The Mystery cries out for The Revelation of Jesus Christ

88 long days, almost 3 months, have passed since Erica’s disappearance. My continued ‘Are we there yet?’ pleas have even tired me out. 2014 beckons on the horizon, a New Year dawns, but her whereabouts are yet shrouded in mystery. Destiny itself seems lost, and I often feel stuck, just coping with the day-to-day, struggling to somehow stay ahead of the darkness. For our 34th anniversary in July, I wrote in her card: ‘I look forward to opening up new horizons with you!’ but these words now feel empty, mere letters on paper.
The unknown is puzzling, baffling, painful and frustrating, a mystery that cries out for revelation!
Doubt + fear presume the worst: the New Year will herald no better news than this end of the old.
And a lack of any substantial evidence only heightens the confusion: are these death throes or birth pangs?
I’ve cried out, ‘Lord, You know where Erica is! Surely it’s not too hard for You to reveal this secret to one of your prophets, or just a simple, humble member of your body or even me, her husband?’
But silence.
Only a few unsubstantiated leads that led nowhere. A 12-second video that beckons me to follow her out of the picture as she steps into an unknown beyond. How could she simply vanish from the centre of Abbotsford on a Saturday afternoon, one of the busiest times of the week, without anyone seeing her?
And so here I’ve waited: seemingly stuck, at the end of a trail without further leading.
It’s a road somewhat parallel to what the disciples walked that Friday afternoon when they took Jesus’ lifeless body down from the Cross and laid it in the tomb. It appeared to be the end for so many hopes + promises, now dashed, without purpose, making no sense, seeming nonsense, begging God-sense. His previous words of resurrection must have sounded like my meaningless clues, pointing nowhere. Darkness begging light. Limited horizons. Challenging and defying like closed stone fortresses, barring, foreboding, forbidding any access, let alone forward progress.
And similarly I sense mystery and apprehension pervade much of today’s Church’s outlook as we stand at the end of the old and beginning of this New Year. We seek reality to promises still seemingly distant and beyond our grasp on both personal and global stages. Unfortunately, we often hear more pathetic speculations than prophetic revelation.
Well-meaning but nevertheless empty platitudes. Pollyannesque feel-goodisms, bereft of substance.
Mere New Year’s resolutions when our hearts cry for resolution.
Just like my many attempts to turn off the last 3 months’ nightmarish reality show and switch to the more positive gospel channel.
However, there is a balanced Word + Spirit resolution to our searchings. Those who wait on the Lord will rise up on both wings. He lifts us out to bring us in. For me, resolution of my Erica mystery is inextricably linked with the revelation of Jesus Christ. He alone is my solution. When He died on the Cross, He proclaimed a triumphant gospel: ‘It is finished!’ and the veil that separated us from God was torn in two, supernaturally from top to bottom.
The Way was then opened, once and for all, and still is: Jesus has been removing veils from troubled hearts, depressed minds, and lost souls ever since.
Erica, my bride, is not hidden from His sight, nor is His will for His Bride, His Church.

My life in retrospect has been like a play: acts with crises when God has miraculously and mercifully intervened and broken through those personal horizons of fear, doubt and confusion just when I was ready to give up.
My search for truth led me from ‘higher education’ to the end of my rope. Much like Ecclesiastes’ Preacher, I searched out money, politics and religion and found them all wanting. My backpack + I explored Eastern Europe and communism’s empty promises, crossed the natural and spiritual deserts of North Africa and the Koran, wandered from oasis to oasis in Israel, but I came back unsaved and more miserable than ever until… God revealed His Son in me. Words broke spontaneously through my own heart and lips and I gave up ‘the pursuit of knowledge and found the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ’! It was definitely a revelation beyond myself.
Years later, pastoral discouragements again brought me to the end of myself and I confessed my frustrations to Erica. I felt I’d gotten a 3-fold bad RAP: Rejection, Anger + Pain out of life and ministry. She prayed for me and a mere week later God broke me on an Ag-Rec concrete carpet and sovereignly walked me through healing in the Father’s Heart like I’d never before experienced. For my rejection He gave me His unconditional Acceptance; for my anger, the peace of the Prince of Peace, and for my pain, He carried all my grief + sorrows + released a flood of Joy through me! 4 hours on the Father’s operating table and I got up a changed man and we both knew the difference.
Again a few years later, I’d just come back from my first Asian Missions trip and fever racked my whole being. My doctor said it was the flu, but after 7 cycles of drenched sheets every night + not eating for a week, increasing hallucinations left me dangling in a never-neverland of nightmarish dreams. But at the darkest hour, I heard a voice, His Voice speak: ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ and I knew He was and would bring me through.
I was miraculously healed just before malaria’s final wave threatened to sweep away my life.
A few more years, and this time Erica’s life hung in the balance one night and God intervened again.
He gave me the first part of Job 23:10 ‘He knows the way that I take’ and with a renewed confidence that His way wasn’t finished, I felt Him remove the burden and Erica was restored by the next morning.
This time I stand at a similar crossroads and He has given me Job 42:5, the final chapter:
‘Before my ear heard of you, but now my eye sees You.’
I want nothing less than to see Erica, my wife, my bride, again and I am convinced her revelation is contingent on a further greater revelation of Jesus in my life. Like the Emmaus Road disciples, my eyes have not always recognized Him walking with me on this journey. Yet I want to see and know Him more for who He is and embrace His purpose in this. He alone can break the bread and open my eyes. And in His eyes I know I will see her.
The mystery of Erica is revealed through the Revelation of Jesus!
He alone makes all things new. That’s what The New Covenant entails and releases! And that’s what we and His Church need to see and hear at this crucial time in our world’s history. Our preoccupation with speculations have become distractions; only a focused prophetic revelation of Jesus Christ can uncloud our vision.
We have learned to analyze our complicated problems better than accept His simple solution.
We need renewed vision, not just more visions.
We need Son-glasses to see Him and what He sees, The BIG Picture, and effectively do what we see Father doing.
‘The testimony/ revelation of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ (Rev 19:10)
He alone merits our undivided attention. Kingdoms fall; only Christ’s heavenly kingdom fills.
Seeking insight, increase, and power as means and ends in themselves disregard His firm admonition to ‘Seek Him and His kingdom!’
Answers to our own personal plights as well as world peace come through a fresh, vibrant walk from glory to glory, even if it means going through floods and furnaces of suffering. The answer to our cries for a ‘word’ of direction lies in a greater revelation of The Word Himself – Jesus Christ by the revelation of His Holy Spirit.
He must increase so I can decrease.
Lord, Fill us with Your Word + Spirit, so we will be less filled with ourselves + more prepared to receive + give You to the world’s hungry + thirsty.
Life is a paradox: ‘Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it!’
I do know one thing in this mystery: it’s been proven in our lives and ministry over the years.
Jesus is with Erica + she is with Him. Whether she’s already in heaven or still on earth, I don’t know; but they’ve walked together since she was 5 years old and He has never forsaken her, nor has He now.
I trust she will be revealed both in His time and place.
This is more than just a New Year perspective. Jesus makes all things new!’ and so I have this confidence:
He calls us to move forward. The dawn breaks, the horizon of God’s destiny beckons us to follow.
I am not stuck and neither are you. So let us press on, laying hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of us, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward with a new day breaking overhead.
I must continue to answer His call to ‘open up new horizons’ even though we cannot do this physically together.
I know Erica would agree.
Thank you for your continued love + prayers. They mean so much to our family.
We pray this New Year will open up the treasures of His Heart to + through you + your loved ones!

It’s Day 70 since Erica disappeared from our home that October Saturday morning and getting ready for Christmas just isn’t the same without her here with us.
The outdoor lights are up - she always wants lots of lights!  A candle burns in the window, literally and spiritually,
a hopeful beacon to guide her home.  Our tree is up too - it’s gold + green this year: symbolic of what is pure, refined, precious, and filled with promises of hope + life. Our grandkids, Anya, Zander + Judah, hung the last few ornaments and crowned it with an angel whose electric wings fan the Spirit throughout the room! 
And if you bend your ear close enough, you can hear many voices singing with her; ‘myriads of myriads, ten thousands of ten thousands and more thousands’: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to all men!’
And my heart cries for peace this Christmas, for the Prince of Peace to rise from His pillow in our boat, speak to the winds + waves and calm our earth’s stormy waters. There’s such great need for peace + healing in our world today: so much pain, so many tossed about on life’s troubled seas, at the mercy of seemingly merciless tragedy.
Millions of refugees flee this world’s wars; countless believers suffer persecutions; others are entrapped in bondage, human trafficking and slavery.  And our home just feels empty without Erica: our Mom + Grandma + my wife.
Will we ever make it to the other side of these troubled waters, this mystery, that still-shrouded, distant shore of revelation + resolution? I’m sure the disciples had similar questionings during their boat-ride with Jesus.
They had just witnessed an amazing miracle: He’d fed more than five thousand with only 5 loaves + 2 fish,
but then Jesus changed scenes and invited them into a boat with a simple ‘Let’s cross over  to the other side.’
‘The other side’, outside their comfort zone, on to the next glory, to celebration … through the storm. 
And as they finally did, I am confident we also will reach ‘the other side’. Not only to arrive at that seemingly still far-off goal, but a greater revelation of who Jesus is, His purpose, who we are in Him and who He is through us.
We will know Him even as we are known.
But for now I wait, and hearken back to a Christmas just a few years past when God broke us out of our comfort zone and invited us on His journey to break open new horizons: not quite feeding five thousand, but still a multitude.
Erica had tired of our traditional Canadian Christmas celebrations centred round just our own family. We’d always reached out to others in our community: invited those who had no family to join us for Christmas dinner, adopted + cared for families experiencing hard times, ministered to the poor on Skid Row and the downtown East Side.
 Many times we’d filled our church Need-Meeter van with food + presents and spent Christmas mornings handing out coffee and turkey sandwiches to homeless street people… and sought to lead our children by example.
But Erica’s heart hungered for more and so she prayed God and urged me to come up with something different for that Christmas and move us to ‘the other side’.
My mom had passed away earlier that year, so we no longer sensed the need to stay home for Christmas with our immediate families. Indeed, Michael + Kelsey were off to Mexico with her family, while Ryan, Sophia + Anya were going to Brazil with his. Even our own children were not going to be home, so the time seemed right.
Why not Christmas in Africa? with Uganda Jesus Village, an orphanage of  63 victims of war, famine and disease?
Erica + I had been there two years before, leading a month-long school and had come to know and love this group: some had even been child soldiers in in Joseph Kony’s LRA army, but we had taught them that ‘in Christ’ they were no longer rejected orphans; they were now accepted, beloved sons and daughters. So Erica’s heart desire to spend Christmas with these less fortunate began to take shape.
Instead of looking for presents under our tree, we would instead take some to those who had none.
And the plan came together. Flights were confirmed, the money came in, tickets were purchased and Erica went on a shopping spree. The MCC, a local thrift store, became her regular stop as she made her list and checked it more than twice;  it kept growing and growing and our suitcases filled to overflowing! British Airways graciously allowed us more luggage for charity purposes, so between us, we had 6 extra bags to fill with all manner of goods not readily available in Uganda. Erica prepared for months, gathering:
Clothing -she matched sizes for each from oldest to the youngest, Kevan, a little 6-year old girl suffering with AIDS.
And school supplies - crayons, pens, pencils, note-paper, books.
And food - snacks, treats, goodies that these children would have never otherwise seen.
And lots of love.
December got hectic with ministry and the unexpected. I’d just returned from 2 weeks’ teaching in Vietnam; then our house weathered a demon-rat attack and our downstairs needed restoration; plus a friend + I were leaving for Finland to lead a 10 days’ Father’s Heart seminar. Amy too had spent the previous August with the UJV kids and longed to return, so the plan was for her + Erica to meet me in England and we would continue on to Uganda together. Amazingly, our plans unfolded accordingly on schedule!
We arrived in Uganda a week before Christmas and Erica went to work to see her dream fulfilled.
We moved into Maria Prean’s Guest-House, a virtual oasis of peace in the heart of Kampala, the Ugandan capital, and our suitcases became veritable cornucopias of blessing. God multiplied what we had brought, for there always seemed to be ‘more’ of  just the right things for the right people.
Unfortunately, most of the UJV kids were going to their Ocholi home in the north to Gulu for holidays, and although that discouraged Erica temporarily, she soon found others that needed what she had, and not just from her suitcases. She had made room for many in her heart.
Celebrating Christmas properly had to include a dinner of course, and if those originally invited weren’t able to come,  so like the Matthew 22 parable, invitations now went out to all who had no place, no food, no family, no one to celebrate Christ’s birth with. The guest list kept growing as we heard of more and more with no place to go.
So once again Erica went shopping: with Amy + Kira and the UJV mamas, for all the necessities of a true feast.  And then 2 days of cooking. Uganda doesn’t have many turkeys, but chicken is always a suitable substitute.
They made multiple visits to the market for what our suitcases hadn’t carried. Cooking itself became quite the test: one charcoal burner couldn’t sufficiently cook enough food, even a day ahead of time, so we hired a cook. He moved the operation inside when the rains came and that’s how Kira’s kitchen ended up covered in ashen cinders!
And finally it was Christmas morning! Time for church + we headed off through a thunder + lightning downpour! The deluge turned dusty roads into slippery mudslides, as deceptive as any icy Canadian road and our van slid between the ditches on either side. Pastor Gerald preached his heart out, one little guy kept stealing Baby Jesus out of the Nativity play, but it all worked out for good.
And the Christmas story unfolded once again into reality.
We returned home and in true Ugandan fashion, the power went out just before the guests started arriving.
But that couldn’t stop a virtual international Nativity scene from taking shape: we didn’t have any shepherds,
but about 25 crowded the dining hall: UJV staff,  Mama Rose’s children, Remi’s 2 boys, Teacher Mike, Lorna, Peter, Memory + 3 girls from the slums’ Father’s Heart choir, Stuart, Kira + their newborn Kaehler played our Holy Family, their Australian friend, and  2 Austro-German ladies, visitors in the Guest House. They didn’t want to intrude but, ‘No problem!’ Erica countered, ‘There’s room for you too!’ + they not only came, but even offered to buy the sodas for everyone! The multiplication was happening: all one BIG happy family!  We couldn’t fit everyone into Stuart + Kira’s house, so Ann the Kenyan caretaker opened up the Guest-House dining room and joined us too!
It was a truly Biblical banquet:  the poor, fatherless, and widowed, those who were alone, without families, those were the ones Erica had always wanted for Christmas, and she got her wish.
The chicken was a bit tough, the matoke a little bland to our Canadian taste, but there was beef, rice, potatoes, yams, and it was all good + there was more than enough, and whoever wanted  went back for thirds. And not just for food, but warmth, love and Jesus showed up in our midst! 
Then time for presents! We may not have had 3 rich wise-men with their loaded camels, but I’m sure Erica’s suitcases disgorged more than they were naturally capable of carryings: a fire truck for one of Remi’s sons; a pink Bible case for Lorna that Amy had ironically bought at an Abbotsford UJV fundraiser years before. It fit her Bible perfectly + she loved it! Erica had packed miraculously:  just the right presents for each one! She’d even found some embroidered towels for the German ladies! And as Ann, the caretaker guest in her own Guest-House, opened hers, tears started flowing down her cheeks, and she confided this was the first Christmas present she’d ever received!
And that made it all worthwhile!
Night began to fall, and it falls quickly along the Equator, so we moved our party outdoors into the garden to take photos to remember it all. Then Memory picked up his guitar and everyone joined in singing, worshiping and dancing to Africanized Christmas carols. ‘Jingle Bells’ never quite sounded like that before!
Then Erica requested ‘Silent Night’, first in English and, so our lady-guests would feel at home, in German. Strains of ’Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht’ cut through the African darkness and more tears streamed down the Austrians’ eyes. Tears of emptiness, loneliness and sorrow: all turned to joy as our African Christmas bore its fruit.
Finally, time to head home and all our guests piled into one pickup and it too was filled to overflowing! We were left to clean up floors, tables + dishes, but that was a small price for such a great blessing we’d all experienced. 
Christmas’ true meaning had been rediscovered and we all went to sleep filled and fulfilled, happy to have been part of this ongoing miracle of Christ’s birth where He is born again in hearts that have made room for Him.
And so, this Christmas, barring an expected miracle, there will be an empty seat at our dinner table. But I choose to look to + remember the many chairs and hearts Erica filled at times like that Christmas  in UJV, and in this way pointed to and led us to experience ‘the other side’, to Christ, the true meaning of Christmas and beyond.
Thank you so much for your prayers, love + support + we pray the Lord’s blessing on you + your families throughout this New Year. We still hope to have more good news soon. Our love in Jesus, Henry, Erica + family

Day 57

‘How long, O Lord?!’
The Psalms are filled with this recurring refrain.
Job asks the same question over and over.
The souls under the altar in Revelation 6:10 cry out the same plea.
And that has been my cry also.
It’s been 8 long weeks today since Erica went missing and it has indeed been a difficult time for our family.
Not knowing is our natural human condition, but we also crave answers.
Space + Time are the eternal questions. God alone has the answers.
Where + When? Where have we come from? Where is this all going?
Where is Erica?
And now the When? question grows longer and swallows up any Why? for my desire and need to understand.
How many times I’ve cried out, ‘It’s too long already, Father! This is more than enough! It’s unbearable!
Can’t You, won’t You, bring this to some resolution/closure/conclusion already?’
Then I hear myself like that impatient child in the back seat of the family van crying out, ‘Are we there yet?’
And just as I had to be patient with my kids when I was in the driver’s seat, so I must learn patience in the reverse role: I’m the child in the back seat and Abba Father is driving.
And His answer to me is not merely, ‘Just a little while longer!’ but in His Peace: ‘Until.’
My impatience replies, ‘Until? Until the 12th of Never? Will this go on forever?
Is there no closure or resolution? Will we never know what has happened to Erica?’
And my fear + frustration object: ‘This journey is no fun; this doesn’t feel like a family holiday!’
Yet He constantly assures me: ‘Until.’
‘Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away…’ Song of Songs 4:6
‘Until these calamities have passed by…’ Ps 57:1
               in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge
‘Until the time that his word came to pass… Ps 105:19
               the word of the Lord tested him
When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me –
Until I went into the sanctuary of the Lord Ps 73:16-17
… Until I know His Peace + Presence in my own heart.
Closure and resolution must come from within, not dependent on good news from some outside source, when I receive just what I want to hear now.
Like the child in the back seat, I must learn to rest + trust in the Lord: He is in control + He is working even all these things together for good.
He is both the Master Weaver + Driver. Our vehicle is in good Hands. We are not headed into nothingness for never.
In His last days of ministry, Jesus knew His Father was in the driver’s seat and actively forwarding His Kingdom.
Both His Identity + His Destiny were secure in His Father’s Hands.
He had both wings: He knew He was God’s Son + His Father loved Him.
He knew both His Space + Time: His Where + His When.
He had come from God, was going to God and His hour had come to glorify His Father. (John 13:1-3)
I cannot go to all the questions of what I do not know about Erica’s disappearance.
But I can follow Jesus’ lead into His answer: He only He did what He saw His Father do; He only went where + when He saw the Spirit lead. I not only can, but must.
As Peter concluded, ‘Where else can I go? You have the words of eternal life,’ so I have come to believe and know that ‘in Christ’ Erica + our family are secure as His children + have a Father who loves us.
He will not only bring His van + children home safely once again, but in this journey, we are learning to trust Him ‘until…’, as Jesus, who ‘for the joy set before Him… endured.’

Day 52

By the grace of God + the help of His body of believers, the effects of the demon-rat attack have been turned back + undone. The bedroom is healed: dry-walled, painted + a new carpet has replaced the old, moldy one!
Thank you to everyone who has helped us: Harry, James, Mark, Fred + John, Jason, Cory, you've all done a wonderful job! We so appreciate your help at a time when I really wasn't able to take care of this added concern.
And a special Thank you to those who paid for the carpet + its installation! Your generosity has encouraged us deeply.
You have all blessed us immeasurably + we pray the Lord's blessing in turn increase + overflow for all of you + your families.
Now all we need is for Erica to be home with us and enjoy it with us!

Day 49

Day 49 today. If someone had told me on Day 1 we would still be on this journey 7 weeks later, I would have shaken my head in disbelief + dismissed their doom + gloom. However, here we are and Erica is still not.

But we’ve arrived here one day at a time, one step after another by faith, believing He is with us, still leading.
No remarkable miracles along the way, but somehow the fact we are here, still walking, still believing, is a miracle in itself.
The saying goes, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ Now I can rephrase this: ‘There by the grace of God I go.’
We’re ‘there’. Together. You + us; we’re still here. Thank You for your company!
There, where we never thought we’d have to, where we never thought we could have, should have or ever once thought even possible. That’s where we have now come. This is a Grand Canyon depth, an Everest height, like I’d never imagined possible. Indeed, without God this is impossible. I don’t know how people go through crises without God in their lives. I’m not talking about having a religious crutch to lean on. Rather, this journey has made me draw on a whole new pair of legs. Mine are still wobbly and,  like Jacob I limp, but my walk is forever changed! 
At times I’ve felt abandoned, like the ‘Footprints’ author.  I then need to trust He is carrying me.
Other times I’ve pleaded for Him to just give us at least a hint, some clue, any  indication of Erica’s whereabouts.
I’ve quoted Scriptures: ‘Ask anything in my Name + I will do it,’ (Jn 16:23)  
‘Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.’ (Mk 11:24)
Even my Father’s Heart faith-favourite: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened.’ (Matt 7:7)
I’ve punched in what preachers tell me is God’s phone number: Jeremiah 3:3 ‘Call on me + I will answer.’
But the silence has seemed deafening.
I’ve stood at our living room window, looked out into the darkness, believed for her to reappear, and conjured up  faith I can  in my heart to see her walk up the driveway. But I still stand there alone, waiting. 49 days is a long time. Sometimes I simply don’t know what to do and waiting becomes not only enduring 1 day more, but merely the next hour or minute.
Time is now a passing catalyst. Eternity seems turned upside down and inside out at the same time: my perspective is no longer the same.
Trust is my only peace: a simple trust that Erica is with Jesus and He is true to His Word. He has never left nor forsaken her, nor ever will. I must believe He is a loving God of His Word; that is my sole authority.
It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming! Our faith rests on this indisputable fact: Jesus rose from the dead!  
And Erica will too one day + so will all who put their faith in Jesus!
And how much more I must believe + receive His resurrection power to live and keep walking today!
I’ve been  like those 2 disciples on their Luke 24 Journey to Emmaus. I know He is with us; I just don’t see Jesus or Erica yet. I can identify with them:  sad, confused, depressed, unaware this was the resurrected Jesus walking with them, opening up the prophetic Scriptures, causing their hearts to burn within.
As I shared previously, Revelation 12 has burned within me: the woman = Erica carried figuratively on the wings of an eagle to a place where she is taken care of. Whether her place is heaven or earth, I don’t know; but as long as there’s no decisive proof Erica is no longer with us here on earth, I must believe her story’s unfinished and so continue.  
But also like those disciples, ‘it is toward evening, the day is far spent.’ We’re tired and need to stop for rest.
Jesus indicated He would go farther; and again like them, my whole body, soul and spirit constrain Him to stay.
He did and at the table, He took the bread, blessed, broke and gave it to them.
‘Then their eyes were opened…’
   just like Job’s when he no longer only heard about God, but now saw Him!
    as Jesus who only did what He saw the Father do.
‘And they knew Him.’ Oh, how I want to know Him, His ways, not just His Hand, but His face in new revelation!
And so He leads + I will follow Him into Day-Step 50:
The breadth of Noah’s ark that saved humanity was 50 cubits (Gen 6:15). God’s love and mercy is much wider.  
Jubilee marked the Jewish calendar’s cycle of 50 years to right injustices and ‘proclaim liberty throughout all the land: each one shall return to his possession and each of you shall return to his family.’ (Lev 25:10)
I claim this for Erica in both spiritual + physical reality.
50 days also followed The Feasts of First Fruits till the fullness of the Feast of Weeks and Harvest.  
In the New Covenant, this parallels the 50 days from Christ’s Resurrection till Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit poured out all His fullness + power in every believer’s heart, witnessing that Jesus not only rose from the dead, but is now seated on the throne of the universe: ruling, reigning, filling earth with His kingdom revelation.
Joy and celebration mark the 50^th step in Israel’s journey and it’s time for justice and restoration!
When God’s time is full, Erica will be revealed to us. Her revealing is through Christ’s and that’s our journey.

 I so yearn to see both Him + her. This Sunday evening @630, our family will gather in our home to worship and celebrate Communion together. We are believing Jesus will show up! and so we invite you to also join us as we take this 50^th step in Jubilee and beyond.

Thank you!

My family + I thank you!

To all of our family, friends + even those of you who don't even know us, but have somehow been touched by Erica's disappearance, please receive our deepest, heartfelt ‘Thank you!’
In the midst of this storm, you have stood with us: loved, comforted, and helped us; cried and cried out with us; encouraged us to keep on keeping on, press forward and not give up! 
You have stood with us and believed that somehow God will work this for good.
Many of you have cooked meals for us that have enabled our family to gather evenings around the same table, so we might be together through this time. They've been so good and after these weeks, I must confess we're spoiled, but it's a blessed kind of spoiled + we are so very full + thankful!
You have continued to pray for Erica's return and our strength through each new day. We would not have been able to come this far without your prayers, encouragement + the Lord’s continued Presence walking us through.
I don't know how anyone could ever go through this without faith in a God who Himself is our faith, hope + love.
This morning, Fred + his son John applied the first coat of paint in our downstairs bedroom to restore what the enemy ‘demon-rat’ meant for evil. Others are doing drywall and someone has graciously offered to purchase + install a new carpet! Thank you!

Today is Day 42 and it's another step of enduring faith: 1 step more than I thought we'd have to take yesterday.

And yet I am encouraged.
42 is the number of stops Israel made in their 40-year wilderness journey before they entered the Promised Land as detailed in Numbers 33.
It is also the number of generations cited in Matthew 1 in Israel’s spiritual journey from Abraham to Jesus Christ.
3 sets of 14 total 42 generations from the promise of Abraham through David and show The Father had not forgotten His people, but faithfully fulfilled His promises through His Messiah Jesus.
We’ve gone through the 40 days’ testing + today our journey continues this next step. Our faith affirms we have ‘crossed over’ in Christ, not just a natural Red Sea or Jordan River, but through the very veil of mystery that once separated + hid us from His revelation.
The New Covenant of Jesus Christ is now His Revelation of His Promises in + through us.
As we continue to follow, I believe the Spirit will also reveal Erica to us + her whereabouts will no longer be a mystery, but a revelation of God’s powerful love in action.

Thank you, Father, for Your precious people who have walked and continue to walk this road together with us:

May your blessing rest on each one to fully discover your ‘how much more!’ love, Presence, Vision + Provision as we simply trust + follow and you open your Way before us.   

 

Day 40

Today marks Day 40 since Erica disappeared.
40 is filled with Biblical significance:
It rained 40 days + nights in Noah’s time; God’s tears overflowed from heaven as earth’s heart broke open.
Abraham began to barter at 40 when he pled for God to spare the righteous and Sodom.
Isaac + Esau were both 40 when they married; Joseph mourned 40 days after Jacob’s death.
Moses’ life spanned 3 40-year segments + he twice spent 40 days on Mt Sinai when he received the law.
Joshua was 40 when he, Caleb + 10 others spied out The Promised Land for 40 days, but then wandered 40 years in the wilderness because of Israel’s unbelief:
a year for each day.
In the times of the Judges, the land rested periodically for 40 years during times of peace.
Goliath challenged Israel’s armies for 40 days:
every morning + evening he bellowed out blasphemies.
The first 3 kings of Israel: Saul, David + Solomon all reigned for 40 years.
Elijah went 40 days in the strength of angel’s food.
Jonah called Nineveh to judgment in 40 days, but the entire city believed, repented + became history’s greatest revival!
Jesus fasted 40 days in the desert + withstood the devil’s temptations: turn bread for stones? worship the enemy? test Father God?
But Jesus rather proclaimed, ‘It is written!’+ defeated the devil here on earth to begin His revolutionary ministry!
40 days speaks of a time of testing to reveal God’s heart + kingdom through His followers here on earth + expose the devil as a defeated liar.
Yesterday - Day 39 saw the enemy strike a low blow. He replayed a déjà vu scene from 3 years ago + sent a ‘demon rat’ to chew a water pipe + flood our ground-floor bedroom. It was like Goliath ranting all over again + I must admit it felt like the last straw as I heard the destroyer’s taunts + viewed the chaos apparent in my house + home.
Can he rob, kill + destroy at will? Rob our goods? Kill my wife? Destroy our home?

But there are times when the enemy believes his own hype, overplays his hand, oversteps his boundaries, exposes himself + becomes victim of his own devices.
This was one of those times.
For the Lord sent angels in the human forms of Michael the Arch-demonslayer, Harry the Plumber, James the Renovator + Sammy his true son in the Faith, Ryan the Fix-it-all Man, Moncef the demon-rat-killer, Mark the Comfort-giver + Don the Testimony of Jesus.
Soon the breach was repaired, the furniture removed, the soaked carpet pulled up and fans began drying out our home.
The wound closed; the bleeding + tears stopped; the healing began.

Later, Amy + I sat sin our living room, our only light focused on The Prodigal Son still secure above the fireplace.
Brian Doerksen’s 'Will You Worship?' rose in my spirit, I answered ‘Yes!’ + ran for refuge into those loving arms of the Father’s embrace.
Enough is enough and Jesus is more than enough!
And suddenly the revelation came to me: Revelation 12!
I ran downstairs for my Bible, opened it + sure enough, the words were just like what I’d heard in my heart!
I felt the Spirit draw His Word off the page, like Arthur’s Excalibur, the sword out of the rock, and put it firmly in my heart and hand:
v13 the dragon persecuted the woman: now I knew this bad guy is the devil + I also knew he was fighting against Christ’s church, for a ‘woman’ in Scripture always symbolizes the Church; but I began to see in a new sense that the woman for me here is ‘Erica’.
v14 and she was given 2 wings of a great eagle: now you who know us can get really excited with me here, because that’s the heart of our message: ‘Our Identity in Christ’ = who we are with both wings in His Word + Spirit! + how this revelation releases us into Destiny!
that she might fly into the wilderness to her place: this spoke to me that the Lord has plucked Erica out of the enemy’s hands + He Himself is watching over her in ‘her place’ – she is not under the enemy’s control!
where she is nourished = God has been taking care of Erica;
for a time + times + half a time = 3 ½ = half of 7 = God’s fullness = a time of testing + preparation, basically parallel to 40 days
from the face of the serpent = the devil’s intentions are undone here + it’s ‘in his face.’
v15 so the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood = literally our basement flood, but also empty words of fear + torment = all he’s got left
after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood = satan tried to drown + destroy Erica, our home + family, but his purposes have been undone at The Cross, Resurrection + Throne of Jesus!
somehow like Enoch or Elijah? I believe Erica has been rescued from the mouth of the dragon-destroyer!
v16 and the earth helped the woman + opened up its mouth + swallowed up the flood. = the world will suck up the words, taunts, lies, accusations, condemnations the enemy intends against Christ’s Church + drink in its own destruction
But you will know the truth + the truth will set you free!
Job lost everything he had in this world in the space of a few hours, yet he worshiped God.
He did not serve God for mere things, his own prosperity, motives or ends.
Peter replied to Jesus, ‘Where shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life!’
God has given me a Sword of the Spirit + I must use it in all the strength He gives me to bring down those present-day goliaths that have no right to steal, flood + paralyze Christ’s Bride with fear.
The 40 days are done; the time of testing is completed. Time now for us to stand + having done all, stand + see the enemy’s goliaths fall + his captives released.
I am resolved: it’s time for the 100th sheep to be found, prodigals to be released,
+ ‘Erica, you can now come home, dear!’

Day 34

Day 34
Yesterday was quite the day in our home: the weather was dreary – rain, a truly November BC downpour! 
We had approached the Abbotsford Police Department about how we might generate greater public awareness of Erica's disappearance, especially since it’s now been over a month and her trail has again gone cold.
So our detective set up a press conference and invited all the Lower Mainland media: TV, radio and newspapers to gather at our house to both recap what has happened during this month and keep her face and story in the public eye.
The police originally intended to stage the event on our front doorstep, but because it was raining so hard, we had to move everybody inside to our living room.
11am: police cruisers + media vehicles lined our street outside + inside our usually quiet front room suddenly filled with a buzz of activity: 3 massive TV cameras, a microphone stand with all sorts of mics advertising station logos (just like you see on the real news!), and a dozen reporters, all under a powerful arc-lamp flooding the whole room.
Our family stepped up to the mics: Michael recapped the month’s details;
Amy thanked everyone: the police, Search + Rescue + all who have prayed, volunteered their time, gifts + help for us in so many ways – posting flyers, cooking meals, encouraging words + actions.
Sophia appealed to anyone who might have sighted our Mom to please contact the police and then directly + emotionally spoke to her mom, if somehow she might even be watching, to please come home! I followed by summing up how much we all miss Erica and want her home with us soon.
We need our family back together again: my wife, their mom + Grandma!
All this took place against the backdrop of a print of Rembrandt’s  ‘Return of the Prodigal Son’ directly behind us, above the fireplace, highlighted in the glare of the extra lighting. The reproduction had been my 65th birthday present from the family only last spring. Erica had wanted to buy me a dishwasher (Imagine, a dishwasher for my 65th?!  – so utilitarian!... but she did get her dishwasher later anyway!)  While setting up, the press had decided on this as their desired perspective and so this painting + its message was constantly on view during the entire event!
Little did we realize how the Lord would use this painting in our living room to bring out His heart.
The Father is drawing prodigals home! Those who have lost everything the world has to offer, spent their lives and come up empty, come to the end of themselves + simply need to know they have a Father who loves them! 
Amy especially took the opportunity and drew the parallel between the prodigal of the painting coming home + her mom + called Erica home right on the newscast!
Our home has previously been a House Church and we’ve had lots of meetings about the Father’s Heart, but never before had this pertinent message had such a public opportunity + potentially vast audience! 
We also got to tell Erica’s story: how she’s taken on being part of the solution for pain in our world today, helping bring healing in Africa to the UJV - Uganda Jesus Village: former orphan/victim/child soldiers from Kony’s rebel army, but now sons + daughters in Christ’s. In each of the last 4 years, she has spearheaded packing up to 15 suitcases of everything from underwear to school supplies for these needy kids. This year, she’s already packed 3 suitcases for a trip we’re planning for January.
So, in the midst of our pain, the message came through, the media picked it up + God is using all this to get His message out His Way. 
Jesus-followers have vision beyond bad news, despair, or even ourselves.
As if in confirmation, the police testified they’ve not seen such an overwhelming outpouring to a missing person case in all their collective years of service!
The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, always turns prodigal hearts home to the Father’s embrace!

Day 30

My family + I want to Thank You all for continuing to stand + walk with us through this unexpected journey.You have been such a blessing to us in so many ways: praying, cooking wonderful meals, visiting, writing cards + notes of encouragement, continuing to post flyers and look for Erica throughout our city. Indeed, her picture is all over this city, but where is our Erica?
Today’s Sunday, Day 30: almost a full month since she disappeared and discouragement rears its ugly head.
Indeed, we have no leads/clues/signs that point to her whereabouts. The police have said the trail has gone cold.
At times our trail/walk/journey here on earth seems to likewise grow cold.
Like those two downcast disciples on the Emmaus road that Resurrection day, nothing makes sense. They had bits of information, but the dots didn’t connect.
But it seems right now we don’t even have any dots!
So we must walk through this darkness, this absence of light, by faith.
Faith that trusts God, the evidence of things not seen. Trusts the One who made the world out of nothing to bring sense out of no sense. When nature and its ‘facts’ or lack of them say it’s impossible, Our God: the God with whom all things are possible, speaks and acts! Someone told me at the beginning of this journey that it would come to where it was impossible for man, so impossible in the world’s view that only God could bring His Possible out of our impossible! Nothing is impossible for Our God! Jesus has risen from the dead: this is history’s greatest fact and Good News!
+ regardless of how hopeless our life/seemingly hopeless situations/ my wife’s disappearance may appear, believers rejoice in the truth of Christ’s Resurrection and have hope in this life + beyond.
We may feel: DIS-couraged, DIS-tressed, our vision has DIS-appeared + we are DISappointed, but we cannot let the enemy 'DIS' us.
Let the Blood + Love of Jesus wash + break off the 'DIS'es:
we're not dis-qualified, but qualified, not dis-approved, but approved because He is ever faithful who has called us. His faith + love remove the ‘dis’ from our temporary dis-appointments; so we are ready for His Appointment!
In the middle of last night, I received a phone call. I clumsily reached for the phone in the dark, somehow managed to turn it on, only to hear our friends’ voice from Nigeria. From the heart of the African jungle came this cry: ‘Pastor Henry, the church here is praying for Erica to come home!’
And then I heard singing in the background; it grew louder, with drums:
our brothers + sisters lifting us up in prayer, praising God + worshiping as only Africans are able: turning sorrow into rejoicing!
I joined with the heavenly choir here on earth + immediately felt the ‘dis’ break off my previous dis-couragement. I was en-couraged!
Then after I’d slept a while longer, I woke up to read Hebrews
10:32 recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a
          great struggle with sufferings…
     35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
     36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God,
          you may receive the promise:
     37 ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
     38  Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’
     39  But we are not the kind who shrink back and are destroyed; on the contrary,
          we keep trusting + preserve life!
Please: Be Encouraged! Our God is on the throne of the universe, He is with us + with Erica also + she is with Him. Whether on earth still or in heaven, I don’t know, but let’s join the African heavenly choir + let her dis-appearance be His opportunity for the Lord Jesus' appearance to + through us all!

Only 12 Seconds

As I fell asleep last night, the pictures of when I first met Erica on my first day in Bible School + her last video surveillance sighting from the day she disappeared somehow came together as one:

Only 12 seconds is all that it took
For you to walk into my life.
You entered stage right
An uncertain reflection in my side-view mirror; 
I focused, you drew me closer:
The unknown became visibly real.
A strong young woman with presence in her eyes and purpose in her step,
There was no turning in you.
Your spirit strode confident, Bible in hand,
one step ahead of another
And never lost a beat.
I saw you then, you drew alongside, passed me by
And continued down the street.
There’s one who knows where she’s going, I said to myself
And watched you cross my path and disappear.
I got up, followed and again there you were,
The first one I met...
Up the steps
I pulled the handle, you pushed from within,
And the door flung open to our future:
You welcomed me in
And we shared a lifetime’s embrace.

34 years later
And your scene again takes only 12 seconds:
Again you enter from my right hand side:
Your manner is similar
The purse even yours
The walk more measured
And my heart leaps, ‘It’s you!’
I reach out to touch you, to draw you
Out of that grey video, close to my heart again
But the image won’t release your substance.
You walk on, a car speeds past,
You exit left
And now I wait for you to reappear
In our picture together
In His Time.

Day 21

Day 21

‘Do not fear, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God,

  your words were heard; and I have come because of your words.
 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days.’ (Daniel 10:12-13)
Or to paraphrase: But the prince of the kingdom of darkness has withstood us for 21 days since Erica disappeared from our home. Detectives have pored over hours of video surveillance footage and come up with only 1 sighting from that first day. Countless tips checked out, but no leads materialized. Hundreds have covered Abbotsford’s streets: looking, asking any who might have seen her, posting flyers for all to see.
Her face is literally all over the city! Where is Erica?
Over 1500 follow Help Find Erica + thousands are praying all over this earth. Yet we have not yet found her.
Even the detectives admit this is not normal. Without trying to sensationalize: we are involved in something bigger than just a single lost person. As Mark observed at one point: we are engaged in spiritual warfare: a battle deeper than merely one person’s disappearance.
How do I know this is true and  I’m not just reacting through hurt that it’s my wife who has gone missing?

First: the constant intensity of enemy opposition. Our family has been under attack for some time; even our house was broken into this August one Sunday morning. They took stuff and the damage could have been much worse; but the sense of personal violation of our home hit deeply.
One week ago, during one of the darkest days of this journey, the news had not been good and I went for a walk in the woods near our house to hopefully clear the air. I walked up an overgrown trail and suddenly right there in front of my path  lay a snake, sunning itself in the warm afternoon sun. It was only a garter snake, but it was unusually big – huge in fact + it literally glared at me as it confronted + even reared up its head to challenge me.
This is totally uncharacteristic of a mere garter snake: I  know whih kingdom snakes represent.
Something welled up inside me + I immediately lunged forward to deliver a crushing death blow to the serpent’s head like Jesus in The Passion’s opening Gethsemane scene.  But it slithered away!
This was no mere snake.  Spiritual forces are confronting not only me + our family, but directly opposing the Body of  Christ and His call to arise + take the battle to the enemy!
Added confirmation came a further 50’ down my pat: one lonely piece of garbage, an empty Cheezies bag: Erica’s favourite junk food snack! I continued walking: leaves loosed by the wind softly fell in the woods, but the Spirit of the Lion of Judah roared through m: ‘Let Erica go!’
Have I provoked these satanic attacks when I challenged Kali the destroyer in Kathmandu or Artemis the hunter in Ephesus? Is Kali so upset she’s spirited my wife away? 
But isn’t that what Light’s supposed to do: challenge darkness? So… I declare again,
‘Jesus destroyed the enemy’s works at The Cross. He has destroyed the destroyer: Kali, Abaddon, Apollyon, I don’t   
 care whatever name he goes by, in whatever form or language.
 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord rebuke his lies; he must restore 7-fold!’
I feel somewhat like David when he returned to find his city Ziklag burned + his wives kidnapped.  But he encouraged himself in the Lord + pursued the enemy until all was restored, including his wives. I only have one!
Destroy or restore? Similar letters, but the faith + love of Jesus determine a very different result.

Second: It is quite evident God is at work in how the Body of Christ has responded in this attack.
We’ve been told this rallying of support is unprecedented: individuals who don’t even know us and churches in our city have been praying for Erica’s safe return. One detective expressed he’d not seen such an overwhelming response in all his 24 years of service.  
Groups are praying all over the earth: Estonia, Guatemala, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, the United States + United Kingdom, India, China, Vietnam and more!  
One woman dropped off supper last week + also testified she’s seen people focus on praying for Erica and lay aside their personal differences with others. Forgiveness + healing are flowing in Christ’s body; religious walls have come down; the Body of  Christ is arising + mobilizing for action and not just meetings.
That’s always been Erica the intercessor’s desire, although I’m sure she did not envision it happening this way.

              Third: I simply can’t believe that God would allow her to be taken from us at this time, except if it were to raise up 10 or 100 more prayer warriors/intercessors in her place.  Anything else simply flies against everything He has built in and through us up to this point. It’s all about more revelation, not retreating into shadows of mystery!

              As I wrote previously, timing is so very critical in our walk + NOW He’s speaking ‘Enduring’ to us:

 ‘But he who endures to the end will be saved, enter the reality of His promise fulfilled and see His desire the battle won. My family + I thank you with for your love + support with all our hearts, and  we also charge you,
 ‘Don’t give up! Persevere! Endure! Take up the torch! Fight the good fight!’ + like Gideon, we will see the Lord send forth an army of  light to destroy the principalities of darkness in our city + nations beyond!

19 days: 19 steps

19 days: 19 steps and I never thought we would walk this road this long.
But my direction remains clear: 'I have Decided to Follow Jesus'.
His timing continues impeccable: simply one step after another as He leads and I trust that as I take the next step open before me, He will reveal tomorrow in His time.
When I battled malaria years ago, His Spirit confirmed His Word:
'I will never leave you nor forsake you’ and the feverish sickness subsided.
He was true to His Word then, why should He not be now again?
Our walk is by faith, not natural sight; otherwise fearful circumstances, evil reports + confusion would rule.
I recently read an article debunking nice religious-sounding phrases, not truth found in God's Word; well-meaning but lifeless clichés such as: 'God never gives you more than you can handle.'
Sounds good, eh?
But I find myself now crying out, 'This is more than I can handle!'
Intended as a paraphrase of 1Cor 10:13, the article emphasized this Scripture’s context was dealing with temptation, not everyday trials. In other words, believers have ability to handle lusts + temptations. That may be, but that explanation hangs too much on theological hair-splitting for me; I need more of a sword to cut right through the whelming confusion at hand. Differentiating between tests + temptations neither brings clarity and peace to my heart, nor Erica back home.
Erica’s trail has again gone cold. The police have no further tips, leads, or tracks to follow. The 12-second video surveillance footage from the day she disappeared over two weeks ago is our last visible evidence of her whereabouts. This reality is more pain than I can bear. 'I cannot handle this!'
But God has shown me: it's not about how much or how well I can handle.
I am ‘hard pressed, but not crushed; struck down, but not destroyed,’ and in this my brokenness, it is ‘Christ in me’ who ever shines and carries me through.
I cannot do or handle all things, let alone shoulder these things, this weight and burden of loss I feel.
This is impossible for me. But it is possible for God. + Jesus bids me to:
‘Cast all my care on Him for He cares for me.
‘Take His yoke, exchange my burden, and let His Cross + Resurrection be mine through this time.
It's not about my ability to carry this great weight, but about Him carrying me.
I am not sufficient, but His grace is.
He alone 'bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.'
The 'Footprints' poem has taken on a whole new dimension of meaning for the Schmidt family.
'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
Alone I cannot, but Christ within me not only can, but does + will.
One more step, one more day at a time, following His steps, and He will yet bring this journey into revelation.
Thank you for walking this Emmaus Road with us; we are moving into His next glory.

Day 16 Light came in the night

Day 16 Light came in the night concerning my need to ‘know’ answers to Qs? like:
‘Where is Erica? Is she OK? When will she come back?’ - things I don't know.
And I heard the Holy Spirit admonish me that focusing on these Qs? is like looking back
to the Tree of Knowledge of good + evil.
God turned me from such doubt and fears when I gave my life to Jesus 39 years ago.
My life changed + my mouth spoke:
“I’ve given up the pursuit of knowledge + found the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ!’ (If you'd like to read more, go to Sept 2/13)
Now I need to look again to my spiritual roots + draw from that same Tree of Life - what I do know.
Just over 4 years ago, Erica’s life also hung in a balance. Many of you walked through that dark night with us + the Lord spoke Job 23:10 to me, ‘He knows the way that I take.’
And what do I know?
He knew my way + brought us through then + I know His Presence still with us as He walks us through now.
I know Our Redeemer lives.
I know Erica is with Jesus. Whether still with us here on earth or in heaven, I don’t know,
but I do know He is faithful, He has never left us, He has not forsaken her, nor will He ever. 
His Promises are ever true in Jesus!
And that is where we as a family in Christ choose to live + abide today + always. 
Covering us with His mercy + truth, surrounding us with peace + love,
from beneath I know His mighty wings of grace + truth are lifting us up through this storm.

Day 15- Stretching

Day 15-Saturday: It's been a long 2 weeks this morning since Erica disappeared + my 'enduring' strength is stretched beyond any limit I had ever previously envisaged. For our 34th Anniversary in July I wrote in her card that I was believing God to break new horizons open for us this year. I never thought it would happen this way, nor did I ever think 2 weeks could be so long! I'm sure you all feel the same way. So, I encourage us like Jesus to keep our ears + eyes set on The Father + only speak what we hear Him say (especially on this FB page) + only do what we see Him do (throughout our community). We will then see + be led by His Spirit. All else is distraction + we have had to sort through much of that in this search.
Hebrews 6:12 'faith + patience inherit the promises'; we need both wings + His emphasis now is heavy on patience. We haven't had any further confirmed sightings in these last 2 weeks, nor have we actual evidence Erica has left either Abbotsford or the planet. Unless that is revealed, I will keep on trusting, hoping + enduring by God's sufficient grace to see the promise of her restoration to us soon! Thank you so much for continuing walking with me + my family through to His promise fulfillment!

Day 13 + I'm not superstitious!

Day 13 + I'm not superstitious! Rather, I believe this Romans 8:28 paraphrase for every day, regardless of its number: 'God is able to work all things together for our good + His glory!' Yesterday brought troubling reports: the trail had gone cold, 12 days had drained us, without any word from or about Erica, signs of life were few.
But today, as friends gathered in our home praying, a friend started reading The Father's Love Letter, a compilation of Scripture passages that reveal how much Our Father knows, loves + watches over each one of His children, especially Erica, + before we had finished the page, the phone rang + the police were asking me to view a street video to verify whether it was Erica. It's only 12 seconds long, but right when the figure came on screen I knew in my heart it... was her, I cried out + started to weep with joy! We saw her clothes + without a moment's hesitation, agreed they were indeed hers; her hair, her walk, the way she lifted her purse strap over her shoulder: it was her + like one exclaimed, 'I just wanted to reach out + pull her in!'
So close, and yet not home. But our hearts have been encouraged + we're believing for the next pieces to come together, yield the full picture + see her safe soon! Thank you so much to all of you who stand with us: your prayers, messages, meals, helps in so many ways, keep us afloat, rising up in faith above the obstacles.
Thank you Mark for your superb direction in co-ordinating all the bits of info + focusing all the present effort for what will hopefully find + bring Erica home!
And Thank you, Father God, for completing what You start to do.

Day 10 Thanksgiving

Day 10 -Thanksgiving Day in Canada

 + I had so hoped this day would bring our longed-for revelation and resolution.

 Last year we faced what we felt then was a difficult season, but was merely a broken car transmission in California and Erica phoned me from home:
"'I've got the word of the Lord for you, Henry! You know how you so like the Book of Revelation? Well, it's Rev 2:10, 'You shall have tribulation 10 days!'"
It was only my 2nd day in the California furnace + not wanting to stay so much longer, I countered, 'That's symbolic, not literal.'
But it proved to be 10 days, exactly like she'd said, until I was able to return home; then the tide turned, and the Lord moved us from gory to glory.
I was hoping somehow that same pattern might hold true for this year's trial,
but last year's test does not even come close to the awful pain I now feel for my bride + our family. We cry out to hear some evidence of her whereabouts + safety!
And the Lord has led me to Job: he lost everything in one day, but Job 1:20 reveals his heart:

Job worshiped. The battle was already won in Chapter 1!
The book continues through 41 more chapters: accusations, debate + argument with 3 comforters(?) before the Lord Himself shows up in the midst of the whirlwind.

And when He speaks, revelation comes + Job replies in 42:5:
'I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You...'
Thanksgiving brings resolution in the midst of the storm.

It is not merely a statutory holiday, but the response of thankful hearts who don't understand what's happening, but know their Redeemer lives + brings His sons + daughters through!
Thank you for this day, Father!

Thank you for Your love + faith: both wings in Christ to not only cover + protect Erica, but lift her up + bring her safely home!

An Unexpected Journey

It's Day 5 + I just want to say Thank You to all of you who love Erica + have demonstrated such a massive outpouring of support: praying, writing us notes of encouragement, Mark for setting up this page and our communications centre, others who have coordinated printing and distributing flyers, those bringing food + just being such loving family + friends to us.
A special Thank you to the Abbotsford police department and Search + Rescue + all your efforts in searching out the mountain areas in the east side of our city. We so appreciate your every effort!
It has been wonderful to see how God has raised up both a spiritual + natural army to cover this entire area. Erica's heart has always been to see a united body of intercessors rise up in this city and beyond, and here it happening, although I don't think she ever thought it would happen this way.
I cannot but think that as God is doing this, so it will not be in vain. We are encouraged + hope to have good news that Erica is safe + sound soon!



There are moments in life when you just have to give God control and surrender everything to Him. This is such a moment. I didn't think it would be day 7 with my mom missing, but I have learned the key word "trust." My heart rests securely in Him. He knows exactly where my mom is. He is watching over her, and He is even at work through this situation. My mom has prayed countless hours for unity between churches in Abbotsford and we are seeing churches work together like never before to find her! She has prayed for young people and skateboarders, and now they are praying for her. Mom, you are loved and valued by your family, friends and all of the church in Abbotsford and even around the world. Papa God, send her home at the perfect time. We are waiting and our eyes are on You! Amy Schmidt

Day 7 + we're still seeking Erica. We've come through 7 days now: 7 is God's number of perfection, quality fullness of time + substance, + I'm believing that this is the fullness of time for her to return. I have received many words: one call from Africa cut simply to the core: "I've been listening to Father God + He says, 'Erica is in His good care + will be home soon,' And that's the Word of the Lord!"
The time is longer than I had ever imagined possible + I cry out for the necessary endurance. But I seek, like David, to encourage my heart in the Lord, and she will be restored.
7 is also the number of God's rest: He rested on the 7th day + Hebrews 4 calls us into this rest in Christ's finished work. As His sons + daughters we have rest: a peace + joy unshakeable. A few weeks ago, Erica + I opened a ministry website entitled Emmausjourneys. Little did we know how quickly this journey would encounter such confusion like those disciples: hearing conflicting reports, but unable to connect all the dots + see the Big Picture. But also like them, my heart burns within me as Jesus intimately walks us through this valley, drawing us into fuller revelation of Himself and His love. Last evening, as we passed out flyers with Erica's picture to Reba concert-goers, He led me into this rest: The Prince of Peace is with us, walking us through His destiny, His Will in His Time, bringing His Erica home.
Thank you for all your love and support, prayers and deeds. They are not in vain.

One of Henry's mentors, Herb Klassen, sent him the passage of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. After Jesus heard the news that Lazarus was sick, he waited two days before doing anything. In that time Lazarus dies. This does not sound like the Jesus we know, that he would sit around before acting on a serious life threating problem and then wait too long so that his friend died. How can this be????

But here is what he said: "This sickness will not end in death."

No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Of course he used the situation to raise Lazarus from the dead.

This was an encouragement to Henry and a deepening of the intimacy he has with his loving father.

 

On day 8 of the search for my mom Jesus' words from Matthew 11 seem especially fitting:
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
I am indeed weary and weighed down and greatly in need of rest for my soul. And so I am thankful that Jesus does not abandon me in my time of need, but instead, like the good friend and father that he is, He offers me exactly what I need.

Michael Schmidt

 

 

It's very hard to acknowledge that we're about to begin another week and Erica still isn't back home with Henry and her family. Though each of us continue to hold on to hope, and continue to pray, and continue to do what ever we can to bring her safely home, I can only imagine how difficult it is for Henry to begin another week without Erica home, and for their children to not have their mom home - especially as we enter a weekend that many of us call Thanksgiving.

I've been staying with Henry these past few days and I want to confirm, what I'm sure you already know, that Henry and his family continue live what they have preached all these years – that they have placed their trust in the Lord, and in spite of the pain and all the questions, they know they have a Heavenly Father who loves them.

As we enter another week, I want to thank everyone of you for what you have done so far – for praying, for sharing, for searching, for feeding, for organizing, for calling, and for secretly and selflessly doing what you've been able to do to help in this effort - and for sending a clear message to Henry and his family that you love and care for them. Though it may be more difficult as each day passes, please continue to do what you can to support and care for Henry, the Schmidt family, Mark and the search effort, and each person that has worked so hard to bring Erica home.

As we're approaching the time of the week where many of us consider how we can give to the Lord, and help others financially, please consider assisting Henry and his family and the continued search efforts. We are working toward setting up a “Trust Fund”, but this taking longer than anticipated and may not be in place until late next week. In the mean time please consider making a donation by using the PayPal link provided. This is another practical way to show you love and support for Henry and his family. This group has over 1,100 members so far ... imagine if each of us gave even a small gift. Thank you to those of you who have already helped in this way. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-Henry-Schmidt-Family-The-Search-For-Erica/1389938314574890

Though the days ahead may be uncertain, as Henry would say, “we know the end of the story (HIS-story)”. The Lord bless each of you as you continue to walk with Him today.

Glen Mueller

 

Day 9 today: the sun has risen + it was difficult to get out of bed today, but a friend is staying with me + together we 'walked this mountain' one step after another.
I want to thank you all for your support, love + prayers throughout this journey: sometimes highly expectant but so far deeply disappointing. Much good has already been revealed, but I have yet to see its primary objective realized: Erica restored!
Last evening many gathered at The River to pray for Erica: we have asked the Lord for the right piece: that one connector of these mysterious dots to bring revelation of where she is. We're through 8 = # of Resurrection + moved into 9 = # of the Holy Spirit: His gifts + fruit. We're asking for a word of knowledge + wisdom + His faith + endurance to take the next step. The Lord is working, He has not stopped and neither will we. Together He has raised up an army + saturated this city and beyond with her story, picture and our quest to find her safe, sound + soon.
One police office said he has not seen this kind of overwhelming response in 24 years of service. We will not quit, but we need to wait on the Lord for His next step, see what Father is doing and, as Jesus, do only that.
About 3 weeks before this began, the Lord gave me the word, 'Enduring'.
I had little idea what this meant, but I now realize it is strength for one more day than what I thought I could walk yesterday. We shall endure by His grace;
'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'
There is no evidence that Erica is no longer on this earth; in fact, every word conveyed to us + my heart tell us there is continued hope for her safe return + so I will continue/persevere/endure this race to believe + press ahead to the finish line. Thank you for running this marathon with me + our family. We could not do it without you. With his wings, we can only mount up. We cannot fail!

It's Thanksgiving!