What's Up, Sowers Family?

It’s time for a Sowers family update. These are always fun and it’s particularly enjoyable to listen to Trish mentally check off each family member to be sure she hasn’t missed anyone. In case you’re doing your own mental checklist, you will find the name of each family member in bold print.

Boo and Sam

Bethany (Boo) is getting married in September. That is blogworthy in its own right, but it’s smack-dab in the middle of the backpack collection trip. Plans are currently underway to figure out how to get Allen and Russell down the West Coast and across the country, to drop off backpacks in Maryland in time to fly to Florida for the wedding. The goal is to not have Allen and Russell cruising down the road in a Penske truck full of backpacks when they should be at the wedding. After the wedding, Russell will return to Honduras and Allen and Trish will fly to New Hampshire to start the next leg of the trip.

Kirstin with her hospital
co-workers. Do you know
which one is Kirstin?

Kirstin has completed her Bachelors of Nursing degree, and is currently taking a break from classes - she's just working. Chris (Gus) and Bethany are continuing to do well in nursing school. The three healthcare minded Sowerses have been living together in the apartment they dubbed “The Nursing Home”.

Chris and Bethany with fellow nursing students

Ben working outside at the grill,
on a rather bright day!

Ben is living at home this year and getting real-world experience as a working man. He’s enjoying his new job, cooking on a barbecue grill at a local restaurant. He's officially the head cook - and also the face of the restaurant, since he does his cooking out in front of the building!

Iris, at her recent birthday party

You already know about Russell's work in the ministry. You may not know that Iris has started taking classes at a local university. Iris also regularly handles some ministry responsibilities, including overseeing sales at the Bible bookstore and handling the distribution of food for the feeding centers.

The Sowers family has a long history of including their young children in what they are doing.  When Russell was RJ’s age, Allen used to take him to work sites with him on occasion. Now, it is Russell’s turn to take RJ to his “work sites”. That means RJ sometimes gets to go along with teams as they visit schools and feeding centers. Abby even gets to go along, occasionally! Russell and Iris are doing an amazing job of training them up in the way they should go! Trish explained that they’ve always thought it was good to have the kids involved in adult life whenever possible. It’s even more important when the family business is missions.

Russell and Abby oversee a VBS program in Quelacasque

Rachel is plugging away with her own ministry, over in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Rachel, Brandy, and Nathan currently have six college girls living with them. Through donations, Rachel and Brandy are supporting those young women as they get their education. The education is basically free, but Rachel and Brandy are providing food and shelter. More importantly, they are providing emotional and spiritual support. Their goal is to provide them with a healthy home, where they can grow spiritually while they live away from home and go to college. One of the extra challenges they’ve faced this year has been that the teachers have been on strike a lot, so classes are frequently canceled.

College students from Rachel's ministry, in costume
for a visit to a shelter for abused women and children

Finally, Allen and Trish are doing well, keeping busy with all the normal ministry work. Trish is continuing to work on writing her book as time allows.

- posted by Christi

Oh - and here's a photo of RJ, just because we don't want him to feel left out . . . and also because he makes the BEST faces, when people are taking pictures of him.