Rec Center Ministry Team - Update 2023

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Pastor Eric & Ela Sutton

The life-long Chicago Bears Fan grew up in Florida and came to Oglala in spring 2001. He enjoys spending time with Jesus and his family. In 2011, his now-wife Ela first came to visit as an exchange student from Germany. She soon got hooked, to Eric and to the ministry. Ela is very artistic and a great listener and can already speak Lakota better than anyone else in our team. In 2017 the Suttons had their wonderful daughter Matilda, and in 2022 they welcomed their son Jonathan.

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Wendell & Kim Gehman,
Board Member

The couple makes their home in Hot Springs, just south of the Black Hills. Wendell and Kim have four wonderful grown-up children, three sons and one daughter, almost all of them married by now and the first grandchild on the way! They enjoy soccer, hunting, golf, camping, and other outdoor family activities. Wendell and Kim have been vital parts of our church family since the very start. Wendell was a Science teacher at Red Cloud Indian School on Pine Ridge Reservation for 19 years; in 2014 he took on a new calling as the principal of a small Christian school in Oglala (now called Oyate Hope Academy).

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Pastor Leon & Mary Schwartz,
Youth Pastors

Leon grew up in Florida and came to Oglala in spring 2001. He loves studying the Word of God, Science Fiction, movies, and soccer. His wife Mary joined the team in fall 2008 as a missionary from Germany. She is an addicted hiker and still greatly misses the German forest and bread. Together they lead the Rec TeenChurch and they also both teach at Oyate Hope Academy, the local Christian school in Oglala. In 2013 their son Sylvan joined the family, and in 2015 they welcomed princess Zelda.

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Heidi Martin,
​Mission Team Coordinator, Board Member

Born in Florida, Heidi grew up in Pennsylvania and loves the beach, making music, and gardening. From 1996 to 2003 she lived in Oglala, where she ministered through her many gifts and contagious smile. In 2009, she moved back to Oglala and since then has been a blessing to the Rec Team and the community as she cooks, leads worship, and teaches kids how to garden. Heidi is also our mission team coordinator and the person to get in touch with whenever anyone wants to know more about our ministry.

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Elliot & Crystal Morales,
Outreach

Elliot and Crystal were born and raised in New York City. Shortly after getting married in 2005, they moved to Concord, NC where Elliot attended and graduated from FIRE School of Ministry. After serving there for 9 years, the Lord laid it on their hearts to move to South Dakota and serve on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They joined the Rec team in summer 2017 as outreach pastors.  In December 2016 they welcomed their daughter, Everly Hope, through the wonderful gift of adoption.

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REC Ministry Team 2023

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REC Ministry Team 2021

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REC Ministry Team 2018

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