Preparing for Christmas

Excitement is in the air at Door of Faith.  Decorations are up!  Kids are on their best behavior and it feels cold enough for snow!  There's nothing quite like Christmas in a family of 100+ members.

Last Saturday we had a full day.  We had visiting optometrists from the Rotary Club come and check all the eyes in the orphanage.  We also had unexpected guests stop by for a tour and Corazon de Vida come with much needed items, fun crafts for the kids and they served us pizza!

In the midst of all this excitement, I am so grateful for the LORD meeting all of our needs.  David continues to work hard in the trade school in Ensenada.  While he's taking welding and machinery classes in the evening, we are investing in the used car business to see if we can generate some family income.  I am blessed with an 18 year old that wants to work.  We're looking for guidance from the LORD as to what type of business David could do during the day while he's in school in the evenings.  For right now, we're investing in cars with some of the money I received from the sale of my house.  We're also praying about a possible car tire business.  Please join us in prayer as we endeavor to be wise stewards of what God has blessed us with.

I can hardly believe it, but Tyler turned15 years old this last Tuesday.  His heart to serve and help wherever he is makes this mom proud and brings a smile to God's face.  Even as I type this blog, he is getting ready to go with me to transfer birthday presents from Casa de Maria into our Christmas room here at the orphanage.

Another point of prayer for us would be how we will celebrate Christmas at Dios Me Ve.  Please pray that God will not only supply more monthly sponsors for our feeding program, but also for this Christmas season.  It would be nice to be able to do something special for the colony at Dios Me Ve for Christmas, but as of now there are no gifts coming as I had thought. It's been hard when I see the children of the colony because they keep asking what day do they come for their Christmas gifts.  They've received gifts for the past two previous years, but I've lost contact with the people that made the donation.

If you or someone you know would like to make a tax deductible donation for the colony families of Dios Me Ve, please make checks payable to:

Vida Outreach
Mail to:
Robin Schmidt
PO Box 6434
Chula Vista, CA 91909
Memo: Dios Me Ve

Thank you and God bless.

Where to Begin

"Where to begin?" is the question that first comes to mind as I begin to update.  The first and foremost thing that comes to my mind is that Marco Antonio of Door of Faith Orphanage has already returned home from his incredible journey. 

Marco began to loose sight in his left eye a few weeks ago.  It was soon discovered that he had a large tumor behind his pressing on his optic nerve.  After MRIs and many doctors appt. we began the search for doctors that would even consider removing his tumor.  It was high risk at best, and then there was "paperwork".  

It takes months usually to get paperwork processed in Mexico.  But then....we were all praying, and that made all the difference in the world.  God heard our prayers and everything began to move forward quickly.  Marco had his birth certificate, passport and visa within 2 weeks time.  EVERYTHING went faster or better than what we were being prepared for.  His surgery was completed far sooner than expected and so was his stay in ICU.  His tumor was benign!

We are grateful for Marco's life being spared and we give all the credit to our God and no one else.  Please continue to pray for sight to return to Marco's left eye, for the tumor not to return, and his complete recovery.

On another note, DIOS ME VE continues to move forward through the doors that the LORD has opened to us.  Last week, I taught my first English class, Hector taught two Bible classes and started teaching a few how to read and write, and Maribel taught an English class as well!  

Last Friday, our friend, Pastor Gary brought some men and his youth group to put tar, paper and a metal roof on top of our building to keep the soon coming rain out.  We also painted most of the building with primer to seal up the wood.  While the group was preparing for the roof, Hector was on his way to his truck to run a quick errand.  On his way to his truck, he saw a baby boy crawling on the dirt road with no adult in sight!  He called for Maribel to get him before he got hurt.  As Maribel cleaned up the little boy and changed his diaper she asked the children if they knew where his home was.  No one seemed to know.  About 15 minutes later, the baby's uncle came looking for him.  He said he was sleeping and the baby somehow got out of the house.

While we were painting and roofing, one of Hector's students came to practice writing his name.  He wants to learn to read and write.  He's probably in his 70's.  It was precious to watch his determination at his age to learn to read and write.  

I also, learned a little about my friend Pablo, one of our little boys that is so eager to help, so polite and responsible.  While teaching some ladies to make hats Sunday afternoon, Pablo was also in the class.  I asked if the lady he was with was his mother and he smiled and said that she wasn't his mother, but was his Nana.  I found out later that Pablo is being raised by his neighbor (Nana) because his parents are addicted to drugs.  Pablo has siblings living next door, but he wants a better life and chooses to live with his Nana. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support.  Together we are making a difference in lives of families.  You are helping feed, clothe, educate and most of all present the gospel to the lost people of colonia #89.

Times are Changing

Many changes happening in our family.  Good changes, yet the list seems long and hard to prioritize.  Some of you may know that we recently sold our house in Wastonville....in just 4 and a half weeks of being on the market.  Amazing!  Of course, with a move, there comes the packing and relocating.  

Ty and I were up in Watsonville to pack and sell everything we couldn't sell.  Another amazing story during our week in Watsonville.  We sold almost all of our large items, i.e. furniture and appliances, even before we had our yard sale.  Our yard sale went well, but in the end, it seemed like we were being given many opportunities to tell people that we were moving to serve in Mexico long term.  I even saw Tyler speaking Spanish to some of our buyers that weren't able to speak English.  I was truly blessed to see this.

During the two weeks Ty and I were in Watsonville closing things up, David remained in Mexico.  No surprise there.  David loves Mexico so much it's hard to bring him into the states.  However, it wasn't just David's love for Mexico that kept him back.  He started a trade school in Ensenada to get his certificate in welding and in machinery.  I'm hearing that he's already at the top of his class in his skill level and he seems to be fine with the class being taught in Spanish.

While David is going to trade school, he is currently staying with our friends Hector and Maribel during the week.  The live about five blocks away from his school.  David comes on the weekends on the bus.  We're still working on getting him his license and a truck so that he can commute.  So, in the mean time he's catching the bus and looking for a part time job in Ensenada.

Tyler has started high school!  Mom is trying to keep up her youngest in his Math and Science skills.  He definitely keeps me hopping.  Tyler continues to be an incredible and much appreciated help to me personally, in ministering to the groups that visit the orphanage, to the kiddos on the patio of DOFO and in Ensenada as we go twice a month to dispense groceries.

"So where next?"  you might ask.  Yes, we sold our house.  Yes we have two generous friends helping us store our keepsakes for the time being.  "Where next?" Eventually, we will more than likely live in Ensenada closer to the colonia of people we're reaching out to.  For now, we continue to stay serving at Door of Faith Orphanage.  We're waiting on the LORD for the timing of an eventual move from here, but for now we are very content to serve the LORD here.  This has become our family of.....100+ family members.

Meet Maria

Meet Maria.  I met Maria about 7 months ago.  It was before we had any property that I met Maria.  I found out she was a seamstress because she had asked me if I could buy her a certain kind of serger for sewing clothes.  Hers had been stolen and was how she earned a living.  She even showed me the outfits that she sewed for kids.  I remember her telling me how it was a great way to earn some income and still be able to stay at home with her kids.  I told her to pray and that I would look in the states for a machine for her.  (I had no idea how much they were when I told her I'd look.)  

When I saw the clothes that she had sewed, I knew she was a good seamstress.  Right away I thought to myself, "If I could get her a machine and she was willing to teach some ladies to sew, maybe more ladies in the colony could earn some income for their families!"  I decided to just come out and ask her.  When I asked if she would be willing to teach other ladies some day so that they could earn some income, well...she looked at me like I was from another planet!  She smiled and said, "If I did that, then I would not make as much income.  I'd be giving my customers away."  I smiled and told her I understood.

About a month ago, I saw Maria again.  It had been quite awhile since I'd seen her last and she didn't look the same.  She looked sad and tired; worn down.  When she passed through the line to get dispenses, Hector had talked with her and then asked me if I knew she was a seamstress.  He reminded me of the sewing machine that we had just be donated and wondered what I thought about giving it to her.  I wasn't sure if she would want the machine or not because I wasn't sure if she knew how to use it or not.  When I told her a friend in the states had donated a sewing machine for someone in the river colony, she lit up.  I told her if she came in two weeks, (today), that I would have a machine for her.

Well, today was the big day for Maria.  She came to thank me and I told her that it was a gift from God.  I asked if I could please take her picture so that my friend that donated it could see a picture of the recipient of sewing machine.  She agreed and asked if she should take it out of the blue plastic bag that we had it in.  We decided it would be best to keep it in the bag, since there were so many people around from the colony.  I knew we'd be overwhelmed with requests once they saw it.

After Maria left with her machine, I continued to interact with the children, take photos, hold babies and practice my Spanish.  After an hour had passed, I noticed Maria came back.  I thought to myself, "I hope the machine works okay.  Maybe she doesn't know how to use it."  She came to Maribel and me.  She began to cry as she spoke to me through Maribel's translation.  She just wanted me to know how grateful she was.  She said the machine worked great.  She tried it as soon as she brought it home.  She told us that it was just what she needed to be able to work again.  She said that she had to come back and thank me again.

I continued to talk to Maria through Maribel.  I asked her the same question that I had asked her months before.  "Would you be willing, some time in the future, to teach another lady how to sew so that she could earn an income?"  This time she smiled and said "yes."  

It gets even better.  Maria began to ask about the Bible classes she had heard were going to start soon.  She said she'd like to come if she could bring her children.  We assured her that we would have someone to watch the children so that all interested parents could take the class.

This is what I've learned.  The Bible says that God loved us first.  He loved us before we ever knew Him.  He loved us while we were lost in our sins.  He loved us unconditionally, because He is love.  

When we love first, people that don't even know us, people that are lost in their sins then they are drawn to God.  Just like God, we are to show love first.  Not show love so that people will come to know Christ, but show love and then more than likely, people will come to know Christ.  Our motivation to love others should never be to get anything in return; not even good things.  Our motivation to love others should always be because.....He first loved us.