What does it mean to be CALLED? As I discussed in this week’s YouTube episode, we all have different notions of what it means to find our calling.

Today, Ed and I are excited to introduce you to the main character in our upcoming historical novel CALLED: Dr. John R. Schmidt.

John grew up on a farm in a poor Low-German Mennonite community in central Kansas. Even as a child, he knew he wanted to do something more. Something important. Exciting. Something that would be of service to his Lord and to those in need.

Little did John realize that his dream to do “something more” as a kid would mean that he’d spend his life as a medical pioneer in the backwoods of Paraguay; and that medical experts around the world would recognize him as revolutionizing the treatment of a dreaded disease called leprosy.

But the journey from bare-footed Kansas farm boy to world-renown is fraught with obstacles, which John confronts with dogged perseverance that often verges on madness. Even in the face of intractable opposition, his stubborn righteousness – layered over a deep sense of worthlessness – drives him to tackle the seemingly impossible. His wife Clara quietly supports him in deflecting and overcoming one hurdle after another, while Ana, a fiercely passionate Argentinian woman, haunts John like demons, propelling him toward ever-greater risk-taking.

Will John’s calling lead to a life of fulfillment?

Stay tuned for upcoming character reveals and other exciting events in the lead-up to the release of CALLED!