My crazy dream..

Last night I had a very odd dream. One that has made me think, could it be real? Here's how it went. (Keep in mind this dream was based on the time frame of today) In the dream I had posted a comment on my Facebook page that I was headed to Nicaragua again and needed support from anyone who could help.

I soon got a response back from someone that said to me:

"Girl, you must really hate your husband, you're gone all the time." I'd love to help you but I don't believe in giving to help people get a divorce and anyway I can't afford to help myself much less help anyone body else. The cost of feeding my habits is going up every day, if you know what I mean."

Then a second response came that said, "Haven't you gone enough to that place, it sure seems like you are going on vacation a lot lately, didn't you just get back from Haiti".

Then a third response came that said, "Angie, I really think you are just asking way to much of your friends. You know in this day and time we can't just keep giving you money and you just keep asking all the time, don't you think you should let somebody else go?"

The fourth message read, Angie, I really appreciate what you do in Nicaragua but I can't afford to send myself on vacation much less you so please just stop asking for support, it makes me feel bad when I see it.

Many many more comments just like these came in.

Needless to say in my dream I was devastated. How could anyone think I was going to Nicaragua because I hate my husband and how could anyone who truly knows what I am doing feel that way.

These comments led to a great depression in my spirit and a feeling of rejection like no other.

In my dream I called everyone in Nicaragua that I work with and canceled all the meetings that were scheduled and told them I would never come back because people were accusing me of things that were not true and no one was helping me do anything so if I had no support I could not come and do what needed to be done.

The church I work with was devastated, the community of Ceibita was heartbroken and all the children cried. (It was so sad in my dream..)

I woke up in the middle of it and jumped up in bed, it took me 5 minutes to figure out if it was a dream or real. I began to cry, actually sob thinking oh my gosh, am I never going to work in Nicaragua again?

Once I calmed myself down and realized it was just a dream I started thinking about the comments. You know how the devil will play with youy mind and tell you things. Well for an hour I laid and thought about the comments. Do people really feel that way? Do they really know what I do there? Do they understand the lives that are being changed and impacted for Christ? Do they know how many people have accepted Christ? Do they even care?

Many thoughts went through my head during that time and some still do. I know it was just a dream (a nightmare to me) but it did make me think about things and what it did was make me see I am doing exactly what I am suppose to be doing.

Yes I just went to Haiti and I ask for support and yes I am going again to Nicaragua on the 25th and I am asking again for anyone who can support this trip to please help me do so. I can't do this without support, I wished I could but I can't.

So for those who might think those crazy things that was in my dream know that I love my husband with all my heart and we are NOT getting a divorce and these trips are NOT a vacation from anyone. It is very hard work, long long days and nights of work in a very hot country and emotionally draining beyond what I can explain. No idiot would do this all the time if it was not of God.

I don't just go there to hang out with friends. I go there to encourage the families whose children went hungry today or whose house is falling apart and it's raining on everything they have or the single mom who has no idea how she is going to get her child who is burning up with fever a $2 antibiotic. I go because God tells me to Go and He always has a plan for me when I get there.

This trip I will be meeting with several businesses to learn how to set up a business for Ceibita. The men of this community have come to me with a proposal asking to receive help in starting a business to make tile for their roofs. They felt it was best to start the business so they can help the entire communities housees and then sell them to other communities. There  are no tile companies close by and they live on a main road. Looks like they have done their homework. The coolest part is they didn't ask for me to fix their houses, they asked me to help them earn an income and fix them their selves. This is huge breakthrough. Nicaraguans tend to just ask and ask for help but they want you to do all the work and give them the benefits. This community has learned how to ask God's way. I'd like to mention these men are not Christians but their wives are. I see this as a way to reach those men. A way to bring them to knowing the truth of God's love.

So yes I am going again, this trip was planned in December and yes it takes support to get there. I walk by faith that God will provide every time and for 19 times now he has . This will be my 20th trip to Nicaragua. It is a dream come true to serve God in this way.

I am encourage by my dream. I know the enemy would like for me to give up and stop but I can't until God says I can.

If you would like to be a part of what God is doing in Nicaragua and not have the attitudes of those who wrote on my Facebook, please do so.

We all can make a difference. If everyone on this distribution list gave me only $5 it would pay for my plane ticket or pay to start the business in Ceibita or something else. Every dollar counts and Every dollar adds up.

The last trip I went on, one of you, said to me they were so sorry they could not give me more than $5. Never be ashamed of giving. God says give as you have and let him do the rest. Trust him with your money. Trust him to use it as He desires. Never ever feel you can't support something because you can't give large amounts. That's the way the enemy keeps you from giving at all.

Please pray for me as I plan on going and while I am there. Pray God opens the doors that I need to walk through to help this community better themselves and in the same time find His love.

I seldom get any responses back from these emails so I hope that known of you feel the way the people in my dream did. If you do feel free to ask me to remove you from this list, I'll be happy to.

Thanks to everyone on this list that has sewed into my life. You have allowed God to use your finances in a mighty way. When you get to heaven you will see the lives you impacted and never even got on the plane. Know that every prayer you send up on my behalf, every dollar you sew, every word of encouragement you give, HE knows and will reward you for.

If you would like to sew into this ministry please know I use every penny for ministry things. I put every paycheck from my part-time job directly into it. I am invested into this ministry, I don't just want you to be.

The most important thing you can do for me is PRAY. Prayer makes things happen. Prayer puts me on God's to-do list and the more people prayer the higher up the list I go.

My friend Ashley shared this quote with me and I love it. "Relationships are the wings the Gospel flies on", that's what I'm doing in Nicaragua. Building Relationships.

God Bless,

Angie

The Power of One Ministry 198 Mellwood Drive Charlotte, NC  28214 704-236-5550

Ceibita Kids are off to school...

I feel like a mom on the first day of school for her first child. I was so excited to get the pictures of our sponsored kids in Ceibita. I hate I was not there to be a part of it and praise God my friend was. He said the kids were skipping around in their new clothes as the moms fussed at them to not get dirty. Sound familiar..

All the kids wanted everyone to know that they were so happy and excited to go to school.

It as been a month now that they have been in school (took a while to get the pictures) and all are doing great.

Enjoy the smiles as I did. Not all the kids could be present to participate but most were.

Click here to view the pictures.

God Bless and thanks again,

Angie

nic4

My trip to Haiti

We'll I've been home 4 days now and still have not processed all I saw. It was truly more to take in than one can imagine for many different reasons. Before I left on this trip my understanding of what we had planned to do was much different than what  God had planned for us. I spend the entire trip thinking we were missing something when that "something" was right in front of my eyes.

To make a long story short God showed me that sometimes in life what appears to be best is not always what he needs us to do.

Due to many different circumstances outside my control we spent much of our time not in Port au Prince but inside the walls of the orphanage where we were staying along with 85 beautiful orphaned kids.

I was so excited we would have time to play with the kids but the entire time I kept thinking we needed to be out with all the earthquake victims. God showed me soon he had other plans for our team.

The kids at this orphanage were so scared they would no longer sleep in their beds at night. Most of them were sleeping under a shelter on the hard floor or a small sponge mat because they thought another quake would come and the building would collapse on them. How sad it was to know those wonderful children had no assurance they would be ok.

Soon each of us played the role of a parent. Encouraging these beautiful bright young kids that everything was going to be ok. Unfortunately  they were not buying it. The fear was very strong and there were no adults there hardly but us to assure them.   Our ministry was right in our arms and I am sad to say I didn't see it until I got home.

We were also able to bless a community with a lot of the medical supplies we took. Like most poor countries with no health care there were a lot of sick babies and sick senior citizens.

We were also able to visit Port au Prince and see all the destruction. It was truly worse then you have seen on TV. It looked like a bomb had dropped on every building. People were wondering the streets everywhere. It would remind you of a very crowded festival. People were wondering around just trying to find what they could. We saw people taking out rhubarb from destroyed buildings so they could sell it and even some people were still pulling out deceased bodies. it was truly a painful thing to see.

One of the pastors we were suppose to work with will use all the medical supplies in one of the tent villages and in the poorest part of Haiti. I am happy to know many will receive the much needed medical support.

I have loaded pictures for you to see. I could tell you story after story but it would take forever so I'll let the pictures tell you more about what I saw.

In the gallery you will see the collection of medical supplies I collected. Thanks to all of you who were able to give toward this. I promise you they were used for God's glory and they will continue to be used for it.

There are pictures of us having the medical clinic. I am sure hundreds were seen that day. The community was extremely thankful. I was able to encourage them to continue praying and trusting God to supply the much needed support they are praying for.

There are pictures of the kids from the orphanage. I was so amazed by them. One of the boys has learned 4 languages. Several others could speak at least 3. They were such a blessing to be around. I'm not sure who needed who more, them or us.

There are many pictures of the devastation in Port au Prince and pictures of the many tent villages. Tents were setup anywhere they could put them away from the buildings. People had put up signs asking for help in 4 languages, English, French, Creole and Spanish.

We were not able to help the people in POP directly but will help them through the local pastor. He will be able to feed them with food we purchased for him and with all the medical supplies. He holds a medical clinic with local doctors each week where he ministers to their body and soul.

On Sunday we went to church with th kids and saw over 45 people who had accepted the Lord after the earthquake. Many people who rejected God before are turning to Him now. God is turning a really bad situation into an opportunity to bring Haitians into the Kingdom of God. Later that night we blessed the children with all the wonderful stuffed animals given to me to take along with candy and toys. They were so happy to receive the toys and eat the peanut butter crackers we made for them.  It was a lot of fun to see their smiles.

We left last Monday with tears in our eyes and many many hugs from the kids who were so thankful for our time with them. God used us to bless them in many ways. We loved on them, told them how much they were loved and most importantly we told them how much God loves them.

I am looking forward to going again to do other work if God allows but for now I am content that even though we did not do what I wanted to or expected to I know we did what God wanted and that's the most important thing you can do on a mission trip. Be flexible and be obedient.

Thanks for all your support I know God will honor it and bless you more than I was ever blessed.

Check out the pictures by clicking here..

God Bless,

Angie

On my way to Haiti

I had hoped to send this last night but I ended up sick and needed to go to bed. I am here with our team at the airport getting excited to head south.

Thank you so much to everyone who donated supplies. I had so much that there will be some for the next trip that the church will take. Way to go friends. You really showed how much you can support me and how much helping God is important to you.

Please pray for our team as we have no idea what things we will come up against.

Pray for healing in my body. I have antibiotics and hope my ears are better before I board this plane.

I wished I had more time to write but I don't. I will not be sending any updates because there is not electricity where I will be staying.

Please pray for my family as this will be the first time I have ever left with no communication for a week.

Love you guys and thanks so much for you help.

I did not raise all the money needed for this trip so if anyone wanted to donate and didn't please go ahead and send it so I will have it when I get back.

Thank you so much.. Praise God He is in control.

Angie

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

Update on my trip to Haiti

Only 9 days left before I leave... I had my first team meeting today and found out a little more about what we will be doing and right now the specifics are yet to be defined but I know I will be doing many things outside of my normal mission trip. From moving blocks, to building things, to playing with children. What ever God wants done that is our plan.

Plans are being worked out now for our arrival. it sounds like we will be very very busy. We will be taking additional money with us to purchase food and more medical supplies to hand out in the local community we will be working in. We are so excited to be used by God in such a critical time.

Remember all those flip-flops I bought a long time ago. Well I still have some that I have yet to get to Nicaragua so of course I must take them now to Haiti. Who would have known...

We will be staying at an orphanage that holds 81 kids right now and so of course I have to take things to them. I think I have about half the stuffed animals for the girls and plenty of toy cars for the boys. If you have beanie baby style stuffed animals let me know. I'll be happy to take them with the ones I have. You can never have enough.

I am still in need of medical supplies. I'm the only one on my team that does not have a lot so come on folks hook me up and show these folks you got my back.. There's still time. :)

Today I had a conversation with a friend and shared with her how several years ago someone sent me $5 and a note saying how embarrassed she was that she could only give me $5. That following week I took over 100 tooth brushes to her house and dumped them in the floor. To her amazement she said wow, where did you get all those toothbrushes, I replied, I bought them on sale WITH THE $5 DOLLARS you gave me.

Her willingness to give as God led her to opened the door for me to use it to change the lives of 100 people. I find that so many say they want to help in times like these but don't because they think $5 is to little. I am here to tell you $1 is not too little. God can use any money you give for His glory. First you must be willing to be obedient and not feel embarrassed. Harris Teeter raised over $650,000 asking for $1 and $5 donations. As a group we can do great things.

Here is the list of medical supplies for you again in case you have not had a chance to purchase any and still want to:

  • Gauze – any size, but preferably 4X4
  • Dressings - sterile and unsterile
  • Neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment
  • Ace bandages (or anything specifically for wound care)
  • Ibuprofen
  • Oral rehydration salts
  • Tylenol or Motrin
    Multivitamins (children and adult)
    Benadryl

  • Cough medications
  • Anti-diarrhea tablets
  • Alcohol pads
  • Band-Aids
  • Tape - all types
  • Thermometers
  • Tongue depressors

I will also add to this that medical gloves, and any children/infant medications, q-tips and cotton balls are also helpful items.

If you feel led to help me financially I would be grateful I still need a great deal before I leave.

If you have medical supplies to give me just call me or email me and I'll find a way to get them from you before next Tuesday.

Thanks to all who have given to me already. God will bless each of you abundantly more than my thank you's.

Angie

The Power of One Ministry 198 Mellwood Drive Charlotte, NC  28214 704-236-5550