Changing People's Lives

Each trip I travel to Nicaragua I can see the changes that are happening in the area I visit.

Somotillo is a town of 20,000 people (very poor people) and it is right on the border of Honduras. Over the past 4 years I have seen the travel time from Managua change drastically. Before this April it would take 1 hour+ to get to the next major town and now it takes about 30 - 45 minutes. The USA actually paid to fix the road and man it's really made a difference. Progress is coming to this little community one day at a time.

When I visit a village I can only hope I am making progress one smile at a time.

This trip we were able to visit the orphanage a lot and we ministered in two new villages that had not ever had a group come to love on them. Progress in the making..

We blessed 146 families with beans, rice, corn, sugar and oil. New flip-flops, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toys. It was so sweet to see the little boys playing with their little cars on the church floor making car sounds as if they were driving them. Memories I won't ever forget.

The most moving event for me this trip was giving the baseball team their uniforms and the soccer team their new cleats. Words can not describe their emotions. They were more than happy. As I mentioned before the baseball team gave me their trophy. It was so nice of them to want to give up their very hard earned trophy. I convenience them to keep it and remember what God had done for them.

The soccer team all met at church on Saturday and at the end of the service all came up front and presented me with their trophy. I really didn't know what to do. I didn't want to take it but I didn't want to reject it so I made them a deal that the Pastor needed to keep it in the church so that it would be a reminder to them also. It was so sweet but I did not want them to give me credit for something God did. I felt so happy for them.

Overall, however, the biggest event of the week was in the village called Coffadia. I had bought that morning a soccer ball for that village hoping that some teenagers would be there and sure enough 12 boys showed up. I sent them off with my friend Mario and the Pastor to play while we were playing with the smaller kids.

About 10 minutes’ later people are yelling for me to come. I was busy so I just said, Hang on a minute. That didn't work. “Hurry, Hurry”, they said. Pastor Jorge informed me that he had shared the gospel with these boys and all 12 had accepted Christ. I encouraged them by sharing my testimony with them and reminding them that their decision was going to change that entire village. Progress in the making.

We had a great experience with the 2nd village but the 1st one we visited was a little more reserve with us. We will need to work on them a little more.

Thank you for all your prayers while we were gone. 12 souls are going to heaven because of them. You may have not gone on this trip with me physically but you were there in spirit and God will honor your prayers and they’ll be crowns in heaven for you.

We are planning another trip in August because of the situation with Isamar. We have been told if you want things done you better come back soon so we will try to go before school starts. Pray the Lord provides.

I had a great team this trip. Bonnie and Thomas are starting the process to adopt Loriana. It was amazing to see God bond them together. It is truly meant to be. Please pray for them as they are just beginning this roller coaster ride I’m on.

I will be putting pictures on the site of all this as soon as I can get my wonderful husband to prepare them for the website. Stay tuned for some great photos.

Last but not least I want to challenge each of you to look at the people around you and ask are you changing people's lives? It doesn't take a mission trip, or a position at Billy Graham's ministry or something big. All it takes is a willing effort to make a change for the better for someone who can not. Maybe it's a neighbor who's lawn mover is broke or a friend's mom who is sick and needs a meal. It can be very small or very large but in God's eyes it's changing His people's lives..

God Bless,

Angie

Forgive & Forget?

I traveled home to my aunts funeral Thursday thinking the entire time, "What will it be like seeing my mom?" Will she act different than the last time? Will I act different than before?

Well we both did actually. When I arrived she wasn't there but shortly after I saw her outside. I could have just stayed inside and avoided her but I figured I might as well get it over with. Out the door I went and the first person I saw was my brother. Since we is the biggest reason my mom and I don't get along I figured I would fight fire with love and hug him first. I went over and hugged my mom as if everything was just fine. Let me remind you the last time I saw or spoke to her she was yelling at me telling me what a horrible daughter I was. Needless to say there was some reservations about that hug.

My aunt looked so beautiful. She would be so happy about the outfit her daughters picked out. She made us all feel like she was at peace. Those of us that had been around her were all smiling and bragging on her looks as those who had not come when she needed them most just cried. Don't wait until someone is dead to show them your love, DO IT NOW. Trust me..

If the death of my aunt was to show my mom that life is too short I am glad God took her but more importantly I hope it showed my entire family that those of us who have Jesus smiled at Dorothy as she lay in her coffin, we didn't cry with regret, we cried with joy knowing she was in the presence of the Lord.

The gospel was shared twice so I know my family knows how to get to heaven. Obeying the instructions is another story.

What did I learn through all this? That in the worse of times God can make Good come out it.

Please let me speak to those of you that I know personally are struggling with family members. Life is way to short. We are not promised tomorrow. Those we love that don't love us are still God's children. We must find the Love of Christ for them. Regardless to what they have done to us they are His children and He loves them unconditionally.

Don't get me wrong, I am not ready to start a relationship with my mom. The pain is still there from all that has happen. My mother can't have a healthy relationship with me but I can have a Love of Christ relationship with her.

I encourage you to do the same.. If you can't talk to that family member, send them a card, a note, a picture of your kids. Something to say, "Hey I thought of you today". Then let God do the rest.

Please continue to pray that I can Forgive my mom and Forget the pain.

Angie

A Conversation in Heaven

I receive a Daily Devotion from this guy and every day he challenges me. This one made me really stop and think, "What kind of conversation would Jesus have about me?"

Would that coversation be one you and I would be proud of?

Thought I would challenge you today also.

Angie

A Conversation in HeavenTGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman05-21-2008

"I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always" (1 Sam 2:35-36) .

I once imagined a meeting in heaven between the angel Gabriel and Jesus. It went something like this: "Gabriel, I chose 12 men from the workplace to build my Church. They were an unlikely group. But I wanted a people to express my life where they spend most of their time and experienced most of their challenges. However, today we have a problem. My Church is not being represented in the workplace. So, I've decided to call several people to serve me in this arena. We must awaken the Church in the workplace.

There is a man in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He reminds me of my servant Jacob. Boy, what a manipulator and controller he was before I did my work in him. Now you recall that Jacob became one of the patriarchs! This businessman in Atlanta that has the same potential. He is our man to awaken my servants. However, in order to awaken him to my plan and my destiny for him, I must remove some things he relies upon. This will draw him to myself. It will be painful at first, but necessary. It will take 7 years. But I plan to restore all I take from him. The result will be quite amazing. He will engage many others. He'll usher in whole new focus in my Church that has been lost since those early days. I plan to do this with many others as well. My plan is designed to raise up an army in these last days before I return. It is time for you to go now. You know what you must do. Be gentle, but firm with my servant."

What kind of conversation might Jesus and an angel have about your life? What catalyst is needed to bring you in alignment with the purposes and plans of God?

Divine Appointments #1

Do you ever say, "It just so happen that..." or "That was a coincidence"?

I use to say that often when I was a younger Christian but now as I have grown more in my faith I realize that NOTHING just happens with God. There are no coincidences... He ordains our steps, things happen because he wanted them to happen.

Well today I had the most amazing "Coincidence". I will choose to call it a DIVINE Appointment by God.

I’ll try to make this short.

While I was in Nicaragua this last time I met some amazing youth who are currently playing soccer for the Lord. They have games every Sunday afternoon and during their games they witness to the other teams. It's too cool. They are made up of previous gang bangers, drug addicts, and some really ruff neighborhood kids. Now they use their talent to show that getting high on Jesus is a much better life. They even walk miles to share the sport and Jesus with other communities.

I was privileged to purchase them new uniforms while I was there. It was as if I gave them a stack of Million dollar bills. They were so grateful. They could not stop smiling. It was breath taking to see young men act like our kids act at Christmas time. Boy, do we take those moments for granted.

The most expensive item they need is cleats. I promised them I would come back and ask everyone I could find to donate cleats to them but specifically to pray I find an open door to the Charlotte Eagles. Surely, they would have extra equipment they could possibly share.

Well this week I was contacted by a lady who works on the newsletter for the adoption agency I used. They are running an article about one of the girls at the orphanage Loriana. She was so impacted by Loriana's story that she shared it with some other ladies at her church and last night I had family contact me asking to adopt Loriana. How awesome is that....

I thought God was done but He has only started.

Today I was speaking with Cyndie to give her the good news about the family and in that conversation she told me her husband use to play for the Charlotte Eagles... See where this is going...

Needless to say I was jumping out of my skin thinking, "No way God, No way.. You just didn't find me a family for Loriana and you're giving me that Charlotte Eagles contact all in the same phone conversation... "

Just think about it... God placed all this together.

I spoke to my agency about Loriana, they agreed to run the ad, they sent it to Cyndie, I went to Nicaragua, found the soccer players, Cyndie called because she questioned the ad, she sent out a flyer to some friends about her and in 3 days time I have a family for her and my contact with the Eagles.

Divine Appointments.. That's what this was...

Look for yours, expect them, and Glorify God when they happen...

This is just to cool...

Angie

P.U.S.H (Pray until something happens)

I have had limited access to the internet in the last two days and I'm hating it that I have not sent this out by now but God knows best.

At 8:30 your time on Thursday morning Terry and I will be sitting in the office of Mi Familia (DSS of Nicaragua) submitting out paperwork to be approved to adopt our girls.

This process will allow us to be voted on by the Consejo (Consayhoe) which is like a committee or council. We know already there are at least one problem with our paperwork and so I am just praying it's only one.

The lady we will be meeting with is Dr. Artola. She is a Christian which I am hoping helps me a lot.

My prayer request is that we make a good impression on Dr. Artola and Mi Familia and that our paperwork has been done correctly and is in order.

God's favor has been on us this entire trip and we expect it to be there the rest of the week.

Also, please pray for another mother named Heather who is here in Nicaragua waiting to take her children home. Her paperwork has gotten delayed several times and it appears that she could be here longer. She has been her 6 weeks already. If we all pray together for her we can move her court date to be soon than later. God hears our prayers and acts accordingly.

Even if you get this after we have met still pray... Pray that it doesn't lay on her desk for weeks and it doesn't get lost in the many piles she already has.

Thank you for praying....

Angie