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Happy March! The days are beginning to get just a little bit longer and most of us have moved to Daylight Savings Time. Slowly but surely those spring flowers are popping through the snow. Right? Right!
Many of you are half-way through your final winter project of the "season" before beginning the long (and just a bit cheaper this year =)) trek home. I'm sure all of your project hosts have said thank-you again and again, but speaking for the Sower Ministry, I'd like to add our heartfelt thanks for a wonderful season of service. While our numbers are down just a bit from last year (but percentage-wise about the same), I know that many tiles have been laid, nails hammered, rooms cleaned, walls painted - well, the list could go on and on. Projects have been blessed, and I trust you have been blessed also! Let's remember that even though our busiest season is drawing to a close, there are still so very many opportunities to serve throughout the year - and many are even close to home! Check out a project in your home state (or neighboring one) this summer and be blessed! If you've been home this winter I hope you have found your ministry niche. If life's circumstances have kept you on the sidelines this winter, may you continue to feel our Lord's arms wrapped tightly around you. We've missed you and hope to see you down the road!
In just a few weeks we share in a time of special reflection - Resurrection Sunday. Yet as believers, we celebrate our Lord's Resurrection and His perfect gift of Life each and every day. My prayer is that you will indeed be renewed as you embrace the wonder of the Resurrection!
Stephanie Conrad, #2509
on behalf of the SOWER Board of Trustees
SOWER Ministry
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Spreading the Word!
Different ways to share the SOWER Ministry
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Word of Mouth
a new SOWER's Testimony
Since retiring in 2005, we've wanted to do some "hands and feet of Jesus" work. But it always seemed like we were too wrapped up in living more for ourselves than for Jesus. Then about 6 years ago a Bible study friend of ours introduced us to Don and Jenny Rasmussen, and they shared their story with us. They were full time RVers and full-time SOWERS. It sounded great, but we still had a mind set of living for ourselves. Then in the summer of 2014, Don said we should do it before I get too old. About that time GOD was speaking to me too(or maybe I just started to listen). My wife and I decided to sell our house and all our stuff! I was letting God lead me through all of this, but Marlene was thinking I was moving a little slow. Several months later, as I was telling friends about our plans of becoming the Hand and Feet of Jesus but was actually doing nothing else about it, Marlene ask me if I thought that someone would just come off the street and buy our house. Well, about Feb or so that is what happened! A young couple stopped by on Sunday and on Monday called with an offer. By Tuesday it was a done deal. On May 11th, God set us free from all our Stuff! ALLELUIA! We became full time SOWERS and love it. We are meeting such great people and doing the work of Jesus. We are on our 6th project and just LIVING A DREAM, and wish we had started 10 years ago. We continue to thank God for his servants, Don and Jenny Rasmussen, and for the blessing of being part of SOWERS!
Ken and Marlene Boggs #3330
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On the World Wide Web
SOWERS was chosen by The Touring Camper website to be featured as their Ministry of the Month for March. Trustees Ken Oliver and Nancy Ragatz participated in a Q&A with one of their editors and also submitted several pictures. Check it out HERE!
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SOWER Booth Items
Does your church have a Mission's Conference or do you know of a local venue (maybe a farmer's market) when different organizations can have a booth? The SOWER office has recently purchased new banners (Vertical - 33" x 96", Horizontal 61" x 35") for use at just that type of event. Contact the office, let them know which one you would like and when you need it, and they'll make sure you have it for your display.
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Business Cards and Brochures
In an effort to standardize all of our marketing pieces, the office also has a fresh supply of a new SOWER business card. It's double sided, with the "RV with a Purpose" graphic on one side and all of the SOWER information on the other. Let the office know how many you would like, and they'll get them on the way to you!
And don't forget about the brochures! They are a great way to get SOWER Ministry information to interested friends and acquaintances. Keep 'em handy - some in the car, some in your Bible, some in your RV - and feel free to leave a small pile (with permission, of course) at your church or favorite campground.
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Never underestimate the power of the SOWER Decal
 We were first-time visitors at a fairly large church while on a SOWER project. As we were walking from the truck to the building, the couple parking next to us called out to us. "Can we ask you about your SOWER decal" "Of course," we replied. "Ask away!" "We just retired and are volunteering at a state park here, but a while back someone mentioned the SOWER ministry to us. Are you SOWERS?" In the time it took for us to walk to the sanctuary, I had given them a brochure (you keep a couple in your Bible, don't you?) and our contact information and told them to give us a call if we could answer any questions. And you know what? They did! We met for dinner one evening, had a great time of fellowship, and by the next time we saw them, they had requested an application from the office and were on their way to becoming Servants on Wheels! Thank you, Lord, for that divine appointment (and that SOWER decal on the back of the truck!). Gary & Stephanie Conrad (#2509)
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You want me to do WHAT??
Trimming Palm Trees in February 2016 at Texas Baptist Encampment (TX-364)
That's Jeff Peace (#3262)and Richard Giles (#3151) up in the bucket!
Photo by Mary Peace
Ann Hawver (2779), Martha Miller (2470), & Mary McLean (2912) peeled cassava at H.E.A.R.T. (FL-427) in Lake Wales. It is called Yuca in some produce stands. Later it was mashed & we rolled it into balls & then it was deep fried. It looked like hush puppies! |
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Recently seen on the SOWER Facebook Group Page
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 Have you stopped by lately? Make sure you've "checked" the Notification box to receive current posts, and PLEASE 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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Thank you, Betty Louise Ferguson for sharing these great photos from the 2016 FL SOWER Rally/Reunion!
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While you're on Facebook, don't forget to check out your favorite projects. Many of our project locations have a Facebook page and it's a great way to stay up to date on the places you love to serve!
If you haven't "LIKED" the SOWER Facebook Page head over there too! It's a great way to spread the word about our ministry.
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ALSO seen at the FL Rally -
 Frank Varga, the SOWER Founding "Father" and holder of SOWER #1 made it to the Florida Rally mentioned in the Facebook article above. He's pictured here with Linda & Bo Johnson, director at Florida Baptist Youth Camp. It was so great to have him there!Ed and Darla Blanks (#2410)
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Dear Sam and Sally
Dear Sam and Sally,
We are getting ready to take our turn at being a Group Leader for the first time, and I have to confess, we're a bit nervous about it. I don't have a lot of construction/mechanical background and am much more comfortable just being a helper. My wife is worried also because not only do we not play games, but we aren't familiar with the area and won't be very good at suggesting things for people to do. Do you have any suggestions for how to make this work for us? Thanks for your help!!!!
Nervous
Dear Nervous,
Thank you so much for voicing your concerns about being a GL. I'm sure you have received the Group Leader Guidelines, and I know that all that small print can be intimidating! Most of those guidelines are there to help make your job easier, not harder! In fact, if you look at #6, it allows you to shift responsibility for a task that you feel is beyond your skill level. "As GL, if you are not comfortable leading a particular work task ask someone who is more qualified (say a skill level #4 or #5) to lead that work task." Once you've assigned someone to head up an area (this applies to both men and women), just check with them regularly to make sure they have everything they need or to see if they have any questions. And for the games schedule, I'd suggest checking to see who DOES like to play games and put them in charge of game night! Sharing the location of the local chamber of commerce or visitors' center is usually enough to get folks started in the "Things to do" area, but it's always a nice idea to keep an eye out for interesting things to see and do. Hopefully everyone will share whatever knowledge they have of an area. Some projects even have a SOWER Box, with church, restaurant, and points of interest recommendations. A couple of tips to have a rewarding GL experience are to make sure everyone is welcome and included, understand that being the liaison between the host and the group does not mean you need to be the 'boss of everyone', and to be flexible. Being GL can be very rewarding, and we pray you'll enjoy your time serving in that way!
Serving our Savior with you,
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.
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Rally Information
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
Whether you're an Alumni, a Seasoned Sower or New to the Family, there's nothing like a Sower Rally to connect with friends old and new and get recharged about the ministry. If you live in close proximity to a SOWER project, let them know you're around! There are often impromptu gatherings of SOWERS happening all around the country all year long! Whether you're camping together or just meeting for a meal at a local restaurant, a SOWER Gathering is always a blessing!
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Phoenix, AZ
Friday, Mar 18
11:00 AM
If you are working or living in the Phoenix area, join us at the Golden Corral in Surprise, AZ (17674 N Litchfield Drive) for lunch. (Come a bit earlier if you'd like to enjoy their breakfast buffet.) We have a room reserved, and everyone is welcome!
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All of us come to the table with different talents and ideas. Some of these ideas are very useful on our projects and we all learn new and different ways to do tasks or use new products. This new feature will highlight these ideas and/or products. The tips would not be limited to maintenance and construction ideas, but can cover all the different facets of being a SOWER - construction, cleaning, painting, landscaping, etc. Submissions should be no longer that 250 words if possible and the Sower submitting the tip will need to agree to use their name and contact information. Bill Myers (3190) has offered to review and edit the submissions.
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SOWING TIPS
A fairly common maintenance item is a door that doesn't shut correctly. Either the door rubs on the jamb or the bolt on the lock won't go in the latch plate. The first instinct in these situations is to grab a block plane to plane the door or to move the latch plate so the bolt goes into it. This would be like when we get sick, we just treat the symptom and don't try to cure the disease. Planing the door or moving the latch might make the door work better for a time, but you have just treated the symptom. The cure is to adjust the door in the opening.
Over time doors have a tendency to sag due to the weight; in particular, exterior doors and solid core doors. The gap on the door should be equal on the latch sides and top; ideally about the thickness of a nickel. The hinge side may be tighter. When the door sags, the gap at top of the side of the door will be too tight or rubbing the latch side jamb. You will also notice the top gap will be uneven and the sometimes it sags enough that the lock bolt won't go into the latch plate. The initial correction to try is as follows:
- Remove two of the hinge screws on the top hinge on the jamb and replace them with 2 ½" to 3 ½" wood screws. You want to screw them into the framing and pull the hinge toward the framing.
- If this doesn't correct it, remove the jamb hinge plate and chisel the wood behind the hinge deeper. This sets the hinge deeper into the jamb so it pulls the door tighter on the hinge side.
- If this doesn't completely resolve it, look at the gap on the lock side toward the bottom. If the gap is too big, then the bottom hinge has moved in toward the framing and needs to be shimmed out. If it is severe enough, you will want to remove the trim to install the shims behind the jamb where the hinge is located. If it is minor, then remove one side of a hinge plate and put some thin shims, like cardboard, behind the hinge plate. This will move the door away from the hinge side jamb.
Most of the time, this will correct a door that has sagged in the opening. There may be cases where the building has shifted causing the problem. In these cases it may be necessary to remove the whole door and jamb and start over to hang it. But in all situations, the block plane is the last resort.
This tip was submitted by Bill Myers 3190. Contact him at rvmyers@reagan.com for more information.
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Do you have a great SOWER Tip? Submissions for this feature can be sent to Bill Myers for consideration - rvmyers@reagan.com
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Spreading the Word
Heading EAST this summer?
We've signed up to go to the
and will have a SOWER booth in their ROW section.
This is a wonderful opportunity to share our ministry, but we will need help! We'll have more information in the months to come, but for right now we hope you'll keep this opportunity in your prayers. We've had one couple volunteer, but we still need more help! Give us a call if you have any questions!
Thanks!
620-653-4703
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Looking to upgrade?
Don't forget to check the Members' Only page for a listing of RV's and related items being sold by our members!
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Prayer Chain
Just a reminder...
The Sower Prayer Chain is to be used for prayer requests or praise for prayers answered. It is not to be used to solicit financial contributions for individuals or projects.
Thank you,
Jerry McGhee, President
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Clicking on the
orange blossom above will take you to the Members Only Page, the February/March Sowergram and the latest updates to our Project Listings (updated weekly).
Feel free to contact the office (M-Th) if you have any questions - they're always happy to help!
903-882-8070
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You're more than a number to us!
But anytime you are contacting the SOWER office please include your SOWER badge number. It's a big help in keeping us all organized!
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Just the Facts
for March 2016
(March 2015)
Number of Active SOWERS*
471 (496)
Number of ALUMNI SOWERS*
131 (129)
Number of SOWER projects requesting SOWER Assistance
102 (99)
Number of SOWER projects receiving SOWER Assistance
48 (52)
Number of SOWERS* requested (Including SOAs)
478 (410)
Number of SOWERS* working (Including SOAs)
152 (166)
*Number of SOWERS always refers to a SOWER "Unit" - whether a couple or a single, not individual SOWERS.
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SOWER Blog Roll
See what other SOWERS are doing around the country!
Jeff and Mary Peace
Don & Jenny Rasmussen
Ed & Patty Soltes
Bob & Billie Wakeman
Gary & Stephanie Conrad
Paul and Juanita Alton
Terry & Alice Burnett
Glenn and Jane Kellenbenz
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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Photo Info/Credits
Header location -
Mission E4 (MA-486), Hubbardston, MA
Betsy McClintick (3213)
Header Group Shot -
Camp Baldwin (AL-420), Feb 2016 Ray & Sharon Mick (570), Mona & Steve Bjorklund (3149), Deb & Les Peel (3128) and Nancy & Chuck Kroll (3267)
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Remember how you were going to write up that God Story for the newsletter?
Or send in that great SOWER photo?
Or share about that unusual job you did at a project?
Well, I'm still waiting!
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Quick Links
To send in a prayer request or praise item-
To contact the office -
903-882-8070
Submissions for the SOWER TIPS go to
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