The Very Best (Craziest) Year of 2012

I’ve had so much fun this week reading my favorite blogs and their best of 2012 posts! It’s hard to believe we are celebrating the end of another year. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought we would be living in Haiti bringing in the New Year serving and loving and living out our mission-adventure! The next two days will be crazy here in Pignon. January 1^st is Haiti’s independence day and the entire country is ready for a party. The voodoo drums get louder, pounding through the night. It’s a reminder of why God sent us to this 4^th world country to share the gospel and love big the kids living at Haiti Home of Hope orphanage.

I wanted to wrap up this year of blogging with my top 10 best of 2012.

1. You!!!! You, dear friends have been the best cheerleaders, prayer warriors, supporters, encouragers, and dream launchers!! Without you, my family would not be living out our mission’s adventure on the mission field in Ethiopia, Haiti, or Nicaragua. You helped make the impossible possible. (I wish I could hug and thank each and everyone of you in person) Thank you for donating and giving big to our ministry, Simply Love and crazy projects. This year, we have had the honor of being your hands and feet sharing the gospel and serving the fatherless as missionaries.
2. Operation: Mercy- Thank you for helping pave the way for Mercy to come to the states and receive the best medical care provided with Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Mercy’s final medical reports were truly miraculous, every single test result was normal. We continue to pray for Mercy that God will capture her heart and bless her family with health and abundance. We were able to use the above and beyond funds raised to pour back into our Simply Love projects in 2012… Man Up discipleship, feeding programs for orphans, and paying rent for widows.
3. Officially launching our ministry, Simply Love. Roger and I prayed for the best opportunity to start our non-profit ministry to love and protect orphans around the world. For years, we loved doing humanitarian projects and spreading our message to Simply Love and Man Up on tee shirts, but we knew God was calling us to do sooo much more. We are grateful to the ministries who have partnered with us over the years with our mission trip giveaways, feeding projects, and short term mission trips. We both fell in love with missions making the simple decision to GO and love big with our church and can’t believe what doors God has opened the past 5 years for our family.
4. God sold our home!!!! Every time I think about what God has provided for our family, it wipes away any fears or discouragement as newbie missionaries. We resigned from our job, and jumped in faith to live out-of-the-box on the mission field. Nothing honors God more than a big dream that is way beyond our ability to accomplish. Quote from the best book of the year, The Circle Maker.
5. We led three mission trips with Visiting Orphans and our church, James River. Simply Love Haiti in January and Simply Love Ethiopia & Uganda with my best friend, Julie, and two Man Up trips. Over 65 mission-hearted people gave their best to love and protect the fatherless… living James 1:27.
6. Started Man Up Discipleship in Ethiopia & Haiti. Roger had the privilege of leading the best of 48 young men in leaning how to become men of faith, courage, and prayer.
7. Our son, Michael turned 18 and graduated from High School and also did his best at the Missouri’s HS golf state championship. We celebrated Hannah’s sweet 16 on the way home from Africa in Paris… she said it was the best birthday ever!
8. Roger was featured in a full length documentary movie called, Man Up & Go. This was my favorite, best film of the year.
9. Hannah and Zoie started off the school year “ home schooling” by joining us on our crazy mission adventure. It’s been so much fun watching the girls going to the best school – class without walls. They are learning more than we could dream and gaining life long lessons of the heart.
10. Best of all, Roger and I celebrated our 20^th year Anniversary. I can’t imagine spending my life without my very BEST friend in the world and living out God-given promises, God-sized dreams, and God-ordained opportunities together.

The best is yet to come! Dream big, pray hard, and think long.

I want to know your best of 2012 – leave your best moments of 2012 in the comments. Is your dream too big for you? Anything could happen. Anyplace. Anytime. (TCM)