Tomorrow is Court...Plans Changed

After contacting my lawyer again through email yesterday, she wrote back this AM and said the girls will not testify tomorrow in court.  She told me not to bring them to the courthouse.  Then, at 1PM she wrote back that someone from court called her and asked that Daniela be in attendance with me.

To say that I am appalled would be an understatement.  I have no idea if they will make her do that in the courtroom.  She WAS never supposed to go to the courthouse because KIDS do not testify this way.  They are supposed to do it outside the courtroom and not have to see the accused. 

This will be the first time Daniela sees Dad since the morning he murdered mom at home.  I told her over dinner that I will be taking her to court tomorrow.  I tried to act as nonchalant as possible, just matter of fact.  (I believe if you have anxiety, your kids are going to mimic you.  If you are calm, your kids will pick that up).  I told that they might be asking her questions, just answer truthfully, and if she doesn't know, just say that.  Then, I told her we would see Dad in the courtroom.  She said, "Oh, I'm scared. What will they ask me?  What do I say!? I don't want to. Why? Why do I have to go?"  I told her to not think of this as something bad, I really do not know what tomorrow is going to be like but I will be right there.

Esther popped in my head quickly out of no where, Holy Spirit helping, ...  I told her that there is a story in the Bible about a women named Esther.  She was placed in a position for such a time as this to do something big and God had chosen her.  I think God has YOU doing this for a purpose.  It won't be easy.  

To my amazement, Daniela said, "she saved her town, mama."  

Wow.  Yes, she saved her people. 

She told me a few weeks ago she felt like she should read that story on her Bible app...and here I am retelling her the story :)  That God of ours.

We head out early to pick up their aunt and head to La Vega.  Lift us up in prayer around 9am.  Last time our case was called first and we went right in.  Tonight, I am going to coach her a little bit about testifying if we have to speak in front of Dad.  Love you guys. 

Keep praying for a miracle of a car for Jamie and Matt while in Florida!

Update on Trial

So, this week came and went.  Check out my last blog if you missed details here.

I went in to see my lawyer with Jamie to transfer the title of their SUV into my name and asked her again about seeing the psychologist to testify with the girls.  She was told that they didn't want to submit the order for appointments for the minors too early.

So, they waited.

Then....take a deep breath... they forgot.

True story.  Couldn't make that up if i tried.  It is too asinine for anyone to ever believe.

Remember? This is the same trial that happened last September and NO ONE was correctly notified in time to testify.  How does this happen again TO THE SAME TRIAL?

We do not have an appt. set for Monday, so if they were to get things figured out, we might be able to go Tuesday.  Wednesday is the trial. 

Naomi asked me while walking this morning if I thought someone might be getting paid off.  My first response was no way, they do not have the money or connections for that.  But, the more I think about this today, I wonder how this could possibly happen again. I hired a lawyer to be on top of this, so this did not happen.  She was not as persistent as I wanted her to be, but at least she was a voice talking to people at the courthouse. 

In times like these, I cling to the night God woke me up and asked me to take these girls for life.  I take that promise and pray, this is yours God, I was obedient and followed suit.  The rest is yours to figure out. I think, this doesnt make sense.  Shouldn't he just be guilty and I get adoption of the girls miraculously???  Guess not.

I think the hard truth is their dad may be walking away from this trial.  There are no witnesses to testify and they have held him for 2 years in jail.  I have no idea if they do DNA testing here, but there has been no talk of those things or his fingerprints all over the place and the murder weapons (hammer and pipes).

I am reading this book Jamie recommended named 1000 Gifts.  It isn't exactly my favorite, but it is totally teaching me to praise God all the time.  I am so grateful fear/anxiety/worry is not a part of my life.  So, I ask myself, like the book had at one part where her child's hand might be cut off by a farming accident,  So what if it did?  Does that change anything about God's goodness? Who He is?  His promises?  

No.  Nothing changes about God in our ever changing emotions and circumstances.

Yesterday, Ethan got hurt, or so Daniela thought Ethan had blood coming from his head at camp.  (Side note: He hit his head hard and was screaming, but he didn't have blood.  It was his red shirt that caused her to think it was blood on his head.)  Daniela about lost her mind in a trauma moment flashback something, crying.  (She does not do well yet in blood/death/accident moments. Instant alarms sound off inside her.  She told me it reminds her of seeing her mom because she had so much blood when she found her.)  I asked her when she already knew that he did not have anything wrong with him minutes later, What if he did have blood coming from his head?  She just looked at me like, you are crazy!  But she had a look of thinking on her face as she squinted her eyes.  I said and that would be okay if he was hurt.

I let her sit with that yesterday and today I asked her about it.  She said, "I was so scared that he was hurt."  I told her that the only thing she could do for Ethan was to pray for him (obviously seek help). Right?  And, if something happens to someone, we can move on from there as we know what is going on... one step at a time.  However, we always continue to move on.

What if Dad does get out?    Okay, what if.  Doesn't change what I know God asked for me, even if Dad requests them back.  I am super thankful God knows how to work in us to stand strong in times like these.  What if God didn't keep me up all night tossing and turning and crying over taking the girls?  I might be sitting here today wondering if God really told me to do that or was this something I thought was good, as others have implied.

Instead, I will just move on for today.  Headed to the river with the Ostbergs and Morleys to celebrate God's goodness in friendships.

Trial Approaching

Mama Espinal's murder trial is set for the 29th, less than two weeks away.  I was supposed to wait until my lawyer called with an appointment from the courthouse to meet with a psychologist to interview/question the kids to testify. 

We have heard nothing.

I emailed and she said this is standard for the system here, 2 weeks ago.  I called her the other day, because we are so close to the trial and these interviews will need to be printed/submitted to the judge before the trial date!  She told me she spoke to the attorney and they haven't sent the documents yet.

Is this country serious?  I often find myself asking that way too often.  How do they continue to run?

I hope that somehow they get us appointments for last minute next week and are able to get the other minors that are witnesses to come in last minute to testify.

Pray with me this week?

I have not been praying for this, totally slipped my mind.  xoxo 

Crazy. Just Crazy.

Have you ever prayed for something and it appeared God wasn't going to supply you with what you asked for?  Maybe years have passed and you know you shouldn't take anything into your hands, instead...just...wait, but you REALLY WANT TO TAKE IT INTO YOUR OWN HANDS?

I've been there for a few years praying for a vehicle or moto.  Every time I think I want to fund-raise for a vehicle or spend money on a moto, I have felt an awkward pause.   One of those "wait" feelings.  I could never, ever shake it, and I have always felt like someone was going to give me a car for free.  Why?  No idea.  I just had this "feeling."  I knew to sit tight and not miss what God had for me.  Luke and Nay even offered his moto at one point and as much as I want to learn so badly to drive one, I never felt good about having it. 

To be honest, transportation really hasn't been too much of an issue until the girls came along, and isn't dire to me even now.  I really don't mind walking places and Luke and Naomi always offer their truck, and allow us to grocery shop with them, run errands, anything.  Luke takes my kids to school/summer camp in the morning.  We have been so blessed by them.  We are never a bother, and they always treat us like family.  You can live without a vehicle, plenty of people do.

So, I have told the kids to pray about it and God would supply it if he wanted us to have one. They tend to cry if I want to walk across town or it is raining out.  But I always told them, "pray about it, pray about it."

Today, Nay and I  went to visit my friend Jamie.  She has been a Christian friend here that I have loved from the minute I met her.  A person that always wants to talk Jesus, really loves Him, and my soul just has always "clicked" with!  When she told us that she was moving to the states in Bible study, I cried inside.  Excited for what God has for her and Matt, but also a mourning of friends that I love so much in a place where all you have is missionaries or people that don't speak your native tongue.   

This afternoon, she told me that she and Matt believes their Xterra  SUV is God's and that He would supply them with what they need, they wanted to GIVE ME the Xterra.  As she read Philippians this AM, things like praise Him, seek Him, don't worry, and He will provide, she was confident with a smile from ear to ear!  They spent days and nights praying to God to show them what to do.  Many days of reading and searching to make sure to do exactly what God was telling them to do.  HUGE decision.  Matt announced that he agreed that God gave the go-ahead to this (way to JUMP, Matt, while also trying to do what's best for your family!)  And so, Jamie told me tonight.  Insane. 

Can I tell you something else that is crazy??  I knew this a few weeks ago when they visited the USA and let me borrow their car.  The whole time I prayed nightly for God to work in their hearts to be obedient to what He has asked them and to provide for them what they need for the move home.  Isn't that crazy!?  Luke said he had a feeling about it, too.  I told Nay and Luke, "what would I do if they offered to sell it to me for cheap?  It would be so hard to say, 'Hey, are you guys sure God didn't tell you to GIVE it to me?  That is what we were hearing."  That never happened because they were obedient to His voice.  What a blessing!?  What a rocket to my faith and hearing God speak!  Sometimes, I think I am crazy.  Other times, others straight up tell me I am crazy about hearing God. 

I came home and told the girls that we were going to knee pray.  As soon as Daniela finished her part, I started to pray, and tears just rolled down my cheeks (as they are now, as I write this).  Jessica in her classic 5 year old way said, "don't cry, mama!"  I took a breath and prayed thanking God.  To the One that is all powerful and in CONTROL of everything.  Giving AWAY your car is HUGE LEAP OF FAITH and just ridiculous!  This family of 4 is moving back to America in August and they NEED a vehicle for themselves.  In their right minds, they would sell this Xterra, make good money, and buy a vehicle when they get to Orlando, Florida (to drive North to Ohio, then on to home in Indiana).  But as it always appears...God had something else planned.  A plan that when others hear about it, they give Glory to God and not to Jamie and Matt.  As they transition back to the USA funds will end through their donors/organization and they will need to rely on God to make way to pay for things. Selling their car for a large chunk...just makes sense.  Funny, because the things God asks of us...often do not make sense and looks crazy to the world.

Tonight as I cooked dinner, I just cried the whole time.  Daniela was cutting an aguacate as I made quesadillas and I told her crying, if you follow and obey God, He will take care of you. That never changes.  You make sure you follow Him and He will take care of you as He always does for us.  I don't have anything more important to teach you then, "follow GOD!"

Instantly, I remembered Charles Stanley preaching about how his mom would knee pray when they needed things and how it impacted him to see God provide.  I cried again.  At dinner Jessica said, mama, you will remember this for a long time.  I said, SO WILL YOU!  We all laughed.  But it is true.  We will talk about this day for our entire lifetime.  We will build an "altar" on this day and talk about this as we go through trials in life and aren't sure how to proceed when we feel pauses...but we will say, look at what God did when we waited.

I needed a faith booster.  I really did.  I needed to know that through this valley, God is still working out so many details.  Even when I waver in faith and am pathetic with believing, God doesn't give up on me and still provides for me. He loves me.  Never leaves me.  In the words of Daniela, "Now, He just needs to answer the prayer for a dad!"

Be praying if God wants you to bless Matt and Jamie.  Contact me if you feel led to donate money or an SUV.  Seriously, be praying and don't ignore the voice. (Pmbrady7@yahoo.com or facebook/text)

WHOOOOOO HOOOOO, to God be the Glory. With tears that do not seem to end and basked in His love all because a family decided to be obedient.  Their decision not only effects me forever, but it effects my children...and one day, they will tell their own children these "mighty" stories of God. 

Obedience.  There is no other place to live but right in the middle of what He wants for you.  His desires for your life.  JUMP.  #praiseHim  #Hisplanisbetterthanyours