Our Founder’s Story.
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In 2003, on a snow-covered mountain in Colorado, retired Air Force medic Paul Lavelle had a life-changing encounter. After dropping a friend at a Wild at Heart men’s retreat, he found himself snowed in—stuck with nothing to do but attend a few sessions. What began as curiosity ended with surrender. Alone on the mountain, Paul gave his life to Jesus.
That moment marked the beginning of a new mission.
Paul soon joined the team at Ransomed Heart Ministries, working alongside John Eldredge. As he served, a clear calling took root: bring hope and healing to fellow veterans battling PTSD, trauma, and the invisible wounds of war.
In 2008, Paul launched Operation Restored Warrior with a team of veterans from every branch of the military. Their shared vision: to see warriors restored to their true identity in Christ.
At the center of it all stands the promise of Isaiah 61:
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives…”
That’s the heartbeat of ORW. And it all began on a mountain
RESTORING OUR WARRIORS
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For years, the number was 20 a day. Twenty veterans and active-duty service members lost to suicide. But recent studies suggest the true number may be closer to 40. Every day.
Behind the uniforms and medals are warriors battling wounds no one can see—trauma, shame, despair. The invisible cost of defending our freedom has been devastating.
At Operation Restored Warrior, we’ve spent the last 17 years stepping into that pain.
Through our Drop Zone experience, thousands of men and women have found healing from PTSD, suicidal ideation, and the crushing weight of soul wounds. Our success isn’t built on theory or therapy alone. It’s built on the presence of the ultimate healer—Jesus.
When He shows up, lives change. Freedom is restored. And warriors rise again.
HEALING FOR EVERYONE - INCLUDING YOU
But the truth is that the wounds that break us are not limited to the battlefield. Abuse, neglect, betrayal, addiction, grief—these aren’t military experiences. They’re human ones. And everywhere we look, we see people barely holding on. People crushed beneath the weight of invisible wounds.Â
Maybe that person is you.
Our journey with some of the most elite warriors in the world opened our eyes. Again and again, we saw that combat wasn’t the root of their pain—it was the trigger. The deeper wounds were older. Deeper. Buried in childhood abuse, fatherlessness, abandonment, shame. The war simply exposed what had already been broken.
That realization changed everything.
We knew this kind of healing couldn’t stop with veterans. Every person created by God—every wounded heart—deserves to be made whole. So we’ve expanded our mission. What was once a lifeline for warriors is now a path of restoration for anyone desperate for healing.
You don’t have to stay stuck in the darkness. There is freedom. There is hope. And we’re here to walk with you toward it.
THREE WARRIOR'S STORY
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