A Journey Home

“Our ultimate blessings often come from our wounds if they are approached honestly and soulfully. This book reveals the hows and whys of such rare but remarkable transformations."


—Phil Cousineau, author of The Art of Pilgrimage





“On this deeply personal journey with Dr. John, we come to understand that willful determination may not be enough to get us to our final destination with God. There is an element of grace, of something miraculous, that gives us the capacity to truly awaken to our spiritual home.”


—Edgar Stoesz, former associate executive secretary, Mennonite Central Committee





“Using the diaries and other sources her mother entrusted to her, Marlena Fiol traces the history of her amazing parents one more time, this time through the eyes of her dying father. She and Ed O’Connor have combined imagination and insight gleaned from long experience in taking us to the bedside of John Schmidt, a man who could no longer communicate but who found extraordinary insight into his own life and faith at the end.”


—Shirley Showalter, former president, Goshen College





“A Journey Home is an extraordinary exploration of the probable inner world of my brilliant and troubled father, Dr. John, from which flowed a lifetime of achievements. He was a deeply religious person who was not afraid to admit to having lapses of faith. But the way his life and that of my mother blended is a testimony to God’s guidance in the adventure they dedicated to his purpose despite their human flaws. I witnessed my father’s fierce work ethic and his sometimes-unpredictable actions and reactions. I can say that the book’s depictions of this complicated man are totally accurate.”


—Wesley Schmidt, son of Dr. John Schmidt and former medical director, Km. 81 leprosy station





“This is a great memoir by a fine author that helps the reader reflect more deeply on what makes for a good life.”


—Stephen G. Post, author of Dignity for Deeply Forgetful People





“Similar to her previous books about Dr. John Schmidt (Nothing Bad between Us and CALLED), Marlena Fiol manages to again provide a unique and interesting portrayal of this remarkable and flawed (like the rest of us) human being. A Journey Home encourages each of us to summon the courage to confront our own hidden fears in order to find the fullness of God’s grace and love.”


—Franz Duerksen, former medical director, Km. 81 leprosy station





“Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor have once again collaborated to share their latest heavily researched book, A Journey Home, which traces the inner journey of the brilliant and tortured Dr. John, inviting readers to dig deep into an emotional and spiritual exploration of human frailty and strength. A Journey Home is a thought-provoking read.”


—M. Albert Duerksen, retired minister, Mennonite Church Canada





“A Journey Home is the universal story of Dr. John’s inner journey of self-discovery and healing—healing his own wounds of self-righteousness, out-sized ego, pride, defensiveness, fear, and insecurity. It is his journey to humility and self-forgiveness. This ‘God-fearing’ physician who charged into projects and charged through life, ultimately learns the meaning of the biblical admonition he loves and learns what it means to ‘walk humbly’ with his God.”


—Leigh Farrell, former senior program leader, Context International Trainings





“In A Journey Home, Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor bring us along on the tumultuous inner journey of the brilliant and tortured Dr. John as he peels off the layers of his hidden fears to move from anger and self-loathing to forgiveness and peace. It invites each of us to reflect on the protective layers we, too, may need to peel back to find our best selves.”


—Terri Griffith, chair in innovation and entrepreneurship, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University