I didn't get the other two tickets after all.

Now, let him use you to help me get answers to my prayers listed above.

Can't wait to see what he does with these requests.

God Bless,

Angie

Changing People's Lives

Each trip I travel to Nicaragua I can see the changes that are happening in the area I visit.

Somotillo is a town of 20,000 people (very poor people) and it is right on the border of Honduras. Over the past 4 years I have seen the travel time from Managua change drastically. Before this April it would take 1 hour+ to get to the next major town and now it takes about 30 - 45 minutes. The USA actually paid to fix the road and man it's really made a difference. Progress is coming to this little community one day at a time.

When I visit a village I can only hope I am making progress one smile at a time.

This trip we were able to visit the orphanage a lot and we ministered in two new villages that had not ever had a group come to love on them. Progress in the making..

We blessed 146 families with beans, rice, corn, sugar and oil. New flip-flops, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toys. It was so sweet to see the little boys playing with their little cars on the church floor making car sounds as if they were driving them. Memories I won't ever forget.

The most moving event for me this trip was giving the baseball team their uniforms and the soccer team their new cleats. Words can not describe their emotions. They were more than happy. As I mentioned before the baseball team gave me their trophy. It was so nice of them to want to give up their very hard earned trophy. I convenience them to keep it and remember what God had done for them.

The soccer team all met at church on Saturday and at the end of the service all came up front and presented me with their trophy. I really didn't know what to do. I didn't want to take it but I didn't want to reject it so I made them a deal that the Pastor needed to keep it in the church so that it would be a reminder to them also. It was so sweet but I did not want them to give me credit for something God did. I felt so happy for them.

Overall, however, the biggest event of the week was in the village called Coffadia. I had bought that morning a soccer ball for that village hoping that some teenagers would be there and sure enough 12 boys showed up. I sent them off with my friend Mario and the Pastor to play while we were playing with the smaller kids.

About 10 minutes’ later people are yelling for me to come. I was busy so I just said, Hang on a minute. That didn't work. “Hurry, Hurry”, they said. Pastor Jorge informed me that he had shared the gospel with these boys and all 12 had accepted Christ. I encouraged them by sharing my testimony with them and reminding them that their decision was going to change that entire village. Progress in the making.

We had a great experience with the 2nd village but the 1st one we visited was a little more reserve with us. We will need to work on them a little more.

Thank you for all your prayers while we were gone. 12 souls are going to heaven because of them. You may have not gone on this trip with me physically but you were there in spirit and God will honor your prayers and they’ll be crowns in heaven for you.

We are planning another trip in August because of the situation with Isamar. We have been told if you want things done you better come back soon so we will try to go before school starts. Pray the Lord provides.

I had a great team this trip. Bonnie and Thomas are starting the process to adopt Loriana. It was amazing to see God bond them together. It is truly meant to be. Please pray for them as they are just beginning this roller coaster ride I’m on.

I will be putting pictures on the site of all this as soon as I can get my wonderful husband to prepare them for the website. Stay tuned for some great photos.

Last but not least I want to challenge each of you to look at the people around you and ask are you changing people's lives? It doesn't take a mission trip, or a position at Billy Graham's ministry or something big. All it takes is a willing effort to make a change for the better for someone who can not. Maybe it's a neighbor who's lawn mover is broke or a friend's mom who is sick and needs a meal. It can be very small or very large but in God's eyes it's changing His people's lives..

God Bless,

Angie

Update on our trip

Wow we have had a busy time. This is the first time that I have had to write.

I really need some prayers lifted up.

1. My friend Oscar, the little boy that had kidney problems is in very bad shape. He is in the hospital and we have been told he is dieing. God has healed him already but since his parents were put in jail in December he has not been taken good care of and is now very sick. He is asking for me so I am going to see him on Wednesday.

2. We had a meeting with Mi Familia on Friday and they told us that Isamar´s dad came to visit her. He told Isamar that there is no way he will allow her to come with us. He told Carmen she was the lucky one that she gets to come. That to me is the most crueliest thing you can do. They told us that they are really in a bind because the dad can sue them if they don´t give Isamar to him IF he meets the conditions. Let´s pray he does not. The director of the orphanage is doing a report on how the dad is treating Isamar and Carmen. Hopefully they will see his manipulation.

3. Pray for me, I have lost my voice and my throat is swollen. We still have a village to go to tomorrow and time with the girls. It´s hard not to talk here.

We handed out the soccer equipment and the baseball stuff and it was amazing. They wanted me to have their trophy but I made them keep it to remember what God has done for them.

It has been a very successful trip so far but my heart is hurting thinking that I am not going to see Isamar again after this week. I am doing good but its painful. I trust the Lord and I know that he will do the best for Isamar.

Please pray...

Angie

I will update you more as I can but for now we are all doing.