Frankie

So, as some of you may know I was supposed to decide by March 1 if I wanted to return to the States or if I want to stay another year in Nicaragua. As far as a list of pros and cons go, they are pretty balanced on both sides...but I want to introduce you to the thing that tips the scale. Frankie is 3 and just the light of my life...I didn't know I was capable of loving another human being as much as I love him! He's a bit cranky at times, but most of the time a typical 3 year old little man. He loves to read, snuggle, play outside, swim, and EAT!!! We've had a few slumber parties at my house this year, and I'm not sure who loves it more. He gets really spoiled and I gets LOADS of hugs and kisses. We were snuggling up one morning, and I wish I had a rewind button because I swear he said "Mama, I love you" as he was pinching my nose to get me to wake up. Needless to say, it worked as I had tears rolling down my face.

I could say so much more, but I just wanted to "introduce" you all to him. We LOVE visitors and would love to have you come visit us!

The Good and Beautiful God

I just finished a great book and want to share some of the encouraging things that I've just read. IF you're looking for a simple book revealing the wonderful truths about our God, I encourage you to pick this one up.

The main point of this book is to encourage you to fall in love with the God that Jesus knows...a revelation from the Son's perspective. The New Testament reveals God as Jesus experienced Him in His earthly life.

1. God is good

Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:17 that "There is only one who is good." God LOVES us and will give us good that is not dependant upon our behavior. Just as sunshine and rain are given equally to saints and sinners with no distinction, so God gives blessings to all without regard to behavior. The author also explained how Jesus beleives in this goodness even when our circumstances are too grim to believe. He (Jesus) believes for me. He beleives even when I cannot. He prays even when I cannot. I participate in HIS (Jesus') faith. God's goodness is vast and consuming, we must only accept it.

2. God is trustworthy

The God Jesus reveals would never do anything to harm us. He has no malice or evil intentions. He is completely good. And that fact that God is all-knowing and all-powerful makes his goodness even better. Jesus became human so he could know all of our trials and temptations as a human, and even in all those times he put all his trust in the Father, we must simply do the same. God is present. God is pure. God is powerful. God provides. Our Father pardons. God longs to protect us. When Jesus was in the garden, pleaing with his Father to "take the cup" we share in that prayer. A cup is anything in our lives that we are given that makes us want to question God's goodness. The thing to remember is that He is out for our good, no matter what situation he puts in our path.

3.God is generous

Jesus reveals a God who does not demand, but who gives. His resources are never exhausted and God is moved with compassion because he sees our needs. God wants you to know and love Him. God hates sin because it hurts his children, and he is CRAZY about us! He doesn't always give us what we WANT, but He does always give us what we NEED.

4. God is love

God looks are us with compassion, even when we have done the very worst to God we could possible do. God, it appears, is very fond of sinners. Not their sin. He loves us with grace, and the problem is that we don't like grace. It seems unfair, because God is gracious to all. It smacks against our performance-based-acceptance narrative. The point is that only one thing seperates us from God, and it is not our sin. It is our self-righteousness. Our self-righteouness does not turn God from us, but us from God.

5. God is holy

God is holy and just. The wrath of God is not a crazed rage but rather a consistent opposition to sin and evil. God's wrath is mindful, objective, rational response; it is an act of love. Wrath is not a permanent attribute of God. Love and holiness are part of his essential nature, wrath is contingent upon human sin. Wrath is God's holy act towards sin. Wrath is what humans experience when they reject God, it is a part of our free choice. I want a God that hates anything that hurts me. God cares deeply about sin because it destroys his precious children; God longs for holiness in us because it is the way to wholeness. God's first and last word is always grace.

6. God is self-scarificing

Maybe vulnerability is true strength. Maybe sacrificing yourself for the good of another is not a sign of weakness but is the greatest power the world ever knows. The glory of God himself lies in self-giving. The cross is God's way of doing all he could do for us, yet we still doubt His love for us. Our weakness prevents us from being able to forgive. Our fear keeps up from surrender and sacrifice. Jesus did not have to die, Jesus chose to die.

7. God transforms

God not only wants us to be reconciled, he wants to transform us. He not only took away the guilt of of sin, but also the power of sin. Those who are Christ-followers not only recieve the merit of his work on the cross but actually participate , by faiht, in the crucifixion. God is no longer dealing with you on the basis of sin. You are forgiven forever. You are also a completely new creation. You are one in whom Christ dwells. Your glory is not in what you do, but in who you are.

Transformation takes time, we are not changed over night. But the promises of God that Jesus revealed happen in us when we decide to want to get to know the Good and Beautiful God.

Miracles

How do you define a miracle? Some of us see it as a huge event in our lives, others of us take in every moment as a miracle. I'm not going to tell you what is or what is not a miracle, but I want to share my miracle from my trip to Honduras.

When Sandy asked us if we were willing to go to a local home and pray, I thought "Well, how hard can this be?" So, we loaded the bus and were on our way.
Veronica, the mother of the family has recently had surgery to remove both of her legs due to serious health complications. On February 11, a Hondruas doctor told her she had 5-6 hours to live. We went to the house on the 12th of February. I was not prepared for what I saw. We walked in to her tiny bedroom full of people and prayed for her, I couldn't handle it. I had to walk out of the room, found my mom and cried on her shoulder like a child. She looked and smelled of death...her soft pink lips coated in dried blood as I watched her struggle for every breath she tried to take. Her husband Sammy looked of sadness and defeat, her two boys Kevin and Daniel were no where to be found. I found myself questioning God's plan in all of this...how can this be good for anyone?

So, we finished praying with her and I walked out of the house NEVER wanting to go back. I was in complete shock and just wanted to be as far away from there as I could. I was standing outside when a translator came to me and said "You're a psychologist, they want you to talk to the boys." Really God?? 10 and 12, their mother will be dead by morning, and you want ME to talk to THEM? Reluctantly, I went back in the house, sat on the couch with the boys and a translator and asked them if they had any questions, told them that their hope in this trial can only be found in Christ and prayed with them. For the second time, I walked out of the house and never wanted to return. Little did I know, I would return every night that week just to show my face to the boys, ask them if they had questions, encourage them to spend as much time with their mother as they were comfortable with doing, and assisting the doctors in some medical care.

So, what's the miracle in all this? Veronica died this afternoon at 3:00, far surpassing her 5-6 hour life expectancy that February day. She accepted Christ in to her heart a few days before we were introduced to her...that is the miracle! Her family saw the love of Christ through our team praying with them, assisting them with medical care, sitting down with the boys and caring about them as well, encouraging Sammy, admiring him for sticking by her side through all of this (very uncommen, especially in this culture). Veronica~thank you for allowing us in to your home, showing us your fighting will, letting us love your boys and support your husband. I thank God for you and your testimony to me...it was not about what I gave to you, but what you have given me. I will remember you and your family for the rest of my life. Rest in peace sweet angel, enjoy the lavishing of the love of your Father over you. Please pray with me for Sammy, Kevin, Daniel and the rest of the family as they mourn the loss of their sweet mother and wife.

Feeling LOVED and BLESSED!

Hello friends and family~

Greetings from an ever increasingly hot Nicaragua! I hope this finds you all well.

Just a few quick notes and prayer requests.

First of all, I want to thank you all for the encouragement! I have been overwhelmed with e-mails, Facebook messages, and my parents or sister telling me that you've asked about me....it's so encrouaging to hear from people and I just want to thank you! I feel very blessed and loved, and it's a great place to be ;-) THANK YOU!!!


A brief version of my last month...

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE (ok, almost every minute) of my time with my parents and the rest of the team in Honduras! We saw well over 1000 people in 4 1/2 days and just had a GREAT team of people there! I met a lot of new friends, got aquainted with some old ones and was just VERY blessed by my time there. Honduras is a beautiful country full of people who are desperate for hope and love that they can only get through Christ and it was a humbling and amazing experience to be His hands and feet that week in a very real and evident way! Any of you thinking of doing a mission trip, I encourage you to just jump in with both feet, you can't experience something like that and not see changes. I think the biggest thing for me over the past 2 years in Nicaraugua and Honduras is seeing God in a whole new way and experiencing Him on a whole new level...there are just not words to descirbe it! I have a lump in my throat as I type, it's just an overwhelming sense of how real He is and it is a priceless experience! I know I'll be in Honduras next February and I'd love to see many of you there with me ;-)


Adoption....wow! I'm overwhelmed with the amount of information, time, work, money and everything else this process may demand from me. However, God has put this on my heart for a reason, and I believe He will see it to completion in some way or another. I don't have a whole lot more info on it...I've been trying to call a lawyer for a week now and can't get ahold of her...SO, I wait. I know I can start a home study in the States when I'm home next month...other than that, I still don't have many answers. I am full of fear over the whole process and what this will do to my life, but I was SO encouraged by so many of you....I appreciate the support and continued prayers for this process.


Decision time is March 1, however this morning I requested an extension and was granted it! I'm laughing because I just can not make up my mind. I'm leaning very heavily towards returning to the States for now, and seeing where God will bring me next....but I just can't make that decision final. SO, I covet your prayers for that as well. I was hoping to have made a decision by now, but it's just been more difficult than I expected it to be. My hope is in Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart, a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps." My plan may not be the same as God's and I just want to be sure that it is, so I'm taking a little extra time to seek more answers in my heart. So, please pray with me ;-)


As always, my financial support is a concern for me. I should be at 80% right now, and I'm at about 70%. Please consider supporting my work financially. God is good and I know He will provide...HE ALWAYS DOES :-)

As always, continue to pray for safety in my work here.


Thanks for checking in on me and praying for me! You are all a HUGE part of my ministry here by supporting me, know that every e-mail, every FB message, and every time you check with my family on me....it is noticed and appreciated!

Love and Blessings~


Angie

2012...already?!?!?!

Hello friends~

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying (?!?!?!) the winter weather that has hit...I must say, Nicaragua is absolutely beautiful right now, a great time to come visit ;-)

I don't have a whole lot to "update" on as things are pretty much the same as they always are, but there are some things I do want to share with you and covet your prayers on.

~A student of mine from last year (her name is Lola) has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My jaw dropped when I heard this...a 7 year old with ovarian cancer. Absolutely unbelievable, even as a I type, the lump in my throat returns as I struggle to even hear this news, but also to think of what she is going through. I don't have much more information on that, but I do ask that you be in prayer for her and her family, many uncertain times ahead with a grim prognosis.

~There have been some more break-ins/safety issues over the last month due to the inaguration of President Daniel Ortega. A few friends homes have been broken in to and it just makes for a generally uneasy feeling. Thank God for his protection and provision, and ask that this would be continued in my life and the lives of my friends.

~Adoption. I'm not sure how much I've shared with anyone...I know I haven't done of lot of it real publicly, so I guess now I am. My heart is for adoption, and in the last few months (especially) I feel like God is really pushing me to pursue this option. This is no way means I'm coming home with a kid, however, I feel very strongly that God is preparing me for something big. I have struggled with the idea of adopting as a single mother, however when you see the homes these children are in now, a single mother home is better than what they come from. I believe every child deserves a mother and a father, and I can't do much about the father but I do know that I have MANY amazing male role models in my life who would step up to teach my son/daughter about positive male influence. I have contacted an adoption "agency" here and am just in the intial stages of getting information. Please pray for me as I gather information, the right decisions to make, and that God would walk beside me in this very difficult process. I obviously don't know how this works in other countries, but I know it can be a nightmare here. I have had some encouraging conversations with a few people here, but please pray too that God would move their hears in the right direction. Most of all, I pray that God's will be done in this situation.

~March 1 is my official date to decide if I want to continue my work in Nicaragua or return to the States. This is a very difficult decision, just pray that I would recieve the clarity that I crave and again, that's God will be done in my life. There are many pros and cons to both returning to the States and staying here...

~My financial support is right at 65%. Thank God for faithful supporters and I trust in His provision that the rest will come in. If you would like to support my ministry go to www.crwm.org. THANK YOU for your faithful support...both in finances and prayers.

~I feel that I have been in a time of testing in my life, God is really bringing some difficult things in to my life and challenging me on the way I think about things. I praise God for his faithfullness and know that in all things, he will prevail and I just pray that he is glorified. You know, sometimes God is just sitting around being God and he leans over his throne and says "You know, I am just so proud of you." That's a challange for all of us, and one that I pray I succeed at ;-)

THANK YOU for reading, it got a bit long and I apologize! I love guests, e-mails, packages in the mail, SKYPE calls....you name it, I love it ;-)

Blessings~

Angie

November News

Hello~

I hope this finds everyone well and preparing for the busy holiday season ahead!

I'm not even sure when the last time was that I updated everyone, I'm sorry that I'm so bad at it...I know you all just sit by your computers and wait to hear from me ;-)

I guess I'll start with my trip back to the States...it was awesome! I LOVED being able to be home. It was a super busy time, and I'll just give you a few highlights. I flew home on a day where I was VERY sick...it was not fun and I pray that I never have to do that again! So, the first few days at home, I pretty much crashed and tried to get better so I could get my hands on my niece. Well, that didn't happen right away, but I did make up for lost time once I started feeling better. Amy and I were fortunate to be able to travel to Michigan for our friend's wedding (CONGRATS JUSTINE AND PHIL ;-) and also spend time with our other friend Lindsay and also a great opportunity to catch up with family at the dairy farm. EVERY TIME, I'm shocked by how big the cows are, but that chocolate milk cow...she's my fav! Thanks for the fun time MI friends ;-) The second week home was filled with LOTS of time with Sam and Alex, enjoying some BEAUTIFUL fall weather, watching the DUTCH (Central AND Pella High...yea baby cousins), going to Beauty and the Beast at PCHS, Alexandra's baptism, a retirement party for my dear college professor Ed Willis, trick or treating with 2 of the CUTEST cupcakes in the world, LOTS of Dutch Boys, preschool with Caleb, lunch with Kaeleigh, and just hanging out on SEVERAL different couches (thanks to those who let me lay on your couches and catch up...you know who you are ;-) Needless to say, it was a great trip and it was so nice to be rejuvinated and catch up with familiar faces. I tend to be a bit more homesick this year, so the trip home was a much needed trip! I am looking forward to being able to travel to the State again in about 5 weeks for Christmas...so I can't wait to see you all again ;-)

A few things that you can pray for back here in Nicaragua:

~Presidential elections were held yesterday in Nicaragua...and the outcome was as expected. Daniel Ortega was elected again and I'm not sure what that means. He is very much a dictator and a crook, so it's not good. Please continue to pray for the people of Nicaragua...such sadness, poverty, and oppression. The violence that was expected was not as bad as they thought it was going to be, so there are things to be thankful for. We did not leave the house yesterday and a quick run to the store today was the extent of it. Riots and violence are going to be commen this week after elections, so we are sticking close to home. Pray for safety and security always, but especially this week. I have never had a time where I did not feel safe, so praise the Lord!

~I was fortunate to be able to be in charge of the prayer room this weekend at NCA's youth group 30 Hour Famine. My eyes were opened to many of the problems of the students at NCA. Suicide thoughts, drugs, sex, cutting, and SEVERAL children in bad homes are a real reality in our school. Please pray for these kids...so much hurt and many feeling like there is just no hope. However, the Holy Spirit was definately at work this weekend, and I was so blessed to be a part of it. In all things, God is good!

~I don't know how many of you have heard about Norah, the tenth grader I've been working with since last year. She was adopted by another missionary family but is now living with a different family at NCA. She is hurting and is DESPERATE for some acceptance and love. Please pray for Norah by name, she is not in a good place. Pray for me as I work with her, it truly breaks my heart and I have no words to describe how messy the whole situation has gotten. Pray that I can be a constant in her life, and that God will use me to deliver his promise and hope to her.

~As always, the kids at El Crucero. There have been some problems with a few of the kids who are showing signs of sexual abuse. Pray for provision of the many things that they need.

It's been a heavy week back in Nicaragua, I've just felt really run down and exhausted by all the bad situations. However, I am fortunate to be in a Beth Moore study and it delivers me hope every day by speaking of how God is who He says He is and He can do what He says he can do...what a bright hope! My daily homework has been a great source of encouragement for me and I am loving it!

Thanks for reading and checking in on me! I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers....it means a lot to get messages from people at home!

I'd love to have visitors....just want to remind you all that the offer stands ALWAYS!!!

Love and Blessings~

Angie

I've fallen behind...

Hello friends~

I hope this finds you all well! I'm always a bit sad this time of year that I am missing the change of seasons....it's just either hot or really hot here!

Things are going well down south, not much new to report. I'm settling in to my new roles and starting to really enjoy them. It's not as busy as last year, and I've found that to be very refreshing, it's nice to have a little bit slower pace this year. It's still crazy busy, but more relaxed about being crazy busy ;-) Our house this year is a HUGE blessing and we absolutely love it! SO much better than the one we were in last year...

Of course, there are always things you can be praying for:

~My car has been in the shop A LOT lately, we're suspecting an internal problem. SO, I just ask that you would pray that a solution may be found and I can get my car back. It's difficult to be without a car here, especially with all the things I'm invovled in this year as compared to last year. Seems like a silly thing to pray about, but the Father cares about ALL things and it's been quite stressful!

~I have picked up another new role. I am a worship leader at my church and I love this role! It's so great to lead worship and be involved in a church. My church has also been a huge blessing and now I feel like I'm able to give back a little bit and it's great! It makes my schedule a little bit more crazy, but it's been fun so far!

~Praise God for a new life in our family! Alexandra Rose was born last Thursday September 29 to Tim and Sherri. SKYPE does not do her justice, she is just SO CUTE!!! I'm so blessed to be able to go back to the States in exactly 14 days (not that I'm counting down or anything) to meet my new little angel! I'm so grateful for the opportunity, and ask that you would pray for safe travels for me and a great 2 weeks at home. I do need a time of total relaxation and spend time with familiar faces. The longer I'm away, the more I miss (obviously) but there are many days where I would hop on a plane, even if just for the day. I miss all the regular stuff, and at times, that's just really hard. I know that God has called me here, but that doesn't make it any easier. Anyways, I hope to see many of you too for a quick catch up ;-)

~I've had several e-mails from people asking about the paperwork. THANKS for checking in! A quick update on that...still no word, however my mom and dad checked with the bank and the post office. The check never went through and the guy at the post office said that it should (eventually) show back up at Amy's house in Pella. SO, continue to pray that happens....I'm not as nervous about it as I first was, although it still makes me uneasy that my birth certificate is just floating around somewhere...I'll have to start the residency process over again, but I guess the good part of that is, I know what I'm doing this time around ;-)

~Pray for the children and families at Tesoros. Their reality should just not be the reality for children...so many heartbreaking lives, yet they smile and are generally happy! It's a tough place to be at times because I can only do so much, and I want to fix it all.

Thanks for checking in, I really treasure being thought of and prayed for!

Blessings~

Angie