SOWER Ministry Newsletter June 2018
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Greetings!
With the longest day of the year just around the corner, I'm sure your days are full of the things of Summer! Between weddings and graduations, I hope you've found time to splash with the grandkids, reconnect with friends and family and spend some time kickin' back and relaxin'! Whether you're busy working at your home commitments or enjoying the energy of one of our Summer SOWER projects, I hope you've had a chance to read through the June/July Sowergram. As hard as it is to believe it's already time to start sign-ups for the winter months, so get your lottery requests in by July 9th. Also, don't forget about the Trustee elections and the vote on the Constitution change coming up. I hope you've read through the resumes of the 7 folks nominated to serve on the Board of Trustees and all the information about the changes proposed by the Trustees. Both ballots need to be postmarked by July 1st, so don't delay! I encourage everyone to take the time to pray about these nominees and issues and vote. The Board appreciates all who have willingly offered to serve, and rests in the knowledge that the LORD already knows what next year's Board of Trustees will look like. May HE get all the praise and glory!
Don't forget to check out all of the ministry opportunities available this summer. Our northern projects are open and eager for the blessing of having YOU come and serve there!
Resting in His Grace, Thankful for His Mercy,
Stephanie Conrad, #2509
SOWER Ministry
on behalf of the SOWER Board of Trustees
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2018 Trustee Nominees
Ballots need to be postmarked by July 1
Resumes are in the June/July Sowergram
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JULY 1st - Trustee Ballots Due
JULY 1st - Constitution Changes Vote Due
JULY 9th - 2019 Lottery Requests Due
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Midwest Reunion
Sept. 17 - 20
Michindoh Conference Center
(MI-139) Hillsdale, MI
Cost - $85.00/couple
includes your full-service camping site and five meals
Cabins are an additional $25.00
(includes linens, towels, queen-size beds, and a dorm-size refrigerator)
Golf carts may be available for a fee
Contact Emory Rockafellow to register and for more details.
810-869-0825
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MN SOWER Retreat
Sept 17 - Sept 19, 2018
Lake Beauty Bible Camp (MN-523)
Long Prairie, MN
Campground sites $26/night
Loon Lodge or Guest cabin $52/night
Reservations Contact
651-636-8049
cell 612-710-3490
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Western Wound Up!
SOWERs Intentionally Following Jesus Christ
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 is now OPEN!
contact
916.968.0133
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Looking Ahead!
2019 Texas Roundup
Alert Academy TX-410
March 24 – March 27, 2019
Northeast Texas is a natural stopover from winter projects to summer projects. Plan to join us for food, fun, and fellowship next March.
Watch for more information in the months to come. Want to help? Contact
Margaret Gearhart for more details! 970-214-4626
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A Son's Testimonial
Dear Sower Ministry,
My name is Ed Brouwer, and I am the eldest son of Marinus and Grace Brouwer (and a possible future SOWER). My mom and dad have gone through a huge change in their lives and as you know are no longer able to minister along side you all. I thought it prudent to send you a copy of a Facebook post I placed in the early part of this year. You are welcome to use it or any part of it to help people know how to pray for them.
As well PLEASE know how much being part of this unique ministry has meant to them. God bless you for providing them with so many opportunities to minister God's grace and compassion. You may remember my dad by the slogan he had on the back of his RV "To enjoy the future accept God's forgiveness for the past". His membership # is 2674.
Dad wanted me to let you know they will be celebrating 67 years of marriage June 30.
And so our family reaches another season... a first for my siblings and I. We really had no idea of what lay ahead as our parents aged. So when my mom started showing signs of dementia, I had no real experiences to draw upon as to how to help her or dad, her primary caregiver. These last few years have been extremely taxing on my dad (89 in March) - I am so proud of him as he stepped out of his comfort zone to care for mom, especially as Alzheimer's took its toll - mom had multiple strokes and things went down hill quickly.....(just remembered mom's first stroke while ministering in Florida - I made a call to an old friend
Scott Young
in Florida and he drove several hours to visit her) - tearful thanks brother.
So last Friday my brother and sister Rose helped dad get mom settled in her new home..... dang it - wish I had been there to help. First time in 67 years my parents are separated. They fought their way through the post war days, the early immigration to Canada, years of poverty scraping by - dad holding down two sometimes three jobs, hitch hiking to work, getting drinking water in milk cans pulled in a wagon from a farm a mile down a gravel road. They stuck together through many storms and of course having to put up with us four kids (LOL). But this debilitating illness was too much. I realize Mom is in a good place and will be well looked after - I know dad will be okay - his faith in God is his strength - his port of shelter - his hiding place when the emotions overwhelm like waves breaking over the rocks..... so grateful that my parents taught us kids to trust in Jesus - our Lighthouse!
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SOWER Pictures
Our webmaster, Ed Soltes, is facilitating a new webpage (on the Members Only site) for us to share photos.
"
Photo Collections
"
will be used to archive photo collections associated with Sower activity, especially at reunions. This is a work in progress, so please contact Ed Soltes (
ed@soltesweb.net
) for submission instructions, along with suggestions for
its utility and improvement.
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Thank you! THANK you! Thank YOU to all our SOWER Area Representatives‼️ Our Ministry depends on AR's to be our "hands and feet, boots on the ground" ambassadors for our growing number of projects, 180+. Alongside of and under the leadership of VP Nancy Ragatz, the Project Committee has been able to replace retiring AR's, bring on new AR's, and rearrange large geographical areas into more manageable sizes to better serve our projects. If you have been an AR in the past, we appreciate your service. If you are a present AR, thank you for saying YES to the need today and to all our Membership, please be open to the wonderful opportunity that becoming an AR can afford. To meet with project directors, tour their facilities, learn of their heart for Jesus and be their liaison is truly a
blessing! Area Representatives - Keep up the great work!!
Kim Trivilino (3094)
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Dale & I had a great time at the Escapade in Sedalia, MO, earlier this month. SOWERS is a BOF (Birds of a Feather) in Escapees, so we are able to have a table set up on the ROW and visit with the folks walking by about who SOWERS are and how we serve. There were many attendees there who had never been to an Escapade, so we got to visit with many who had not heard about SOWERS. Mil & Linda Sutter (3317) helped us by being at our table 2 of the 4 days. We would all tell you that it's lots of fun to visit and tell others about SOWERS!
Next year Escapade will be in Tucson, AZ, March 17-22, 2019 at the Pima County Fairgrounds. Please be praying about helping with a table there to tell others about SOWERS.
Dale & Cheryl Curtis (3253)
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Seen recently on Facebook
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Thank-you, John, for sharing about your time at Rainbow Acres Ranch (AZ-74). It sounds like you had a very blessed month!
Rainbow Acres asks for 3 SOWERS every month of the year. Right now they have a special need for someone with electrical skills for some electrical projects.
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Have you stopped by lately? We're up over 570 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! Remember this is a "Public Page" and be sure you have permission before you post someone's picture.
If you're a member of Facebook, but haven't joined the SOWER Group, click on the icon to join the family!
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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 at almost 670 "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.
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SOWER Tip!
We have been in SOWERS 20 yrs and have done around 50 projects. We started around 1997. This is how I have stored my photos for sharing, storing and quick reference. Lots taken before cell phones. You can buy folders in photo dept at Walmart for about $1. I put the GL on first page, pictures of each couple next and then pictures of projects being done, etc. A shoebox holds about 25 folders.
Karen Edge #1889
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This month's group shot is from the May group at Kidder Creek Orchard Camp (CA-275)
L to R Cliff & Chris Wheeler #3375, Gary & Genise McChesney #3442 , Gary & Izzie Cremer #3448, and Joe & Diane Beery #3095
(It was the first project for the McChesneys and the Cremers - and only the second project for the Wheelers!)
Photo by Chris Wheeler
Header Photo - Lake at Michindoh Ministries (MI-139) Sandi Barber (3365)
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While we were serving at Camp Bethel in Virginia (VA-33) a local church called and said they had some sweet potatoes if we wanted some we could stop over. This is what we saw when we arrived - 4200 lbs. of sweet potatoes! It seems a pastor has a ministry where he gleans the fields after the harvest. This is only one pile of the over 50,000 lbs. that he delivered to different churches! Had he not taken them they would have been plowed under. God provides in miraculous ways! Thanks for sharing this.
Joyce and Bud Mucha #2986
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BIG Boys and their BIG Toys!
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Dick Howard (2527) and Dwayne Gearhart (3263) were able to "play" with every little boy's dream machinery when they worked at Camp Bighorn (MT-525) last August. They got some work done on the irrigation system too!
Submitted by Margaret Gearhart
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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".
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Clicking on the
Lilacs
above will take you to the Members Page, the June/July Sowergram and the latest updates to our Project Listings (updated weekly).
As of 6/15 the password has changed for the Members Page. The new password is in the hard copy of the Sowergram. If you are "Web Only" you should have received the information in an email.
If you have any questions, please contact the SOWER Office
903-882-8070
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You're more than a number to us, but please make sure to include your SOWER number in ALL your correspondence with the office! Thanks!
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We received our Trustee Ballots with the Sowergram, but we have a question. We are always puzzled about how we can vote for Trustees when we don't know any of them. Can you help with some ideas on how to know who to vote for? Thanks!
That's a really great question! It does seem hard to make an "informed" decision since our membership is spread throughout the country, and the chances of having worked with all the candidates is slim indeed. So where do you start? Well, each resume is full of information, like the total number of projects they have worked and how much experience they have had as GLs. It gives a general review of their "previous lifetime" occupation along with positions they have held in church and para-church organizations. Each candidate attempts to give some insights into their desire to serve the Lord through a position on the SOWER Board of Trustees. While the resumes are no substitute for personally meeting the candidates, it does do a good job of helping to introduce them. If you have questions about anything that they have written,
give them a call!
Taking the time to read over and pray about the information available can make all the difference - and help you make a God-based decision. Thank you for taking the time to vote!
In His Service,
Sam & Sally
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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
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God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)
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