Eleanor Rognas, 87, creates knitted shawls for people who may be ill or in need of a pick-me-up. She has created more than 20 shawls.

Doing things for others comes easily for 87-year-old Eleanor Rognas of Sioux Falls, S.D.

As a former teacher, office problem-solver for Montgomery Ward for almost 30 years and caregiver for her parents on the farm, Rognas has a rich history of helping others.

For the past few years, Rognas has volunteered to create knitted shawls for people who may be ill or need a pick-me-up at her church, Peace Lutheran in Sioux Falls. She has lovingly created more than 20 shawls for others. She may personally know some of the people who have received the shawls, but other recipients are strangers.

“While knitting the shawls, we pray as we knit,” Rognas said. “Other ladies from the church and I may use the following prayer while working on the shawls: ‘Dear God, may the one who receives this shawl be cradled in hope, grace and peace. May they be wrapped in love.’”

Each time a shawl is picked up and held in hand, the knitter remembers to pray for the potential recipient. It is a very important part of the knitting process.

The shawls are made with a knit three/purl three pattern. This pattern is used as it represents life, which also comes in threes:

1. Birth, life, death

2. Past, present, future

3. Body, mind and soul

4. Faith, hope, love

Each shawl is created beautifully from very soft homespun yarn. The completed shawl measures 25 inches wide and 60 inches long with fringe added at both ends. The shawls provide warmth and comfort to the recipients.

“My dear friend, Correen Major, has furnished the yarn for all of my 22 shawls,” Rognas said. “She just brought me more yarn as it was on sale. I guess I will start on shawl No. 23 sometime in the future. It takes about a month for me to complete a shawl.”

Eleanor Rognas grew up with her eight siblings on a farm near Rock Rapids, Iowa. Rognas remembers helping with chores as a child. She remembers looking forward to being able to help milk the cows, but not loving it so much once she got there. She also helped with stacking hay and other chores. Everyone had a job to do.

“As children, we went to bed at 8 o’clock. Mother always made sure we said our prayers. When I was old enough for confirmation, I rode my bike five miles to the Lutheran church and five miles back again. 

My sister rode our horse. We were baptized and confirmed in Rock Rapids, Iowa, where I grew up,” Rognas said.

After high school, Rognas taught country school for five years. 

During the ’40s and World War II, she and two of her sisters went to Vancouver, Wash., to work in the Alco Aluminum Factory. Rognas was given a job in the office and her sisters took jobs as waitresses. 

Later, they were all hired at Alco and were able to purchase a small trailer. Alco allowed them to park the trailer for free and also gave them a spot to grow a “victory garden.” They were able to grow some of their own food.

A few years later, they came back to Rock Rapids, where the school board asked Rognas to teach again for a few years. She also helped her parents on the farm, but eventually took a job in the credit office at Montgomery Ward in Sioux Falls. Sometimes she would travel to other stores in the area to straighten out problems.

While working at Wards, Rognas met her first husband, Richard Rognas. They were married later in life and enjoyed many years together. He died of cancer. At age 70, Rognas met and married Bob Temanson. They also enjoyed their years together; Temanson died of heart failure.

Today, Rognas continues to create shawls and help others. She is involved in her church and she is grateful for the good gifts God has given her. “I am ready to go when the Lord calls me,” Rognas said. “Many of my dear friends have gone already.”

Please know that the closest I have gotten to public speaking is the microphone at the McDonald’s drive-through, so if I look nervous, you will know why.

My name is Cindy Rodriguez. Three years ago, I was better known as “the liver’s wife.” My husband was the donor for Jeff’s liver transplant. Most of you probably know that, but I’m speaking today to tell you what God gave us through Jeff in return.

I remember clearly the first gift Jeff gave J.R. We went to their house (Jeff and Sue Van Damme’s) for dinner. It was to be the first time that Jeff and J.R. were to meet, and everyone was a little nervous. As so often is the case with those who have pets, it’s their job to “break the ice,” which Max did in fine style when he peed on J.R.’s sock! Sue was mortified; J.R. was surprised and groped for words to explain what just happened to his foot. I did what I always do in awkward situations, I laughed! And Jeff gave J.R. a pair of his socks to change into.

When J.R. completed the workup and was informed he could be a donor, he did what he always does when big decisions need to be made, he fasted and prayed. When his decision was made, he had, through divine inspiration, a complete peace about his decision. He never waivered in belief that he was doing what God called him to do. I didn’t see fear or apprehension at any time.

I, however, was not as confident. I allowed fear to take over, and having always worn my emotions on my face, this was evident. If you look at the picture on Jeff’s CaringBridge website taken the morning of the surgery, you can see J.R. looking like he is waiting for a bus to spend the day at the beach, and I look like 40 miles of rough road. The night before the surgery, he took nothing to sleep. And he slept. I know, I watched him sleep and marveled at his peace.

It was a very long day, and both surgeries went very well.

Three months later, J.R. was legal once again to use the treadmill. It was then that he developed jaw pain. Two doctors visits and one angiogram later, found us once again at the hospital with J.R. being taken for surgery. This time, a six-vessel bypass. That was another really long day.

In talking with his surgeon afterwards, it was determined with much certainty that if J.R. had not donated the liver, rested, lost 20 pounds as he did and lowered his cholesterol, I would have lost him to a heart attack on the treadmill at home.

That was Jeff’s second gift to us.

God is such an awesome God. All through His Word He shows us time and time again the miracles He has provided through ordinary people. Here were two men, both needing a miracle and not even knowing each other, and through a couple of wives and a chain of events, God gave them both the miracles they needed.

Thank you, Jeff, for your part, in my husband’s miracle.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.”

The Duluth Gospel Tabernacle organized a 16-member medical team that went to Liberia in January, bringing medical services and the love of Jesus.

As the sun rose over the capital city of Monrovia, Liberia, the temperature soared into the 90s. The air was thick from the swirling dust and high humidity. Liberian natives stood in the hot sun outside the makeshift clinic, desperately waiting for what might be their only chance to receive medical help.

The 16-member team from Duluth Gospel Tabernacle in Duluth, Minn., scurried around the converted church, working alongside Liberian helpers to prepare for another day of pulling teeth, examining eyes, prescribing medicine and sharing the Gospel.

A visit to Monrovia three years earlier and exposure to the great medical needs there had inspired Rolf Fure, pastor of Duluth Gospel Tabernacle, and his wife, Ann, to launch the first medical mission team from their church. With the skilled assistance of its associate pastor, Hollis Graves, the team planned and prayed its way to the impoverished, civil war-torn country of Liberia, arriving on Jan. 9.

Tackling the medical needs in a city of more than 1 million people could have been an overwhelming task for the small, inexperienced team, but it chose to step out in faith.

“We had never done this before, so it was new to us -- but not new to God,” Ann said.

Optical team (William Sorenson, Candi Daks, Jeri Swanson, RN, and Ann Fure):

One optical team member walked down the long line of patients with an eye exam chart. Some patients simply needed reading glasses, but others were given eyedrops so they could be examined more thoroughly.

A young boy with dilated eyes was led into another room, where a team member helped him sit in front of an auto refractor. Within moments of “reading” his eyes, the machine sent the information to a laptop. The laptop searched the inventory of 2,000 glasses and printed out the prescription and the exact location of the glasses he needed. When the boy tried them on, he looked around in wonder and smiled. He could see clearly for the first time.

“I won’t get headaches in school anymore,” he said. Another woman said, “Now that I can read, I can return to college.”

The team members gave out 400 pairs of prescription glasses and 540 pairs of reading glasses, but they weren’t able to help everyone. Many Liberians -- young and old -- had severe eye damage from the sun, wind and smoke. The auto refractor could not read their wounded eyes.

Dental team (Jennifer Couillard and Jon Erickson, missionary/dentist from Guinea):

The dental needs were staggering and the work was slow. To speed things up, Couillard pre-examined patients, giving antibiotics to those with abscessed teeth that were too swollen and infected to work on immediately. In her 22 years as a dental hygienist, Couillard had never given a shot of Novocain or pulled a tooth. She quickly learned how to numb the patients’ mouths so the dentist could pull their rotting, broken teeth and exposed roots -- the equivalent of oral surgery in the United States.

Motivated by the long line of suffering patients, Couillard also learned how to pull teeth. Together, Couillard and Erickson extracted more than 250 teeth in six days.

Couillard was sad to discover a little girl with three abscessed teeth and a large cavity.

“She had four bad teeth that would have put an adult in the emergency room,” Couillard said.

Terrified, yet brave, the little girl tearfully allowed them to pull two infected teeth. When she came back the next day to have more teeth pulled, her mother said the little girl had finally slept well through the night.

Children’s ministry team (Ahna Pelto, Rebecca Haapanen and Corinn Tollefson):

The dental team enlisted the help of the children’s ministry team to give fluoride treatments to more than 500 children, along with toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and brushing instructions.

Each morning after they helped set up the clinic, the children’s ministry team would head outside to start a game with groups of 10-50 children. The team sang songs and used the brightly colored pages in the “Wordless Book” to explain the Gospel -- that Jesus loved them and had died for their sins. They prayed with the children and handed out beaded bracelets with all of the colors from the “Wordless Book.”

After a lunch break, the team resumed activities with 150 or more children who flocked back to the popular site. The team handed out suckers, crayons and pages with a Biblical theme for the children to color.

One morning, a small girl named Gladys, who had been clinging to Pelto, folded her hands in prayer after the Bible time. When the team finished praying, she looked up at Pelto and beamed.

“I just know she got it,” Pelto said. “She knew that Jesus loves her.”

Medical team (Dr. Beth Mork, Dr. Joanna Burns, Melissa Sorenson, RN, Andrea Kubarek, RN, Denise Tollefson, RN, and Anja Erickson, RN and missionary in Guinea); Pharmacy team: Tamika Gilbert and Abby Haapanen):

The nurses walked down the long lines of people waiting in the hot sun, assessing the needs of patients suffering with worms, infections, open wounds, malaria and other ailments. Assisted by Liberian helpers, who set up a mini-lab, the two doctors, four nurses and two pharmacists treated more than 200 patients each day.

One of the most heartbreaking but rewarding cases the team encountered was a tiny boy named Enoch. He weighed only 11 pounds, was severely malnourished, running a high fever and having trouble breathing. He tested positive for malaria. He was too weak to sit up or hold a toy. Though he looked like a 3-month-old baby, the staff members discovered he was 1-year-old.

The team moved quickly to treat the desperately ill boy, who would have been sent to an intensive care unit in the U.S. They purchased powdered milk to send with his mother and gave her feeding instructions and money to buy more. They saw Enoch several times during the week, and he showed signs of progress, but he was still very ill. The team wasn’t sure he would survive.

On their last day, all of the nurses and doctors came in, laid hands on him and prayed for him.

“It was so hard,” Tollefson said.

One month later the team received a picture of a strong, healthy, chubby-cheeked Enoch. “It was a miracle,” Tollefson said, through her tears.

Saying goodbye

Many of the team members said they had mixed feelings when they headed home on Jan. 17.

“It was so hard to leave, knowing there’s such a need,” Tollefson said.

Before the plane lifted from the runway, the team members were busy making plans about what supplies they could bring and what improvements could be made -- next time.

Ann Fure’s plan includes shipping 1,000 pairs of sunglasses to Liberia.

“There are still so many more we would like to help, if the Lord sends us again,” she said. “We have our feet at the starting gate, with knees bent, waiting for God to say ... ‘Go!’”

Twin Ports photographer’s business creates art of everyday moments.

Blessed with a creative mind, passionate heart, keen eye and love for people, Amanda Hansmeyer is using her God-given gifts to embark on a bold business venture.

In January 2010, Hansmeyer, 31, launched her private photography business, Shutter Stories, in West Duluth, Minn. Like many other photographers, she shoots wedding, family and commercial photos. But Hansmeyer has a deep fondness and unique talent for capturing raw, honest everyday moments through her storytelling art. 

“I love photographing real-life things the most,” Hansmeyer said in her native Texas accent with a beaming smile. “That’s where I’ve found the moments that make beautiful photos happen.”

Hansmeyer’s love for editorial-style photography sprouted during her senior year of high school when she was granted the opportunity to gain practical experience in a field of her choice in exchange for academic credit. Her curiosity in photography landed her an internship with the Dallas Morning News, a rare opportunity for even the most qualified students.

“It’s so competitive, I couldn’t even work there after college; so (the high school internship) was great,” Hansmeyer said. “What I loved the most was when all the photographers would be developing their film and talking about their assignments and the funny things that would happen and the crazy people they met. I loved hearing those stories; that was my favorite part about that internship.”

Hansmeyer, who grew up in Dallas, first studied photojournalism at the University of North Texas and later transferred to Western Kentucky University. A post-college internship at the Lexington Herald-Leader ultimately led Hansmeyer to Duluth, Minn. The journalism job market was tight and highly competitive; despite her experience working with the Kentucky-based newspaper, the Lexington Herald-Leader did not have a position available for her. They referred her to the Duluth News Tribune, where she hoped to work temporarily until the Lexington Herald could offer her a job.

The aspiring photojournalist found peace in Hebrews 11:8 when deciding whether to pack her camera bag and move to Duluth: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

At the time, there were only a handful of opportunities in her field throughout the entire country, and Hansmeyer knew getting a job could require a drastic life change.

“I had heard a sermon a couple of years before that talked about making decisions that actually exercise our faith — decisions where we are taking a risk and have to trust in God. This was one of those decisions for me, and (Hebrews 11:8) encouraged me to do it. I am so glad I did!” Hansmeyer said.

Hansmeyer joined the News Tribune staff in October 2003 and worked there for nearly six years before another life change led her to unfamiliar territory. 

In August 2009, Hansmeyer and her husband of one year, Brok, moved to Denver, Colo., to help plant a church. She founded Shutter Stories nearly five months after moving to Colorado; however, her business did not start to flourish until after they moved back to Duluth in May 2010.

Hansmeyer sought God’s guidance and inspiration to find a way to intertwine her particular strengths and photojournalistic style with her freelance work.

“When I started thinking about creating my own business, I thought about what I loved about photography at the News Tribune, and it was I love people, I love getting to meet new people. And I love photographing different assignments anywhere I can be a fly on the wall and just let them live their life,” Hansmeyer said. “My goal is to shoot those types of assignments, just for Shutter Stories instead of for the News Tribune.”

In December 2010, Hansmeyer started a new rate for documentary-style assignments because she believes it is nearly impossible for anyone to truly live a moment and take a picture at the same time. Her hope is that it will offer clients a chance to preserve a timeless moment without taking them away from experiencing it.

“It’s kind of an abstract concept. I don’t know anyone else marketing themselves in this way,” Hansmeyer said.

One of Hansmeyer’s favorite Shutter Stories assignments was a recent shoot documenting a Duluth family’s adoption hearing. She went to their home in the morning, photographed them getting dressed up and ready for the day and followed them to the courthouse for a hearing that legalized the adoption of their daughter.

“I love documenting families’ special life moments. That was a day that the family will always remember,” Hansmeyer said.

Other real-life events Hansmeyer photographs include birthday parties, family occasions (anniversaries, weddings, reunions, funerals), sporting events, fundraiser events, candid family or child photos, pet photos, engagement photos (or the engagement itself), family traditions or the homecoming of a soldier — the list is virtually endless. At Shutter Stories, no occasion is too minor or significant because, according to Hansmeyer, “a missed image is a missed moment.”

In March, Hansmeyer photographed a class led by Kami Scott, a prayer and Bible-based counselor based in Superior, Wis. Scott hired Hansmeyer to shoot the Saturday morning class, which was held at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, Minn., with plans to use the photos for promotional resources for her counseling business.

“I love Amanda’s gift to capture special moments,” Scott said. “I believe her talent of capturing unique moments is a gift from God. She is wonderfully artistic in personality as well. She recognizes the uniqueness that God has created in every person and she captures it on (camera).”

Hansmeyer’s creative aptitude and passion for storytelling photography compensates for the practical responsibilities required to run a private business. Starting Shutter Stories presented her with the challenge of further developing her accounting, management and marketing skills.

“The hardest part for me is giving people estimates and negotiating — it’s the money side of it -- because I just want to take the pictures. Every day I have to put it before Him and say, ‘Lord, I trust in You today to help me make the right decisions,’” Hansmeyer said.

Hansmeyer’s courage, ambition, and especially her trust in God, have enabled her to pursue her passion and bring inspiration into the lives of others through her work.

“There’s something really intimidating about following your dream. But this is what God created me to be best at; this was His idea,” Hansmeyer said with sparkling eyes. “When I first moved to Duluth, I told God I would never live here for the long term. And here I am. He has a sense of humor like that, I guess.”