Esmond native serves as missionary in Lima, Peru
BY RICHARD PETERSON
Esmond, North Dakota and Lima, Peru could hardly be more different, but an Esmond native and her family call both places home and they like both. Stephanie Pace and her family visited her parents, Richard and Eileen Vetter at Esmond the past couple weeks.
She and her husband, Andy Pace are missionaries in Lima, where Andy was born to Tom and Carolyn Pace, who have been missionaries there for 42 years. It's a family undertaking. Andy is the superintendent or headmaster of La Molina Christian School in Lima, which has 252 students in pre-school through high school. Stephanie teaches multiple subjects, including high school math and science and a life management course. Andy's mother is a sixth grade teacher and his father is on the board of directors of the school.
The public school system in Peru is not well-regarded. As a matter of fact it's second to last behind Haiti in the Western Hemisphere. As a result there are many private schools and La Molina is one of them. Parents of the students have to pay tuition to send their children to La Molina for a Christian education. The education is also bilingual in Spanish and English. The school has a staff of about 35 Peruvians -- security, administrative personnel and teachers. There are a number of American teachers at the school who raise their own funds for living expenses in Peru.
Students are eager to learn because it has been drilled into them by their parents that education is the key to a better life. High school students have about an hour and a half of homework daily and no study halls at La Molina. The school's students are multi-national.
Although 80 percent of the students are Peruvians, students come from 15 different countries. Lima, you see, is a big city. An estimated 10 million people live there. It's also the capital of Peru and a seaport on the Pacific, so it's a hub of commerce and a good number of foreign nationals live there. It's located on a desert in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It's also on the San Andreas Fault, and is prone to earthquakes.
A major earthquake hit Lima on Aug. 15, 2007. The ground shook for two minutes and registered eight out of 10 on the Richter scale. More than 500 people died. In a two week period, volunteers coordinated by their church built 38 two-room wooden shelters for people who had lost their homes. They also helped in the distribution of food and water to the survivors.
Most of the homes in Lima are built of bricks or concrete because they can stand up to earthquakes better than other construction materials.
The Paces live in a very nice brick home in the La Molina District of Lima. They don't need heat or air conditioning because the climate is tempered by the Pacific. The lowest temperatures are in the 50's and the highest are generally in the 80's, although it has registered in the 90's on very hot days. Lima is built on a desert and rain is very rare.
A huge city like Lima has many neighborhoods. The area the Paces live in is very nice with city water and sewer. But a few miles away there are slums with no city infrastructure. The Paces have a cistern to supplement city water and that water is pumped to a tank at the top of the home, where it can be tapped and flow by gravity to where it is desired. Mechanical dishwashers are virtually unheard of. Clothes dryers are rare. Lima is a place of contrasts: supermarkets, open markets, Starbucks and slums. Imported items are fairly expensive.
Homes are not built to keep the outside weather out, as they are in North Dakota. As a result the wind blows sand and dirt into the houses and there's a lot more cleaning work to do. There's also a lot more effort put into cooking. There are few pre-packaged items. They can buy fresh fruits and vegetables at supermarkets or at open air markets and these have to be washed, cleaned and cooked. The extra work is frequently handled by hired domestic help.
The school also has more help than it would need here because of the extra work required cleaning and cooking. This isn't a bad deal because more employment is provided and the domestic help and their families are exposed to Christianity.
Stephanie was educated at the Esmond School through the 10th grade and graduated from Sunshine Bible Academy in Miller, SD in 1989. She went on to Pensacola (Fla.) Christian College, where she met Andy and they were married in August of 1993 at the large and imposing Vetter farm home half a mile east of Esmond. Both were majoring in broadcasting. She graduated in 1993 and he graduated in 1994. After graduation she worked at a radio station and he worked at a cabinet shop.
In 1995 they joined the mission board and began raising funds to become missionaries in Lima. They come under the umbrella of the Association of Baptist World Evangelism. After a little over a year of fund-raising they arrived in Peru as a missionary team in December of 1996. Before they left, however, Stephanie had to attend a Spanish language school for three months. Andy didn't need to attend the school because he was already fluent in Spanish.
Every three to four years the Paces return to the US to visit and to raise funds. A number of churches commit to monthly support. Among them are the Bethany Evangelical Free Church of Esmond and the Calvary Evangelical Free Church of Rugby. The Paces speak at these churches to give reports of their activities and their hopes. Among their hopes is to establish the first Christian university in Peru. They're committed to be missionaries for life.
They're also active in the New Life in Christ Church in Lima, which has a congregation of about 650.
The Christian school and the church go hand-in-hand. The school is the hub of family social activity. Family values are pretty much intact, Andy says. "The people have a high interest in education and social life pretty much revolves around the school," he added. There are virtually no discipline problems and parents take a keen interest in school activities. Parents and grandparents come to school activities and hear the Christian message. There are many instances of three generations of people being saved because the children attend the school. The children, parents and grandparents are also steered to the church.
The Paces are impressed by the Peruvian lifestyle. Relationships are more important than efficiency. The concept of time is quite different than in the US. There is no such thing as a strict schedule. "If you want people to arrive at 7 p.m., you should request them to be present at 6 p.m.," said Stephanie. "And you should never set a time limit as to how long they should stay."
The Pace children, Jason, 10, Alyssa, eight, and Raquel, six, attend La Molina School from March through December. January and February are the summer months. "We build sand castles on the beach at Christmastime," Andy says.
They keep in touch with family and friends in the US through the Internet. Their e-mail address is aspaceperu@aol.com. The Paces will be returning to Lima May 16. "The whole purpose of our going to Lima is to share the hope of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ," said Andy. They'll be taking that message to the Calvary Evangelical Free Lutheran Church in Rugby on Sunday, May 11 at the 9:30 a.m. Sunday school and the 10:30 a.m. worship.

Esmond native Stephanie Pace and her husband, Andy are pictured with their children in front of their home in Lima, Peru. Left to right are Raquel, six, Jason, 10, and Alyssa, eight. Stephanie is the daughter of Richard and Eileen Vetter. The Paces are missionaries in Peru.

March Madness
The Leeds fifth graders used the NCAA men's basketball tournament as a fun way to learn. They filled out brackets, picking the winners. Paige Johnson was the class winner -- even beating out Mr. Swanson's picks. The students were in charge of looking up the locations of each college team and placing a sticker on its location on a map in the classroom. The students also got to use the computer lab to do some research on a team they chose that they thought would go the farthest in the tournament. They then made a PowerPoint collage with the team's name, mascot, record, location and leading scorer.
Students also used their math skills to figure out all of the team's win and loss percentages! Pictured are Sara Galbraith and Kalvin Slaubaugh as they made PowerPoints on the two teams who played in the national championship game.

Leeds Mini-Society
The third, fourth and sixth grade classes at the Leeds School participate in Mini-Society, an economic program that encourages young entrepreneurs in their own mini-society business. As a culmination they attended a "Mini-Society Round-up" to spend their profits. They bought items at auction, played cowboy bingo and raced a stick horse relay. Seated, left to right, are Ricky Jorgenson, Lane Ritterman, Paige Johnson and Taylor Bisbee. Standing are Kaylee Lybeck and Jessica Peterson.

Best dressed winners were, left to right, front row, Dalton Onerheim and Carley Baker. In the middle row are Shelby Jorgenson, Alyssa Anderson, Annie Jorgenson and Richelle Darling. In the back row are Austin Thorp and Kaylee Lybeck.

Dallas Johnson third in golf meet
Dallas Johnson, a senior at the Leeds High School, placed third in the Dunseith golf meet held May 1. Dallas had two scores of 48, making her total score a 96. Kristi Black of Rugby placed second with a score of 93 and Chelsea Azure of Dunseith placed first with a 91. Dallas is the daughter of Richard and Roxanne Johnson of Leeds.

Earns scholarship
Stephanie Harkness of Leeds, a sophomore enrolled in marketing at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, was a recipient of the Albert and Janet Wood Endowment. She is the daughter of Billy and Michelle Harkness. The endowment was established for students seeking business or office management degrees. Left to right are Michelle Harkness, Albert Wood, Stephanie Harkness and Billy Harkness.

Math fair at Leeds
Eight careers were represented at the Math Fair held at the Leeds High School on April 11. In an effort to improve student concept of how math measurement is used in everyday life, the Leeds Math Committee organized a Math Fair. Local professionals were invited to demonstrate to approximately 80 students in grades 6-12 how they use math skills, especially measurement, in their work. The presenters were Pam Blegen, pharmacist; Marie Fragodt, physical therapist; Jim Fragodt, veterinarian; Tami Nelsen, EMT/paramedic; Jane Brown, custom drapery; Brad Held and Renae Larson, representing Golden Plains Foods; Darrell Ringenberg, electrician; and Kathy Benson, artist.
Above, Jim Fragodt gives a talk on using math in his work. Left to right, front row, are students Kyle Britsch, Dustin Paulson, Cameron Leibfried, Denage Braaten and Daniel Luhman. Back row: Anthony Kaisler, Mr. Moser, Kayla Bingham and Steve Hausmann.

Brad Held gives a presentation using math talk to, left to right, Logan Gunderson, Matthew Swanson, Derek Gullickson and Brady Blazer.

Poppy poster contest
The Theo. A. Togstad American Legion Auxiliary Unit 123 of Maddock sponsored a Memorial Day poppy coloring contest for students in grades 1, 2 and 3 at the Maddock School. First, second and third place winners in each grade received $1 and all the other students each received 50c. All participants were given a poppy and a six-inch ruler with the printed words, "Don't Do Drugs -- Make It Your Rule" on one side and the other side has the US Flag with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
The colored poppy pictures will be displayed in the Maddock School lunchroom.
Memorial Day poppies for the American Legion Auxiliary are made by hospitalized veterans. They are distributed to the public prior to Memorial Day and all donations received are used to benefit American veterans.

First grade winners were, left to right, Abigail Grossman, first place; Samuel Hill, second place; and Talissa Aabrekke, third place.

Second grade winners were, left to right, Kerringten Lee, first place; Greta Duren, second place; and Zachary Hill, third place.

Third grade winners were, left to right, Hannah Pierson, first place; Emily Sears, second place; and Akela Knatterud, third place.

Receives toolbox
Neil Thomas Donnelly, a sophomore automotive technology student at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake has been named the recipient of the Harley and Viola Summers Toolbox Scholarship. He is a 2006 graduate of Devils Lake High School. Harley and Viola Summers established an endowment to benefit vocational students. One of the Lake Region's leading businesses got its start in 1965 in Harley's blacksmith shop when he purchased the patent for Goebel Brothers truck hoists. That investment was the springboard for a wide variety of agricultural technology innovations. The toolbox is awarded annually to students enrolled in the Automotive Technology Training Program. Left to right, front row, are Deb (Summers) Anderson, Larry Summers, Neil Donnelly, and parents Carol and Tom Donnelly of Devils Lake. In the rear are instructors Rick McAllister and Randy Olson.

HAMC honors many volunteer workers
The Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon for the Heart of America Medical Center Volunteers was held April 17 at the First Lutheran Church in Rugby. In the past fiscal year, 128 volunteers recorded over 9,300 hours at the Haaland Home, Acute Care, Long Term Care and Hospice.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to Irene Hager of Rugby for her many years of service to the Heart of America Medical Center. Irene began volunteering in 1984, working in many areas of the hospital, nursing home and Haaland Home. Currently Irene is greeter at the hospital Thursday afternoons. She also works at the Haaland Home every Friday as the beauty shop receptionist, which includes getting residents to their hair appointments on time, cleaning eye glasses and serving coffee. Irene takes down the old calendars in the residents' rooms at the end of the month and puts up the new monthly calendars at the Haaland Home. She also assists with fund-raising projects for HAMC.
Margaret Wittmayer received an award for 5,000 hours of accumulated service to the Heart of America Medical Center. She currently serves as vice president of the auxiliary board and other areas of service include tabulating volunteer hours, co-managing the gift shop, assisting in the office, delivering papers and assisting with fund-raising projects. EldaMae Tuchscherer and Lillian Massine received 2,000 hour plaques.
EldaMae has been volunteering since 1995 and currently is a greeter, works with the craft club, is a gift shop sub, assists with bingo and helps with fund-raising projects. Lillian has volunteered since 1996 and works with the craft club, cross stitches pictures for raffles, embroiders dishtowels for the bazaar and gift shop and helps with fund-raising projects.
Gayle Schneibel received an award for the most volunteer hours for the fiscal year with 602 hours. Mary Cichos received the award for the most accumulated hours at 5,388.
Volunteers receiving 50 hour pins were Betty Hoffert, Janet Miller, Laurie Odden, May Sorlie, Evie Piper, Ann Marie Richard and Marie Selensky; 100 hour certificates went to Dave Cichos, Harriet Kreklau, Barb Lee, Earl Loken, Ileen Moen, Arlyne Rothschiller, Edie Wurgler and one anonymous individual; 200 hour certificates went to Joyce Meier and Joan Bosch; 300 hour certificates went to Monica Grove, Helen Hawk, Eileen Jaeger, Barb Larson, Guynell Meyer, Karen Schilke and Marion Schmaltz; 400 hour certificates went to Delores Johnson, Joanne McCarty, Tommy Moller and Dianne Montonye; 500 hour certificates went to Judy Axtman, Marlene Schaan and Kathryn Volk; 600 hour certificates went to Arlene Allan, Mildred Ingebo, Agatha Mattern, Sam Thomas and Frank Volk; 700 hour certificates went to Deb Hoffert, Beverly Ann Paul, and DeeDee Bischoff; 800 hour certificates went to Delores Berg, Leila Lehmann, Florence Vetsch and Marge Heilman; 900 hour certificates went to Sid Nelson and Arlene Schmaltz; 1,100 hour certificates went to Trudy Baerwald and Agnes Axtman; a 1,200 hour certificate went to Marlyne Erickson; a 1,300 hour certificate went to Dorothy Miller; a 1,600 hour certificate went to Florence Cook; an 1,800 hour certificate went to Irene Hager; a 2,000 hour certificate went to Lillian Massine; a 2,100 hour certificate went to EldaMae Tuchscherer; a 2,400 hour certificate went to Phyllis Vangsnes; a 2,500 hour certificate went to Veronica Buchl; a 2,600 hour certificate went to Wanda Nielsen; a 2,700 hour certificate went to Bessie Eberle; a 2,800 hour certificate went to Vonnie Degenstein; a 3,400 hour certificate went to Ruth Fedje; 4,000 hour certificates went to Pat Sattler and Theresa Brossart; a 4,400 hour certificate went to Gayle Schneibel; a 4,600 hour certificate went to Vivian Loken; a 4,700 hour certificate went to Jean Anderson; a 5,200 hour certificate went to Margaret Wittmayer; and 5,300 hour certificates went to Alma Bickler and Mary Cichos.

EldaMae Tuchscherer, left, and Lillian Massine received plaques from the Heart of America Medical Center for each having volunteered for 2,000 hours.

Left to right are Margaret Wittmayer, who provided 5,000 hours of volunteer work to the Heart of America Medical Center; Irene Hager, winner of the volunteer of the year award; and Gail Schneibel, who gave the most volunteer hours in the fiscal year, 602.