The Time Has Come

This is an email we sent to our supporters.  I hope you will also read our March reflections in this blog.

Dear Friends in Christ

    The time has finally come.  For the last two years, Ellen and I have said we were retiring.  Because this diocese and its people are so much a part of us, we have continually postponed this date.   Though we didn´t realize it, we were subconsciously waiting for God to tell us it was time to return to Nebraska.

    Ellen and I heard a very strong call to enter the mission field.  We believed that we would hear a call when it was time for us to leave.  Though the call wasn´t as strong, we have heard a call indicating that it is time for us to return to our family in Nebraska.  However, we are not abandoning our mission work for the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic.  We will remain involved.

    In fact, the Bishop has offered us Diocesan housing when the cold winds start to blow across the Nebraska plains.  January, February, and March would seem like a good time to help in the Dominican Church.  We are still discerning how we should be involved, but we WILL be involved. 

    There are many reasons why we think the Lord is recalling us.  First of all, our family has given us 16 years in the mission field, and we believe it is now time to be with them.  Two years ago when we first announced our retirement, our funding dropped off almost immediately.  Last fall we learned our mission account was $38,000 in the red.   As of the end of December we lost part of our stipend coming from the National Church, because they also thought we were retiring.  For these two reasons, and others, we thought it was time to say good-bye.

    The Diocese of Nebraska has carried us, but Ellen and I haven´t owed money to anyone for over 20 years.  The burden of owing the diocese money was one we could not personally accept.  As a result we took money we have saved to relocate back to Nebraska, and used it to repay the diocese.

    The Lord has taken care of our every need in the mission field, and we know he will do so as we adjust to living back in Nebraska.  However, please do not stop praying for us.  We need to find a comfortable place to live in Nebraska and we need to feel content in being back home.  I know it may sound ridiculous, but we believe it will a more difficult to adjust to our Nebraska surroundings, than the cultural adjustment we made to the DR.      If you do wish to help us financially, please use this address - Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska, Snow Mission, 109 No. 18th St., Omaha, Nebraska 68102   Be sure to indicate it is for SNOW Mission.

    My friends we thank you for your prayers and support.  You have made it possible for us to live an incredible life over the last 16 years in the Dominican Republic.  It has been a fantastic spiritual adventure.  As a way of saying good-bye to one adventure, and hello to the next, Ellen and I want to share with you some mission reflections on our time in the DR.  We hope to do so monthly until the end of this year.

    With each reflection we send out, we will also share memories of some of the people who made a difference in our lives during our time in the DR.  There are hundreds, in truth, but we have limited it to 25.

    We will post these reflections on this blog.  I hope you will also take the time to read some of our past reflections.  There two reflections this month in addition to this one. You can reach the blog by going to May God Bless you as he has blessed us by your support over the years.

In His Service

Bob and Ellen Snow