Michael Schmitz answers heart’s call to serve others

While most young men his age are thinking of college careers or future employment, Michael Schmitz, 18, has his heart set on another type of work - helping orphans in foreign lands.

As you read Michael’s story today, he is living and working in an orphanage in India. He departed for his journey on Monday, January 12. Literally moments from his departure time, Michael sat down to share his story and how he feels called to the mission field.

“I believe this is what I am suppose to do,” said the Northside Methodist Academy graduate and son of Mike and Sandy Schmitz. “I want to do mission work for the rest of my life. I especially want to work in orphanages mainly in Spanish-speaking countries.”

How did someone so young develop a passion for missions?

“When I was 13 years old, sitting in church, an altar call was given. I felt my heart was in another country,” Michael said. “I told my parents about it. My dad’s initial response was ‘no, you will be a car salesman.’ I eventually convinced them that I was serious about it.”

Convinced, yes, willing to let it happen? Well, that took some doing.

“Dad decided to test me,” Michael said as he continued to lay out the journey his young life has taken. “When I was 14, we both went to Juarez, Mexico, on a mission trip.”

“It was what is called an extreme mission,” Mike Schmitz interjected. We were there for 10 days.”

“And I was loving every minute of it,” Michael added.

But, it wasn’t exactly life in a hotel.

“We slept on the floor and lived like them,” Schmitz said. “These people want to just make it through the day. It was a tough 10 days.”

On the second trip to Juarez, the mission involved working in a prison.

“We were shooting basketball with the prisoners,” Michael said. “The chief warden let it be known that a praise and worship team was needed to conduct meetings with the prisoners. He preferred that the speaker be a teenager.”

“My son volunteered,” Schmitz said. “These were hardened prisoners, and they didn’t speak English.”

Michael believes his experience in Mexico opened his eyes to his life’s calling.

“I do remember a few things from that experience,” Michael said. “There were 80 prisoners in the meeting. Aferwards, 40 prisoners came up and wanted prayer. That was one of the biggest signs that I might be in this for a long time.”

As a father, Schmitz couldn’t help but beam with pride for what his son had done during the trip.

“I was shocked,” Schmitz said. “He was very good. He made his point.”

During his sophomore year in high school, Michael made a commitment that will ultimately direct his life.

“My parents and I planned a mission year that would take place between high school and college,” Michael said. “I would do the school work for a year to stay up with my friends.”

“He passed everything to be a sophomore at Huntingdon College, when he comes home (from his work in India),” Schmitz said.

Part of that mission year included five weeks of Spanish Immersion School in Costa Rica. Schmitz again joined his son for that trip.

“We were in an inner city location, a high-risk crime area,” Schmitz noted. I show up in class with Michael. They won’t speak English.”

As he has approached most things in his journey, Michael plunged into the task of learning Spanish.

“Most classes in Immersion School have, at the most, three students,” Michael said. “For five and a half hours you speak Spanish. I also stayed with some of the locals who didn’t speak English. I was surrounded by Spanish-speaking people. I accomplished learning Spanish.”

Next up for Michael - Missionary Training School. For this, he spent two weeks in Germany. It proved to be quite an experience and one that should help Michael in future missionary endeavors.

“The culture was definitely different,” Michael said. “I was ready to get back home. But, I learned so much from it. They created artificial stress and did it very well. There was a schedule to be followed. They knew it, and you knew it. Things would pop up, and you had to deal with it. I learned so much from it.”

From training school, Michael headed straight to Nicaragua. He spent three months there.

“It’s a beautiful country,” Michael said. “I worked in an orphanage in the mountains. There were 20 kids ages six to 15. It was tough, for me, to see what they have gone through. I stayed and slept at the orphanage.”

His computer work included compiling the biographies of each child.

“We talked about their past and what they have been through,” Michael said. “I have nightmares for them.

“This orphanage is run by Americans. We actually planned out the future and the education for these children. The orphanage is an amazing system run by an amazing director. It’s one of the best things for the kids.

“I’m an only child. This was like Parenting 101 for me with 20 kids.”

Following his mission trip to Nicaragua, Michael had nine days to spend with his family before embarking on the 29-hour trip to Vishakhapatnam, India, a small coastal community in what is considered a safe region in India. He will work in the English Medium School, run by Charlie Thom, for three months. The orphanage, where Michael will live, has 8,200 children. Another 300 children come to the school from the streets of the community. Michael will teach conversational English. Class instruction lasts seven hours. After that, Michael will join other staff members on praise and worship teams.

While he has been the teacher, Michael believes he has also been the student throughout his mission experience.

“I’ve taken a lot from this,” Michael said. “I’ve learned so much about potential. We overlook those who need the most. We should invest our time in those who have potential. I’ve seen so many things that can from from that. They have amazing drive - to go through what they have been through.

“We take advantage of what we have but don’t realize what a blessing we have. At the orphanage, we show them a brotherly love - a love they were not shown. Through that love, we give them hope for the future.”

Once college is over, Michael will return to the mission field.

“I plan to go back (to the mission field),” Michael said. “I want to give them the foundation they need to build each other up. I will use the Bible as the curriculum to help them build themselves up. I’m open to anything that is set in front of me.”

Although, as a parent, it is difficult for Schmitz to see his son leave the comforts of home, he believes Michael is doing the right thing.

“We believe he’s doing God’s will,” Schmitz said. “He will be safe. He will learn a lot. He will grow in wisdom. Charlie Thom has been doing this for a long time. He has a heart for taking children on the street and helping them find their way.

“I’m so grateful Michael has a heart to work with children who need help. This was all his idea. He grew up privileged in our community. To see him do this really makes me grateful and proud.”

Schmitz says his son has grown through this experience.

“The past six months, especially going to Germany, was a culture shock for him,” said Schmitz, who spent his younger years in an orphanage before being adopted. “He had to buckle up and grow up. It’s been good for him.”

When he returns to the United States, Michael will continue his studies at Huntingdon College. He plans to get a double major in English and Religion and put both to good use on the mission field.