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Greetings!
Isn't October a great month? The crisp fall air seems to be a welcome arrival regardless of where you are in the country. As the temperatures drop and the leaves begin to crunch beneath our feet, many of us are thinking about the upcoming SOWER Winter Season.
 But first, a little recap from the September Board of Trustee meeting that was recently held at the SOWER office in Lindale. We had a great three days of prayer and fellowship and discussion as we reviewed the different concerns you have expressed to various Board members. We tweaked some wording, approved some items that had been "in the pipeline" and just needed final approval, took a careful look at the budget and continued to address some age old problems, including encouraging workers for our Summer projects (always fun to work and always under-served), and how to handle the GL assignment. We will be putting together an on-line survey in the next couple of months to get some input from YOU about how some of these issues should be addressed. It was a good meeting, and I am blessed to be a part of the team! Watch for the complete minutes and committee reports in the January Sowergram.
So enjoy the crisp Fall days - and don't forget to vote on Nov. 6th!
Resting in His Grace,
Stephanie Conrad, #2509
for the Board of Trustees
SOWER Ministry
stephanie@rvthereyet.org
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Spreading the word
After Jim retired in 1990 we got a magazine called Work Camper and worked two jobs. We saw an ad for Sowers in the Work Camper magazine. We had never heard of such a ministry. We wrote to the Sowers office and received the information. Our first project was in January of 1992 at Teen Mission in Merritt Island FL. That was over 20 years ago and we have been blessed working ever since. We can"t imagine what we would have done all those years without Sowers! We have been so thankful working with over 300 different couples. We love to spread the word about Sowers where ever we go. Nine couples have joined the ministry that we told about Sowers!
Jim and Marilyn Linger #488
[Editor's note: Jim and Marilyn have worked 108 projects since that January in 1992. And they're signed up for two projects this winter! Praise the Lord! What a testimony!]
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Upcoming Reunion Information
Whether you're a Seasoned Sower or New to the Family, there's nothing like a Sower Reunion to connect with friends old and new and get recharged about the ministry. Check out these opportunities - and mark you calendars!
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FLORIDA REUNION
Save the date - February 25-27, 2012
Location - Florida Baptist Encampment (FL-143)
Groveland, FL
Guaranteed FUN!
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TEXAS REUNION
Are you going to be working in Texas this winter? The Texas Reunion, traditionally held at ALERT (TX-410)in Big Sandy, is still looking for a "Chair-Couple". Woody and Jerry Epp, who have organized this reunion for many years, have offered to mentor the new Head Guys by sharing their years of experience and serving on a committee to help get this Reunion back on track. Contact the Office or Jeri Epp directly if you'd like more information! |
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Just wanted to drop a line to say thanks......
for accepting us into the SOWER's family and allowing us to serve God through this ministry opportunity. From the moment in 2005 when former SOWER's told us about this ministry to the interview & welcome phone call from the very kind Jenny Rasmussen in June - we have been excited to begin this new journey!
So of course we have to share what a blessing our first SOWER's assignment was! God directed us to respond to an emergency call out to help at YWAM Discovery Bay (WA-438) in Washington for September even though initially our first assignment was 'planned' to be in November! Gladly we responded to His direction and what a treasure we would have missed had we gone with our own plans versus God's!
We arrived at YWAM Discovery Bay to clear blue skies with our jaws dropping at the sight of this beautiful camp to our right and the glistening Puget Sound to the left. John and I were in absolute wonder at how we could possibly be any more blessed with such a location as this! Could it be? YES!
We were indeed in the right place and our adventure was about to begin!
We were initiated into our SOWER's group by longtime leaders Phil and Connie Abbott who were gracious to teach us newbies the SOWER way! (I think we finally learned the song by the last week!). They were so patient with us as we learned to temper work with building relationships! They gave us many helpful tips, taught us new things, and blessed us abundantly. (Also working with us were SOWER's Harley and Marsha Graber - new friends with horseshoe memories!). The Abbots made sure we had the privilege to have dinner with SOWER's alumni Ron & Lois Bridgeford. As we visited together we realized we had couples in their 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's at the table - all serving SOWER's! How fun!  We loved the balance of working hard on our work days with the freedom on our days off to explore the surrounding beauty of the Olympic Peninsula. God's sun truly shone for us as we had about 21 straight days of almost pure blue sky, light breezes, warm day time temps and cool nights. If anyone knows Western Washington at all and especially the coastline, this is almost impossible, but as we know nothing is impossible with God - so our work and play times were even more extraordinary due to these conditions!
The YWAM camp itself is beautiful and peaceful, with great accommodations for SOWER's. The hosts and staff were gracious, inclusive and appreciative of all we did! There was a wide variety of jobs accomplished: remodeling a home, stripping and waxing floors, scraping and painting porches, weeding, general cleaning, making pillow cases, baking, picking fruit and canning applesauce! All was appreciated and extolled over. We felt needed and purposeful! Due to the elbow to elbow work we were involved in (literally!) we quickly made new friendships with the hosts and staff and our SOWER's companions. John and I both were in awe, upon reflection, that SOWER's was everything we imagined, hoped and prayed it would be - and then some!
So, in closing, we thank the SOWER's originator's, the current staff, and all leaders who are mentoring new SOWER's such as us... what an excellent group God has planted us in! We look forward to serving here as long as He has planned for us! God bless each of you for the parts you play and your hard work in keeping this ministry opportunity available so that we may serve....
In His name,
John and Stephanie Hulse
#3204 |
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Dear Sam and Sally SOWER,
Dear Sam and Sally,
I've always wondered why we have to put the full address on the "Emergency Contact" paperwork when we have our initial meeting. Wouldn't just their name and phone number be enough information?
Just Curious
Dear Curious,
That's a great question - and one that I had wondered about too! When I checked it out, this is what I learned. In most cases, having just a name and phone number of an emergency contact is plenty of information. However, in the event of a bad accident or a death (heaven forbid!), having the full address allows the authorities to actually go to the contact's home instead of giving the news over the phone. So while it's rarely necessary, it's a good idea to have that information available.
In Him,
Sam & Sally
Sam and Sally would love to hear from you if you have any questions about the SOWER Guidelines or SOWER etiquette. Contact them at samandsally@sowerministry.org.
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Recently seen on the SOWER Facebook Page -
We are really enjoying serving at Calvary Commission (TX-303), Lindale, TX. The staff and students couldn't be more welcoming and grateful we are here with them. God is working mightily here.
Jenny & Don Rasmussen #2824
 Have you stopped by lately? Make sure you've "checked" the box to receive notifications, and feel free to post pictures and stories from YOUR projects!
And 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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Contributors Needed!
A big thank-you to those who have sent in stories for the newsletter! But we still need more! How about you? Do you have a SOWER related God-Story to share? Have you been changed as a result of working at a project and would like to share your testimony? Maybe you know of a special need at a project that doesn't get much help. We're looking for ideas and articles for upcoming issues.
Love taking pictures?
Do you have a photograph that might work as a "header" for this monthly newsletter? (It will be cropped to 600x125 pixels) Or maybe a favorite group shot that could be included?
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The 2012-2013
SOWER Board of Trustees
Officers
President
Jerry McGhee
Vice President
Stephanie Conrad
Secretary
Ed Shuster
Treasurer
Mal Wall
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SOWERS!
Any question where you park if you work at
Sunshine Bible Academy?
[SD-495]
On SOWER AVENUE of course.
Bob & Billie Wakeman
#3114
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Click on the Fall Leaf to get to the Members Only Page and the most recent PLS.
And if you want to use your "Smart Phone" to get the latest information, check out the new "Mobile Version"!
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Just the Facts
for October 2012
Number of Active SOWERS*
624
Number of ALUMNI SOWERS*
141
Number of SOWER projects requesting SOWER Assistance
113
Number of SOWER projects receiving SOWER Assistance
49
Number of SOWERS* requested (Including SOAs)
573
Number of SOWERS* working (Including SOAs)
95
*Number of SOWERS always refers to a SOWER "Unit" - whether a couple or a single, not individual SOWERS.
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Last Call
The Official Deadline (Sept. 30) has passed, but there is still a little time before registration closes for the year.
[Oh, and if you can't find the original, feel free to download one from the Members' Page!]
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SOWER Blog Roll
See what other SOWERS are doing around the country!
Sower Adventures
Bill and Carol Cairns
Roger's SOWER Blog
Roger & Nola Sorenson
Soltesweb.net
Ed & Patty Soltes
Bob and Billie on the Road
Bob & Billie Wakeman
RV There Yet -
Gary & Stephanie Conrad
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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Have a question or concern for the Board?
If you'd like to contact all the Board of Trustee members at once -
Send an email addressed to the SOWER office with " For the Trustees" in the subject line. Presto - the office staff will immediatly get it on its way to the entire Board. Of course, you are welcome to contact any member of the Board indivudually by phone or email using the information in the roster.
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You're more than a number to us, but ANYTIME you communicate with the office (or a trustee) - either by email or snail mail or voice mail, PLEASE include your full name and your SOWER number. This is especially important if you are requesting a project or making any changes to your personal information. Thanks!
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Helping from Home
Looking for a way to help out a project even when you can't be there in person?
Many of our projects have ongoing needs that you might be interested in helping with. Clicking on the webpage address listed in the on-line PLS should take you right to the ministry's webpage. Many sites have a "donations" tab that will take you to a specific list of needs. You never know when that old cell phone or other household items might be of use! And don't forget to check out their Prayer Needs while you're there!
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Looking for a past issue of the
e-Newsletter?
Check out the ARCHIVE of every issue of this e-Newsletter
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FREE brochures and business cards are available from the office!
Check out ALL the SOWER Merchandise available - On the Member Page or use the newly
revised form at the back of the Sowergram!
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