Much has happened in the past three weeks since we last communicated. I will be try to be concise knowing that your time is as precious to you as ours is to us.
In February, Suzie was really blessed to attend the Christian Medical & Dental Association meeting in Limuru just a half hour drive from our home. This is the sixth such meeting Suzie has attended, and she reported that it was the best yet! Every other year since 1992, Suzie has attended this conference to meet the continuing medical education (CME) requirements of her medical license. Top Christian Physicians from various fields of medicine come to update American doctors serving overseas. It is a two-week conference held at a Baptist Retreat Center.
What keeps Suzie coming back is the quality sessions, great fellowship with colleagues, and the times of worship shared daily. Suzie was even invited to lead a workshop -- a first for her at this meeting. Many people expressed appreciation for her detailed examples of patient management in a bush clinic setting. Needless to say, the conference was a real high point followed by a week back at home to the land of laundry, grocery lists, and a lengthening list of unreturned e-mail messages! She says she wouldn't change a thing, though, and was glad to be back home. The girls and I were sure glad to have her back!
Also in February, I attended a Maasai Leadership meeting along with several CMF missionary colleagues. It is always encouraging to see the growth and maturity of Maasai leaders as they grapple with some 'thorny' issues in their culture: polygamy, female circumcision, & church discipline, just to name a few. While at the training center, I also looked in on our Ewaso Ngiro Health Center and began an annual audit of the clinic financial records.
Back in Nairobi, I continued orientation time with Lee Pruitt at the office and looked at a few potential office locations (none very good so far, I'm sorry to say). During Suzie's medical conference, she met a man who founded "World Wide Lab Improvement," a Christian organization which helps mission clinics and hospitals set up functional labs. He and a partner offered to take a look at our main clinic facility but they had only one day available so I took them on a whirlwind trip to Ewaso Ngiro on a Sunday while the girls enjoyed a day with their mom in Limuru.
They identified several pieces of equipment in need of replacement parts and are putting together a proposal to recommend lab equipment to improve our ability to accurately diagnose illnesses. We also received some wonderful news last month. The Rotary grant is now available to us!
Thanks to the Muskogee Morning Rotary Club and our friend Dr. Tim Holder, we have a $44,160 grant for the purchase of a Toyota Landcruiser 4WD Ambulance and three clinic motorcycles!!!
Thank you for your prayers that this would become a reality. Orders have been placed, and we hope to receive the ambulance in one month.
The kids had a three-day weekend which just happened to be on Rebekah's 12th birthday, so we took a drive to the Aberdares mountain range for a couple nights. Rebekah invited two friends for the special birthday weekend trip. The first night we stayed in "The Ark," an animal observatory in a national park. The wildlife was really impressive, especially the herds of elephants and cape buffaloes, and the wild rhino that made an appearance in the middle of the night.
Then, the second day, we went horseback riding in an animal sanctuary which was the highlight of the trip for all of us! We were glad Rebekah felt up to the trip since she had been complaining increasingly of abdominal discomfort in recent weeks.
By the following Friday, she was hospitalized and had her appendix removed! Rebekah was admitted Friday afternoon, had surgery at 5pm that day, and was released by Sunday noon. She is still a bit sore but doing much better now.
One of our other CMF MK's (missionary kids), Sarah Crum, was hospitalized at the same time for malaria. She is doing much better now, too. 
Thank you for your prayers for our kids!
Right now, Suzie is on safari visiting five of our bush clinics with another Vandy group: two 4th-year med students and one 4th-year med-peds resident. I stayed at home the past week caring for Rebekah as she recovers, continuing the office search, and getting in a bit more office orientation. Suzie reports by radio that they are having a very productive clinic trip, and I was able to reassure her of Rebekah's continuing progress. (Our Vanderbilt visitors arrived last Sunday night shortly after Rebekah was discharged from the hospital.)
As you pray for us in the coming weeks, here's what we have coming up:
CMF asked us to host two summer interns who have a specific interest in medical missions: Adam Samaritoni (Milligan College) and Josiah Fremyer (Taylor University). We were asked to help when 9 college students applied for the 4 available slots for medical missions internships in other fields in the summer of 2002. We are very encouraged to see young people who are receptive to God's call on their life and who want to explore possibilities for future service through a CMF internship. Please pray for these two guys as they prepare for their summer with us.
Thank you for your faithful support of our family and ministry,
Dave for the Snyders
New Address:
Dave & Suzie Snyder
P.O. Box 59322
00200 City Centre
Nairobi, Kenya AFRICA
011-254-2-521440 Home phone
dsnyder@nbi.ispkenya.com