ELLEN'S MINISTRY

BIRTH DATE: September 1, 1944, Norfolk, NE

Family Notes: Jim & Deloris McKenzie (Mom and Dad) - Deloris lives in Lincoln, NE - Jim has lived with our Lord Jesus Christ since 1994; Brother - Jim, Jr. lives in Malcom, Nebraska

CHURCH HISTORY: Baptized & raised in a Missouri Senate Lutheran Church in Norfolk, NE. Received in the Episcopal Church in 1964.

PAST EMPLOYMENT: University of Nebraska - Lincoln Student Library; State of Nebraska Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

MISSION RESPONSIBILITIES: Bob and Ellen work in the Diocesan Office with Bishop Holguin. Ellen coordinates all mission work and medical teams coming into the diocese. Ellen also helps coordinate arrangements for other groups and individuals coming to the DR for meetings and special events.

When the Snows arrived in the DR, the diocese was receiving 6 to 8 groups a year. The diocese now hosts approximately 45 groups annually. On the weekend of June 28, 2003 there were 8 groups were working in the DR at the same time. "It seems like every church with a mission team wants to come in June and July", Ellen said. "We try to accommodate all of them. After all, mission teams are absolutely essential to the churches work in the DR."

Teams provide important resources to the diocese. Medical teams provide medicines to the poor. Churches and schools in the DR do not have adequate finances to maintain their facilities and programs. Work teams provide the sweat and financial resources necessary to keep the diocese moving forward. Churches, schools, and children's shelters have been built by USA churches who live out the gospel by sharing their time and resources. To learn more about the Dominican Episcopal Church got to: http://www.dominicanepiscopalchurch.org/

Ellen has made it easy for a church with no foreign mission experience to come to the DR and participate in what is a life-changing experience. Even experienced mission churches feel more secure, because Ellen handles all in-country details.

"For me and our host church communities, this is a powerful and important ministry in which everyone benefits. I am the bridge between two cultures. The Holy Spirit brings people together in a special way when two different cultures share their love of the Lord."

OTHER DOMINICAN MINISTRIES: The Mom on every Happenings (Vivencia) weekend in the DR; one of the co-founders in the DR of "Daughter's of the King"; lay chalice minister, acolyte, member of Companion Diocese Committee, and diocesan hostess. Ellen received a special honor from the Dominican Episcopal Church Women for her contributions to this diocese and for her support of women's ministries.

WHAT MY MISSION EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME: My time in the mission field has taught me many things and refined me in many ways. However, there is one re-occurring message that comes to me in many different ways. The Lord has demonstrated to me time and again that if we faithfully lift up our concerns to him, He will hear us and answer our prayers. He will not always do so in the time frame we had in mind or in the way we expect him to. But he is always faithful. There have been times in the mission field that he has answered our prayers so abundantly that I am awed by his power and his grace.

A MEMORABLE MISSION MOMENT: On September 11, 2001, I was working with a medical team in Santana Bani. Milagros Holguin, the Bishops wife, was working with us that day and brought word there had been a terrorist attack in New York City. It was noon before we had gathered enough information to inform the team. Even though we had many people waiting to see our doctors, the people in the village encouraged us to go back to the hotel where we could get better information and rest. As a team, we gathered together to pray and discuss what we should do. As we prayed the Lord's prayer, the words "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" emotionally and spiritually impacted me as never before. We decided to continue working. When we returned to the hotel late in the afternoon some of the team went immediately to the TV, while others went for a walk along the beach. As I walked, I prayed that the Lord would give us a sign that He was in control. During my walk, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Those of us who saw it, felt God's presence and peace. The next morning as we drove to our work site, the Lord provided us with a large, brilliant rainbow. All of us on the team were emotionally impacted by what had happened in New York City and Washington D.C. I believe this team provided a strong Christian witness to the community when they voted to continue working on the afternoon of September 11 and on the days which followed. In the midst of tragedy, we experienced in a deep and profound way the love of those who we were serving. Nearly everyone of them expressed their sympathy about what had happened and in doing so shared their love. As a result, we experience the Lord's love in a way none of us will ever forget.