I started writing this post and started crying. I hope I can get through this without making a fool out of myself sitting at Panera. This is the biggest blog announcement I’ve ever made and I’m crazy nervous to share with you. It’s not that I don’t think you’ll fall out of your chair when you read it, but that I won’t do a good job sharing my heart.

We are moving as a family to Haiti starting November 20, 2012!!!!!!!

We thought we had it all planned out. For the past two years, we’ve desired to go on the mission field in Ethiopia. We never wavered asking Him to open the door for us to serve with our brothers and sisters who sacrifice so much in Zoie’s birthplace. We wanted to give back. I even had a dream of our home and outdoor kitchen complete with a wood burning fire. I woke up thinking, “Seriously Jesus, I could totally cook on that.” We definitely had peace about the mission plan, but we didn’t know that God had mapped out a different route on the way to Africa. Our first stop is Haiti!!!!!!!!! Roger has never even been to Haiti, but he fell in love with the bonus gift God placed in our path. It was a blessing we couldn’t resist, it was THE key to the miracle God had already set in motion.

PIGNON, HAITI ADVENTURE: Part 1

We are deeply humbled that the most incredible missionaries, Bill and Jennifer Campbell have opened their hearts and their home in Pignon to allow us to come and serve as “happy helpers” at Haiti Home of Hope. As you know, I took a Visiting Orphans team to Pignon in January and God broke my heart- literally. I was overwhelmed with the ministry who cares for a community that works 24 hours a day just to live, eat, and survive. I will re-post my stories from Haiti and hopefully (you too) will fall in love with this beautiful little village called Pignon. Hannah and Zoie will spend 2 months with us in Haiti and our son, Michael will join us there for Christmas. Upon graduation he will attend Missouri State University and study broadcast journalism. He’s starting his new adventure.

Reading the Live Dead Journal, one statement jumped out for both, Roger and me.

Ask Jesus if He wants you to go- live and die among the people. I read that statement, but refused to pray that question. I already knew the answer- sure God, if you want me to keep taking teams on short term mission trips … I’ll totally do that!!!!!!! Oh, little flock (I’m sure God thought out loud) that was not what I was asking you. I prayed for weeks after returning from Haiti and felt overwhelmed in my spirit- knowing I had to face this question afraid. Do it afraid. Finally, I found the courage to ask Him in a very quiet, wimpy voice …. Jesus, do you want us to go as missionaries and live and die among the lost, unreached, unengaged people groups. If you say yes, I might consider mentioning this to my hubby. But, there’s a limit to this …. we have to do it during summer vacation so it won’t be hard for our three kids.

I told you I was a wimp!

God works with wimps. When all else fails, God sets in and sets us free. The best part of this story is the miracle God did 60 seconds after my hubby made the decision for our family to serve the Campbells in Haiti Home of Hope. After months of talking and praying and praying, he sent the email confirming our decision … that’s when it happened. Roger noticed on his facebook a message from a local realtor asking us if we had our home listed. God sold our home. He did it literally 1 MINUTE after we said yes. We knew immediately this was His story, His miracle, and His timing. Nothing honors God more than a big dream that is way beyond our ability to accomplish. We’ve had our home on the market since 2007 and it was when we circled this dream of missions, God honored our bold prayers, but not the fast track plan. The past year has been one of the most painful reminders for me that God’s timing is perfect… we can’t rush a miracle.

This past month, we sold our home, resigned from our job of 20 years, and preparing for a missions adventure that will be living out loud James 1:27 and John 12:24. I never dreamed in a million years I would be saying these words, but God did a miracle in our family and we are moving forward to dream big, love big, and go big.

Please join us on this journey  … hold our hands and pray for our family. The best is yet to come!

“If you’ve never had a God-sized dream that scared you half to death, then you haven’t really come to life. If you’ve never been overwhelmed by the impossibility of your plans, then your God is too small. If your vision isn’t perplexingly impossible, then you need to expand the radiuses of your prayer circles.” (The Circle Maker)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Part 2

You can read the rest of the story … here!!!

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