Never Ending Journey Part 10

Last week I saw a video of a small child who won the chance to shoot a puck into a small hole at a hockey game. The odds were 1 in a Million.. this young boy (I think he was 9 or 10) hit the puck and straight in it went.. It was a $50,000 prize. 1 in a Million odds and a 10 year old did it..

That's how I feel this week. I have just had a 1 in a Million odds experience. Let me explain more.

In 2004 I started working in the orphanage in Somotillo. There were 17 little girls there on average. Some came and went but must stayed there permanently. My bond with the kids grew as I stayed with them a great deal of time. I grew a great love for these girls and in 2007 we started this adoption process for the first two girls because of that strong bond.

During 2007 there were two little girls there that soon left. Nessie and Francis. Nessie left in December of 07 and Francis left in March of 2008.

In March I came and brought all the girls Easter clothes. That day happen to be the last day Francis was going to be at the orphanage because she was leaving to be adopted by a family.

I gave her clothes and we took pictures of her. She was 5 years old. I walked her to the gate that day, hugged her, cried with her and prayed over her and sent her on her way. I was angry that day because they didn't tell she was leaving for good and the other girls didn't know either so there were no goodbyes.

This past week the enemy did everything possible to stop us from adopting. We were told due to something I said the adoption was denied. Praise God that my attorney The Lord of Lords has the final words. The director allowed me to share why I said what I said and soon her attitude changed because she realized her employees were wrong and I was right and she immediately took us to meet our daughter. When you have God as your attorney you don't need any other help....

The day before when we were there and they told me my daughters name was Francis I didn't think anything about it but then they told me she had a sister named Nessie. I started thinking what would be the odd of me knowing this same child. Impossible I said. Impossible that of all the children in the country that needs to be adopted the same little girl I already knew and loved would be the one. Just impossible because she was already adopted.

They brought Francis in the room and sure enough she is my little Francis that I have already loved and known. I have tons of pictures of her when she was 5 and 6.  The crazy thing about this all is that Terry has been praying this entire time for us to adopt a child from the House of Rose. To us it was going to be impossible. For God, all things are Possible....

The DSS director had no idea Francis was ever at the House of Rose and had no way of knowing we knew her. She picked a child from the list but God chose this child for her because He had a plan for Francis in 2007 we just didn't know it.

Today is the second day with her and already there is a bond I can't explain. It is truly a God given connection. It is a 1 in a Million experience.

My new journey has just begun...After 4 long years and many many hours of prayer our time has arrived to bless a wonderful young lady.. We are so honored he chose us..

God is so good....I stand in awe that we have a child now that we already had..

More to come..

To see photos of Francis on our first day together go to this website.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150261548906534.324168.510376533&l=2cdca49bf3&type=1

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us during this journey. It has only began so please don't stop praying for us. Living here for 3 more months will be hard. Today I took Terry to the airport and it's been a very sad moment for me. I'm lonely already..

For those asking what happen to Nessie, well she an Francis lived in that "home" for 3 years before the adoption was finished and when it was the family only took Nessie. They decided not to accept Francis and sent her back to DSS folks and they put her in the orphanage where she is now. She has been hurt so bad by this family. I stand amazed she is so willing to trust us. She has already asked if she can come and stay with me overnight. I should have her fulltime soon.

This is a true testimony to God's power and His grace and mercy.. We are going to name Francis, Francis Grace Honeycutt (assuming she accepts it).

Thanks again for joining me in our journey.

Angie & Terry

Never Ending Journey Part 9

Many things have happen since I wrote last. Things change around here so fast that I decided to wait until I had something concrete to say. For example, I have had a meeting with the DSS folks changed 4 times in a day.

What I am about to tell you will either shock you, encourage you or maybe both. Walking by Faith is really an awesome thing to do.

When I arrived here and went to see Karen I met almost a stranger. Not my Karen. She had changed physically so much I didn't recognize her. The physical change I can handle but the mental change I can't. Karen loves us very much but over the course of the last few months she has been completely brainwashed into believing she has to stay here in Nicaragua. That's what her "mom" would have wanted for her. The woman she lives with has made sure she knows that it was her "mom's" last request that she stay with her and not to come to the US.

After talking with Karen it was clear that things in her heart had changed and to be honest things had changed for me as well. I realized quickly I was now fighting for a child who didn't want me to fight for her. She loves us but she is confused.

When I went to Mi Familia (DSS) and was told by the Director that she just could not understand why I was fighting to love a child that may never be able to love me back I started questioning God because I agreed with her completely.

Prior to going to see Mi Familia I was praying and telling God that He truly knew the desire of my heart and even though we love Karen very much and we believe she was meant for us having a teenager who doesn't want us is not my desire. For 4 days I prayed asking God to show me what He was doing because I knew something major had changed in my heart and in Karen's. Now what about Terry.

I told no one of my feelings. Only God. Since we started to adopt Karen Terry has refused to even discuss adopting any other child. In his heart if he discussed it he would be giving up on Karen and he wanted God to see he had enough faith to believe for Karen. I told God that if he had other plans He better hurry up and tell Terry because that was going to take a while to change his heart.

Unbeknown to me God was already working. Terry went to Virginia and spend time with his sister who has a 4 year old little girl. During that time which was the same 4 days I had been praying that if God had other plans He would change Terry, Terry was also thinking about the fact that all along we have wanted a little girl. One we can bless with lots of love and one that will receive it in return yet here we were fighting to adopt a teenager who didn't even care how much she was loved.

On the night that I had the meeting with the Director Terry and I were talking (and remember for 2 1/2 years he refused to discuss another child) and in that discussion I told him what the Director had said about us fighting for a kid that didn't wants us anymore yet there are tons of children who do and out of know where he asked me "so what about those children", "how old are they". I was so surprised I didn't really know what to say so I said let's not talk about this any more. Let's pray.. let's see what God is saying because I was emotionally drained and could not handle any more changes in my life.

The next day came and went and we didn't even talk. Terry and I both were seeking God and looking for his direction.

On Wednesday of last week we have 5 confirmations of what God was telling us. Confirmations that could only have come from God since know one knew what we were going through. So...

As of yesterday we are now adopting a little girl. One we do not even know. One who is living in an orphanage here in Managua. We will be able to meet her on Thursday of next week. Terry will come on Wednesday and for 5 days we will be with her to see if there is a connection. Once that is over with if all goes well then I will have her for the next 3 months and then I will bring her home.

Right now we only know that she is between 7 and 9 years of age. They are investigating to determine for sure her age.  Even the child could change between now and then so we really won't know until we get to the orphanage.

We have also asked to adopt Karen. If for some reason she changes her mind after therapy we would still take her but as she gets older and more time passes and she is not allowed to talk to us that emotional connection will be gone even more. However, if she changes her mind we will accept her as well.

I know you probably think this is crazy and yes it is but I can tell you that I have seen God's hand in every minute of it and I am at perfect peace which tells me even more this is God's plan after all.

What a great testimony this child will have. She will be able to tell everyone that God used her to bless 3 other children's lives just to get us to this point to have her.

I am excited in this new beginning.. this new journey God has for us. I can't even believe it is happening but it is and it's God's plan for our lives.

So for now please continue to pray for Karen. Pray that she is taken care of and loved in this foster home. We love her very much and we will not give up on her. We will be here when she is ready for us.

I am so amazed at God. Amazed at how He has taken us down this path put up walls and doors to direct us to this point for such as time as this.

I will share pictures of our new daughter as soon as I meet her and I am allowed to. I can't wait to introduce to you the hand picked child God has for us.

Please continue to pray for my safety, my health (I am sick with a sinus infection now, surprise surprise), our finances and my family.

I will soon have to move from where I am living because they won't allow me to live with another family which we did not know about and did not plan for and we did not think Terry was going to have to come as well. We know God did not bring us here and will not provide but ask that you pray in agreement with us that our needs will be met.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. I have felt your prayers and could not make it without them.

The living conditions here are difficult to say the least and the weather and dust is driving my sinusitis NUTS.

I'll update more as I have new information..

Rejoice in the Lord always..

Angie & Terry

Angie

Never Ending Journey Part 8

Well today I had my first meeting with Mi Familia (DSS). Their ways of thinking and mine are no where near  on the same page. I agree with many things they say yet I totally disagree with MOST.

First I praise God for the opportunity to fight for Karen. I could easily take another child and move on but for what ever reason for this time I am to fight for her.

They decided to reopen my case. They closed it in March and considered it done. This is a far occurrence.  They made it clear to me this does not happen often but do to the circumstances and due to the fact I am persistent in adopting her they feel it is necessary to reopen this case.

They feel that at this time she has been completely brain washed and needs time to heal. She needs counseling to ensure that she is mentally capable of making the best decision. They have decided to have a physiologist examine her over a course of a undetermined amount of times and after that evaluation then and only then will they talk to her about being adopted.

They have ask me to not talk or see her during this time. I understand why but this is hard because she thinks I will be back to see her soon and if I can't tell her what is going on what will she think of me. Pray I can communicate with her another way to let her know what is going on. I don't want her to think I got mad at her and just left her without saying anything.

Once the evaluation is over then the DSS folks will go and visit her and ask her about the adoption. They have told me they will explain everything to her and give her a chance to decide. I still disagree with this because again as I have stated she has not spent any time with me and needs that time to decide but they don't think that matters.

They have told me that if she decides not to be adopted that they will offer the woman that has her to adopt her and if she says no they will remove her from the home immediately. The Director was furious with my case worker that she had not been removed already. She told her she should have never been placed in the home to begin with. That's exactly what I told them 2 years ago.

The Director told me it will take a month but the case worker told me at least 6 months. I can't live here 6 months waiting and then another 3 to 4 to foster. It's just not realistic so I will be coming home soon without her for now. My lawyer told me to come back in December like I normally do and by then I should get better news.

I said I was not leaving her without her thinking I would get a "NO" but instead I got neither a "NO" or a "YES" so now it is hard to know exactly what to do at this point. Wait for the month and hope it is a month or come home without her and wait for the 6 months. Hopefully God will show me what direction to go soon.

Please pray for wisdom.

Tonight the person who got me the connection to the minister is coming to talk to me. She was suppose to meet with the minister today so I am hoping he has some behind the scenes news for me that will help me know what to do.

I am grateful the case has been re-opened. This is a huge start but the rest I was told stinks.. :)

My faith is in the Lord and the Lord only. His timing is perfect and I know thatI will bring Karen home, when is the million dollar question.

Please continue to pray as this is not even close to being over yet.

Thanks for your support.

Angie

Never Ending Journey Part 7

I was able to go on Saturday to see Karen. I also lived in the community of Ceibita. This was an experience all by itself. I arrived in the community around 4 and found myself in the middle of a horrible storm. The thunder and lightening and rain was unlike I had ever seen.

After the rain we decided to drop in on Karen. The woman Ana who she lives with can be difficult so I thought it would be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. We were only like 5 minutes from her house so I figured we could use that as an excuse.

We arrived and I could not believe my eyes. My little girl was no longer a little girl. She had grown a ton, gain a lot of weight and developed in every area. I am still amazed at how she changed in just months.

Within 5 minutes of me arriving Karen and I started talking about how things had been going and I asked about her "mom" Ubana. That's the lady that found her when she was little and the same lady that told her not to leave her or she would die.

Well guess what? She did die. Yep.. she died 10 days ago. They think it was from her sugar diabetes.

I have to say it was a really hard emotion for me. Part of me was sad for her death and the other part was jumping for joy. That was a huge obstacle in Karen's life. A negative one at that and was the only reason in March Karen did not agree to the adoption.

Now what you ask?  Well I don't know exactly.

We talked with Karen for a long time and was allowed to go back on Sunday morning for many hours. Karen is struggling with what to do. She is loves us but she is afraid of the unknown and with Ubana's death it is just too much right now to handle in her little head.

We agreed that it would be best to have some time to get to know each other and she agreed she would love to do that.

I am meeting with a lawyer to discuss how to proceed today at 4 your time. Please pray for wisdom.

Karen loves us and is excited to be around us but is scared of the unknown. She is just a kid and like any other child is unsure of the unknown. She had so much traumatic loses in her life, please pray for her heart. She seemed fine but that is just her way of dealing with things. She needs professional help but it may be impossible to get it.

I am not sure if this opens a huge door for me or makes it harder. Time will tell.

Please pray today that I have wisdom on the next steps to pursue. I was suppose to have a meeting with the Minister last week and that has yet to happen. Pray that it will soon.

I had an amazing experience in Ciebita. I lived like they do, got up at 4 every morning, took a bath like they do and hung out with the bugs like they do. I'm glad I did it but not sure I'll do it again.

I have not had a chance to post my pictures on the website but I did on Facebook. You should be able to see them without a Facebook account.

Click here to see photos of Karen and I playing.

Click here to see photos of me in Ceibita.

Thanks so much for praying. Please don't stop. Especially now. I need to get Karen help and I am hoping the DSS folks will allow me to get her a counselor as soon as possible.

I am also a little sick. I didn't sleep for two days and eating food that is not the best to have has made my body scream.. I should be fine once I get back to a normal routine.

I'll update more when I have more to tell.

Angie

Never Ending Journey Part 6

It's my 5th day in Nicaragua already. Really hard to believe that 5 days has past. Typically when I am on the mission field time goes really slow but this week has gone by so fast I am not even sure I was in it. Let me share with you how it began.

Prior to Tuesday I had called the airlines to discuss their new baggage rules 3 times. Things change all the time so always call first.. (Not sure that will help but call). I got to fly first class for this trip because I used my miles and that was the only seat I could get. Flying First Class got me 3 luggage bags at 70 lb each. I was so happy when I got that news because 2 bags is just not enough usually and especially not at 50 lbs instead of 70lbs.

So on that morning at 4:00 am I off to the airport with my bags. Terry drops me off at the curb and I push them into First Class line. I felt so special... Never got that opportunity before.. :) I hand my passport to the guy behind the counter and he welcomes me with a frown and simply says how many bags... I smiled and said 3 and he frown worse and said, "Sorry you are only allowed 2 bags". I immediately got defensive and said but wait I called 3 times and they said 3 bags, I'm flying first class you know...

He proceeds to put a sign in front of my face that says "EMBARGO" on it which means only 2 bags are allowed to Managua until August 15th. I began to pour the tears... I told him why then did the people I spoke to not tell me this. I even asked and they said Managua was not included. I then realized Terry had left already and didn't have his cell phone with him, how was I going to send a bag back home and which one.. My heart was racing.. I cried more and just thought I was going to have to take someone's head off because I was not leaving a bag behind..

The line was starting to build up and I was asking the man what can I do, I can't leave one behind. I started praying God these are you bags.. you want them there then you get them there. Immediately the man who has be frowning the entire time is now smiling and instructs me to put the bag on the scale. I refused and said, but I can't, he then repeated it loudly and I put it on the scale.. The next thing I knew he was joking with me that off I went. Still crying of course but this time because of the favor God gave me.

So that was my first scare.. and a good one but God send me an angel in the way of an American Airlines employee.

Once I got on the plane I was still crying but this time of joy... It was just a reminder of what may come by way and I needed to get my emotions in tack..

Arriving in Managua I was met by a friend who laughs all the time. Funny how God sends you medicine in the form of laughter.. he took me to my new home and within hours I was crying again.

My tears were of just being completely overwhelmed..You see I can live here only if I work while I am here. I don't work I won't be able to afford this trip or the adoption. My part time job requires me to have internet and my new home won't allow it to work there for some reason. Needless to say by Tuesday night I was a mess. What was I going to do? I had to have internet and every option we tried was not working.

Finally the internet started working but was very intermittent. I had high hopes but found myself with a new problem.

When it rains in Nicaragua there are these little bugs that come out. They don't bite you just annoy you but there are hundreds of them around. My bed was covered with them that night so sleeping was not an option for me. All I could think of was them crawling in my noise...

Morning came and still no sleep BUT... I had internet now. I worked great all day and since I work at night I just knew my problem was solved. WRONG.. as soon as 4:30 came I lost internet and it didn't come back. So the thoughts of moving to another home was now a reality. Praise God he has given me good friends here and I have blessed many so they are willing to bless me and by 6 when I was to start work I had moved to my friend Antonio's house and was working.

This was a huge issue for me because I had never met his family yet they are willing to let me live with them for months. Why? Why would any Nicaraguan take on my burden? Because they are children of God and they want to bless me as I have blessed them. The seed I have sown in their son's life is now being sowed into Karen's.

I have been here since Wednesday and I am completely submerged in Spanish. Antonio is gone all day and night so I am having to survive on what I know and I am excited to say that I am holding my own which has confirmed to me that I will be ok with Karen when I get her. I'm learning how to live Nicaraguan style, eat Nicaraguan and bath out of a bucket but I am having the best experience ever because I am loved here..

This morning I am leaving soon to go to Somotillo (3 1/2 hours away) to hopefully see my girl. Please pray with me that the lady will allow me to visit with her at least one day.

I was told I could have my meeting with the Minster of Mi Familia (DSS) by Friday but Friday has come and gone. The office is closed Monday and Tuesday so it will be Wednesday before I can even go and request one myself.

Please pray for safety as I travel to Somotillo today and will live in my community for 2 days. Pray we don't get sick and my new translator and I will work well together. When I am here I don't travel with a male translator so I had to hire a new girl that I have never used and do not know. New Beginnings... New Opportunities...

Thank you for all the prayers and support you have shown. Please continue to pray for this to be resolved quickly.

Pray the ears of the Minister will only hear what God wants her to hear and she will respond to it.

Pray for my kids and my wonderful husband as he plays the "mommy" role. I miss them a bunch.

Pray for Karen's heart. She needs to see how much we love her.

I am doing so much better emotionally today. God has given me many encouraging things and I know I am doing the right thing.

God Bless and thanks for the prayers.

Rejoice in the Lord with me and Praise Him for all He has done.

Angie