The UKANDU Staff and Volunteers
Aaron Schuette - Manager of Mexico Missions
Aaron
Schuette was born in Decatur, Illinois in 1979. He received his
Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Valparaiso University in
Valparaiso, Indiana in May of 2002. After graduating, he went
on to be co-employed by Redeemer Lutheran Church and UKANDU
Missions. From 2002-2004 Aaron served as the Youth Director at Redeemer during the students
school year and then spent his summers serving in Mexico as
guide to mission groups.
Currently he is studying at the Master’s Seminary located in the Los Angeles area. He
continues on at UKANDU Missions as the Manager of Mexico
Missions. He is married to his wonderful and beautiful wife,
Elizabeth.
Mary Bloebaum - Manager of Mid-West Missions
My name is Mary Bloebaum and I am
serving as the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at
Trinity Lutheran Church in Bloomington, IL . I received my
elementary education degree and DCE certificate at Concordia
University, River Forest, IL in May of 1998 and was placed for
internship at my current site. Currently, I am completing my
masters in Family Life Ministry from Concordia, Seward, NE. My
participation in UKANDU mission events began on the Nebraska
Indian Reservations in June of 1999. Since then our church and
partnering churches have remained connected as each year the
Lord leads us, grows us, stretches us, and challenges us with
our hands, feet and heart. Every summer is an adventure as we
never know what the Lord has in store. Being a
part of UKANDU missions has
been a major stepping stone in my faith walk. Some of my
interests include: running, volleyball, roller blading, biking
and scrap booking. My two true loves include Jesus and my
husband, Brett Bloebaum.
Pete Imlah - Mid-West Missions Spiritual
Director
Pete Imlah was raised in the
suburbs of Chicago. He graduated from Concordia College, River
Forest, IL in 1988 and then spent his first nine year of ministry
teaching, coaching and counseling in Lutheran high schools in New
Orleans and Rockford, IL. The past seven years Pete has served in
congregations as a Youth & Family Minister. He currently is on
staff at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Sun Prairie, WI. Pete and
Nikki will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in Dec. and have 3
children. Abigail, Bethany and Joshua.
Jill Moyer - Board Secretary
The UKANDU Board
Mark Ziehr - President/Board Chair
In 1989, when Mark Ziehr (1958 / Baton Rouge LA) arrived in
Austin TX, after eight years of youth ministry in Florida, he
asked God to fill his heart with a passion for missions. For the
next ten years, as the youth minister of Bethany Lutheran, Mark
led mission trips starting with the first small group (13 kids in
an old church van) to the nation wide international ministry that
is UKANDU missions today. In 2000, Mark moved out of full time
ministry into Internet Sales for a Honda dealership, but the
burning passion to be the heart of God and His hands to man did
not flicker, but it grew stronger. Along with being actively
involved in all aspects of UKANDU missions, Mark teaches Sunday
School, and serves as an Elder in his church. Mark and his wife
Micka have two sons; Matthew and Nathan.
Jim Spigelmire - Vice President/Director of
Central American Missions
Jim Spigelmire was born in Akron,
Ohio in 1961. He studied civil engineering at the University
of Texas, and Elementary Education at Concordia University (both
in Austin, Texas). Jim has been an I/T professional for 20
years - and is currently an application development manager for
a large computer manufacturer in Austin. He is an amateur musician and
currently plays bass guitar for his church's praise band. He
has also served on his church's board of directors as director of
Youth and has taught high-school and college Bible study for many
years. Jim's hobbies include music, snow skiing, and riding
his Yamaha Roadstar in the Texas Hill Country. Jim and his
wife Linda have two children, Lindsey and Taylor.
Richard Sigmon - Board Member/Mexico Logistics
Richard was born April 30, 1949, in Hickory, North Carolina.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971, and received
Associate degrees in Applied Science for Landscape Technology
Design and Architectural Drafting and Design from Catawba Valley
Technical College in 1977.
Richard met his wife, Anne, while stationed at Ft. Hood, TX. in
1970, and they were married in 1977. He and Anne have a
beautiful daughter, Cari, and a 10 year old grandson, Erik, living
in Austin.
Richard has been an active member of Bethany Lutheran Church
since 1989, serving as a Sunday School teacher, assisting youth
ministers as counselor and volunteer, and he is a Stephen
Minister.
Through church and community involvement he has had fulfilling
opportunities to volunteer his services to: a Local Children's
Hospital, State School for the Mentally Handicapped, the Salvation
Army, Habitat for Humanity, several local Retirement and Nursing
Homes, Texas Can-Do Missions and the Latin American Lutheran
Mission in Laredo, TX.
Richard has a great love of the outdoors. He enjoys yard work
and gardening, camping, hiking, biking, rock climbing rappelling,
and he is a certified ropes course facilitator.
Meredith Husak Balderas - Board Member/Director
of Mexican Missions
Meredith Husak
Balderas was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She received her Bachelor
of Arts in Spanish with a minor in Latin American Studies from
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Meredith is married
to Alberto Balderas, an electrical/industrial engineer from San
Luis Potosi, Mexico. They currently live in Irving, Texas.
Meredith has
enjoyed the Christian volunteer experience while at UKANDU.
Meredith started volunteering at UKANDU at the age of 14, going
on high school mission trips. During her college years, she
served as translator and MIT coordinator for three consecutive
summers. She continues to stay involved in the mission
experience as a member of the UKANDU board.
Today, Meredith
works as Marketing Manager for American IronHorse Motorcycle
Company, directing communications, public relations and
advertising for the custom motorcycle manufacturer
Jeff Shoumaker - Board Member/Director of
Midwest Missions
Jeff Shoumaker was born in Parkston, South Dakota
in 1959. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Education and a
Director of Christian Education Diploma from Concordia University
in Seward, Nebraska. He served as a Director of Christian
Education at Grace Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, Florida
(1981-1988), at Grace Lutheran in DeWitt, Iowa (1988-1993) and at
Redeemer Lutheran (1993- present) in Peoria, Illinois. Jeff and
his wife Lisa have two children: Luke and Whitney.
