Meet The Team

SAM Ministries is honored to have a leadership team who represent a broad range of experience and skills. These dedicated and successful people have backgrounds in business, medicine, architecture, law enforcement as well as Christian pastoral ministry and Christian missions.

Board of Directors
Rev. Arthur Lagore (President) - Arthur, who is chairman of the SAM Ministries board has over 50 years of experience in Christian missions and pastoral ministry. Arthur is celebrating 50 years of marriage to Gladys Lagore. They have three sons and 7 grand children. After returning from 38 years of missionary service in Transkei, South Africa, Arthur served as senior pastor for the Heimdahl Community Church for 10 years and now is associate pastor and seniors’ pastor at Crossroads Christian Assembly in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.

Mr. Robert (Bob) Guzak (Vice-President) – Bob is a retired businessman whose business background was in the Oil Industry, running a service rig company, which was the family business. He has held a private pilot’s license since 1980 and had the privilege of assisting in the flying of the mission aircraft from Canada to Mozambique. Bob has been involved with SAM Ministries since its inception and has served on the board of directors. He was recently appointed as vice-president, replacing Bill Green. Bob and his wife, Sharon, are born again Christians and have attended Richfield Christian Fellowship in Edmonton Alberta for the past 30 years. They have nine grown children.

Mr. Bill Cairns (Treasurer) – Bill is retired from his position at the University of Alberta where he worked for 29 years in the university budget process and institutional reporting and analysis. Retirement has given him the freedom to serve as Treasurer of both Richfield Christian Fellowship and SAM Ministries and to assist in related areas as needed. He loves this work, and the good people that work alongside him.

Bill believes with all his heart that God has taken remarkable care of him his whole life, from giving him a loving family to bringing both he and his wife to RCF and into the family of Christ in 1996. “God’s plans are amazing, and we thank Him that He loves us so much that He did not forsake us, but prepared us and gave us opportunity and encouragement to become His forgiven children, and now we pray and know that He will continue His good work in us…”

Rev. Steven Lagore (Secretary) – Steven Lagore was born in South Africa to missionary parents. He graduated from Temple Bible College, served as youth pastor and music pastor and is now senior pastor of Crossroads Christian Assembly, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Steven is married to Karen, has three children and lives in Leduc, Alberta. Steven spent his first 18 years of life in Transkei, South Africa and his return visits to South Africa and Mozambique has uniquely qualified him with an understanding of life and ministry in this part of the world.

Dr. Gunnar Myrholm, M.D. – Gunnar is a semi-retired family physician. He serves as a member of the elder board and missions committee of Richfield Christian Fellowship. Gunnar is married to Lorraine and is father to 3 children. He is honored to be a member of board of directors of SAM Ministries as it fosters programs to meet the spiritual and physical needs of people in Brazil, Mozambique and beyond.

Mr. Gordon B. Forseth, A.Sc.T. – Gordon is an architectural technologist and is presently employed as a Project Coordinator with an Architecture and Interior Design firm in Edmonton. Gordon has two adult children. Gordon’s passion is to build a strong hedge of protection around this ministry with prayer.

Mr. Gary Peckham
Gary is in semi-retirement after 34 years of employment with the Alberta Government. He presently is an adjudicator/public member with the Alberta Transportation Safety Board.

Mrs. Chris Peckham
Chris is transitioning to retirement – she is a consultant with the Government of Canada where she has been employed for 22 years. She is very involved as a volunteer with Victim Services for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Gary, and his wife Chris, are pleased to say that they have experienced the amazing work in Mozambique first hand. Working at the site, helping build one of the buildings; visiting, praying and serving the locals; playing with the school children; and seeing the programs in action will always be a highlight of their lives. Gary and Chris have been active supporters of SAM Ministries since prior to its incorporation.

Ms. Janette Stone
Janette is a graduate of Living Faith Bible College and throughout her life has enjoyed a wide variety of ministry and missions experiences. Since she was a little girl, missions has been her passion with children and child sponsorship holding a special place in her heart. She recently left her position as assistant manager at Inspirations Christian Books & Gifts to be able to be more involved in missions. She is honored to serve with SAM Ministries and looks forward to all that God has in store.

She lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta and works part-time in the service industry. She is active in her local church and currently serves on the women’s ministry leadership team.

Home Staff

Bill Green
Executive Director
Bill attended the University of Saskatchewan and worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway before starting a career in law enforcement with the Moose Jaw City Police in 1968. In 1973, Bill joined the Edmonton Police Service where he had a diverse portfolio working in numerous operational and administrative areas. He held the rank of Detective Sergeant until his retirement in September of 2006. Bill served on the SAM Ministries board of directors from 2006 to 2011, at which time he was elected as Executive Director.

He has always had a passion for people and has served his community most of his life. Bill is an active member of Richfield Fellowship church and is presently on the church council board as a Deacon and Trustee. Bill has been married to Patricia since 1970. They have 3 adult children.

Patricia Green
Office Administrator
Patti is a member of Richfield Christian Fellowship where she assists the treasurer and serves wherever she is able. She has served in the office of SAM Ministries since 2001. Patti along with her husband Bill felt it a privilege to travel to Brazil with our missionaries in 2004 and have a strong desire to visit the mission field in Mozambique as well. Patti says, “no one can describe the mission field, you must experience it first hand, and when you do, you will never be the same.” It is the commitment of our missionaries to the people they serve that encourages others to help in whatever way they can.

Volunteers

Carole Argo
Coordinator: Mozambique School Child Sponsorship
Carole’s passion for missions is evident by her history of active involvement with SAM Ministries, even before its incorporation. She served on the mission’s committee at Fort McMurray Gospel Assembly (Canada) for many years and when she moved to Edmonton, offered to coordinate the school child sponsorship program for Mozambique. Carole is dedicated not only to the task of promoting and facilitating the child sponsorship program, but also of assisting SAM Ministries’ efforts wherever and whenever she can.

Alda Watchorn
Coordinator: Brazil School Child Sponsorship
Alda is from Brazil and first met the Trekofski’s and the Brazil mission (Mount Horeb Training Center) in 1985. She studied law in Brazil, and then immigrated to Canada. Alda recently volunteered to take over coordinating the child sponsorship program for Brazil. Her Brazilian heritage and language are invaluable assets in her role as coordinator, and her efforts are much appreciated.

Dwight Lagore
Primary Responsibilities: Field Team Leader
Dwight is a graduate of Temple Bible College and Prairie Bible Institute and along with Lynn his wife and two children, founded the SAM Ministries work in Mozambique. Dwight is also a commercial pilot with instrument rating. He is presently SAM Ministries’ Field Team Leader for Southern Africa and is also President of ASAM or Love Mozambique, SAM Ministries’ agent in Mozambique. Dwight’s passion is training leaders to equip and motivate them to bring about transformational development. His total commitment is to see people restored to a relationship with their Father God through Jesus Christ and is confident that all true development flows from this relationship.

Lynn Lagore
Primary Responsibilities: Health Program, School Child Sponsorship
Lynn was born in Canada but raised in Brazil as an MK (missionary kid). She returned to Canada at the age of 18 and graduated from Grant McEwan College (Edmonton, Canada) nursing program in 1982. Lynn is married to Dwight and mother of their two grown children. Lynn’s passion is to provide quality health care for the rural poor who would otherwise have no other medical help. Besides her hands-on curative efforts, she is committed to the training and equipping of Mozambicans who can provide compassionate and competent care for their own people.

Rick & Heather Neufeld
Primary Responsibilities: Children’s Ministry, Orphan Program
Rick & Heather met at Providence Bible College in 1999 and were married in April, 2001. They graduated the following year with Bachelors of Arts in Youth Leadership. Both have felt called to the ministry, particularly missions, from a young age. Both went on missions trips to various countries around the world as teenagers, and both eventually felt God would one day lead them to Full Time Missions in Africa. After an initial visit to see SAM Ministries’ work in Mozambique in 2006, Rick and Heather realized God was calling them to this mission field. After being accepted, raising support and undergoing language training they arrived to begin their work in Mozambique in August 2008. Rick is involved with the Leadership Training seminars, teaching Children’s Ministry Training seminars in remote areas, as well as overseeing a number of construction projects here on the farm among other things. Heather keeps watch over the Amigo Orphan program, helps Rick with seminars, and cares for their daughter Tendai, whom they legally adopted in 2010. Birthdays: Rick, May 29th. Heather, June 8th. Tendai, December 1, 2008. Anniversary April 28th, 2001.

Andy Kuret
Primary Responsibilities: Agriculture, Aviation
Andy Kuret is a missionary from Switzerland who grew up in Bolivia as an MK (missionary kid). After a career in farming and sales, he took commercial pilot’s training at Prairie School of Aviation in Canada. In January 2011, Andy was seconded to serve SAM Ministries in Mozambique through Mercy Air Switzerland.

Francois and Alta Rauch
Primary Responsibilities: Primary School & Preschools, Finances, Women’s Ministry
Francois and Alta are South Africans and are founding members of SAM Ministries’ agent in Mozambique (ASAM). They have served with Dwight and Lynn Lagore since 1997. Francois has degrees in both commerce and theology, and has experience as a high school teacher. Prior to coming to Mozambique, Alta worked in project management for a computer company. Francois and Alta are also founders of ‘Love Mozambique South Africa’, a non-profit organization registered in South Africa.

Joao Benjamim
Primary Responsibilities: Mission Farm Management, School, Pastor’s Farmer Associations
Joao is a Mozambican who joined the team as a missionary after volunteering with SAM Ministries and receiving sponsorship to study. He completed a degree in business management in Maputo and joined the team full time in 2011.

Tony and Leila
Primary Responsibilities: Leadership Training, Agriculture (aquaculture)
Tony and Leila were seconded from World Team to serve with SAM Ministries’ agent in Mozambique in 2011. Both are veteran missionaries and have worked in Portugal and Russia. Tony has degrees in theology and apologetic, and is also an American aircraft mechanic. Leila has a master’s degree in Christian counseling through Providence Bible College, Canada.

Earl Trekofski
Primary Responsibilities: Field Team Leader
Earl was born and raised in Alberta. He graduated from Northwest Bible Institute in Edmonton. He married Ruth (nee Schalm) in 1955 and had three children. He is a licensed mechanic and worked in a small town in British Columbia for 10 years where he served in the local church as Bible teacher and board member. In 1968, he, with his wife and family moved to Dallas, Texas, where they spent two years at a special Missions Training College. They left for Brazil in 1970 for their first term of service and spent the next thirty years there as missionaries. Earl along with his wife Ruth founded the ‘Mount Horeb Training Centre’ in the small village of Itaperucu in Parana, Brazil, which began as an orphanage and grew into much more over the years. Earl’s passion is to serve God by serving people with his many talents and gifts. He now resides in Salmon Arm, B.C. and continues his involvement in the work in Brazil with a yearly visit to help in any way he can, as well acting as president. Earl and Ruth also travel to churches in Canada promoting the ministry in Brazil.

Ruth Trekofski
Primary Responsibilities: Field Promotion
Ruth was born and raised on the Canadian prairies. She married Earl Trekofski in 1955 and had three children. In 1968, Ruth and Earl moved to Dallas, Texas where they enrolled in a Bible College for a special two-year course in missionary training. They left for Brazil in 1970 with their three children for their first term of missionary service. It became their home for the next thirty years.

Together, Earl and Ruth Trekofski founded the ‘Mount Horeb Training Center’ in the small town of Itaperucu, Parana. What began as an orphanage grew into an extensive ministry that now includes many other aspects of service to the community. Ruth and her husband Earl now reside in Salmon Arm B.C. Canada, but continue their involvement in the work in Brazil with annual visits to provide oversight and encouragement.

Roberto (Bebeto) and Suely Araujo
Director: Mount Horeb Training Center
Bebeto & Suely are a Brazilian couple who both have a passion for missions and have served in the leadership of Mount Horeb Training Center since 1995. They attended university in Recife where Bebeto studied forestry, and Suely graduated as a history teacher. Following that, they attended Bible School at Escola de Missoes, in the state of Minas Gerais. They left their home in the northeast to follow God’s call on their lives in southern Brazil. They have three children.