Radio Interview

Carl is scheduled to be interviewed live from South Africa on KFUO 850 AM Lutheran Radio (St. Louis area) on the “His Time Morning Show” hosted by Rev. Randy Asburry, October 2, 8:30 am (Central Standard Time). If you are not in the St. Louis area you can listen to the interview on streaming audio at http://www.kfuoam.org/on-demand/live-stream/.

Archives of the interview will also be posted at http://www.kfuoam.org/category/his-time/

Newsletters

Our October newsletter is available at http://www.rockrohr.net/about/newsletter/

You are also invited to read the LTS News, the newsletter of our seminary. Deborah has an article entitled “What is a Deaconess?” in the newsletter. It is available at http://www.lts.org.za/lts-newsletter/

Carl

Dear Friends, Deborah’s surgery went well today. We anticipate she will be released from the hospital tomorrow. We will remain in Redford, Michigan for several weeks for her recovery. For more details of her surgery and recovery, please see our latest newsletter at http://www.rockrohr.net/about-us/newsletter/ . Thank you for your prayers. Carl

Our latest newsletter gives an update on Deborah’s health, her surgery scheduled for July 27th and our time in the U.S. for her recovery. Some days she is having a lot of pain which we pray the surgery will address, we appreciate your prayers. In Christ, Carl   Link to newsletter page.

An audio recording of Carl’s sermon from June 24 based on 1 John 1:7 is posted. He was the guest preacher at Arcadia Lutheran, which is the mission congregation that meets on the seminary campus. There are people from all over South Africa, other African countries, and even from around the world that worship there. As part of the teaching on God’s creation and sustaining of fellowship of His people, Carl took a quick survey of mother-tongue languages present at that worship service. There were fourteen languages present. You can listen here or go to the Semons page of the website.  Apple friendly mp3 file here.

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LCMS GEO Missionary Ginger Taff-Lagergren shares her insights about the training of pastors at Lutheran Theological Seminary, where Carl and Deborah work. She spent 3 months helping at the seminary and got to know students and instructors alike. She shares her impressions of the value of LTS for training pastors for Africa. LINK TO VIDEO

Our Lutheran Theological Seminary newsletter, LTS News, is posted. Interesting articles and a lot of photos too. The newsletter page is at this link or direct download from here: http://www.lts.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/LTS-News-June-2012.pdf

Our June Newsletter is available for download on our Newsletter page. Topics include: “Deaconess Insights: Mercy in the City” and “What happens when you move to Africa?”

Photos of “Deaconess Insights:Mercy in the City” are posted below. Carl

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After a full semester of learning in the classroom about mercy and the work of the deaconess, the LTS deaconess class visited the work of Tshwane Leadership Foundation (TLF) in the heart of the city of Pretoria. TLF is a pan-Christian organization that focuses its work in the areas of women and girls at risk; homelessness; community development; health & child care; inner city housing; and economic development, all from a decidedly Christian and gospel-focused perspective. Our tour guide, Win, has been involved with TLF since its beginning in 1993. Traveling with us in a mini-bus that we had chartered for the excursion, Win took us all over central Pretoria for a first-hand look at the various mercy projects of TLF and also gave us an in-depth perspective on the needs and challenges of such a mercy ministry.

Upon return to campus, we spent a few minutes debriefing in the classroom. It was apparent that the experience was very moving for the students. It also helped them to begin to think concretely about their future work as deaconesses. Here are some written comments from each of their field trip reports:

• “We need to teach the teachers and children the Word of God, to pray, worship and praise Him, because God is the one who cares and protects our lives.”
• “My impression is that the people [of TLF] did well to have so many people that they are taking care of. Also, there is more need to take care of these people.”
• “My understanding of theology for mercy is that these people need not only physical care but also spiritual care, to seek God and all His righteousness first before everything they need.”
• “I was impressed by the love people extend to those people in need.… I was very much motivated by the orphans and knowing that they should be loved by somebody somehow.”
• “It helps me to think that as a deaconess I should be merciful to others as our Father is merciful to us.”
• “God wants all to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved; and if the neighbor or anyone is still in need there is still work to be done.”
• On seeing the ministry to street people, one student saw their primary need as “food because they are staying in the roads, no place for them to cook. I reacted very ashamed, my heart was touched.”
• “What I have learned is that as Christ is merciful we should be merciful to others and what I have seen today is that not just providing the needs to the people also the teachings on that nature, meaning and purpose of Gospel to the women. They are also teaching the Word of God, connecting/building a relationship with God so that the women can be counseled through the Word of God while God was their Potter from the beginning, now and forever.”
• “It hurts as I was watching on the way even the older people, some are using the streets to prepare where they can sleep, take shower etc.”
• One student was impressed with “how the organization is able to extend its hand to reach out to the lives of many people with many different life challenges and still have the [resources] to do more in terms of reaching out.”

by Deaconess Deborah Rockrohr

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25 years ago today Deborah and I were married. (23rd of May). She was a stunning woman then and still is today!

Deborah was already a deaconess when we became engaged, and that calling from God has stayed in her mind and heart all these years. Some years she has not had a formal call as a deaconess and other years she has.

In these past months she has been hard at work as a deaconess: training deaconess students at LTS, meeting with women from Lutheran churches in South Africa, assisting the Church Council of the Lutheran Church in Southern Africa and the Board of Directors of LTS, all the while being a mother and wife. The Lord is good to us!

Deborah will be in the U.S. June 15 – July 18 to continue fund-raising for our missionary budget in South Africa. We will soon post a schedule.

(link to larger photo 25 years ago this photo of Deborah was displayed in the front store window of Lueders Studio in Cape Girardeau, MO)

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