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My dad, Art Schmor (1938–2021)
- My dad, Art Schmor, passed away on September 12, 2021, at the age of 83. You may have read this already in a special prayer request I sent out in September. This continues to be a difficult and sad time of mourning for our family. Please pray for our Mum (Irma Schmor), as well as Shelly, Kameron, and I; my siblings; their families; and numerous other family members and friends. The turnout for Dad’s memorial service on September 21 was overwhelming, and we felt incredibly supported. If you’re interested in seeing the slideshow that was shown during the visitation, please go to – https://youtu.be/Li6ibX61njs. Thanks for your prayers for us.
- After 18 months of not traveling for the NAB Gateway ministry, new opportunities continue for upcoming travel during November and January. Please pray as I travel to:
- Avon, South Dakota – First Baptist (supporting church visit)
- Chicago, Illinois – The Branch Community (supporting church visit)
- Also, please pray for upcoming family travels to Oklahoma City (wedding) and Tulsa, Oklahoma, (Thanksgiving).
- Prayers for a blessed holiday season with family and friends! (I pray the same for all of you!)
- Financial and prayer support for myself and the Gateway ministry – Many of you have been faithful and longtime supporters of myself (my family) and Gateway, and honestly, it has been quite some time since I’ve asked for prayers in this area. But, I do need to share that my financial support has gone down over the past number of years, and I would be very grateful if you or your church might consider raising your level of financial support for my service with Gateway as we head into 2022. Thanks for considering, and please let me know if you have questions about this need.
Praises
- Safe and successful travel over the months of September/October.
- Shoulder surgery recovery – I did get the ‘green light’ to return to full activities! Thanks for praying!
- Kameron successfully completed his move back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from Dallas, Texas! He’s still with Spirit Airlines and is now based out of Chicago, Illinois. We’re excited to have him closer to home!
In Durres, Albania, with ministry partners from North Macedonia.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, travel for my ministry with NAB Gateway has been non-existent for the better part of 2020 and 2021. That all changed in a big way over these past two months as I’ve been able to get back out ‘on the road again.’ But it hasn’t been easy; COVID protocols are different depending on the country, and you have to be vigilant in keeping yourself updated on the latest testing, vaccination, and masking requirements on airlines and out in the general public. But despite all of these challenges, I can tell you that to date I’m six for six in negative COVID tests! (Never thought I’d be ‘proud’ of something like that!)
Anyway, here’s some quick updates on each of the Gateway ministry trips I asked for prayer about in my last newsletter:
- Redeemer Baptist in Oakdale, Minnesota – supporting church visit. I had to cancel this trip due to my father’s passing and memorial.
- Missio Nexus Mission Leaders Conference and Standards of Excellence in Short Term Mission Introductory Workshop (co-teaching) in Dallas, Texas – I wasn’t able to attend/teach at this event due to dad’s memorial, but I caught some of the conference online.
- CHE EuroNet Gathering and Sister Church Partnership Orientation (teaching) in Durres, Albania – This was an amazing gathering of 70+ Community Health Evangelism ministry leaders from 8–9 different countries across Central Europe and the Balkans. Very encouraging time of networking, connection, and encouragement. I was also able to teach Gateway’s Sister Church Partnership Orientation (translated into three languages) to 30+ of these leaders. Most of these leaders are potential Sister Church Partners in Roma communities for which I’m looking for partners in North America (or even elsewhere). Maybe that could be YOUR church!
- Partner visits and MEK (CHE) Annual Board Meeting in (Hatvan, Veroce, Budapest) Hungary – A full day’s face-to-face MEK board meeting with this diverse group was really great and refreshing after so many virtual meetings. It was also great spending time with some of Gateway’s Host Receivers from past teams (Zsoka, Gyula, Peter) and reconnecting with them after a number of years. Many opportunities for Gateway Sister Church Partnerships and Mission Teams continue in Hungary.
In Budapest, Hungary, with long-time ministry partner, Peter Barbarics.
- Crosspointe Christian in Grosse Pointe, Michigan – Sister Church Partnership Orientation – Crosspointe has been a long-time participant in a Sister Church Partnership in Paraguay, and it was great to share Gateway’s orientation with familiar and newer leaders at this church as they consider continued involvement as a sister church.
- Herreid Baptist in Herreid, South Dakota – supporting church visit – I’m grateful for the faithful prayers and support for myself and the Gateway ministry that churches like Herreid Baptist continue to offer and provide. It was great to be a part of their Harvest Mission Festival Sunday!
- NAB Alberta Baptist Association Mission Conference (GEM) and Short-Term Mission Leader Workshop (teaching) at West Meadows Baptist in Edmonton, Alberta – The GEM (Greater Edmonton Mission) event brings together many churches in this region and creates a great opportunity to share about the opportunities Gateway offers in Sister Church Partnerships and Mission Teams. It was a great networking opportunity. I’m also grateful for the opportunity I had to bring the message at West Meadows Baptist (the conference host church) on Sunday morning.
Friends, thanks for your continued interest, participation, and support in the ministry of Gateway. And as the Lord leads, I’d ask that you consider raising your interest (by participating as a sister church or on a Mission Team), your participation (by allowing me to introduce your church to the idea of Sister Church Partnership or Mission Team involvement), or your support (please, by considering an increase or by beginning to give to my ministry with Gateway). Thank you!
For the Kingdom,
Randy Schmor