It’s such an honor to have my share his new quest, 127 Warrior with my readers! I have watched God do mighty miracles in his life and can’t wait to see what adventures He has planned for our family. If you enjoy this post or learn something crazy, please go grab your hubby and encourage him join the 127 Warrior movement. We have Man Up mission trips planned this summer (open spots!!) with several wonderful organizations, as well as the Man Up and Go movie, and conference coming soon!! It’s time to Man Up – protect and love the fatherless … living James 1:27 in a radical way.

My Life Is Crazy Too is a new series of reader submissions. This is your opportunity to share stories about life, love, and mommyhood to provide understanding, hope, and compassion in the unique situations each of us face every day. If you would like to submit a story to this series, email me. Today’s crazy guest is Roger Gibson.

What does a modern-day warrior look like? I recently saw the movie Acts of Valor. It was a total dude flick. No Hollywood actors. The actors were real life Navy Seal action heroes. It was the kind of movie where 40 year olds get to live out their warrior fantasies by watching these bad asses pulverize the enemy on the big screen. Hooyah!

Acts of Valor is about a Navy Seal Seven unit that is deployed to rescue a captured CIA agent behind enemy lines and defend the borders of the United States by keeping suicide bombers from entering. For me, a modern-day warrior operates very much like a Navy Seal, but in James 1:27 style. What does a 127 Warrior look like? As men, we are naturally wired to protect! In the book, The Male Brain the author called this hormone “Vasopressin the White Knight.” Vasopressin is the reason for our gallantry and monogamy. It makes us aggressively protect and defend our turf, mate, and children. Along with testosterone, vasopressin runs the male brain circuit.  A 127 Warrior is a man who is able to look beyond his own wall to Man Up for the fatherless. I know as men we instinctively know that we are supposed to protect our home, spouse, and kids but outside of our own very “wall” what does that look like? Unfortunately, four years ago I didn’t have a clue. Continue Reading

I asked my extraordinary Visiting Orphans “Simply Love Haiti” team what was their very favorite thingsabout their mission trip to Haiti and here’s what they wanted you to know:

1.  It’s only a 2 hour and 15 minute flight on American Airlines to Port-au-Prince from Miami, Florida. Is that easy or what! (Kari)
2. The endless opportunities to love. (Stephanie)
3. The mango’s (hanging from trees) at Well-Being, the church service in Pignon, praying with different families on clinic day, home visits, seeing our witch doctor friend singing along with Jesus Loves Me on clinic day, the beautiful Haitian countryside, and above all the KIDS! (Susan)
4. The smiles and endless hugs… The kids running down the road with us after the church service!!!! (Becky)
5. The blankets of stars in the sky, hearing a bunch of little kids sing their hearts out in a shack church, unbelievable scenery, the blind woman singing on clinic day! (Sonja)
6. I have to agree with the stars and the cacti fencing- very resourceful!!! I also think it is pretty amazing that so many women were able to live together for a week closely with shared bathrooms and limited food and not one person got disgruntled. There is so much to love… Jen’s facial expressions, I also cannot get out of my mind the forlorn face of the brother whose sister was in the witch doctor’s care… I can only imagine what his face looked like when he got formula for those babies and offered a job!!!! The singing… everything. Can we go back ???? (Ashley)
7. I loved the singing in the little church! I have a video of that and I watch it everyday! The love, smiles and endless hugs from all the kids! (Jennifer)
8. I loved watching the kids leave for school in Pignon in the mornings all decked out in their uniforms. (Becky)
9. Watching the team walk into ministry opportunities daily and embrace every single moment with a big heart! (Mama Kiki)
10. And my favorite was seeing how God used the talents of every member of our group through-out the entire week. The breadth of knowledge utilized through the various situations and projects was mind-boggling. (Becky)

This was just a taste of our 7 days in Haiti. We (the girls) talked late one night under our mosquito nets about how important it is to spread the word when we get home about our time in Haiti … to open eyes and hearts to come here and serve. Haiti needs you to come and love big! There are endless reasons you’ll fall in love, too! If you can love big, give hugs, pass out food, organize crafts, pound a hammer, hold hands, bring hope, pray, sing, and dare to try new things, you are EXACTLY what Haiti needs!

I’d love to know if you have any questions about going on a mission trip to Haiti … how can we (the team) help inform you about going, your concerns, fears, or anything!!!! We are NOT pros, but we fell in love with Haiti, so can you!

Team Photos:

 

 

This is the story of a baby boy named “Rudy” who captured the hearts of our Simply Love Haiti team. We were all so excited for clinic day at Haiti Home of Hope (HHH). We heard there would be about 60 people that would walk over 15 miles to receive care, food, and baby formula. Almost all the babies on the milk program are there because their moms have died. These babies would most likely die without this lifesaving formula. We also work with nursing moms who are having a hard time nursing. We help the moms with vitamins and food, to improve their nutrition, so they can nurse well. I want to thank those of you who donated formula- Tymm Hoffman’s ministry Brighton Their World. We packed their storage room full of life-saving formula! We were beyond surprised when over 120 people arrived (maybe they heard about 16 crazy Americans being there) and we had the opportunity to love, feed, care, sing, and share the gospel during the 6+ hours in the outdoor waiting room. I want to shout out a special thanks to the Campbell family, missionaries who live and love in Pignon, the past 8 years dedicated to making a difference to the unreached people groups in Haiti. I was simply amazed watching this family in action and fell deeply in love with all 38 of their children!! I want to be YOU when I grow up, !

We had invited several people the day before on our home visits, including a witch doctor named Luckner. This poor man had no idea what he was walking into, but we had an incredible time sharing and praying with him during clinic day. Pignon, Haiti is located 100 miles from Port-au-Prince up in the mountains. It’s a rural, very poor area that desperately needs our help and care. We met many new mothers and caretakers in the milk day program that literally are keeping their babies alive with the donated formula. They were overjoyed and so grateful that we were there helping. One of my favorite memories was when team members, Amanda and Becky started singing. Our team shared a few songs, and then we asked it THEY would sing to us. There were many women who came forward and gave us their gift of song. One in particular was a blind women who had a voice like an angel. We were so touched and blessed with our impromptu sing-a-long.

One of the mothers had a challenging history with HHH. She was abusive to her children and left three years ago (illegally) to live in the Dominican Republic. She came back on clinic day with baby Rudy. He was 2 months old, but weighed barely 5 pounds. Of course, I was immediately back in time holding my baby Zoie with memories flooding in my heart. However, this baby boy was being deliberately starved by his birthmother. Jennifer Campbell rushed the baby inside the clinic and we immediately started giving him urgent care. He was so sick and weak, he couldn’t suck the bottle, so we had to put a NG tube down his nose into his little tummy. I started bawling, because I had to do this with my own premature daughter, Hannah and the emotions overwhelmed my heart! Jennifer requested from Rudy’s mother the choice to allow us to nurse him, literally back to life. She agreed and left HHH for several days. We nursed Rudy around the clock 24/7 and slowly he started growing stronger. There are no words to describe what our team felt caring for Rudy. He was truly our miracle boy. There are a lot of details I won’t share in this story, but I wanted to update you (Monday 2/6) Rudy’s parents showed up this morning and we all went down to Cap Haitian. The parents denied that he tested positive for hiv, so a doctor did another test, which came back positive. The father is having a hard time with this news, and what it means to him. He changed his mind about leaving Rudy in the Cap Haitian orphanage, and decided to take him back to the Dominican and seek medical care there. So we gave them money for transportation, and took them to the bus station. God is still in control of this situation. We know that Rudy’s father loves him very much, and wants to be with him. Because of this, I believe he will find the medical treatment he needs. Please continue to pray for this family. Jennifer. (photo- Parents are pictured below with Rudy.)

We are grateful for the time we had loving him, feeding him, giving him his first bubble bath, and rocking him as we fed him each hour, every day. My dear friend, Kari Hamilton ended up staying an extra week to help the Campbell family take care of him. Baby Rudy has 21 new adopted aunts, uncles, and a mama Kari in his life watching over him and loving him and praying for him.

(Baby Rudy 2 days after we fed him every hour 24/7)

My personal challenge dealing with Rudy’s mother was not judging her, but having compassion. I had to keep saying 1 Cor. 13:13 over and over in my heart. It was very difficult and several times during our stay, I wanted to judge her angrily with my words and actions for hurting Rudy. God (and my team) kept reminding me that God has a special plan for Rudy and despite the abuse he had to endure from his mother, he was in the care and hands of our heavenly father. I had the opportunity to pray and talk to mom with the help of … sharing the gospel and also my own struggles and mistakes as a mom. I had a heart to heart talk with her and shared about Zoie’s adoption and Hannah’s miracle story. God used MY pain to hopefully encourage this young mother. Please pray for baby Rudy and his parents…. we will keep you updated on his progress. (photo: Lina Campbell taking good care of baby Rudy)

Please email me if you are interested in going on your own Haiti mission-adventure. Life is pitiful, death so familiar, suffering and pain so common, yet I would not be anywhere else. Do not wish me out of this or in any way seek to get me out, for I will not be got out while this trial is on. These are my people, God has given them to me, and I will live or die for Him and His glory. – Gladys Aylward (Live-Dead)

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Last year, when hubby asked me what I wanted to do for my 45th birthday. My wish was a little different crazy, but what I really wanted more than anything was to wake up on January 21st and hear the words “Bonne Fete Mama Kiki” in Haiti with a team of crazy mission-hearted people. I love Haiti. I love the adventure, the people, the beauty, and the spirit of Haiti. If I could only pick one word to describe Haitians, it would be “courageous.” Their courage has been tested to extreme levels, but I can testify that our brothers and sisters are standing firm in their faith in God.

Here’s my crazy wish for you … I want YOU to fall in love with Haiti, too. I have a challenge for my friends to look past your fears and ask God to grow a deep love for the unreached people groups in Haiti. Did you know that traveling to Haiti is only a short, 2 hour and 15 minute flight from Miami? Did you know there are organizations that will help you serve in the poorest place in the Western Hemisphere, where we can make a real difference? You may think you don’t have skills to volunteer in Haiti, but I promise …. you do!! If you can love big, give hugs, pass out food, organize crafts, pound a hammer, hold hands, bring hope, pray, sing, and dare to try new things, you are EXACTLY what Haiti needs!

It breaks my heart when I hear people say to me “I’m afraid to go to Haiti” or “It’s too risky” or “Can’t I get sick?”  Haiti is one of the five places in the world that NEEDS your help the most! That’s what volunteering is all about … giving your love in a place that desperately needs it. (Allison Thompson, Guideposts) We need to be mission-hearted together. Ask Jesus if He wants you to go- to share His gospel in Haiti. Because, Jesus is worthy, because Jesus is worth it, “the whole church must take the whole gospel to the whole world.” As we fall deeper in love with Jesus, we become like Him. To be like Jesus is to love the nations of the world! The gospel is what God has done for us in Christ. (Live-Dead) There is a spiritual battle between Christianity and Voudo religion … Haiti needs our fervent prayers.

When we were ministering in the community of Pignon, Haiti, I met a new mommy living in horrific conditions with her newborn twins. Her family brought her to a witch doctor for healing. We went inside the home, with permission from the WD and asked to pray with her. She was sitting on the edge of a bed, swollen and drugged beyond reason. I wrapped my arms around her and looked around the tiny space. This was her crossroads, if she made a decision to leave the house, we could help her, but if she chose to stay she was under the care of Satan, literally. She was completely lost. As we prayed for her healing and heart, I could feel the battle going on all around us. My heart was broken when her family refused to let her go. Her brother, was the only Christian in the family and he was desperate for our prayers. He shared that he wanted to be the man of the home, but struggled with not having the courage and strength to stand up to the witch doctor and Voudo control. Our team, also surrounded the brother and prayed for him. We left there that day not knowing how the outcome would be for the mom and twins. But, we knew with all our hearts, God has directed us specifically there that day to simply love.

I heard a few days ago, that the mother died in the witch doctor’s care and the twins were now being cared for by their uncle, our brother in the Lord. The saddest part of the story for me is the fact that she was lost and separated from the gift of salvation. This has made a great impact in my heart … If we love Jesus Christ, we will listen. Eventually we will feel His broken heart. If we love Him we will like the mighty men of old, make His longing our MISSION no matter what the risk. (Live-Dead)

(I took these photos inside the witch doctor’s home of mother and her twins)

I have five stories I want to share from my Visiting Orphans trip to Haiti and pray that they encourage and inspire you to love big and go big! As soon as I can, I will plan a mission trip back to Pignon, Haiti. Please consider joining me to Simply Love Haiti. I’d love to hear what you think … does this leave a mark on your heart?

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