In Thousands of Tears, Maria shares the heartache and anguish of those years, her faith that kept her going, and the miraculous story of AnnaMaria’s dramatic rescue. “Oh Lord,” I cried, “if you created the heavens, the earth, the animals and man in relation to all that, then this is not too difficult for you to do. I will not give up until you bring my Anna back.” This is a true story about my daughter, AnnaMaria, who was secretly taken, without my permission, to another country by her father for five years and three months. Whenever I tell this story, whether to an individual, a large or small group of people, the reactions have always been the same: "You need to write a book." Those words have been stuck in my mind for ten years now, and I finally realized that this remarkable story must be heard, and I needed to write it. It offers hope for difficult circumstances as hard and as painful as this was for me, her mother. It will renew one's confidence to start trusting again and will confirm that there is a God who keeps His promises and yes, answers prayers. This is a modern-day miracle. You will see how, after turning to eleven organizations for assistance, my help finally came from the Lord. You will be encouraged not to lose faith if your circumstances seem impossible or so dark that you feel there is no hope. I had come to the end of my rope after receiving bad news that the FBI was no longer interested in my case. I felt like giving up because all doors were closed, and I thought I'd never see my child again. It was when I became helpless that God proved Himself mighty. I'm forever grateful for His unfailing love and faithfulness in restoring AnnaMaria to me. It is His doing, and it is His story. He orchestrated all the events for me to get her back. I will praise Him forever for what He has done. All glory and honor are due to His name. When I started writing it seemed like an insurmountable task, but as I began, the Lord gave me the grace to continue, and his presence was felt even in the hard-to-bear parts of it. My hope is that this story will touch you, and that before you get to the last page, you will know that if God could perform such a miracle for me, He can do the same for you. Maria Nicholas is a first-time author who took much pleasure in writing from an early age. Her background in the communication arts led her to participate in the production of a feature film and then later to join the faculty at a local business college as a lecturer in business communication skills. Her teaching experience transported her to the other side of the globe—the Middle East—where she experienced war-torn Beirut, Lebanon, for one year. Her travels also took her to Jerusalem, the Acropolis at Mars Hill in Athens, and a discovery of her father’s roots in Cyprus. She has served on different boards in her community and currently teaches a ladies’ Bible class at her church. Maria Nicholas, born on the island of Jamaica, is now a U.S. citizen. She graduated from high school in Jamaica and from Western Michigan University in Michigan. She currently resides in Georgia with her daughter, AnnaMaria, and her son, David. She has considered it a privilege in sharing this inspiring story at speaking engagements, and invariably, she has been encouraged to publish this experience for the world to read. The moment arrived on July 31st 1986 at around 2:30 in the afternoon. I arranged to meet Paul at the intersection of 90th Street and Sterling Avenue in Cooper City, Florida, against my better judgment. I chose this type of setting because I did not want to reveal to him where I was staying. When I arrived at the location where we had decided to meet, he was already there. He came out of his truck and walked towards the car I was driving. He greeted me abruptly and started reaching over to take Anna. I took her out of her car seat and gave her a hug. He then took her out of my arms, said goodbye, and walked away with her towards his Mazda pick-up truck. He mentioned that he would call me later as to a time to return her to me. I immediately realized that he had left her diaper bag on the front seat of the car I was driving, so I called out to him to get the bag when he suddenly jerked with nervousness. Perhaps he thought I figured out his malicious plans and changed my mind about this beach trip. Despite my hesitations, I walked over to his truck and handed him the bag. Something deep inside my gut made me feel that he was up to something awful. I felt that he was going to run off with her and I regretted that I had agreed for him to have her for the day. I went back to the car and watched as he drove off with her and even though I wanted to change my mind, it was too late. They were gone. Little did I know that I would not see her again for the next five years and three months. It was a long and stressful day of wondering where Paul could be with AnnaMaria since I had not heard from him in 24 hours. I was lyi