Testimonies - Page 16 of 39 - Moms in the Making

I had always seen the request to join the Moms in the Making Support Team, and even though I felt like I should sign up, I hesitated. I was just not that person who mailed letters or went to the post office. These thoughts disappeared when I had my own miscarriage and lost my son Jaiden. Everyday, for a few days straight, there was a card in our mailbox from the MITM support team. I was touched and I felt supported, seen, thought of and prayed for.

In addition to these letters, I received a set of 15 Bible verse/promise cards from Moms in the Making; one to be opened each day. Caroline apologized for the delay in their arrival but they arrived on time and at the right moment. Now that I’ve opened all 15, I take them everywhere. I pull them out and read them aloud whenever I need some encouragement and reassurance. Because of the ‘Yes’ of the women on the MITM Support Team, I was encouraged to support women who have lost their babies. I wanted to bring the same comfort that I received to their hurting hurts.

On August 28th, I signed up to be on the MITM support team. At first, it was painful because my grief was still very fresh and present. When I signed up, it was only two days after the one month anniversary of my sweet boy’s passing. After I received the second email requesting the need for support cards, I felt so overwhelmed and I questioned whether I was really ready to be doing this. But I am so thankful that I persevered; even though it hurt and reminded me of my own loss; because it brings me comfort and peace to be there for someone who is going through a similar situation. I encourage all who can, to sign up to be on the MITM Support Team. It is not only a blessing to the receiver but to the giver as well.

My virtual group was also very supportive not just with their prayers, but with two very special gifts. The first was a water color picture of our Comforter holding my sweet son. This picture fills me with so much peace because there is no better place to be than in the arms of Jesus. The second gift is a necklace. It reminds me that my baby boy will always be near. The thing that I love most about these gifts is that each one has Jaiden’s name and date of birth. He did not meet any of my virtual group or MITM support team women but he was known and prayed for and he will be missed and remembered. Thank you Moms in the Making!

Indira
This was my second conference and my second year being a leader. I’ve been battling the lies of the enemy saying I was a “bad leader.” I felt like I was failing my group, and that I was an unqualified leader. I was so overwhelmed with this feeling that I had already thought of quitting my leadership role. But every time I thought of doing that it would break my heart — I knew I had to bring this to the cross. I cried out to God to please tell me what to do, am I doing something wrong? Am I doing enough? Am I enough to be a leader?

I walked into the conference with a lot of heaviness on me and I tried my very best to hide it for the sake of my group not being distracted. But we all know you can’t hide from God (Jonah taught us that). When the prophetic cards were passed out to the attendees, I wasn’t sure what to expect, I just wanted to hear from the Holy Spirit and MAN DID I EVER!

My card read “You are FULLY qualified to do all He has called you to do, He is satisfied with your YES”. At that moment I completely lost it, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Holy Spirit was speaking DIRECTLY to me and no lies of the enemy could silence it or change my mind! My heart was on fire and felt transformed at that moment, all the lies of the enemy had to FLEE! I felt a wave of relief and comfort come over me and when we worshiped I gave it ALL to Him.

I left the conference with such assurance that I’m not failing and such a fire in my heart was reignited. I feel ready to move into this next part of my season with a closer intimacy with Holy Spirit. Thank you to the board of Moms in the Making for allowing the Holy Spirit to truly move in this conference. I can truly and honestly say I left a different woman.

Amanda Recarey – Florida
I am extremely grateful that I was able to attend the 2021 Moms in the Making conference. I remember wanting to attend a MITM conference ever since I saw some pictures of the first one in 2017. Initially, I had no intentions of attending this year because I was due in November. However, a few weeks after losing my son, Jaiden, at 20 weeks gestation, I had this idea that I could attend the conference. It would actually be the best time to go since I was on maternity leave and would not have to take time off from work.

I headed to the website to sign up, but before I was able to complete the registration, my emotions overwhelmed me. I realized that I was not emotionally ready to face people as yet so I closed the page and forgot about it. The following week I received a set of 15 Bible verse cards from the Moms in the Making support team. I reached out to Caroline to express my gratitude. As we conversed, she asked me if I would be at the conference. I told her that I had not intended to because I was due in November and she offered to bless me with a special price ticket. I could not and did not refuse. There was still an emotional struggle to sign up. But I did it because I felt for sure that God wanted me to be at the conference. He had spoken to me directly, but when I failed to act, He sent His messenger Caroline.

I attended the conference and I pray that every woman TTC will one day get to experience the power and presence of God that I felt in that room. I’m so thankful to Caroline and the board of directors for their ministry. They clearly understood the assignment! This was indeed the best conference experience that I have ever had. Mom in the Making has been a true source of restored hope, faith and strength on this journey. I have never felt so supported, encouraged, prayed for and loved. From the prayer partners whom I am still in contact with, to the virtual group and now the friends that I met and connected with at the 2021 conference, I believe that God has truly blessed this ministry.

Indira
Not many people know about the moment that changed my life almost 20 years ago, which began the bondage of trauma that the enemy would hold on me. I was a high school senior who had big dreams of going off to college and pursuing her dream to become a teacher. In the spring of that year I would come home a week shy of my 18th birthday to the news that my dad was missing. The next week was a blur as they searched for him and three days after my senior prom they would find him gone from suicide. I never got to say goodbye and for years and years I would live with the guilt of wondering if I was the reason he left.

I lived with the torture of wondering if I would ever see him again in Heaven and I carried this from relationship to relationship as well. It wasn’t until God got a hold of me in 2008 and I rededicated my life to Him that I started to feel healing.

During the breakthrough session with Chariti, Breaking the Power of Trauma, at the 2021 Moms in the Making conference I was able to finally receive the healing I needed. As Chariti walked us through the steps of overcoming trauma I began to have a beautiful and intimate moment with Jesus. My dad’s death was the trauma I had been carrying and that day I forgave him and was able to say goodbye. In that moment, Jesus tenderly embraced my face as my dad walked away and spoke telling me that I could no longer look to my past. He showed me that it was only through keeping my eyes on Him that I could fully move into the future He had waiting for me. I’ve never felt so much freedom in my life. I’ve been able to see my marriage through fresh eyes and see my beautiful miracles through fresh eyes, and most importantly I can now see myself how God sees me!

Thank you God for your healing and for your steadfast love and grace!

Victoria Chandler
When I came to the 2019 conference, my heart was heavy with grief for my husband. He was battling anxiety and depression. It was so hard to watch him go through panic attacks and intense bouts of self-hatred. My heart was in pieces over it.

One of the intercessors at the end of the conference said that I would go back home and be a bringer of light that would overwhelm darkness and fill our home. She prayed that my husband would catch the light, and be changed. I wept at her words because I felt so seen by the Father. She encouraged me to continue to find joy in the Word of God, and to just let that joy spill out onto my husband. I hadn’t even told her what was going on with him, but the Holy Spirit gave her a word and she knew just what to say. And sure enough, God went before me and he defeated anxiety and depression in my husband!!!

Over the following two years, I saw him be filled with joy. I saw him laugh without reserve. He started to be silly with me again, and our marriage had new passion and spark. He stopped having thoughts of self harm. I haven’t seen him have a panic attack since. And the best part: I have seen his love for Jesus growing deeper all the time. I am so thankful that God healed my husband. It has completely changed our lives, and positively impacted our wait for our children. Praise God! Moms in the Making was instrumental in encouraging me to believe that healing was possible for my husband and I am forever grateful for this ministry, and the intercessor who spoke this word over us.
My husband and I got married in 2014 and thought we would wait a year or two before ttc. We were naive to think it would be easy like the world shows us it is. In 2016 I was diagnosed with pcos and thyroid issues. I began medicine to help. In 2017 we officially started our ttc journey. After a year and a half we decided to seek help through an RE. We did 6 + rounds of clomid, letrozole and trigger shots. But still no luck.

God said to stop it all and give it to Him and we did. Soon after we found out we were pregnant but we miscarried. We didn’t understand. I started getting support cards from the Moms in the Making support team and that helped us through. A few months later the Lord told me I would start a MITM group in my town. I had never led a group but listened to Him. My group started in January 2021.

We had done a few more medicated cycles but were looking at IUI now as a next step. When I started leading my group the Lord allowed me to focus on my women and their journeys over mine. I prayed for them more than myself and suddenly my timeline didn’t feel as urgent. I knew He had promised us a baby and would fulfill that. If not now, then later and I was finally ok with that for the first time. I poured into my women and in March started our first IUI process and the IUI failed. We took the next month off to take a small break and enjoy our family beach trip. I had been sick at the beach most of the week so the day we were supposed to go home I took a test and it was positive. We couldn’t believe it but were so thankful. We are now 25 weeks with our rainbow baby boy, due in January. God is so faithful!

Rachel Ratledge – North Carolina
I have been struggling with a lot of guilt and shame for months because my journey to motherhood hasn’t been as difficult as others. I was starting to question my testimony; whether it truly meant anything to anyone? I was questioning my role as a leader in Moms in the Making. Was I truly helping other women on their journeys?

Fast forward to the conference of October 2021. I had 3 amazing ladies attend from my virtual group. At the after party 2 of these beautiful ladies came up to me and told me God wanted me to know how much my testimony truly meant to them and how hopeful they were in their own journeys because of it!

I immediately posted about this in the our Moms in the Making leaders group, only to find out that one of my fellow leaders had a girl sign up for her group because she follows me on social media and my testimony gives her so much joy and peace in her own fertility journey! The best part is she isn’t even a Christian yet, but because of my testimony she has stepped out of her comfort zone and has decided on choosing faith and joined a support group! COME ON!! Do it AGAIN & AGAIN Lord!!!

Kathleen Tibbitts – Surprise, Arizona
After 3 years of infertility, male factor and then labeled as unexplained, we did 3 IUIs in 2021. Faced with the decision of IVF I knew God had more for us so over the last 6 months we prayed for our next steps. It’s so easy to just jump to the next thing in this journey but I’m a strong believer in letting the Holy Spirit guide me, knowing He will provide peace. I told our RE I needed to pray about it so fast forward 6 months and through a series of signs from Holy Spirit, we are now pursuing embryo adoption.

I don’t have one doubt that this is where God has led us. God shows a picture of adoption as us as His children so many times through His word and I’m so grateful He’s led us here. We have a ways to go financially but I know where God guides, He provides. We also don’t have our embryos selected yet but I know God knew this would be our story long before I did. I know He created those babies for us. I pray that the donor family will know that these babies will be raised up to know the Lord. They have been prayed over for so long.

Recently at conference, I had women surround me and pray over me and felt the peace of Holy Spirit once again! Once I received my prophetic card it read “your middle name is courage. You have processed things well and your heart is tender and sensitive to where God is leading you!” Y’all, I don’t believe in coincidence. The last 6 months of processing has led us here. It led me to that very moment at conference. A reminder that this is no easy journey but through the wait if you lean into Christ, the peace you receive far outweighs the pain. He’s called me to share my story and I pray that through that people come to know Him.

Another surreal part of conference was when every single one of my girls stood up when asked “whose relationship has been restored because of Moms in the Making?” I had a moment of thankfulness as tears streamed down my face! Look at what God has done! A year ago I didn’t know one woman in my group and now there’s a sisterhood of 9 of us. God has done so much in my own life but to see what all He’s doing in the lives of my girls is a reminder of His faithfulness and that no one is walking this road alone!

Alexis – Celina, Texas
“They overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.” Revelation 12:11

Here is part of a letter I wrote in October 2011: “We appreciate so much that you have taken the time to view our adoption profile, and hopefully you will get to know us better through it. We know, and are continually learning, that we can never fully understand or imagine the emotions that you are feeling at this moment. We pray that you have the faith that you need to find the right family – one who will love and share in the blessing of this gift of life. My husband and I have known each other for almost fourteen years, having met through a mutual friend. We were married in October of 1999, and recently celebrated our 12-year wedding anniversary by enjoying a vacation to Arizona.”

If you could not tell from this letter, Chuck and I were experiencing infertility for 12 years. In fact, even though we were married in 1999, by the year 2011 we still had no children. We began our adoption journey in 2009. And Jeremy (God’s appointed one, to raise up and encourage like God), our son, was born in November 2012. Ashlynn (To dream like God), our daughter, was born in August of 2014. May the power of Jesus be released through our testimony. Great is thy Faithfulness!
In 2016 we decided to start trying for a baby; we had our positive 8 months later. Suddenly a bleeding began and I started to have a lot of pain. When we arrived at the hospital they told us that it was an ectopic pregnancy and surgery was needed. I was in complete shock. That night was the worst I have had. One of my tubes broke and I had an internal bleeding, and my soul was in complete grief.

I didn’t understand why we were going through this. We started our plans to be parents with God, we prayed over it, our life has been always about serving God. “Have I done something wrong? Is this a consequence of something?” I was going through a lot, so I told God that if it was the moment for me to die I was ready, but I heard His voice telling me “you won’t die, I know what you’re going through, I felt it when I was on the cross. I had thought my Father abandoned me and I too felt alone. You’re not alone, I’m with you and your Father has not abandoned you.” After this conversation my pain was gone and I had a peaceful night.

The day after I went to an emergency surgery due to the severity of the diagnosis. We went home and grieved for 3 months, with a lot of questions but also renewing my faith. In 2018, we tried again and had another positive but also ended up with the same nightmare; same symptoms, pain and hospital. I went into surgery again. I was heartbroken and really sad.

We continued through life and God sustained us. We then decided to pursue treatments and decided to do IVF. After we had 3 negative rounds and in that moment MITM came into my life. I wasn’t by myself anymore. I had God, but now I had a community. I joined the Spanish virtual group and I woke up in the middle of the night (I live in Spain) in order to be with the girls, but in every group my strength and faith was renewed. This ministry helped me heal my heart against God and helped me to be grateful for the blessings we currently have. I had the most powerful praying warriors praying for my pregnancy.

We decided to try for a 4th IVF round and this time was positive. I’m 6 months in my pregnancy and I can see God’s faithfulness. He wants us to be mothers, He designed us for that. During my pregnancy God gave me Psalm 27:13-14 and it has been an anchor for me. Take this verse for your life and anchor to it during your waiting.