Lessons from Haiti
If my frequency of posting items to this website was any indication of my response time to other life events then I would be in big time trouble. Thankfully I am able to be more proficient and efficient in other areas of my life. Sorry for the long delays here 
A few weeks ago I got back from Haiti and I can say without any hesitation that I would go back in a second if the opportunity came up again. I was challenged, stretched, broken, strengthened, encouraged, and smacked right in the face with my materialism, pride, and selfishness. Many of you followed us on Facebook at the Alexandria Youth Haiti Trip group and your prayers were definitely felt.
I think we have all heard someone say “Thank you for your prayers. They helped me a lot” and thought to yourself “Do my prayers really do anything?” I have wondered that many times. During my trip to Haiti I realized why that thought comes to my mind. It is because I don’t pray with expectation or for specific things given to me by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Several times on our trip we had times called “ATL” (Ask The Lord) where we would pray for people in our group or for ourselves and ask God to reveal what to pray for that person. We didn’t ask them “What can I pray about for you?”, instead we started praying and asked God to reveal what to pray for that person. It is amazing what happens when we ask our Father for the right words to pray. We know that the Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know what to say or how to say it, but do we ever give the Spirit an opportunity to actually do that? Typically I make sure I know what I’m going to say before starting to pray for someone. I don’t want to look bad or stumble around with my words. But is that what prayer is all about? At its core, is it about speaking clearly and knowing what to say? I used to think that way but now I know differently.
When I pray it is to an Almighty Creator who has made everything around me, including me (Act. 17). When I go before God’s throne and enter His presence in prayer for someone else I believe God already knows what is going on in that persons life. If I truly believe that then why shouldn’t I ask God to show me what to pray for that person. Is it easy? No. Is it kind of scary to take that step of faith? Yes. It is especially scary if you don’t know what the voice of God sounds like. If you don’t know your Shepherds voice then you won’t know what He’s saying. We can either hear God’s voice, our own voice distracting us, the world’s voice, or Satan’s distracting voice. There are options and deciphering which voice we’re hearing is a learned skill through discipline in God’s Word and in His presence. It takes a heart that is willing to be humble and open to His voice to be able to actually hear His voice. Ps. 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” That’s not a suggestion, it’s a command. Quietness is essential to hearing the voice of God. Silence is a part of prayer. I don’t always have to be saying something to be praying.
Here is my challenge for you. Take some time today to ATL what He wants you to do with the rest of your day. As a Christian it is so easy to say we trust and follow God but are we willing to actually put that into practice and ask Him to lead us today? Go ahead and try it and I guarantee you will be blessed and encouraged more than you can ever imagine. In 2 Kings 4:1-7 God blesses a widow beyond her wildest dreams by not only giving her enough oil to sell and pay off her debts but enough to sell it and live off the profit!!! When we come to God with an open heart and truly seek His face He will meet us where we are and answer our prayers. The answer may not always be “Yes” but He will answer us. Try it and see what He does today!
Below is a link for some pictures from my Haiti trip. If you are on Facebook you can check out more videos and pics there too.
Count Down To Haiti!
Some of you may not know that on April 23rd I am going to Haiti for a week to help with some relief work there. I am going with my older brother Tim Schmoyer and a number of people from his church. We are being hosted by Adventures In Missions (AIM) which is the same group Tim worked with on his last trip in February.
The purpose of the trip is to follow through with many of the promises and aid sent to Haiti. Adventures In Missions is an organization that has had a presence in Haiti for many years and is committed to ministering to people where they are- on the streets and in their homes- which creates a very unique opportunity in Haiti at the moment. Over the past few months millions of dollars worth of supplies have been sent to Haiti through AIM and those supplies need to be distributed and given to the Haitian people. One of our main objectives on this trip is to deliver these supplies to communities in need and use it as an opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with those we meet. We will also be building shelters for families to use while their homes and lives are slowly rebuilt. There are a number of reports coming out of Haiti right now that tell of a great revival sweeping through the hearts of the Haitian people. We intend to be full participants in that revival effort by intentionally being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit when it comes to talking to, praying for, and serving the needs of everyone we come in contact with.
I know many of you supported me when I worked at TreeHouse and I really appreciated your financial and prayer support during the two years I worked there. I am in the process of raising the needed funds to go on this trip. The plane ticket, lodging, and passport costs have already been made so I am asking you to pray and see if God is leading you to support me on my trip to Haiti in a few weeks. I need to raise a total of $1,249. If this is something you want to do please contact me at dan@schmoyer.net and I’ll give you a few different options for sending support. I have included a breakdown of the funding I need below for you to see and pray about.
I am very excited about the trip and also curious to see how God uses the experiences and challenges from this trip to grow me and make me more like Him. If you have any questions or want to discuss it further please call or email me and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have. We also have a Haiti Mission Trip Facebook group started for people to join so they can know how to pray for us while we’re preparing for the trip as well as how to pray for us while we’re on the trip. To join the group CLICK HERE and add yourself to the group.
Amount of funding total for trip:
Adventures In Missions (place to sleep, meals, group leader/translator) $390
Plane tickets with hotel stay in Miami during layovers $648
Passport documentation $211
TOTAL: $1249
Resources and Information:
Adventures In Missions Website
Tim’s Website with some videos and info: Life In Student Ministry
Again, if you want more information or would like to know how to send financial support please email me at dan@schmoyer.net.
Ruby Swimming
Ruby has been able to go swimming lately and is doing very well with her Nemo impression. Here are two short video’s of her getting her swim on 
Just click on the link and it will ask you how you want to view it or if you want to save it. You make the call from there.
Dan
Who, not how
The other day I was driving to church with the kids and I heard this quote on the radio. It has stuck with me so I thought I’d share it with you.
“You don’t need to know how, just Who.”
I think it is easy to forget who is the One that controls my life. I try my best, in my own strength, to order my day, schedule my daily and weekly activities and responsibilities in an attempt to show that I have control over my life. In reality I am trying to do my best impression of “God”. For those of us who have attempted that and been aware enough to honestly look at the results we have seen how utterly short we fall in our desire to control our life. I have also been running the verse from Acts 17 in my head where Paul says “In Him we live and move and have our own being.” To think that I wouldn’t even exist apart from the presence and Person of God is a humbling thought. I am not even dust on the ground apart from Him. When I think about the potential rough spots in my life that may be coming it gives me great perspective to know that I don’t need to know all the answers (why do we always think we need answers from God anyway?) of how He is going to show His power and grace, I just need to continue to rest in who He is, knowing that apart from Him I’m not even here. “You don’t need to know how, just Who.” Powerful statement and something I would encourage you to mull over in your head with whatever scripture verses the Holy Spirit bring to your mind as you spend time with Him each day.
No Longer On The Minority List
Well, after waiting for what seemed to be a LONG time I am finally off the list of people in America who are currently unemployed (which is currently at 9.8%). I have been interviewing at Human Services Inc. in Oakdale, MN for the past few weeks for a position as one of their Life Skills Counselors at the Day Treatment Center. It is for local teens who struggle with behavioral and conduct disorders. I work as one of the recreation therapists which basically means I work with the students on social skills, character traits, and learning how to make positive behavioral choices. I start work on Monday which will be the first Monday I’ve had to go to “work” since the beginning of August 2008!
This past year has been crazy with school, internships, and working part time as a counselor at a local charter school. We are all glad this process is finally over. We are also excited to see where God leads as I start working in a setting I hadn’t exactly anticipated when I left TreeHouse. I guess that’s why I’m not the one who makes the decisions for how my life goes
Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, and encouragement over the past year and specifically the past few months. Make sure you check back here for updates and more information on work, family, and where God is leading our family.
