Collecting School Items for December...

Being so busy the month of August I failed to send out a request for school supplies for the kids that we are sending to school for the first time in February. I missed all the school supply sales, sorry about that. I now have 32 out of 36 students sponsored. PRAISE GOD... I told the parents of those students they were all sponsored when I saw them last week and they were so happy. The kids were smiling like they were getting a nice shinny bike or something. I can't wait to take them shopping to get their uniforms.

The sponsorship money pays for the main items like the shoes, clothes, backpack, socks, etc. but if you have a child in school or ever did you know that pencils break and erasers wear out.

It is my goal to give extra pencils and pencil sharpeners for the students. I would love to take other supplies but they are just too heavy to travel on the plane.

I have already purchased a box of crayons for each student and have a few packs of colored pensils.

I would like to collect 36 packs of pencils, 36 packs of colored pencils,  36 erasers and pencil sharpeners.

Does this sound like a project your Sunday School class would like to take on? Or your child's pre-school class?

Let me know if you would be interested in hosting this project. I'll be happy to make fliers or any other marketing material needed for it.

If you are shopping and would like to pick up a pack of pencils or one of the other items of course I will be happy to take them off your hands.

Please do not purchase the Papermate name brand pencils at Wal-Mart. The erasers fall off really easy and they won't erase very good. I have taken them before and found they ended up not being able to use them much.

Keep your eyes on the lookout for me, if you find a sale or a good deal let me know.

Thanks so much for your support.

Angie

Moving On..

It's already been a week and a half since I left Nicaragua. Time lately goes so fast it's a blur some days. Many of you have ask how I am doing and some days I can answer great, other days I just don't know how I feel.

I have not honestly had a chance to process everything. I came home and went straight to work and haven't stopped since.

I've had many many conversations with God about Oscar. He's shown me things I didn't even think about during the rough times of his sickness.

There were literally 1,000's of people praying for him each day and especially during the last days. 1,000's of people, most totally strangers to him. Churches in Kenya had a prayer vigil for him for 3 days. They never have even met me much less Oscar.

The very fact that people cried out to God on his behalf is a miracle of itself. People who don't actively pray daily were praying for him. The faith of many individuals were stretched, not to mention how much mine alone was.

I have questioned God over and over why this had to happen. He was so young and could have given a great testimony of God's amazing power. Would he have affected as many people has he did already? Who is to know but God.

So, I rest in knowing that my little buddy Oscar, age 8, changed 1,000's of peoples faith in prayer. God had the opportunity to have an intimate time with people who had not talked to him in a long long time. That's something hardly any of us can accomplish.

I am honored to have been a part of his life and as the days pass I will come to peace with knowing that God's will was done in Oscar's life and he is know in heaven, healed, whole and sitting with Jesus.

I know I have said thanks many times to you for everyones part in this but thank you is not enough. God will bless you more than words will ever say but all I can give is my heart felt gratitude for your kindness in all this.

I was blessed to receive enough money to pay in full Oscar's funeral arrangements. Thanks so much to all who contributed toward this expense, you can't imagine what a blessing you were to me to help a child you didn't even know.

The family is very grateful and is now waiting to hear the outcome of mom's sentence. She has been told she will have to report back to prison on Wednesday. Please pray they have mercy on her. We have been told twice the judge has agreed to free her but the general attorney has over thrown him. She is still dealing with pain from the surgery and if she is put back in prison she will not receive any medical attention unless it becomes severe.

I have trusted God through it all for Oscar so know I trust him for Francisa. He knows her future also.

I am putting together a tribute of pictures of Oscar for my website. I'll let you know when I am finished.

God Bless all of you,

Angie

It is finished...

Last night and today was truly the longest two days I think I have experienced in my lifetime. I arrived in Somotillo around 4 yesterday and went straight to the home. There are no funeral homes around here and the family is responsible for everything. So Oscar was in his casket which was being held by white plastic chairs.

It was extremely hard to walk in the house and find my little buddy in a casket. I really still can´t believe this all has happen. I caught myself already thinking I can´t forget to call him on his birthday.

Things are very different here. The wake tradition in Somotillo is NOT OF GOD at all. The entire two nights that the body was here in Somotillo all the drunks of the town show up to play cards all night (literally until 6am) and expect the family to provide food and coffee.

It was so hard for me. I was angry all night long. I finally left at 2 which was actually 4 for me because I just could not stay up any longer and condone what was going on.

It is a part of their tradition and expected when someone dies. Sad, so sad...

This morning I was so tired I almost overslept and missed the church service. The family walks the body to the church. Carrying it on the shoulders of who ever wants. The church was at least a mile from the house and it was about 105 degrees. I helped carry him almost half way. I just could not let those drunks carry my little buddy.

Once in the church a priest gave a very good service and then to the cemetery we went. The father and grandfather had worked all day on Sunday preparing the grave.  The actual burial was also very odd. They are responsible for covering him and putting blocks and cement on the top. We waited for a long time as they mixed concrete and added blocks to cover the top.

We are such a blessed country. Can you imagine having to cover your own child... It´s really hard, trust me.

The family is doing as good as expected. Going on hardly any sleep and just dealing with the shock has made everyone extremely tired and wore out emotionally and physically.

The entire family ask that I tell each of you how much they appreciate all the prayers and support you have given them. They are very thankful for everything. I told them about the raffle we had for Oscar and they just could not believe that 1300 tickets were sold on behalf of Oscar, a total stranger.

I made sure they knew he is no stranger to you.

I have been asked several times how much did the funeral end of costing and to be honest I am not finished paying just yet but as of tonight it is around $350. That barely gets us an hour at a funeral home in the US.

I am amazed at the outpouring of prayers I have received during this process. Please continue to pray for the family as  on Friday, Francisca is to report back to prison. The Attorney General has over ruled the judge who freed her. She is still in pain from the operation and we are hoping to get an extension to buy her some time. Pray for healing in her side also.

Join with me in praise that Oscar is in pain no more. I am so glad I came because I needed this closure. It was a big financial burden but I am trusting God to take care of it.

I leave  back to Managua tomorrow and will fly home Wednesday morning. Please pray for me as I am flying standby and really need to get home early on Wednesday so I can help Terry in a corporate event he is shooting photos for.

Again, thanks to all.....

Angie

To help with projects I am working on send your check to..

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

On the road again..

Well it's 12:52am on Sunday morning and I am in Miami. Yes I am on my way back to Nicaragua. I can't really explain to anyone how Oscar's death makes me feel. I am not sure anyone would understand if I told you.

When I first met Oscar God did something in my heart for him I can't understand. I love many kids in Nicaragua but none like him, other than my girls of course.

God used Oscar to stretch my faith farther than anything. There are many times during the last two years when Oscar needed help that I did not have the finances to do so and I watched God show up in a mighty way.

I will never forget last year during August when he needed his house to be fixed in order for him to come home. I got a call at the last minute and it was going to take like $600 to fix it and I didn't have a dime to give him. God and I went around and around and when it was all said and done it was my faith God was working on, not my pocket book.

I have learned so much from this. I have had to trust God in ways like no others.

I have to have closure. I can't just sit and let them bury my little buddy and not be there to be a part of it and have that closer.

In addition the family is so distraught. They truly believed he would wake up one day. I am proud to see their faith. I am happy to know during this time they have prayed more than ever before. My concern now is to make sure there is no anger toward God. I understand there is and hope to help work through that.

Of course this trip and the last was not planned. We are again having to trust God for the finances to cover these expenses along with burial arrangements.

I have had many of you ask can you help and yes you can. If you would like to contribute to the burial for this family please just send your check to me an I will apply it to what was spent. So far we only know the casket is around $225 and that we have to purchase the land for the grave and pay the people to dig the grave. They have a type of wake also but I am not sure of the details just yet.

Things are so different in Nicaragua. My friend Carlos had to prepare the body. He and the dad had to clean the body up and put his clothes on him as well as put him in the casket. Maybe God knew if I was there I would have felt obligated to do that for the family and trust me I would not have been able to handle that. Carlos is a great friend to me and knew that I would have not wanted the mom to have done it.

They took the body to Somotillo tonight and now he will be there for the wake until I get there. We will bury him on Monday morning. They don't em-bomb the body but they do something to keep it so the family can keep it up for the wake.

Please pray for the family as they are heart broken of course. Francisca can not have any other children and Oscar is her only one. Pray this family will find God through all this.

I am not sure all of you reading this understand the magnitude of the prayers that have been going on for Oscar. You are a part of 100's that have been praying faithfully. People in Kenya, the Philippines,  all over the US in many cities have all joined together to pray for this little guy.

Little Oscar has brought us all together crying out to God on his behalf. This is how it is suppose to be. Not just in a crisis should we be on our knees for each other. Daily we need to lift up others and help carry their burdens.

I will never be able to thank each of you for all the prayers.

God Bless each of you.

Pray for support and rest for me as I travel 3 hours by plane and 3 hours by car.

Praise God my little buddy hurts no more.

Angie

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

God's Will Has Been Done

I got home last night around 10:00. It was truly the longest ride from Nicaragua I have ever taken. Oscars condition had not changed yesterday but it has today.

It is with the greatest sadness to tell you that he went to be with God finally this morning.

His battle is over and he is now completely Healed...

I am at peace that he is in heaven now but extremely sad that I was not there. I wanted to stay so bad yesterday but felt I had responsibilities at home I had to be here for. I have to just deal with the fact I guess it was not meant for me to be there during this time.

If I had some frequent flyer miles I would leave today again but I don't. If you have some you would like to give away I would take them but would need them ASAP.

Carlos says the family is doing as good as expected. I had prepared them Thursday night the best I could.

Please pray for me as this hurts much more than I expected.

I know that the family would want me to tell all of your how much they appreciate your prayers and support for them.

Please continue to pray for them during this time. They will have a "wake" tomorrow which will last 24 hours and then they will bury him.

We are taking care of the burial arrangements for them since of course they do not have the resources to do so.

Thanks again for everything.

Angie