Welcome to the Schmidt Family Page!

Mary's Testimony

Hello, my name is Mary Schmidt; I was born in Dallas, Texas October 12, 1962. My parents are Elmer and Beulah Kohorst.

I was blessed of God to have been born in a Christian home where God was the center of our lives. Because of this I was aware of the things of God early on. At the age of 6 the Lord began working on my heart about my need of salvation. I would listen to my Sunday school teacher, my pastor and my Dad as well. Through all these things the Holy Spirit did a work in my heart that I was a sinner. In May of 1969, my Dad and I were out running errands in the car. I told my Dad that if I didn’t get saved I would die and go to hell. When we arrived back home, my Dad and I went into my bedroom and knelt beside the bed and he showed me in the Bible about what it means to be saved and the promises that our precious Lord gives us. I then bowed my head and repented of my sins and asked the Lord to save me. Shortly after that our Pastor, Bro. Gary Coleman, came by and talked to me about baptism and I was baptized in June, 1969.

I met my precious husband in August of 1978 at Bruton Road Baptist in Dallas, Texas. I knew that he was God’s perfect will for me. We married in 1979. The Lord gave us three precious children: Aaron, Sarah and Heather.

Many people along the way ask me about my calling. God did not specifically call me to be a missionary. He did call me to be my husband’s wife and since we are one, my calling is his calling. It is truly my privilege to be the helpmeet to my husband and to be by his side these almost 25 years. It has been wonderful to serve the Lord all these years. The Lord has brought us through so much and He has given us the grace we need and the provision. My husband answered his call to missions in September 1992 and in 1993 we packed up the family and moved from Atlanta, Georgia to Greenville, South Carolina. There, my husband enrolled in Tabernacle Baptist College. During this time the kids and I did not see Dad very much, but they realized that Dad was preparing for the ministry. The sacrifice we all made was well worth it.

As the years went by our first child, Aaron went off to Crown College in Tennessee and there he met his wife, Amanda Cooper Schmidt. They have 1 child, Aaron Jr. and expecting another one, our first grand daughter. Sarah went off to Crown College in August 2000 and there she met her husband, John Buckner. Our daughter Heather went with us on our full-time deputation. She was home schooled the last 2 years of High School. Heather stayed in the States and worked and she met Joe Shepherd and now they are married and expecting their first baby in May, 2004, our second grandson. All three of our children are in the ministry: Aaron is Music Director at University Baptist Church in Atlanta and teaches the teen Sunday school class. John and Sarah are missionaries to Argentina and they are currently on deputation, raising their support. Joe is Assistant Pastor at the Bible Baptist Church in Newnan, Georgia, and Heather teaches in the Christian school there.

As I write this, and as I look back upon our lives, I can see God’s hand working in our lives and guiding us. Because of the steps of faith that we took in the past, God has helped us grow in grace, and by faith, to come to Peru. Tim and I are nearing the end of our Spanish language studies here in Arequipa, Peru. It has been a challenge to say the least, but we know we are in God’s perfect will for our lives. I can look forward to what God is going to do in our lives in the future.

I want more than any thing to be used of Him and draw closer to our precious Lord each and every day.

Mary Schmidt