Dave & Dr. Suzie Snyder    November  1999


"... and a time to build .. " Ecclesiastes 3:3

We have been learning a lesson these days that many of you already know. Building is challenging work! Each project starts out as an idea hastily sketched on paper with our larger purpose in mind: to build up the kingdom of God on earth by strengthening the spiritual and physical health of believers.

We then count the cost (measured in time, energy, and dollars) and weigh it against the anticipated benefits, which range from increasing mission awareness in American college students to providing a tribal community with a tangible sign of Christ's presence and compassion. Project plans then undergo a series of revisions in response to input from the community, our team, and the experts we consult.

Here are a few of the main projects we have undertaken since June of this year:

Project #1: CMF Reach Interns - Summer 1999
Cost: 56 days of non-stop activity; lots of food to purchase and meals to plan; waiting lines for our bathroom.
Status: COMPLETED!

REACH Interns: Katie Peter, Eli Cummings, Mike Adkins, Skyler Wolfe, and Neal Baker This past summer we had the privilege of hosting five outstanding interns from various American colleges and universities. Each intern came with the essential ingredients for a great missions trip: a great attitude, flexibility, a desire to serve others, and an awareness of their own need to stretch and grow. Interns traveled to our various bush clinics and assisted our Maasai nurses. They learned some Maasai language, culture and cooking, spent a night in a village, encouraged Maasai Christians, and made some good friends. Most of all, they returned home with a new perspective of their lives and an increased awareness of what god is doing in the world.

Project #2: Entulele Church Building
Cost: 555,000 /= Kenya Shillings ($7,300)
Status: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Estimated Completion: November 1999

Entulele Church The believers in Entulele have had a longstanding desire to build a house of worship near their small town center. Over recent years, five CMF missionaries have helped them develop their plans. This month, this dream will become a reality. Maasai Christians and CMF missionaries have partnered together in the past two years to raise the funds necessary to complete this project. Our family was asked to oversee the construction. We are really enjoying our small part in helping old friends and neighbors in this endeavor. Entulele was our first home in Kenya where we lived for 18 months studying Maasai language and culture.

Join us in praying that this place of worship and the witness of believers will draw more people to Christ.

Project #3: Ewasco Ng'iro Clinic and Central Pharmacy
Cost: 2,250,000 /= Kenya Shillings ($30,000)
Status: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Estimated Completion: January 2000

In June, we broke ground on this new building, which will soon house our busiest clinic just 10 miles from Narok town. The Ewaso Ng'iro community looks forward to have reliable, affordable health care. the Ewaso Ng'iro Church looks forward to have a highly visible means of outreach within their community. The larger mission community in Narok District looks forward to having regular shipments of medicines received and stored for them in our facility. We anticipate all this as we look forward to establishing the central base from which all seven of our clinics will operate.

Project #4: Talek Staff House
Cost: 500,000 /= Kenya Shillings ($6,600)
Status: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Estimated Completion: December 1999

Earlier in the year, we renovated the Talek Clinic in order to provide a better environment for patients and health care workers alike. In the past, the Talek Clinic building served as both a clinic and staff house. Now, the building serves solely as a clinic.

Our nurses have been staying as guests in a home owned by the Chief of our area while he sought funding for a new staff house through local sources. We agreed to proceed with the project in October when area authorities presented us with 85 percent of the funds. We are encouraged by the partnership and support we receive from community leaders.

Project #5: Mara Rianta Church building
Costs: 600,000 /= Kenya Shillings
Status: APPROVED
Estimated Completion: Spring 2000

We are pleased that nearly all of the necessary resources have been gathered to build a house of worship for what has long been one of our most vital Maasai congregations. Mara Rianta is a well populated area near the Mara River and Maasai Mara Game Park, along a border between two districts.

Believers have alternated between meeting under a tree or in a local school for the past 15 years. The congregation is raising 20 percent of the funds as required by our team, while State-side donors and CMF missionaries in Maasai land are contribution the balance.

Please pray that God will continue to increase the witness of this congregation in their growing community.

We marvel that God has allowed us to take part in this exciting period of building and growth. Thank you for your prayers and financial support that have made each of the above projects possible.

Please continue to pray for us as we see these projects through to completion, and as we prepare for the following:

Our special thanks go to those who contributed funds towards the purchase of a clinic motorcycle, which we received earlier this year.

In His Love,

Suzie for Dave, Rebekah and Lauren

P.S. Our special thanks go to those who contributed funds towards the purchase of a clinic motorcycle, which we received earlier this year.


In Closing

Checks should be made payable and sent to:
CMF International
P.O. Box 501020
Indianapolis, IN  46250-6020

Hot Links

Join e:letterHow do I Keep Informed?Join e:letter

I
N
F
O
Join the Missions e:letter by sending E:Mail to
FccMissionNews-subscribe@topica.com
Read the Missions e:letters on line at
http://www.topica.com/lists/FccMissionNews/read
Send Mail to: Dave & Suzie Snyder dsnyder@maf.org
Please send any questions, comments, or suggestions to:
Franklin Christian Church Missions - missions@fcctn.org
Comments for the Web guy?
Go to Missions Homepage Go to the Dierkes/Faber Family Homepage
Web Hosting on a Network away from Offensive Material