A MINISTRY OF MISSION

Orginally posted - 2002

Since arriving in the Dominican Republic on December 7, 1995 Bob and Ellen Snow have lost count of the number of times they have said: “This could only happen in the mission field. Since 1995 we have been living one adventure after another.”

For example, in a period of two weeks, Bob served as deacon at a service where the celebrant was Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold. A week later he did the same for Canada’s Presiding Bishop Michael Peers.

The Snows are from the Diocese of Nebraska where Bob was ordained as one of the first 13 vocational deacons in the diocese on Nov. 8, 1985. Both Bob and Ellen were active involved in the prison ministry prior to his ordination. The day after becoming a deacon, Bob was named part-time prison chaplain at Nebraska’s maximum security prison in Lincoln and also served the people of St. Matthews Church in Lincoln.

In June 1989, the Snows were among the adult sponsors on a youth mission trip to Honduras.

Bob: “Our group visited the Episcopal girl’s home, Little Roses. During this visit, Ellen and I made friends with a 12-year-old named Carla. As we got ready to leave, Carla began to cry. I, too, became teary-eyed and walked out of her sight to hide my own emotions. It was then my heart and spirit heard this call: “Bob, this is what I have called you to do.”

“At first, I denied the call, but I kept reliving the experience. About 18 months later, I asked Ellen: “What’s would be your opinion, if we gave up our jobs and entered the mission field.”

Her reply was: “I wondered when you would make up your mind.”

Honduras or the DR?

The Snows thought they would probably serve in Honduras. The South American Missionary Society (SAMS) sponsors a conference to help Christians discern if they have a call to missions. During this conference, Bob was reviewing a list of possible mission placements. As he scanned the list, openings in the Dominican Republic seemed to be in big bold letters. Of course, they weren’t.

In March 1993 the Snows investigated mission opportunities in the DR and Honduras. As part of their discernment process, they took two months to pray about a decision that would change their lives forever. On the Day of Pentecost 1993, they shared what they had separately discerned. Both of them believed the Lord was calling them to the Dominican Republic.

For 22 years Bob had worked as public information officer for five mayors of the City of Lincoln. Ellen was a librarian for the Nebraska Library for the Blind and physically handicapped. Even though Bob and Ellen enjoyed their work, giving up their jobs was easy in comparison to the task of raising financial support to enter the mission field.

The Snows are appointed missionaries for the United States Episcopal Church. Like most Episcopal missionaries, they don’t receive a salary from ECUSA or from the foreign diocese. They must raise their own financial support. From December 1992 to August 1993, they made 43 church visits. Most missionaries struggle to maintain their financial support, and they are no different. Since 1992, they have shared their mission story in more than 100 churches in all parts of the United States.

In many cases, members of these churches have never met an Episcopal missionary. Church visits are an integral and important part of mission life. Though financial support is necessary, increasing mission awareness is equally important.

The First of Many Miracles

Raising funds was difficult, but learning a second language at age 50 seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. Neither of them spoke Spanish. The Snows enrolled in a nine-month intensive language course for Christian missionaries in San Jose, Costa Rica. This experience with missionaries from different denominations remains as one of the most inspiring and spiritual times in their Christian walk. Even today, they view their ability to speak and understand Spanish as a significant miracle in their lives.

The deaconate and mission ministry have one important characteristic in common. They are servant ministries. A deacon interprets the church to the world, and the world to the church and is a servant to all. This describes their roles as assistants to Bishop Julio Cesar Holguin. A successful missionary is one who comes with a servant’s heart and helps the nationals meet their priorities.

Their ministries in the DR evolved slowly. Ellen coordinates all work and medical teams coming into the diocese. In addition to serving as the Bishop’s assistant, Bob is deacon and assistant pastor at Epiphany/Union Church.

The diocese has no cathedral, but most major diocesan events are held at Epiphany. A small seminary where most of the diocese's priests have been trained is also located on the property. Epiphany is the only diocesan church with services in English and Spanish.

Building God's Church

Work teams are a vital source income in the development of the diocese’s infrastructure and social ministries. When the Snows first arrived, the diocese was hosting 8 to 10 work teams a year. The diocese now hosts about 50 teams year. These teams help build churches, schools, organize summer bible school programs, participate in evangelism events, built playground equipment, church benches, and paint, repair, and remodeled church facilities.

Part of Bob’s responsibility is to provide “mission exploratory trips” for clergy and church leaders who have an interest in diocesan projects. These five to seven day tours provide participants with a cultural orientation, as well as an opportunity to visit sites and projects where the diocese is searching for mission partners.

During his first year in the diocese, Bob implemented two projects which remain among his favorites. In San Pedro de Marcoris (better known as the hometown of Sammy Sosa), an old school building next to St. Stephen’s church needed to be rehabilitated or torn down. The Bishop asked Bob to work with the local church and priest in developing a regional medical clinic for the poor.

The task seemed like an impossible one, because the diocese did not have the financial resources to participate in the project. This experience taught the Snows that “if what you are doing is in God’s will, then anything is possible.” After 6 months of frustration and little progress, Bob was contacted by the executive director of Esperanza International, a foundation of former professional baseball player David Valle.

The foundation was interested in supporting health projects and by chance (miracle) had heard that the diocese was trying to open a clinic. Esperanza provided a grant which allowed the diocese to begin remodeling the building. As God would have it Clínica Esperanza opened its doors shortly after Hurricane George devastated the San Pedro area in 1998.

Education Changes Lives

The only way to change a third-world country is by education. The government estimates only 52% of its young people progress beyond the eight grade. The 24 Episcopal schools in the diocese must be self-supporting, so students pay tuition. Many of these schools are located in areas where the poverty is profound. Therefore, Bob started a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to children from poor families. In 1996 churches individuals in the United States provided 150 scholarships. In 2006-07, 769 students received scholarships.

Most Dominican Episcopalians are poor materially, but rich spirituality. The Snows said, “Dominicans have taught us what it means to live by faith. We are spiritually not the same people who arrived here. We understand now why Christ had a compassionate heart for the poor. Dominicans have taught us, more than we taught them. They have enriched our lives, more than we have enrich theirs. We came here to serve. Instead, we have been served.