Posts Tagged ‘South Africa’

Volunteer Vacation to South Africa, April 2011

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Amy & Robin in the center of Vredeford Dome

Nine years ago I made a promise to take my Sunshine anywhere in the world she wanted to go.  Paris was her choice, but as fate would have it … an opportunity of a lifetime came up.  Instead, Amy got to spend her 19th birthday in South Africa, with some of the most amazing people on earth.

We had a fantastic time delivering much needed school supplies, clothing, shoes, and requested items to the two orphanages I have been supporting in Johannesburg for years.  Although I don’t think it was my best paint job ever (consider what we were painting with), Amy and I did our best at brightening one of the classrooms at Mpumelelo Day Care.   🙂

Maria, Amy, and Myself ... making a difference at Mpumelelo Day Care

We also spent quality time at Sinethemba, making homeade pizzas and passing out the gifts from “Christmas in April” (usually I do this for them in July, because their seasons are opposite of ours).  Grant and Sharon still are in shock that I could fit so much into so little bags, and manage to bring everything they needed.  That day I felt so much love, it was as though God was smiling at me, Himself.

Christmas in April with my Sinethemba Family (Benoni, South Africa)

 

We also helped Sharon and Grant put together a home they procured for a family in a local Squatters Camp.  If you ever need a story on humility, just ask me about this amazing couple.   They truly have hearts of gold and I am blessed to have been a part of the random act of kindness they gave to Anelda, her sister, and her two children.  Sharing in this experience was all the more special because I got to do it with Amy.  🙂

Every day was a blessing, as our schedule was jam packed from the moment we landed, until we took off a week later.  Again, I just want to take time to thank those individuals who donated items that were so desperately needed.  One child told me “it’s not necessarily what you brought, it is the fact that you came, and you brought us hope through giving from your heart and sharing your love with us.”

May we each be so blessed to know we make a difference in some one elses life … it is the greatest feeling in the world.   Share a smile, it will cost you nothing.  Give a word of encouragement, it could be exactly what the person needs to hear.  Let someone go in front of you in line, maybe they are in a hurry and could use that extra few minutes.  Often times it is the little things that make the biggest difference for someone else. 

And as a final note, never make a promise you cannot keep.  Do what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it.  Live with integrity … in the end, I can guarantee you that even if it takes 9 years or longer … fulfilling those commitments is quite rewarding.  🙂

Be blessed by allowing yourself to be a blessing … make it an awesome day!

Always,

Robin

Mpumelelo Day Care ... where the children were so happy to merely touch our skin & have their photos taken! 🙂

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The humanitarian in me …

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Do you ever have so many thoughts on your mind, you are unable to sleep?  That is what caused me to put pen to paper (or fingers on a keyboard  hehe) today.  Writing is cathartic for me, cleansing if you will.  Deep within I know there are thoughts and words I need to share  … so grab your favorite beverage and join me for a minute, won’t you? 

You see, I have been heavily burdened the past month with having to remove someone who was once a very good friend from my life.  It was a decision based on what was and is right for me.  Not because I believe they are a bad person, but because their behaviors are toxic to my being.  There is so much to be said, but at the end of the day, I felt as though this individual was ultimately keeping me from being my best.  God’s best.

One of the best days of my life … at an orphanage in Haiti, April 2010

 

One thing I have learned through the lessons in my life, is to be an example I want other people to see.  Recently I was told “although I never comment on your Facebook page, I watch what you are doing very closely there, and through your blog.  I am fascinated by your zeal to help humanity.  But I don’t understand ‘why’ you are the way you are. Why do you feel the need to go to other countries, when there is so much need here in America?”  My response was the same as I gave to those who urged me not to go to Haiti to help after the earthquake, and were upset with me that I got sick and ended up in the hospital upon my return to the states.  Laying in that hospital bed with an IV in my arm because I had a kidney infection & various other issues, I remember saying “you can give me a blood transfusion, but you can not take the humanitarian out of me”.

Baby Palesa … I cannot believe it has been 3 years since I have seen her!!

 

In just a few days I am embarking on an adventure with my “adopted” niece, Amy.  We are going to Johannesburg, South Africa to spend time with the orphans who stole my heart years ago, along with those who look after them.  Sinethemba (http://www.sinethembahomeofhope.co.za/ )  and Mpumelelo (http://www.mpumelelochildren.co.za/) .  With my trips as an individual over the years, I networked through Airline Ambassadors (http://airlineamb.org/) & Destination International (http://www.destinationintl.com/)  and they now include these two orphanages in their mission trips.  It is with honor I have been asked to be one of the board members and a trustee for Raise Your Hand Open Your Heart (http://www.raiseyourhand.org.za/ )~~ because it connects people with giving aid and volunteering wherever your passion may lay.

The reason for this particular writing is to encourage you to find your passion.  To realize wherever those little heart strings are pulling you … to take action.  Take the brokeness you may feel in your life, and put the energy towards helping someone in need.  Doesn’t matter if you have money, you can still donate your time.  You can volunteer at a local soup kitchen, or adopt a service member through their deployment (http://adoptahero.us/ ).  Something amazing happens when you ask others to help with a cause greater than yourself … God works miracles. (thank you to those of you who have donated for this specific trip!)

  

Sinethemba means “Hope House” … and I am thankful to everyone who has donated to help us deliver “hope” with the much needed supplies we are taking on this adventure …

 

Finally, I see from the outside looking in, that if I allow myself to be caught up in other peoples chaos, I am not being the right kind of instrument.  The most difficult thing I have ever learned was to “let go” .. and today I realized (it is about time!) that in the “letting go” .. the greatest transformations happen.  I feel like a catepillar who just busted out of the coccoon … because through the sleepless night, I not only loved the other person enough to let them go completely and fully … I just let God be God.  It is in the silence that I am finding inner peace.  And in that peace, I just want to spread my wings and fly.   

Orphanage in South Africa in 2007

 

So as Amy and I embark on an adventure of a lifetime, I am going to challenge you to remember we are all created equal.  It doesn’t matter if you are from Germany, China, Africa, Asia, America, or any other country in the world.  We all have red blood running through our veins (well, unless of course you are alien like my dad was .. hehehe) … and we all need to raise our hands and open our hearts to saying a kind word, holding open a door, doing things to make someone else feel validated.  It is in the simple things, of this world, in simple gestures and kindness and love and hope and dreams, that we are to remember that we all are human, that we all are the same, that we all only need love. Unconditional love.

Allow yourself to be blessed, by being a blessing to others … and in doing so, remember to thank those who put themselves on the line every single day, in order to protect your freedoms.

  

A family of heroes …

Always,

Robin

http://alwayssupportourheroes.com/

The Sky Angel

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Christmas in July … oops, I mean April …

Monday, February 28th, 2011

The Sky Angel at Mpumelelo Day Care, 2008

Every year I do a “Christmas in July” for the orphans I support in South Africa by sending them a huge package full of items to carry them through their winter.  However, this year I am taking my lovely adopted niece (Amy) to meet them in April.  We have been given a list of items requested from the orphanages. 

Any items you would like to donate need to be to me NO LATER THAN 16March.  We are leaving in early April, but I have an extremely busy work schedule in March & need time to be able to pack all the items up, get waivers for extra luggage from my job (so I need to know how much I am transporting), and be able to coordinate with my niece for items she will be collecting in Southern California. 

“Sinethemba” is an orphanage I have sent items to, visited, and adopted as my own family because of the love we all share.  The house has rooms that have been added on to accomodate all the children.  The “mom” (Sharon) broke down each room with the kids names and any special requests.  The items I have already obtained have been removed from the original list.  Please leave a comment on here or email me if you are going to be sending anything still being requested.

PINK GIRLS ROOM…….  All girly girls : Buhle (14) , Britney (10) , Arlette (11)  Teenage magazines, hot tamales and nail polish

BLUE GIRLS ROOM……   Calm room :  Sonja (19) , Palesa (4) , Danielle (8) Kids story books , chocolates , lolly pops and coloring books

ORANGE GIRLS ROOM ….. Growed up young ladies : Madison (21) , Jane (21) Any book by Steve McCurry (photographer) & Reeses peanut butter cups

PURPLE GIRLS ROOM ……. Justin Bieber fans : Lara (11), Thembi (11) , Portia (10) Lip gloss, deodorants, nail varnish, funky stationery

RED SOCCER BOYS ROOM….. The boys  Lebo (6) , Leon (14) , Smanga (9) any boy stuff, socks

TURQUOISE GIRLS ROOM….. Funky chicks : Nadine (18) , Bianca (16) , Margaret (15) Funky stuff for hair (Hair coloring, scrunchies, clips, barretts, pony tail holders), and nails

BROWN ROOM……The brown guys : Anthony and Thulani : Marine fish tank books, Popular Mechanics mags

GREEN RONDAVEL….. Grown up guys : Jacob and Xolani Socks , soap on a trope & ties 

 THE FOLKS …….. parental units  : Grant and Sharon peace and quiet and a hug from ROBIN !!!!!!

items sent in last years "Christmas in July"

Special requests I have that were not included in Sharon’s list above are :

music (any cd’s you may have), American Chocolate (like Hersheys, Rochero Ferrero’s, Twix, or your favorite!), bras, hats, gloves, scarves.  Learning aids like flash cards and pictures to hang in a classroom. Soap, lotion, perfume, or cologne (you know, the bottles that are half empty that you don’t use anymore). 

Any items we take that are not used at Sinethemba or are extra, will be taken to Mpumelelo Day Care or Norah’s Creche.  Gosh, I just cannot wait to see these children .. or share this amazing adventure with my Sunshine.  Now, I am praying for the proper days off in the month of April for this volunteer vacation, attending a retirement ceremony for a hero in the Air Force, and at the end of the month meeting some of my Marines at a Memorial service for their fallen.  It’s going to be an incredibly busy month of flying for work in between those commitments, but I am so beside myself with excitement, I just can’t help but bounce off the walls.  hehehe

Always,

Robin

Please send items to me:

Robin Schmidt

PO Box 122037

Covington, KY 41012-2037

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It’s all about PERSPECTIVE ….

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

The holidays seem to bring out the best and the worst in people.  Personally, I have experienced the absolute joy of how it feels to give a gift to someone that had very deep meaning.  Earlier this year I made a wedding gift for a soldier who I supported a few years back, and his lovely bride.  Hopefully I will never forget the amazing way that gift made them feel in receiving it, or in me giving it.   Every stitch of that blanket was made with prayers for their marriage to sustain the tests of time and for the safety of our brave heroes who continue to serve our Nation all over the world.  Few gifts can probably ever mean as much to me as that one.  One would probably ask, who it meant more to … the giver, or the receivers?

Honoring a hero and his wife ....

That question should be asked of all gifts given this holiday season.  There have been times when I was less mature and more selfish, and I didn’t really appreciate what someone had given me.  When I began adopting service members years ago, I stopped exchanging traditional gifts with most people, and began making my closest friends and family a calendar from my travels.  To me, it is the best gift I can give, because they can see where I have been and it always evokes stories they would otherwise probably not know to ask.  The gift means something to them (well, I hope it does anyway .. haha).  If nothing else, they have great pictures to look at all year long and a calendar to boot.  (hehe)  …. and on those rare occasions when I do give someone a gift, it truly is one I believe they will value and appreciate.  Something so simple as a “Proud Coin” can make all the difference in the world, from what I am told.  🙂

There are other times, where we have to look deeper inside to see the reason why someone gives the gift they do.  Maybe they have little money, so they make something they think you will like.  Maybe it looks dorky and you don’t see any purpose in it, but ask yourself if it could have a bigger meaning to the person who gave it to you.  Could it be possible it was in hopes it would make you happy inside, even if that wasn’t your reaction?

Sometimes we spend money on gifts, when we are not looking at the whole picture.  This reminds me of my second visit to South Africa.  The year before I had been taken to Soweto and met a bunch of children who were seeking donations for uniforms so they could attend school. (at the time I thought it a bit odd that one of the poorest places on earth would require children to have enough money to purchase uniforms, let alone charge for them to go to school).  For a few months I saved money and sent it to the school in a box full of clothes, toiletries, paper, and crayons so hopefully one child would be able to have that uniform.

The children each have on clothes brought by The Sky Angel from "Amerika" ...

When I went back the following year, that little boy was so excited to thank me.  He said “Miss Robin, it was so very nice of you to send money for this uniform so I could go to school.  It means so much to me to be able to study so I can make a better life for my family.  I hate to ask this, but is there any way you could buy me a pair of shoes, so I won’t have to walk on cut glass in order to get to school?”  Those words have stuck with me for various reasons … one simply is because at the time, I never about the shoes before that moment in time.

There will be gifts we receive in life that we simply do not want or need.  Accept them with gratitude, because sometimes it’s not about us.  Sometimes it is about the person giving the gift.  In reality, maybe my blanket doesn’t mean as much to Ed and Krista as it did to me to make it for them.   Maybe it means more to them.  But gifts are given as a token of our love and admiration for the receiver.  If you have lost perspective on the reason you are purchasing that gift, or why you are receiving the one you have gotten, maybe you should opt not to exchange gifts at all.

And if you receive a gift you simply do not want or cannot use, do me a favor?  Send it to me.  I promise I will put it into the hands of someone who will appreciate it more than words can begin to express.  Whether it be to a service member serving on battlegrounds on the other side of the world,  an orphan at a school in Johannesburg, or a family who will not have Christmas this year because their parents lost their jobs this past year and don’t even know where their next meal is coming from. 

May you experience the Reason for the Season through the gift of salvation this Christmas, for in that I found a reason for living my life with purpose.  Through my faith, I found forgiveness, and that I was and am accepted exactly as I am.  Having those gifts and being able to share them with you, is the best present I will ever be able to share … the gift of accepting people where they are, and being an example I hope you would want to follow.

As I bring this blog post to an end, I truly wish you and yours the most precious of holiday seasons and hope you have the joy of knowing you are a gift to every person you meet.  Set aside your differences and make things right with those you care about the most … life is short, do it while you can.   Look deeply inside yourself for PERSPECTIVE before you judge someone elses actions, and most of all .. I wish for you to experience the pure joy in giving AND receiving, gifts that deeply touch you … like an afghan that took months to make, or my lesson from a school kid thousands of miles away, about shoes.

The Sky Angel and Tigger, Christmas 2010

As a final note, please take a moment to light a candle, and say a prayer, send up positive thoughts and good juju to our valiant heroes serving so far away from home this holiday season and throughout the year.

Ho Ho Ho,

The Sky Angel

Please send all unwanted gifts (especially shoes! hehehe) to:

Robin Schmidt

PO Box 122037

Covington, KY 41012-2037

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Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes 2

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Steve Flairty’s Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #2, two years in the writing, includes Delta flight attendant Robin Schmidt. Schmidt, a resident of Covington, Ky, has been recognized nationally for her support of U.S. military personnel around the world. She is one of Flairty’s twenty-six citizens he portrays in the Bluegrass State who “by their actions, serve to inspire others to greater works of character.”

WOW! What can I possibly say? It is so weird for me to be writing a blog about this!  You see, I have been honored to be chosen as one of the individuals in “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes 2” by Steve Flairty. When I received an autographed copy and such a beautiful letter from Steve yesterday, I could not help to hold back my emotions. This is such a tremendous compliment!

For your own book (personally autographed by me), send a check or money order, along with your shipping information to the address below. The price is $14.50 (no additional taxes or shipping fees). Checks should be payable to: Robin Schmidt

If you choose to pay through my website (http://alwayssupportourheroes.com/) the price will be $16.50 to offset the fees charged by PayPal. In the comments, be sure to include your shipping information on the PayPal website.

This is a very high honor for me, and I simply cannot wait to share the entire book with you. Not only will you love the chapter about me, but you will be fascinated by the stories of the amazing heroes Steve has written about! (do you have ANY idea how awesome and weird this is???)

If you can help me to get the word out to boost sales of the book, that would be wonderful! It is available on other websites, but Steve wants me to have an opportunity to raise money for my cause of supporting the troops by offering it to you directly, without anyone else making a profit. 😉

Much love and gratitude, for you being such valued members of my life and helping me to become the person I have become! However … I do truly believe the real heroes are the people who put themselves in harms way, in order to serve and protect us every single day … in many types of jobs, in many aspects of life.

Of course, a very special note of gratitude to Steve Flairty for choosing me as one of his heroes. (Thank you also, to Debbie Kohl Kremer, for suggesting Steve interview me, and for the beautiful article you wrote about my support of the troops in the Cincinnati Inquirer last October … THAT changed my life forever!) There are no words to truly describe how it feels to be placed in the company of these extraordinary individuals in Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes 2. !!

Always,
Robin

Robin Schmidt
PO Box 122037
Covington, KY 41012-2037

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Christmas in July

Monday, June 7th, 2010

July is usually a time for outdoor activities and summer vacations.  However, for my orphans in South Africa, it is a different story.  Every year at this time, I do a “Christmas in July” for them, and I would love your help.

If you have any slightly used (look new) hats, scarves, gloves you can donate, that would be fantastic.   The orphans get so excited when they receive school supplies, toiletries (soap, shampoo, conditioner, lip balm), hair coloring, make up and hair clips.  🙂  Then again, you should hear the excitement of the teenagers when I give them cologne or perfume. (if you have any bottles you are not using any longer, please send them as well!).  The favorite item (and most requested) I have ever been asked for is “American Chocolate”…

These kids have all been brought in off the streets of South Africa by loving people who look after them on a daily basis.  Sinethemba is the name of the home, and it means “Hope House”.  There are no better words to describe the love in this house, that is offered by the couple who has taken them all in.

Any extra donations I recieve go to help Maria at the creche she runs, called Mpumelelo Orphanage & Day Care Centre.  Maria takes care of the needs of 60 children a day.  None of Maria’s children, or Sinethemba have any idea where their next meal is going to come from, and every little thing any of us can to do bring a smile that direction, or show love .. is so very appreciated.  I just want them to know they are valued and remembered!  🙂

If you would like to be a part of this special project (I only ask for help with them once a year, the rest of the time I do it on my own), please send an online donation (  http://alwayssupportourheroes.com/ ) , a check or any of the items requested to:

Robin Schmidt

PO Box 122037

Covington, KY 41012-2037

Deadline for receiving the items will be 25June 2010.  The cost of postage is astronomical, so any cash or check donations are also greatly appreciated.  If I am released by the doctor to travel to a third world country, I will deliver the items myself.  🙂  (I miss my “kids” more than you can imagine!  A special thank you to Gilbert Martin for looking after them for me, and giving them all my love.  They are family to me, and are in my thoughts and prayers daily).

Thanks so very much for helping me to go MAD (make a difference) all over the world.

Always,

Robin

If you would like to go on a volunteer vacation or be a part of a humanitarian mission, please go to http://airlineamb.org/ , sign up to become a member, and see all the places you can get involved in sharing your time and energy with those less fortunate … all over the globe!

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