More Mom Memories

My first memory of Dad (Grandpa Schmid) ever is when he came to the states with Pastor Hector Paultre (I think) and they were at Bala.  We were dating and David took me there to meet them.  As we were sitting in the living room area I remember Dad giving me something to open and to my HORROR it was a dead/dried tarantula! ! !  STOP laughing, Debi!  You can see I survived and married David anyway and am still in Haiti – much to your surprise, Debi!  J  I’m sure and Peter Bitner didn’t give me a very high rate of “making it”. J

My first Haiti memory is arriving on that little tiny MFI plane on July 20, 1976 with 4 year old Karen and 2 month old Amy and Dad being down on the tarmac to meet us.  Everything was so overwhelming.  Debi you were there and kept pointing things out to me as we drove and I couldn’t see everything at once.  Debi, do you remember me coming up from the shower at Mom and Dad’s (Grandma and Grandpa Schmid) big old Paultre house in St. Marc and saying I had prickly heat all over my body and you recognize the rash at the end of Denge Fever! 

I remember being in the Motel in Port with your folks and I was fixing supper.  I had washed the potatoes to bake and I asked Dad what else I needed to do to make sure they were “clean” (thinking of parasites, etc) and bless his heart he told me he thought baking for an hour in 400 degree heat would kill anything on them.  WAS I A GREEN MISSIONARY OR WHAT?

New Missionaries

New missionaries always had to introduce themselves to the UEBH at the first general assembly after they arrive.  Parkers arrived with us and Bud and David gave their testimonies at a meeting  held to approve the new constitution so it was just Joanne Parker and I to give our testimonies at the General Assembly that year.  I went first and had basically memorized my testimony in Creole.  Pastor Cedieu Daniel thanked me and welcomed me into the UEBH.  I sat down but then a young pastor stood up and said that my testimony was fine but what were my goals.  So fearfully I stood and said to be a good wife and mother and continue to try to learn the language – they clapped. 

Then Joanne got up and give her testimony in ENGLISH and dad translated for her.  I almost fainted.  Afterward he came up and hugged me and said I didn’t want Joanne to tell you she was going to do hers in English (she had a hard time with the language) because I knew you could do it!!!!  It’s a good thing I loved him so much because I was so nervous to do that!  :0)  Anyway, I’m sorry we only had 16 months to work with him in Haiti before the Lord took him home.