Mission trips open up new world

BRILLION — It didn’t take long for Heidi School to get hooked when she went on her first mission trip. “We were so overwhelmed just seeing the families and the kids that have nothing. It’s sad. But we were so excited by the third day there, we said, ‘We’re going back.’”

 Heidi School (Amanda Lauer | For The Compass)

Your Catholic Neighbor: Heidi School (Amanda Lauer | For The Compass)

School, who was born and raised Catholic, comes from a family of 14 children. A native of Brillion, she went to St. Mary School and graduated from Brillion High School. She met her husband, John, in school and they’ve been married 33 years. They have three children and three grandchildren.

The couple first heard about mission trips through a fellow parishioner, Tom Schuh. He had been inviting them to join him on a mission trip for several years. Because they own a business, School Home Improvements, it wasn’t easy to take off for a two-week stretch. In 2010, the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. “John finally said, ‘I’m going.’ He said we’d go as a couple,” recalled School.

Their destination was the Dominican Republic, the country that borders Haiti. They went with a group from the Diocese of Green Bay and were told to bring not only provisions for themselves but an extra suitcase with items to donate to people they’d be working with.

“The first year I went, we only packed two suitcases, we didn’t know what to pack. The next year I started asking families for donations and said I’ll pack the suitcases.” They take used suitcases which stay there. “The people there use them like their closet.”

The first year School got advice about what to expect and what to bring from Fr. Bill Hoffman who had been working in the mission fields for years. She brought school supplies and lightweight clothes to donate because the weather is always hot there.

As a missionary veteran, School has expanded the list of items she brings each year to include clothes and underwear for men, women and children, shoes, socks for the kids, school supplies, and play things like tennis balls and baseballs.

When the groups go on mission trips, their main objective is to build chapels. “This is a working vacation,” noted School.

Throughout the year School devotes a good deal of time collecting donations for the mission trips. “Hidden Treasures here in Brillion donates whatever I want as long as it’s donated. Last year I put up a sign and a couple of suitcases at our parish saying we needed skirts, clothing and school supplies.”

Her main focus is getting clothing for children. “They really, really need them. We focus more on the kids because some of them are naked, they have no clothes at all. Especially in Haiti, it’s horrid.”

This past winter, School not only did the mission trip to the Dominican Republic but also went to Peru to help out Taylor and Katie Schmidt who are full-time missionaries with their family in that country. “They are in dire need also.”

One of the greater needs was for white dresses, skirts and blouses for women and shirts for men. “Couples won’t get married because they don’t have white clothing and wedding rings,” explained School. She was able to pick up $900 worth of white apparel on clearance from Kohl’s for less than $100. She and her friend Christel Schmidt ordered several hundred dollars’ worth of wedding rings for a dollar each, plus $6 a piece shipping.

Since the wedding clothes and rings were delivered, seven or eight couples have already gotten married. “Taylor and Katie go around and talk to people who aren’t married who have kids and see if they want to get married. None of them are married because of lack of money.”

School has taken seven mission trips in seven years with her husband and one on her own. “These trips help us grow in our faith and strengthen our marriage.”

Mission work has been extremely gratifying for School and while they appreciate the donations they get from people throughout the diocese, she encourages everyone to consider going on at least one mission trip. For School, the hardest part is the flights. “I hate flying,” she said, “but the rewarding part is giving people a chapel or a church so they can go pray with God.”

Your Catholic Neighbor
Name: Heidi School
Parish: Holy Family, Brillion
Age: 53
Favorite saint: St. Therese of Lisieux
Words to live by: “God is good all the time. All the time God is good.”

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