REIN OF FAITH MINISTRIES, INC.
Chapter One
THE ADOPTION
THE ADOPTION
In 2003, right after my marriage to Steve, we were transferred to Atlanta, Georgia from Scottsdale, AZ. Prior to the move there were two things on my heart. One, being able to have a horse in Atlanta and two, being filled with the Holy Spirit before the move. I began researching horse boarding facilities in Atlanta. I also began searching for “signs” in the Bible regarding horses. I had had horses growing up from ages 7-11 in my backyard. I remembered how much I loved them and how much joy they brought to me. At the same time, I was hungry for the Holy Spirit. I had been praying to receive Him for almost a year, but wasn’t really sure how to do it. So I seeked the help of my friend, Elizabeth, to lead me in a prayer to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of praying in tongues. The night of the move, the cars were taken already, the furniture was on its way and all I had to do was catch a plane the following day to Atlanta. I was spending the night at my friend Marty’s house. Elizabeth and I met outside of a Starbucks and sat in my rental car. We prayed until I received the Baptism. I spoke a few words in tongues, but still didn’t understand if I was doing it right. When I got to Marty’s house, while continuing to say those few words (I thought I had to memorize them as if I was learning with my mind a new language), all of a sudden my prayer language came flowing out of my mouth. I was so excited that I called Elizabeth and prayed over the phone to her so she could hear. Then, I called my husband, who at the time was less than excited to hear my “strange” prayer language. The following day, I got on the plane and flew to Atlanta for my new beginning.
As with all new moves, we became very busy with all other things that life throws your way, from buying a house, to decorating the house, to finding a home church and really just getting acclimated with the new environment. I had never been to Atlanta before, so I had to learn how to get around. And, anyone who has been to Atlanta would know how difficult that truly is. By the time we settled in our new home and were situated, I remembered the location of the one horse facility that I had found on the internet. Out of curiosity I went on a drive and drove by it. It was not anything that I had hoped for. It was very far away, lot’s of traffic and it seemed to be entirely English riding. All I remembered having horses growing up in California was western riding and how fun trail rides were. I did not see an opportunity for that at all. So I put the dream of horses on the back burner. There was one time when I was introduced to a charity for Premarin babies. These were foals that were born by mare’s that’s entire existence was to be pregnant and supply urine for the Pharmaceutical industry to manufacture an estrogen drug called Premarin, which really stands for Pregnant Mare’s Urine. These foals would be killed and sold for glue unless someone would take them. This organization brought them home. I prayed, “Lord, is this the horse project that you meant for me to participate in.” His answer to me was “No.”
Meanwhile, I had a lot of time to study the Bible and participate in Women’s Bible Studies, learn about prophecy and also continue to grow in my marriage to Steve. It was a wonderful time to self reflect, heal and get to the deeper things of God, since I really did not have any other full time commitments. My husband and I invested in quite a few real estate commercial transactions which kept me busy. We started our own Life Group as well. Then, Hurricane Katrina hit and we were the recipients of family and FEMA for Steve’s family. That took up a year of my time with all the help we gave the family during that very difficult time. Shortly thereafter, my husband was relocated with his company to New Orleans, to start a new Coastal Division which would include Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. The home search started and my life was devoted to finding a home and getting us settled in, while maintaining our home in Atlanta.
About 9 months later, my husband took a new position with a new company which would require us to move back to Scottsdale, AZ. While waiting for the moving truck to leave at the Atlanta house, (we moved all the furniture from both homes for storage in Scottsdale, and also for our Laguna Beach house) I went to the movies by myself and saw the movie Flicka. For some reason, (I know why now), horses were still a desire of my heart. Immediately after the move back in October of 2006, we joined back with our Home Church, Desert Valley Church of Scottsdale. I was having a conversation about horses with Christinna, a woman at church, who also had the same love for horses. I told her that I would like to get a horse since Arizona seems to be quite the horse country. I had never really noticed that before while I was living in AZ for about 7 years..or at least not to the degree that I saw it then. I think that because I was believing so much for it to help me move to Atlanta that when I returned back to Arizona I saw a whole new opportunity for horses. Of course, I continued to pray in the Spirit all the time. We never really know what we are praying for, but I do know that God will always give us the desires of our heart.
Christinna, on one Sunday at church shortly after our conversation, brought in an article about a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) auction of Wild Mustangs. This really intriqued me. She asked if I wanted to go check them out. So we met over at Westworld where the auction was to be held and looked at the mustangs that were to be auctioned off. I really did not have much time to think about what I was doing, because I really wanted to get a horse. When I got there I knew right away that not only do I want to get one, but I want to get two. So, I signed up for the auction. The BLM staff was very strict about the adoption process. You needed to have a stock trailer to load them, you needed to provide proof of their home location that it would consist of a stall that was at least 20’ X 20’ and you had to buy a halter and at least a 30’ lead line. I called my husband and “told” him that I was going to adopt two mustangs. He asked me why I needed two and I said that two would be more fun than one. My husband knew of my love of animals, and he didn’t want to get a dog, so he agreed that I could have a horse. Then, quickly I needed to search for the ideal place to keep them. I started searching for locations. Christinna’s husband serviced a pool at a boarding facility so we got there number and went and met with them. Amy’s husband was at a show at Westworld so she offered to help me pick out the best two mustangs to adopt and she also agreed that I could bring them to her facility. It was very expensive for boarding and training. I gave her a month deposit for both mustangs. She came and picked out two for me. She agreed that the one that Christinna and I had spotted would be a wise choice, who is Dude (we named him that because he reminded us of a surfer dude), and then I told her I really wanted a black horse, so she picked out Zeke. That night Christinna and I both came up with the name Ezekiel with Zeke being his nickname. That’s when we gave Dude his full name of Deuteronomy. They both had really good confirmation. I hired a stock trailer transporter to bring them to their new home. I was so excited at the auction. Christinna could not be there, so her husband Keith came and videotaped the auction. Pastor Dwain and his son Chad also came to watch. It was such an exciting day for me. I didn’t want anyone else bidding on those two mustangs so I stood around the auction board making sure I was the only bidder on the two. The starting bid was $125 per mustang. If you got one for $125 you could get a second one for $25. I wanted to make sure I got both of them, so I signed my name to each auction board. I ended up winning the auction for both of them for $125 each. Wow!! What a bargain.
Here are pictures of that exciting day:
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