What's God's Plan for Isamar?

I made it home safely, Praise God but not with the happiest of news.

On Thursday once I got back into Managua we contacted Isamar's dad to arrange meeting him. He was not reachable until 7:30 at night. He had changed his mind and decided he was not going to see me.

He told my translator that he knows that we could give her a better life and all the things he could not but she was his blood and in his eyes that being with him was the best thing for her. He was not nice about his words and made sure he stated it in a very direct way.

He went on to say that if he is not her dad he will file adoption papers for her.

Luckily, there is not way in the world he could adopt her because he does not meet the requirements.

My attorney is meeting with Mi Familia on Monday to discuss what the process is. Will they just hand her over? Will they investigate him? Will Isamar have a say in all this? As of now I am being told they just hand her over. I find that hard to understand but the laws in Nicaragua are different and they just passed a new law that states they can not take kids away or not give them back due to poverty.

This has truly been a difficult week for me. It's hard to stay positive when you have no control over things but I am learning more and more about trusting God. He is in control of Isamar's life, he knew her future before she was created and he can see the future I can not. Who knows it might be that Isamar grows up to change the lives of other children in orphanages there.

My flesh says well of course we are best for her but my heart says that's up to God.

So for now we wait and trust.

My prayer is that God knows the plan for Isamar's life and if it is to be with us he will change the dad's heart. If not and Isamar is to live with him he will change my heart.

Carmen’s life will still be with us. Her family will not protest this and she will be declared abandoned. It will be extremely difficult for her to leave her sister and furthermore I have great concern for Isamar’s mental stability. She will be the one the most hurt in all this. She will be left behind, lose access to her sister and be forced to live with a family she does not even know and does not want to be with.

Please pray with me in agreement that God's plan for these girls will be done. As much as I want to pray they will both be here I know in my heart this is not a time to be selfish but to be in tune with God's will. Not my will Lord but yours... This is extremely hard for me... pray for me.

I am trying hard to see the Good in all this. IF Isamar's dad takes her at least she will not be in the walls of the orphanage any more. Her father’s mother told us yesterday that I am welcome in her life any time I want. Two days before that she told my translator that I was not welcomed in her home so God is obviously working. God is the only one who can change the outcome of all this.

The DNA test is Monday at 10:00. The results take about a week. I hope to hear something by Friday of next week.

Thanks for your prayers, support and encouraging words you emailed me. I needed them so bad.

I'll update you as soon as I have something.

God Bless,

Angie

Update on my trip

I´m sorry I have not been in touch. There´s been no electricity here so access to the internet has been limited.

A lot has happen since I last wrote so I will try to make sure I don´t leave out anything.

On Saturday I was told that there was a problem with the adoption and so we had to go to Mi Familia Monday morning to visit the Delegate (the boss). She informed us that the dad has been approved to have his DNA test done which is scheduled for the 14th. He told them if it is positive which it will be because they look just alike that he will take Isamar. They told us if it is positive she will be given to him, no questions asked.

Then on Sunday, the aunts of the girls visited the Director of the Orphanage and told her that if the dad takes Isamar they will take Carmen. Needless to say I feel like I´m on a roller coaster.

After we went to Mi Familia on Monday we went to the house of one of the aunts. I talked with her and explained our love for the girls and by the end she agreed that it was best for the girls to be with us and they would not protest it. Praise God...

Today, Isamar´s dad was granted a visit to see her. He asked her if she wanted to live with us or him and she told him us. He told her that he would not allow her to live with us she was his daughter and he was going to be responsible for her. After he left the orphanage, the director spoke with him and explained everything. She told me that he actually said he did want the best for Isamar and if I could give it and he could still talk with her that maybe that would be ok. He wants to meet me so we are planning to talk on Thursday. Please pray that he sees the best for her and is not just doing this because he can. He has not visited her but a handful of times in her whole life and he lives a .5o cent bus ride away.

So for now I am excited that the mothers side of the family agree with the adoption and at least I get to talk to the dad. I´m trusting God and proclaiming His power.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I have stayed strong so far but I can tell you I have shed a lot of tears. I know God´s perfect plan will happen and I´m just trying to focus on that.

I´ll be home on Friday and will update you on my visit with the dad.

Angie

Pray for Favor and Direction

Well I made it to Somotillo.

Things there are not going so well.

Today I received word that there is a problem with the abandonment of the girls.

I will try to explain in as little words as I can.

My girls have different dads. The father of Isamar lives in Managua and has contacted her over the phone several times. He was told by authorities here that he needed to take a DNA test but for years he has not. Of course, until now. He is scheduled to take it on the 14th. The day before our approval. If he is found positive everything changes. If not hopefully things will continue. It is very possible he is the her dad because she looks just like him.

He has had 9 years to get this test but only now does he decided to. How difficult this must be now for Isamar.

Additionally, the aunt of the girls who lives 3 blocks away and has not visited the girls but twice in 5 years went to Mi Familia and requested a visit. She came last week and told the girls that they need to tell the judge they don´t want to live with us. She told them that people here kill little girls and cut thier heads off and cut out thier hearts. She told them that I was lieing to them and it would be horrible in the US. She was trying to brian wash them with lies.

Today I went to see the girls. They did not act like they were afraid of me bu they were a little hesitate with me.

How confusing it must be to be told so many things from adults.

I have a meeting Monday morning with the authorites here to discuss what is going on with the dad and the other family members to see what is going to happen now.

We have come so far. I truly want God´s will for my girls and I know in my heart that they are to be with us. I am very sad for them. I refuse to allow the enemy to discourage me. God is on my side and the families that are showing up now do not have him on thier side.

Please pray that truly God´s will is done here. It´s very heartbreaking I won´t lie so pray for my strength as I am here without Terry to pick me up.

There is so much going on that I am not sure what will happen next.

Cover us with your prayers. Believe with me that God´s favor and HIS direction will be, not man´s, not mine and not the families involved.

God Bless,

Angie

Update on My Paperwork

We received word today that in fact the meeting with our orphanage director and the lady at Mi Familia that is refusing to turn our paperwork over did in fact take place.

The woman has confirmed the paperwork is completed and she will deliver it to Mi Familia in Managua before I arrive on Thursday evening.

This is huge if it really happens. I don't mean to sound like I am not optimistic about this but this lady has lied to us 3 times already. It's hard to put faith in that.

Since my faith is in God and not in her I am going to trust that all things work together for those who love the Lord so that means ME...

Thank you guys for praying with me and trusting God for favor. He is faithful, its man that is not.

As I spent time in prayer this morning I found an old bible I use to use and in it was a list of scriptures that I had written down about 10 or more years ago. I truly believe it was for that moment this morning I wrote them. All of them pertained to this situation. All of them told me exactly what God wanted me to know this morning.

I find that absolutely amazing. Just think about it. I wrote those scriptures over 10 years ago and today they were exactly what I needed. God is so amazing. He knows all. He knew then I would need them today.

Do you write down scriptures that encourage you? Try it; see if one day God brings those across your path again just when you need them. It will do wonders for your faith.

Keep praying as I leave on Thursday afternoon. I will be going to meet with the lawyers of Mi Familia to ensure that all documents are ready for us to be voted on April 15th.

In addition to that God took care of the backdrop I needed. The place I am staying, Just so happens to have a screen and a sound system waiting on me. I can't wait to see what happens with showing the story of Jesus in color. It will change lives.

I'll keep you posted so you can be praying.

God Bless,

Angie

Nicbound again..

In 2004 I had to set up a Hotmail account. In a hurry I just typed "Nicbound" I was going on my first Nicaragua mission trip that summer and that's what came to mind.

I never imagined at that time in my life that I would be "Nic" bound every time I turned around.

In the first three years that I started working in Nicaragua I could hardly come up with the money to buy my tickets. It always seemed to be a struggle. It's amazing to me that once I finally accepted the call on my life to work there on a regular basis that the struggle was no longer around.

I have gone to Nicaragua 5 times since July and had only gone 5 times prior to that. It is amazing to me. I remember in 2006 saying to someone in Nicaragua, "I pray that one day I can come as often as God needs me to come without it being a struggle every time". God has answered that prayer over and over again.

With that said, YES, I am headed to Nicaragua again.

Remember the lady that is holding up my paperwork? Well she lied again and did not turn it over. In addition to that my case worker's last day was Tuesday and now there is no clear answer to what is going to happen to my case and the mounts of paperwork I submitted. Two weeks ago 1 out of the only 3 case workers was fired and all of her cases are still sitting on her desk. Many of those were adoptions. So now, all my case workers cases are sitting on hers with no one to work them.

Once I realized that it was in our best interest for me to go again I started thinking about mission work that can be done while I am there. I am excited to say I already have some plans to visit a village that needs help and support. This will be the first village that I will be working outside of the ministry I use to support. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to branch out and do God’s will for my life.

I am also considering taking my projector and laptop and showing movies at night in the village I am staying in. Most have TV there because there’s electricity but they have never seen movies about Jesus. I'm considering the Jesus Film Project, the Nativity and maybe another one, in Spanish of course.

What a great opportunity to show them Jesus. Pray with me that this method will really hit home and show them Jesus like they have never seen him. I would love to show Passion of the Christ but most can't read the subtitles.

I only have a week to figure this out so pray God shows me a way to come up with a backdrop to show it on that is easy to take on a plane.

The enemy may be causing problems and trying to delay the adoption but in fact all he is doing is giving me the opportunity to minister more to the lost of Nicaragua.

I leave on Thursday 3rd and return on the 11th. During that time I hope to visit my girls for two days and minister to the village and then return back to Managua and deal with the people holding up the process.

Please pray for:

Safety as I will be traveling alone there and then meeting my translator Claudia.
Protection while I am driving, yes I have to drive in this crazy country this time.
Favor with the people who are holding this process up.
Open hearts to share the gospel of Jesus with.
A backdrop that is portable and easy to set up.
My husband and kids
Good health - no sickness from the food and water there

My attorney was suppose to meet with the highest lawyer at Mi Familia today to find out where in the process is my paperwork so I'll keep you posted if anything changes before I go.

God Bless you all and thanks for praying. I really need your faithful prayers as we walk down this journey together.

Angie