Rockrohr notes...

Our May newsletter has two main topics: 1. Great family news (like Paul and Stacy’s engagement) and 2. Challenging “budget in the red issues.” We are in a critical time in which our donor base must increase in the coming months to ensure our long-term work in Africa. We plan for Deborah to make a fund-raising trip to the U.S. in June-July to connect with new donors. You are invited to download and read the newsletter available at https://www.rockrohr.net/about-us/newsletter/  Carl

Our eldest son, Paul, and Stacy Menzer became engaged to be married over Easter break. We are so excited for them! They have been dating for some time now and we got to know Stacy pretty well before we moved to South Africa. We are happy to have her join our family. The wedding is planned for December 16th, 2012. Paul is a first year seminary student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne IN. Stacy is in the 2nd year of the four year Doctor of Pharmacy program at Concordia University Wisconsin. They will have to be apart for several months after their wedding during Spring 2013, but they plan to be together permanently starting with Paul’s vicarage and Stacy’s internship Summer/Fall 2013.

Of course we plan to be at the wedding in December! Deb, Ted and I will fly in for about a two week vacation at that time. We have been able to Skype with Paul and Stacy and the other children several times. Communication here in South Africa is a world apart from when we were missionaries 15 years ago in rural Ghana, when letters took 6 weeks, and we had no access to telephones – and of course no internet!  Carl

Please read the latest LTS Newsletter to get a better idea of the thriving ministry we are a part of in South Africa, click here.

Part of Carl’s responsibility at the seminary is to help with seminary communications, specifically the Lutheran Theological Seminary website (www.lts.org.za) , as well as the LTS Newsletter. A lot of wonderful things are happening at LTS including:

• Ordination of three LTS students as Lutheran Pastors
• Two LTS students graduate with post-graduate degrees from the University of Pretoria
• Deaconess Grace Rao (LCMS World Relief and Human Care) and Prof. John Pless (Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft Wayne) visit and teach at LTS
• Prof. Rev. Dr. Werner Klän plans to serve at both LTS and the University of Pretoria (Professor of systematics at Lutherische Theologische Hochschule, Oberursel, Germany)
• Study Group Started on “History of Apartheid and Impact on Confessional Lutheran Churches Working in South Africa”
• $25,000 Matching Funds Grant Challenge for the Seminary

Carl

May the joy of Christ’s resurrection be with all our readers! April 2012 Issue. Also on our newsletter page. Carl