SOWER Ministry Newsletter February 2018
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Greetings!
Ah, Sweet (short) February! The month of "Love". Do you conjure up visions of chocolate hearts and long stemmed roses? Or maybe it's more of that little tease of spring we sometimes get this time of year (usually just before that March blizzard!). Many of our SOWER family are enjoying their time at the "Sun-Belt" projects (February is traditionally our "most worked" month - there are 157 SOWER couples working at 49 different ministries!), but I know that many are still at home, taking care of the business at hand. I think that during this Love Month it's always good to remember that the Love of our Savior is a VERB and not a noun. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son" for you and for me. May each of you find the grace and strength to keep sharing His LOVE in the days ahead.
 
Oh, How He Loves you and Me!

Resting in His Mercy,
Stephanie Conrad, #2509   
St ephanie@rvthereyet.org
on behalf of the SOWER Board of Trustees
A Family Affair
Submitted by John & Rosie Stoner (2721)
Ok, who said six family members could not work together and have the host ask them to return? Surprised?? Well it is true. Rosie Stoner put her cousins to work as Sowers.  They are Richard Nelson and his wife Pat (3420); Susan Moses and her husband Shannon (3414).
The six of us signed up for our first JOINT project at Camp Westminster (GA-526), in Conyers, Georgia, for the month of January. What a time we had. Ladies painted, painted, and painted with a touch of office work.  Men refurbished old summer cabins into newly updated year round facilities. 
We were blessed with a lot of good weather, a little cold weather and a dusting of snow.  Notice I said a dusting. It was a beautiful day walking to devotions. 
That walk reminded me of a favorite old hymn:
"Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe— now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  
Refrain: Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow,  Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." 
 All the brown of January was bathed in white. 
Westminster is a great place to work. They touch the lives of over 900 kids each summer. The RV sites are beautiful with very strong power.
How did I know it was a success? As I stated, the facility manager (John Veldsema ) asked us to return. Well, he asked the Nelsons and the Moses’ to return, and yes - even the Stoners!
Group photo L-R :Nelsons(3420), Moseses (3414), Nancy Foss (3001), Stoners (2721)
ATTENTION SOWERS
We have signed up again to have an information table on the ROW at the 2018 Escapade in Sedalia, MO May 27-June 1. 
This is a fun time to talk to other RVers about SOWERS and the blessings of serving in this ministry. We are looking for other volunteers to come and enjoy the fun time with us. Let us know if you can help. 
PS -You do not have to be an Escapee to help or even attend! 
Trustee Nominations
By now everyone should have received their  2018 SOWER Trustee Nomination Forms. Please be praying about who you might like to nominate. 

Per our Constitution - 
The candidates must be SOWERS in good standing and have had substantial experience in the SOWER Ministry for at least two (2) years. 

Click HERE for additional information about Trustee Responsibilities.

Don't forget to check with your nominee to secure their permission! Feel free to contact any of the current Trustees if you'd like more information about what is involved. 

All nominations must be postmarked by
 March 15th

We Need Your Help!
The Publicity and Promotions Committee is in the beginning stages of producing an updated SOWER video. And they need YOUR help! They've set up a SOWER Ministry DropBox to start collecting videos and photos from YOU. Contact Gary Conrad - gary@rvthereyet.org - to get all the details on how to upload your items!
Mark Your Calendar!
2018 SE Florida SOWER Reunion
Where:
FL-143 Florida Baptist Youth Camp, Groveland, FL

When:
February 26-28, 2018

Theme: Sharing Jesus

What to expect:  Fellowship, Food and Fun! Concert by McMillans; Uplifting Devotionals; Q&A by Board Members and more!

See the full schedule and other details by clicking HERE!

Opening are still available!
Text or call Ruth Stoll at 727-967-0494 or email wstoll2@gmail.com

Looking forward to seeing you at the Reunion!
Ed Blanks, Chairman;
Bill Stoll, Co-Chairman  
2018 TEXAS
ROUND-UP
The Texas Round-Up is returning to ALERT Academy for 2018

Where:  
TX-410 ALERT Academy, Big Sandy, Texas
54 full hook ups with 50 amp. Large sites. Most sites are pull-thru.

When:
March 25-28, 2018

Cost:  
     $20.00/night camping fee
     1 lunch at $7/person
1 banquet at $12/person

 Nightly fee for those who don’t bring their RV: 
$70.00/night Dorm room with a private bath
 $60.00/night Dorm room with a shared bath

Registration is NOW OPEN
  970/214-4626 

See you in March!

SAVE THE DATE
September 17-20, 2018 Aldersgate Retreat Center (OR-320) Turner, OR. 

Costs include 4 days/3 nights will be as follows (includes 2 lunches and 3 dinners):

         Full hookups - $60
         Dry Camping - $50
         Lodging - $75

Registration information will be in the March Newsletter!

contact
The Midwest Reunion is in the works! 
Sept. 17 - 20
Michindoh Conference Center
(MI-139) Hillsdale, MI

Want to lend a hand? Help is always needed as plans are coming together.
Have an idea for a fun activity or a way to help make the gathering memorable? Suggestions are welcome!

More details will be coming in the months to come.
Contact Emory Rockafellow for more information!
810-869-0825

Thinking about organizing a SOWER gathering but don't know where to start? The Board of Trustees has put together some Rally Tips to help get your ideas going. Check them out on the Members Page , under "Other Useful Information".
Seen recently on Facebook
Thank you, Peggy, for sharing this special memory you made with "Seasoned SOWERS" Stan and Carlie Buttrick (#327). Stan & Carlie have been active SOWERS since 1990, and have worked at over 125 projects! It's so great to see them still out there serving our LORD through SOWERS!
Have you stopped by lately? We're up over 500 members in our FB group, and there is always good sharing of project news and happenings. Make sure you've "checked" the Notification box to receive current posts, and PLEASE post pictures and stories from YOUR projects!

If you're a member of Facebook, but haven't joined the SOWER Group, click on the icon to join the family!
While you're on Facebook, don't forget to check out your favorite ministries. Many of our partner ministry locations have a Facebook page and it's a great way to stay up to date on the places you love to serve!

We're over 600 "Likes" on the SOWER Facebook Page ! If you haven't already given it your thumbs-up,  head over there now! It's a great way to spread the word about our ministry. 
This month's group shot is from the September 2017 project at Trout Lake Camp (MN-371) in Pine River, MN
L-R -Ron & Cheryl Haden (#3391)
Bonnie & Mike Griffin (#3264)
Deb & Walter Brenneman (#3413)

The header picture is from the Texas Hill Country.

SOWER Blog Roll
See what other SOWERS are doing around the country! 
Jeff & Mary Peace
Ed & Patty Soltes
Bob & Billie Wakeman
 Gary & Stephanie Conrad
Paul & Juanita Alton
Don & Jenny Rasmussen
Terry & Alice Burnett
 Wayne & Gail Fieler
Ken & Deb Long
Robert & Shana Carman

  Do YOU have a Blog you'd like to share? Send me the link, and we'll add it to the "Blog Roll". 
Clicking on the 
Valentine Rose above will take you to the Members Only Page, the February/March Sowergram and the latest updates to our Project Listings (updated weekly).

If you have any questions, please contact the SOWER Office  
 903-882-8070
Dear Sam and Sally,
Dear Sam and Sally,
I recently noticed that our SOWER Facebook Group is a “Public” group. Does that mean that anyone can see and comment on it? Do I need to be careful what I post?
Part of the Group, but concerned.

Ah – such a good question. The SOWER Facebook GROUP is indeed a “Public” group. In the Facebook world that means that anyone can see the group, its members and their posts. However, only members of the group can post things or make comments. Folks must ask to join and be approved by an administrator. Membership is restricted to SOWERS (either active or alumni), project hosts that request to join or couples that have expressed an interest in SOWERS and have asked to join to learn more about the ministry. Although it’s fine to share project names, you might want to check with fellow SOWERS about sharing their names. Just like all social media, however, it is not appropriate to share any personal information about either people or places. But please feel free to share the blessings of being a SOWER with this Group. It’s all about building community!

We also have our Facebook PAGE, which is a totally public page and is used more for promoting the ministry than for sharing SOWER stories. That is page that ANYONE (and the more the merrier) can “Like”.

Hope that helps! We'd encourage you (if you're on Facebook) to be a part of both! The SOWER Group to stay connected with friends, and the SOWER Page to help us promote the ministry. Stephanie Conrad is currently the FB administrator, so feel free to contact her with any questions or insights you might have.  
 
Blessed to be in the SOWER Family,
 
Sam & Sally
  
Do you have a question about SOWER policy or etiquette? Sam and Sally would love to hear from you! Contact them at - samandsally@sowerministry.org.  
To send in a prayer request or praise item-
 
To contact the office -
903-882-8070  

To submit something to the newsletter, send it to

To submit a SOWING TIP, send an email to
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV