It's Over for Now..

I have been struggling to write about our trip since we got home. You can say I have truly been in a period of morning.

I always get excited about going to Nicaragua but this trip I knew in my heart it would change the way I see and feel about this country.

We met on Monday with the new lawyer and he went to Mi Familia on our behalf. Not much came from the first meeting only a second one.

The lawyer pushed Mi Familia for answers and at the end the outcome was not favorable for us.

The girls have been put into this Love Program because there is a family member asking for Isamar. Since the bond between them is so strong they will not separate the girls, automatically giving the dad both girls.

We were told the decision has been made and there is no changing it. We can either adopt another child or take our paperwork back.

As harsh as that sounds that's how it is. It did not matter to them that we have had a 4 year relationship, it did not matter to them that Carmen is not this man's child. It did not matter that the girls love us and want to be with us and not him. Nothing matters. Only that the rules of the program are upheld.

I wished I could tell you that hearing "I'm sorry" matters, but right now it doesn't. My heart is broken and in a million pieces. I feel like I left Nicaragua and betrayed my girls even though I know I have done all I can do.

Additionally, we asked for another child from the House of Rose and was denied that also. No child can be asked for specifically by anyone. All the children in orphanages today will be evaluated and if there is a family member anywhere who will take them they will be given to that person. If no member is found they will be put on the adoption list for those awaiting a child.

At this point in this process we can only wait and call upon the Lord. Terry and I know these girls are ours and at some point they will be. We are not sure what God's plan is right now but both of us are certain we know they are to be with us one day. For now, we wait and pray for these decisions to be changed.

Nicaragua is known for making rules and changing them often. We ask that you pray that those making these decisions will be overturned.

The idea sounds like a good one at first but if you talk it through it is an impossible task for the government to uphold. This country is poor, if they had money to pay families to take kids they would be using it to feed the millions of starving families.

We ask that you pray with us in agreement for the following:

1. The girls will somehow know that we did not abandon them.
2. The girls will be protected when they leave. No harm will come against them.
3. The government will see that the rules they have put in place needs to be altered on a case by case basis.
4. Mi Familia will listen to the girls and their desires.
5. The dad will see the desires of the girls to be with us. Once he get them he can give them back to us.
6. Pray for the many families this affects. We are only one of many families who lost their chances for the children they felt God was leading them to have.
7. We are being told there are people within the government that oppose this program, pray they find a way to overturn it.

For now we wait and pray and try to stay strong. It's heartbreaking to say the least but we are confident that God is in control and we are trusting him to intervene.

I was ask this weekend if we are sure this is God's plan and I can tell you that if I have ever know His plan for sure, those girls are to be in our home. This is a fight against the enemy. The enemy is slowing this adoption down, not God.

Thanks for your moral support and prayers as we go through this process.

Angie & Terry

Our Saga continues...

My faithful friends,

I write to you this night as Terry and I prepare to leave in the morning (Sunday) to Nicaragua to meet with a new lawyer and the office of Mi Familia.

Since the last time I wrote the country has had many changes.

The First Lady of Nicaragua is implementing a process that will basically create a foster care program there and is suppose to help children who are in orphanages now get out and go home to a family member and it would keep kids from being placed in orphanages unless absolutely necessary. There are many good things here and many bad. Families have to want these kids first of all and if they wanted them to begin with they would not put them in the orphanage. Who is to tell? Our prayers for this is crucial.

As for our adoption we will be affected greatly if what we are being told is true. We have heard this week that in fact the father of Isamar is blood related to Carmen. He is suppose to be a cousin. If that is the case the new law gives him full rights to her and does not require him to meet any kind of requirements. I was told this by another lawyer who I asked to take my case. She refused because she says there is no case. We can't win.

Terry and I have felt many emotions this week. We are not sure what God's plan is at this point but what we do know is that He took us down this path and He will continue to direct our steps.

The outlook does not look in our favor but we are certain God told us to go down this road so for now we are going to go and find out what we can and trust God to show us what now.

Please pray for us as we go and meet with these people on Monday.

Pray for guidance, wisdom and peace.
Pray for discernment.
Pray for clear understanding of God's plan.
Pray for protection over my kids and Terry's mother as she takes care of our kids.
Pray for favor with Mi Familia and the lawyers.
Pray for the girls. We want to see them but are not sure if they will allow it.

This trip will be the turning point of this adoption. It could be the final meeting we have.

Thanks for you support and prayers through this process.

God Bless,

Angie and Terry

Update on Prayer Request

Well now that the smoke has cleared it appears that some changes are going to be made in Nicaragua but as of right now it does not look like it will affect us. PRAISE GOD...

Thanks to all of you who have been praying because I believe our prayers have calm the storm for now.

It was in fact true that the broadcast on TV took place but it seems their words were more of this is what we want to do than this is what we are going to do.

Here in the US when a child is taken from the parents they go to a foster home to stay until the parents get their act together or it is determined they can't and that child becomes adoptable.

In Nicaragua there is not such system so all children go directly to an orphanage and stay until the parents get their act together. Most get left in the orphanages because the parents are not willing to change their way of life. Sadly that causes problems for the children because they are not adoptable but they have to live in the orphanage.

It looks like they are going to change that process to stop that from happening.

There is still rumors of closing private ran orphanages but it is impossible for them to do that. Maybe they will only close those that are not being ran up to standards. Who knows at this point? The House of Rose where my girls are is private owned but it is one of the best in Nicaragua so I am no longer worried about it's future.

With all that said, it appears that our prayers are being heard and God is moving the hearts and minds of those in charge to make things better. It does not appear for now there is any more talk of closing the adoptions to foreigners. Let's just continue to pray that those who wanted that to happen are moved from office or completely get a heart change.

Thank you all so much for your consistent prayers. They are moving mountains.

Angie

URGENT URGENT Prayer Need

Just when I think that it can't get any worse I get news that it can.

Today I was told that this week the Nicaragua administration that governs the adoption process in Nicaragua announced on TV that they are planning on closing the option for foreign adoptions and will close all private ran orphanages. Instead, children will be put in foster homes all over the country.

This is serious guys. This is much bigger than dealing with Isamar's dad this is dealing with the Nicaraguan government.

There has been a lot of issues going on within the administration lately but no one knew exactly what.

How does this affect me and Terry? If they put this plan (that is not legal that we can tell) into place we will have lost any and every chance at getting the girls and the many many parents that are waiting on children will have lost their chances also.

As for them closing the private ran orphanages that means that 1,000's of children will be taken back to abusive homes, given to people who don't want them or even taken to over crowded government ran orphanages, who knows at this point but it will be a horrible situation for all of these innocent children.

This requires a great deal of prayer from everyone. We have to pray that God's will be done in these kids lives and not the will of man.

We are not fighting against flesh and blood here guys we are fighting against the enemy who would love for all the Christian families who are adopting to lose that opportunity.

Please I beg you all that are reading this to make this a top priority on your prayer list daily. Prayer can move mountains and it will take all of us petitioning the Lord to change what could possibly happen.

There was no exact date on when this would take place or how it would happen but exactly but if they went as far as telling it on national TV you can bet they are working on making it happen if at all possible.

Please, please pray for all the innocent children who will be affected by this decision.

Pray for wisdom for us. We just bought tickets yesterday to fly to Nic on Oct. 13th to hire a new lawyer to try and save our chances in getting the girls. We are not sure what we will need to do now.

Angie

Keeping your eyes on the Lord...

Around the same time we decided to adopt the girls last year one morning during my quite time God took me to the story of Peter walking on the water.

At the time we were going through a testing time and that story spoke to me greatly and I heard the Lord specifically tell me to remember that story as I go through the adoption for the girls.

Today talking with two of my friends God brought that story back to me as they were asking how I was doing.

My answer is this.

Right now I am in the middle of the Gulf Coast and Ike is 100 miles away from me.

Just like with Peter the water was all around him and the storm was fierce. That's how I feel these days. One day all is well and the next day a storm blows in.

Saturday the girls went with Isamar's dad and they will stay for 7 days. Pray for their safety.

I can allow that to cause me to sink in this storm or I can stay focused on the Lord and his promises. The enemy would like for me to start feeling that rain and wind on my body and he would love for me to just give up.

No matter how fierce this storm gets I refuse to take my eyes off God's promises. The rain might be pouring on our heads and the wind is pushing me to the left and the right but I will refuse to take me eyes off of the Lord.

How are you doing in your storm? Does the waves that hit you knock you down or just push you over?

Don't get me wrong this is a Category 5 storm we are going through and just like Peter some days my feet starts to sink but because of my friends who are praying for me and encouraging me and God's reminder of His word I immediately get my focus and the sinking stops.

I encourage you today if you are in the middle of a Category 5 storm to hold onto God's promises and remember that He makes EVERYTHING and HE has the POWER to stop the winds and the rain. It's up to you..

Please continue to pray for our family as we walk through this storm and wait patiently on the storm to pass and my girls to come home where they belong.

God Bless,

Angie