In 2004 I took my first mission trip to Nicaragua. During this trip I had the privilege of visiting an orphanage called the House of Rose. This home had 15 little girls who just melted my heart. Many trips went by and I still got to visit the House of Rose and the more I went the more they remembered me. Over the years several of the girls left the home and others came. It was so a blessing to be connected to these girls considering I have been praying for a girl since Terry and I got married.
In 1992 when my oldest son was just a little over a year old (he's turning 21 this year..) Terry and I were wrapping Christmas gifts one night and saw a show on the homeless children in Russia. The show was about how they sniffed glue to keep from feeling hungry. It broke my heart and reminded me of my childhood. I didn't sniff glue but I went to bed many nights with no food. Needless to say this touched my heart to the core and I remember that very moment telling Terry that one day I would like to adopt a child and give them a better life, one much better than what I had. Surprisingly he agreed that would be something he would like to do also.
Several years later after we had lost a child and had been blessed with our Logan we started praying about adopting and even went through Gaston County's program to foster and adopt. That process was not one I care for and I was left feeling empty.
Years passed and nothing happened with adoption but the desire was still there. Even after we had Jacob. I love all my boys and would not change them for anything but deep down wanted to have a little girl.
2004 finally came and here I found myself in a home for girls, beautiful ones, sweet ones, troubled ones, girls who had never been loved, who had been abused and neglected. Of course one would think here is my opportunity to adopt but oddly not once did I think about it. Not once did God show me or Terry that we had finally found our little girl.
Years passed by and still nothing. The desire was still there but was no longer the focus of my thoughts. By now I had a huge connection to several of the girls. A bond that was deeper than I would ever imagine.
I will never forget the day in July 07 when I knew in my heart that it was time to take a leap of faith and adopt from the House of Rose. I was on a trip with a team and Terry was home. He had never been on one of my trips yet and had never even met these kids. How was I going to convince him? I went home that trip dieing to tell him what I felt but knew that if this was of God then God would have to show him, not me.
I arrived home from the trip late that night and every muscle in my body wanted to tell Terry what I felt God had showed me but I remembered on the plane praying and asking God for a "burning bush". I told God if this is really what He wants us to do then He would have to tell Terry before I got home so needless to say I was dieing on the inside with anxiety of "did God tell him"? . I remember going to bed that night thinking God is this really you? Are you really telling us to adopt? Terry hasn't even met any of the kids?
The next morning came and the kids were out of school so everyone slept in since it was after midnight when I got home. I woke up first and starting praying that Terry would hurry and wake up. I just knew I could not hold it in much longer. He finally rolled over and we began to chat. I remember asking him if God has told him anything and he looked at me like I crazy. I remember asking him do you remember years ago us talking about something we wanted to do one day and out of his mouth came "To Adopt?" I then gave him the third degree, "why did you say adopt, you could have said anything, why did you say adopt". He then explained he had been thinking and praying about the girls I kept talking about and thought this could be the reason God sent me to Nicaragua. I had asked for a burning bush the night before and that very moment my hand was burning like fire, literally. I knew and Terry knew that this was the beginning of something great and God had clearly told us both what we needed to do. I agreed with Terry we would pray long and hard about it and not jump into anything but deep down I knew we were suppose to move forward.
I went back to Nicaragua just a month later and while I was there on a specific project I started investigating three of the kids that I had grown so close to. Carmen, Isamar and Karen. The director of the orphanage gave us the information I asked for and I started praying about those girls. Carmen and Isamar were sisters and Karen was their best friend.
If you have been on my distribution list for a long time you know how the rest of the story goes. For all those who are new to my blog you will have to hear the rest of the story on the next post. This is a very long long story with an ending that most of you will not even believe.
The Journey Continues..
I'll post the ending later, don't want to make you read a book today.
Angie
