A lot of who we are has to do with where we came from…..

I had the most amazing childhood!  My mom would stop at nothing to give us children everything. She not only made EVERY Holiday as special as ever –but she made sure we understood that EVERY DAY was a day the Lord had made! She taught us the importance or prayer and made us feel that we were an integral part of the family. She made our house – a home.

As Halloween just finished up – I was thinking about the time my mom dressed up as a witch and was the tour leader of the Calhoun School’s haunted house. Now my momma loved to scare people on Halloween! Her costumes were always dramatic! I was going to go to that haunted house even though I was no more than 8 years old. My momma led me and some of the bigger kids through the house. She would whisper in my ear who the people dressed-up were  – – just so I wouldn’t be too scared!

Now my momma LOVED to write plays for church! I’m not talking about little plays – I’m talking about HUGE theatrical shows! I remember Jesus came to Disney World! She re-wrote all the nursery rhythms and led Mother Goose to Christ! She didn’t just write plays for church – she wrote award-winning plays for school and 4H! Gosh – I remember dressing up as a wind-up doll when I was in 2nd grade for a play at school and as a hobo in 4th grade when we won the 4H talent show!

People always tell me I have a knack for decorating – for throwing amazing parties – for finding the right gifts – for finding the right words – -for making a house in Haiti feel like a home!

And all I can say is…… any creativity and goodness I have – no doubt came from my momma!

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Now my daddy — he’s the strongest man I know. A Vietnam vet – over 35 years as a missionary in Haiti – daddy don’t play!! You want something done – dad will do it. He won’t only do it – but he’ll do it better than you could’ve yourself. Anytime I want something done – or need wisdom about how to do something – he’s the first person I call.

Daddy taught me that my pain can serve a purpose. That God has a plan for me. That He wants to use me. That these battles that consume me are preparing me for the real war of Good versus Evil. That these “Faith Tests” are actually strengthening me and to embrace them instead of fearing them.

My dad isn’t afraid of anything. Nope. He’ll run his truck over a voodoo curse 15 times just to show the Haitians his God is more powerful! You want to yell something mean at the truck as it passes by – I don’t care if you’re in the states or in Haiti – – – better beware. Dad will stop that truck and back up!!

Everything could be falling apart all around us and I’ve actually seen him YELL to satan – IS THIS ALL YOU GOT? IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO?  Oh daddy – don’t be yelling like that! We had a team in over New Years and the day the team arrived it began to rain HARD. There was no place to sleep that wasn’t wet. This team was 80 people and they were going stir-crazy because it was too rainy to do any sort of ministry. AND WHAT DOES MY DADDY DO? HE TELLS SATAN TO BRING IT!! (I blame him for the 15 days of straight rain!) HA! HA!

He’s not afraid to do anything in the Name of Jesus…..

Jose and I were here in Haiti during a coo one time. The airlines quit flying for months. The roads were cut off to our village. There were no other leaders but Jose and I on campus. There were men carrying guns up and down the streets. Since the roads were cut off there were no diesel trucks. Those men carrying guns were knocking on our gate and they wanted our diesel. EVERYONE was afraid that they would hurt us or rob us.

But I’ve got my daddy’s fearlessness in me. So what did I do? You got it – strapped a pistol to my hip and had two shotguns – one on each shoulder. I told the guard to open the gate and let me talk to those guys outside!! Now I’ve been in Haiti long enough to know what’s what! I knew those guys would think it was funny to see a chubby white girl with 3 guns walking right out to talk to them! And I was right! PHEW!

I told them without the diesel we can’t pump water. Without water – the people can’t drink. Guess who the people are going to attack when they can’t give their children water? Not the mission – but the men who stole the diesel! And that was that!

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THANK YOU LORD FOR GIVING ME THE BEST PARTS OF BOTH OF MY PARENTS!