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Friday, February 25, 2011

Answer to prayer for the Schmidts

Well, I know that I promised an explanation for some allusions I've made in the recent past, but haven't been able to get around to giving them until just now.

The Schmidts have had an answer to one of their biggest prayers.  The Haitian pastor that they are getting to know, Pastor Antoine Dieujuste (Just God) , is that answer.  As you know, they want this orphanage to eventually become a Haitian work, and not necessarily dependent on Americans for everything.  To do this, they needed to work with a good Haitian church, have a good Haitian director, and obtain good, reliable Haitian helpers.  Through some missionary friends whom they know well and have a very high opinion of, they learned of Pastor Antoine.  He was one of the first graduates from the school and seminary that the Schmidts friends helped to run, and lived only about ten miles away from them.  Mr. Schmidt contacted him, and set up a meeting with him, with the primary goal of obtaining reliable help- perhaps from the pastor's own congregation.  When he returned, he was impressed and encouraged by Pastor Dieujuste.  He thought that they would certainly be able to get helpers from him.  Well, unbeknownst to the Schmidts, Pastor Antoine started researching them, contacting the same missionaries that had referred them to him.  What he heard was good, and he became very excited about helping them.  He had already been glad to, but now he wanted to work very closely with them.  When he visited Shiloh Children's Home and had a meeting with Mr. & Mrs. Schmidt, it was becoming obvious that a deeper relationship could be developing than simply finding good matons (ladies to care for the children).  At that meeting, he suggested that the orphanage be moved closer to him- right into the same village, Pierre Payen.  Things have continued progressing, and now it looks like SCH (Shiloh Children's Home) will indeed move, and the Schmidts will teach at Pastor Dieujuste's school, and help him.  He is already providing a home to thirty children, and there are a number of other people living on the same property.
     It seems that the Lord has really brought them in contact with this pastor, and they are very like- minded.  They have the same vision and goals for helping the people of Haiti.  In order to be a registered orphanage with the Haitian government, they must have a Haitian director.  It looks like Pastor Antoine will be that director.  Needless to say, they are excited at the prospect of working with him, his family, and his church, training them to care for handicapped children, and eventually handing the orphanage over to them entirely.  Thank you for all your prayers about this, and for the Schmidts.  Please continue to pray that God will give them strength for the task he has set before them.

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