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!

 

 

 

 

Perspective from the Throne

It’s amazing what perspective will do for you!

It can take what seems BIG and make it really quite small!

Or little details can grow into great distractions!                                                                                                                

Take for example our last road-trip down through the Pacific Coast States.

Everything was going great; I had no sooner preached 'The River of Joy' in The River of Joy Church on Saturday evening, when we got tested on it Sunday morning.

I missed the turnoff from I-80 north to Oroville coming out of Sacramento and while trying to navigate back onto the freeway, I felt the gear shift lurch and the motor rev.

I first thought my wearing sandals caused the momentary blip, but then it happened again…

 and a short while later again and then I knew we dealing with something more… 

 possible transmission problems?                  

Soon our trusty Honda Civic lost speed, engine power wasn’t transmitting to forward thrust and we  limped barely along the freeway. I felt my heart sink and a sense of numbness start to move like mist through my entire body. Somehow I knew this was the end of an up-to-then problem-free rest and ministry break.

And I also understood I was neither ready nor prepared to deal with this wrench in our journey.                                                                                                                                                          

As we slowed to a crawl, I remembered driving by others stalled beside the road near the beginning of our trip and thinking, ‘Thank you, Lord, that’s not us!’ In fact, that has never been us … in all our trips: all across Canada and then all the way back again; holidays to Yellowstone, the Utah parks and the Grand Canyon. Sure, we once barely crossed the border back into Canada with a blown head gasket, but never had we been stranded beside the road. This first now appeared to be a distinct possibility. And… there we were, pulled off at East Nicolaus, soon to ever symbolize the end of the middle of nowhere for us. The freeway sign depicted food, but no gas station or vehicle repair shop. And Sammie’s, the Mexican restaurant was closed while the only other building in town was a fire station. We didn’t have a fire, but it was closed anyway! Quite apparently, this part of California closed down tight for its Sunday sabbath. We’re believers also, but these people were practising their faith at a very inconvenient time for us!                                         

Our Honda ceased all forward motion. We pushed and rolled it under a lonely tree’s shade so the increasing heat wouldn’t add more to all the sudden intensity.

I looked at my wife with despair and bewilderment! 

I sighed heavily and finally forced out, ‘I don’t know what to do!’  

I’m sure that didn’t give her a lot of reassurance. Questions raced through my mind, from the proverbial ‘What did we do wrong?’ to the existential ‘Why us?’ ‘Why now?’ After all, we’d been on our way to church in Oroville. Sure,  I’d been racing to get there, slowing down only to escape  four Highway Patrol speed traps, but why did those cops have to be out on Sunday mornings anyways, trying to catch innocent Christians speeding to their houses of worship?                              

But no answers came. Both God and the car went silent and we sat there wondering, ‘What now?’    I hoped it was nothing serious, but in my heart I intuitively knew this marked the end of our problemless road-trip. Some mysterious destiny was about to unravel here, but I was quite unsure as to how willing I was to accept it. Of course we prayed against and bound up the devil’s attack, but somehow I knew God was at the centre of it.                                                                          Yes, He could even use the enemy’s evil machinations to work an ever greater good, but I wasn’t seeing that right then.  All I saw was a broken-down car, an interrupted plan and a possibly very high bill! Transmissions don’t come cheap! Especially in the middle of nowhere!  

No plan sprang to mind; no phone reception either. I had neglected to charge my cell overnight anyways, but that didn’t matter anyways; even the helpful Highway Patrolman's cell phone  got no reception out there!

Condemnation started crawling all over me…

’It’s your fault this happened! 

 Remember that guy who changed your oil asked if you wanted to flush the transmission fluid?

  ‘It’s real dark + smells burnt,’ he’d said.

 But you said, ‘No, my mechanic’s changed it!’

 I hadn’t believed him. I’d distrusted his ‘opinion’ as a merely money-grabbing opportunity.

But now his opinion had obviously become truth! I began to agree with my accuser and my heart sank even further.

Somehow we and our car got towed out of the middle of nowhere and ended up literally at The Father's House, a cool and friendly place to stay in the middle of this Californian furnace.           

That day passed and the next went from bad to worse. The transmission problem was verified and the diagnosis grew decidedly more serious as the possible estimate climbed to $3500.

Should I just abandon the car here in the States? junk it for $700 to the tranny-guy’s mechanic, cut our losses  and just get the quickest, cheapest  tickets back home? 

Besides, we needed to get back the next day to greet our Japanese home-stay student with Christian hospitality + smiles, (mustn’t forget to always put on my authentic everyday smile for the unbelievers!) and even teach my New Covenant Realities class how we are  more than conquerors through Christ! How does that go again? Joy always triumphs through trials. Yeah, right!  It’s a lot easier to mouth the words than walk the message. That truth seemed far away today.         

But isn’t it also true that more mature born-again Spirit-filled Christians should be beyond such major fleshly testings by now?

After all, my 38 years of walking with God have progressed me beyond that, right?                     

I guess not.                                                                                                 

The test was indeed very real and I didn't fare very well.

Fear dug its caves deeper; complaint raised its ugly accusations and an orphan mentality resurfaced as I felt again the intensity of a bad RAP – Rejection, Anger + Pain.

After all this time, were they still unvanquished? How long must I continue to war against these enemies? Are their sudden onslaughts yet so powerful they can so simply overwhelm me?        

Then the revelation came to me: What’s the Lord’s perspective on this? 

How does He see me and my circumstances now?  

Is He as upset as I am?

Is His eternal plan disrupted by this temporary highway breakdown?                                     

How do their imagined costs measure up against His abundant cattle on 1000 hills? or even my own past experience?                                                                                                                                        

And then I had a revelation on perspective:

One night only a few years ago, I sat at my wife’s bedside as she lay comatose, her life hanging in an unknown balance. The doctors had not given a good report. Even if she survived the night, it was highly likely that severe brain damage would leave her in a vegetative state of existence.               

I cried out to God.  Many of you cried out with me.

He heard our prayers + spoke the words of Job 23:10 into my heart.  No, not the verse’s well-known ending, but its less familiar beginning:

‘But He knows the way that I take.’

Somehow these words rose in my spirit and I recognized that the One who is The Way was present and at work. The night passed with little sleep, but I had a simple comforting assurance that more than just morning would dawn the next day.

And true enough, when we entered her room the next day, she was both awake and aware.

Although she couldn’t talk with all those breathing tubes in her mouth, her eyes flashed with life!She made signs for a pencil and wrote:                                                 

‘Who found me?’                                                                      

 ‘I’m hungry!’                                                              

 ‘I guess God’s not finished with me here yet!’                                                   

And from that moment, all the enemy’s plans against us were completely defeated.                                     

So… if He cares for the sparrows + lilies?

and since He has indeed raised His Son from the grave, conquered death and restored my wife!

then can’t He also take care of the mundane, temporal and comparably minute problems of cars, transmissions + bills!?                                                                                                                      

God’s perspective exposes trials in His true light and context: they are not as all-consuming as they seem in their centre-stage moments. In light of all God is + does, these are mere distractions along the sidelines that seek to take our attention off the main player + events of life: Jesus is Risen! 

They expose our tendency to major on minors and magnify the minute, but when we yield to Christ in their midst, our trust in God allows the Holy Spirit to reveal more clearly what is truly important.

Our walk sometimes seems like the road to Emmaus: we have bits of info, but aren't connecting them rightly. We should be rejoicing at the greatest news in history, but we feel DIScouraged, DISqualified, DIStressed, DIStracted, DISapproved, the vision has DISappeared + we are DISappointed.                                                                                                             

But don't let the enemy 'DIS' you.                                                                     

Let the Blood + Love of Jesus wash the 'DIS's off + Be Encouraged!

You are not dis-qualified, but qualified for God to use you to His greater glory!

You are not dis-tracted, but let Jesus take His place as the Main Attraction in your life!

Let His faith + love remove the ‘dis’ from your dis-appointment so you don't miss His Appointment!

After ten days in this fiery furnace, I finally returned home; our fixed car followed later, and the Lord met all our needs: He not only provided enough to pay those looming transmission bills, but more than enough, above and beyond our needs, to fund successive mission trips to Africa, India and Nepal later in the year.

Jesus knows the end from the beginning. In fact, He is the Beginning + the End + Everything in Between: the Way, the Truth and the Life. From His perspective, tests + trials are simply His means of moving us from our last glory to His next glory, trusting + following Him through the transmission-transition-tribulation-transformation process, birthing new life! 

His view from the throne is so much clearer and better than from a broken roadside or hospital bed.