"Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Robert Frost
When my family was smaller (my husband, son & I); we went on a vacation into the lower Rockies. I have had the blessed experience of traveling through the Smoky Mountains; but this was an entire new adventure in itself.My husband knew my dread of heights and tried to keep me calm. But, how can one ignore the beauty of God's creation in such magnitude, as I inspected those mountains!
Then it happened; the road became narrow, space for two vehicles were squeezed tight and the shoulder -- where was the shoulder of the road? Ha! All we saw was 'NOTHING'!
My enjoyment of God's great beauty burst and what evolved was panic! It didn't help that the air was actually thinning as I felt myself hyperventilating! It was fun, adventurous, momentous even and I wouldn't trade that little (big) trip for anything! The experience was priceless! We saw places we had not seen together as a couple before and sense.
Twenty years later; in my time with the Lord, He brought me back to that summer and our needed vacation. Ya see, I was reflecting on our life, and ministry with all it's ups and downs. At that moment, I must admit- I was down. I asked the Lord;
"Why did we have to travel down a different route a lot of others haven't?" [I.E. - the smaller churches, challenges with being new in a community, financial, physical and the emotional difficulties as well.] Then God took me to the winding roads up the Rocky Mountains.
My dear Heavenly Father reminded me saying; "I called you, not you or others. I saw the lost souls, the unloved, the misunderstood that are not among the crowds but off by the way side. I needed One of My children to love on them. I knew you would do this.
Those among the wayside saw your struggles and that caught
their hearts attention. It was the 'net' that drew them to Me.
And your faithfulness has only drawn You even closer to my heart as well.
I know the road less travelled is long and quite lonely. Many don't understand you and the vision I have placed within your soul. Yet, I placed My Hand of Favor on Your lives; with that there is an eternal Joy that strengthens your feet to move on.
As you look back and see how far you've come, and all the many places + faces you've encountered - in your soul may your spirit rejoice seeing the fruit multiplied!"
This has been my encouragement as we are now on another winding road; to a place quite unfamiliar. All we want to do is LOVE those along the way. To stop and minister fully to them, filling all with His Hope and Purpose.
Our thrust is: trusting in the Lord's leading as the patriarch Abraham who took the step forward with His family obeying God's Voice to leave His kin and pursue the Call! Many didn't understand him, he left his friends and all he knew (from his culture) to please His God! [Acts 7:2-3] "Ur was justified in its boast of being a highly developed civilization. - he turned his back on a great metropolis, setting out by faith for a land about which he knew little or nothing and which could probably offer him little from a standpoint of material benefits." [link]
Genesis 12:1: “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.’”
__________
"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going." Hebrews 11:8
As I gaze back in the beginning of my life-walk in the ministry;
I saw a willing and passionate couple who yet, had so much to learn and grow in (and still do). Both of us feeling like Abraham who, "...at the point of his call, he was a man whose faith was meager; real, but meager." [bible.org quote]
Are you on the 'ROAD LESS TRAVELED'? May I encourage you to 'STAY THE COARSE!' It is worth it; every single life touched, and faith that has grown will and is even now producing lasting harvest for eternity and God's Glory!
[Pt. 1] : We have been in active ministry for 28 yrs. +.
*Started as Inner City Children's Pastors in Indy (starting the Caring Place) began with 3 kiddos and when we left 300; today hundreds attend. *Evangelism Pastors for a few years then went into be Senior Pastors in our churches until recently -- (for 25 yrs).
*God took us onto the outer edged path in our ministry; blessed to shepherd wonderful 'folks' there. Challenging? YES! Blessings? Oh YES!
*God used us in many areas; children's min, evangelism, out-reaches (broad spectrum), chaplain ministry, home school leaders, men's & woman's ministries, homeless, shut-ins; etc...
*We did this TOGETHER...as one. ---------- Thus; our ministry to Pastors, Missionaries, Spiritual Leaders in Mozambique: coming alongside each one and ministering as the Lord directs. We will minister in their churches, families and villages; praying for a great revival and move by Him!
Many of us have unique gifts, that either we are 'born' with or has developed through out the years.
In those gifts; God uses to embellish the Passion He places in our heart to serve Him in His Kingdom.
Servants in the Kingdom; all working together in harmony in the areas God has enabled us with these gifts.
Some have been endowed to work with numbers (I do not); in that they are such strong backbones to many ministries.
Some have gifts in music; (I do sing) thus, they are used to bring Worship through hearts to our KING!
My family and I have been in the pastorate for many years. [I have my entire life.] There are gifts (& skills) God strengthened as we have worked in this area of service; more than I even realize and likely will not till eternity.
We have known the vital importance for pastors, ministers and leaders working for the Lord; to be strengthened in various ways. SUCH AS:
*Being taught in the Word
*Encouraged in prayer
*Affirmed
*Strengthened Together
*Knowing they are NOT alone (especially in times of hardship & trials) ...ETC.
This of course will not be ALL we will be doing in Africa.
Without a doubt we will be beside our fellow missionaries and leaders loving on and teaching the children of Mozambique as well.
We will likely help with the various ministries already represented with the Helping Hands (handicapped), School to the children, as well as going out and preaching at the village churches. Also, we are truly excited visiting the brand new churches sprouting up and helping them. Down the road; we shall also help start new works in new places!
As I peer back through out my years, I see how the good and even difficult times have added to my life to be able to fit snuggly into the ministry with One Missions Society in Africa. PtL! "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28
Pews in the Bush by Aimee Howarth
The church we will be working with is called the; Living Word Evangelical Church
"This church grew
from evangelistic Bible studies carried out by OMS missionaries beginning in
1997, and was formed officially into a church denomination and registered with
the Mozambican Department of Religious Affairs in December 2005."
MOZAMBIQUE HAS:
*62 people Groups
*9 Unreached (1/2 of 1% - 1.8 million)
*13 Province’s
*OMS- 74 churches
*Poverty Rate Top 10% in World
*44% Under Age of 14yrs.
*44 yrs. life expectancy There is a HUGE WORK to be done! By God's Spirit, Your Prayers and Financial support: we plan on working until we are done! Please, see the vision the Lord has given and come alongside... REMEMBER THE SNOWDEN'S IN PRAYER!
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost."
By uniting our hearts to the heart of God; as HIS CHILDREN -- our HEART BEAT CHANGES!
For you see, God's Heart beats for people...do ya hear it?
So many all over this globe are LOST; with no hope and purpose. Their hearts do ache but they don't know where to turn. So, they just submerge themselves more into false ideologies that only take them on a downward spiral.
FACTS:
*2/3rds of the world's population is still unsaved.
*An estimation of 1.6 billion people have never heard the Gospel.
*According to the World Health Organization in 2011 about 55 million people died. WHICH CALCULATES TO... *2.1 billion people in the world are unevangelized. *44,000 people perish each day without hearing the Good News.
JOSHUA PROJECT (Click) Tells us that there is 62 people groups in Mozambique.
14.% are unreached. "The Unreached is a people group among which there is no indigenous community of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to evangelize this people group without outside assistance."
Recently, I heard someone interject in a conversation about missions asking why do we need to send anyone out to these other countries?" He went on to say; "We have plenty who need the Lord Jesus right here in our own land!" I agree to the point that - YES, Christians (every single one of us) are to preach and teach the Gospel to our family, neighbors, fellow workers, students and so on. Jesus came to save ALL the lost! And it is everyone who knows Him as their Lord; their responsibility to help 'SAVE' those who are running astray. Yet the 'GREAT COMMISION' (from the Words of our Lord and Savior) has not ever been recanted. The CALL, TASK & JOB for all disciples of Christ is to:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15
THUS, this is why we are going on; continuing this THRUST because of the word:
ALL
No one man, woman, and child should ever be exempt from hearing the Word of God that births new life and purpose!
1 John 5:12 "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
As a family, the Snowden's have been in diligent preparation to embark to a new field of service. A field that is truly RIPE and READY for harvest; in Mozambique, Africa.
Church Service Under A Tree In Mozambique.
We have been scheduling meetings with individuals, couples, and families as well as churches. God has truly blessed as we have united with 'likeminded' believers who indeed have a passion for missions.
Will you be praying for us; we are still on the 'UP-HILL' climb to reach the budget set by our missions organization (OMS).
We are also facing major transitions with our present occupation and housing as well.
YET:
Where He leads me I will follow!
WHERE HE LEADS I WILL FOLLOW - I'LL SAY YES, LORD YES
-"With 16years of civil war along with repeated floods, droughts and cyclones have contributed to widespread poverty. A high incidence of HIV/AIDS has left many ill and orphaned." [prayercast.com] Yet, because of the newer government leaders being raised in missionary schools; the economic and political leadership is moving to be strong, since their Civil War.
"Suffering has created a spiritual hunger resulting in churches being planted, but there is a great need for better trained leaders for these churches. Christian agencies have been encouraged by the government to develop programs to help..."
-With our 28 years experience in the ministry (25 being senior pastors); we want to come alongside the Pastors, their wives and children to help encourage, affirm, disciple and be a strength to them. We understand this is VITAL to the church of Jesus Christ; who need strong, spiritual leaders - who are GROUNDED in the Word of God. As they are taught to pray & persevere even in the times of difficulty.
*Standing with them, beside them and for them!
-Majority of the Pastors in the Mozambican church are bi-vocational (of which again we can identify), have families to support and people to minister to on a daily basis.
-We believe God heard their heart cry and laid a burden deep within our soul; as we too, have cried out (in times past) to our Lord in our weariness as Pastors and parents with working full time. -Also, because of this: The Snowden Family will minister in churches scattered abroad. We will help with starting new works, and come alongside fellow missionaries and church leaders to serve in any capacity as needed. -Will you come with us? Your monthly support is doing just that.
“Remember this—you can’t serve God and Money, but you can serve God with money.” — Billy Graham
-You prayers as you give are an empowerment from our Mighty God!
"God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil." — E.M. Bounds
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."
1 Jn. 3:18
POEM BEING HIS HANDS/FEET:
Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work today
He has no feet but our feet to lead men in the way
He has no tongue but our tongue to tell men how He died
He has no help but our help to bring them to His side.
We are the only Bible the careless world will read,
We are the sinner’s gospel; we are the scoffer’s creed;
We are the Lord’s last message, given in word and deed;
What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?
What if our hands are busy with other work than His?
What if our feet are walking where sin’s allurement is?
What if our tongue is speaking of things His lips would spurn?
How can we hope to help Him or welcome His return?
Going to Africa from spending 29 years in the ministry here in the United States; I have seen others struggle with the 'open-door' the Lord has laid out for our family.
Have you ever been there? God has led you to do something different than what others anticipated for your life. Question is, should we allow this to HINDER what the Lord is leading?
How do you see yourself?
It is how we IDENTIFY who we are, how we want others to see us and then how we see ourselves. First of all, we must see WE ARE NOT OUR OWN... "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" I Cor. 6:19Thus, if we identify WHO'S WE ARE...the God of the Universe's CHILD... then we must know His Purpose far usurps our own, and others.
We do tend to want to 'please' others and do our 'duty' per say. Then as we are walking through life, we feel a dryness come, an unfulfilled and yearning as well. Retrospect then speaks out and brings us back to becoming that zealous warrior God called out years before.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument],And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Jer. 1:5
When people cannot wrap their minds around this NEW path you obeyed to walk on; just point to Jesus and continue. Recognize the hindrance when it comes.
*HINDRANCES of hurt when the one's even closest to you are unsupportive of your call.
*HINDRANCES of others lack of faith, and only see depravity...for it doesn't 'fit-into' the perfect human ideals of working 9-5 retaining a weekly paycheck.
*HINDRANCES from others not doing what would be such a 'help' for you to go forward. [Remember, only God can close and open doors.]
*HINDRANCES of fear: The 'what-ifs' must totally be surrendered and left in order to be able to march on with ease and speed into God's Door of ministry.
Notice how God has prepared you as well is presently preparing you for this 'OPEN DOOR'. He just doesn't throw you out into this new life, and calling without be prepped for it. [As we do not do this to a small baby.] I think of certain prophets in the Bible; how they were raised, especially with the difficulties they grew up in; how that strengthened them to be powerful men and woman of God.Look back, and see this in your own life; it is so true.
Personally, being Pastors all of these past 25 years (and for myself my entire life), being bi-vocational and definitely NOT well-to-do; God prepped us to minister to the Pastors of one of the poorest countries on this planet! My degree is in missions; yet...the path I took (although many times I sure didn't understand) was preparation to identify with my fellow ministers (& their wives).
Along with this; my husband being seriously ill, pushing him in a wheel chair - simply struggling with day to day life. On our missions team there is a ministry for the disabled.
Our church was small, so our girls minister to the children. This birthed a 'LOVE' to minister to kids (i.e.: a calling to children's ministry) for one of my daughters. There is a ministry to children on our missions team in Mozambique.
church since she was 11 years old. We lost our pianist and she had to step in. Guess, what...God called her into Music Worship Ministry AND is going to use this in Africa as well.
Do you feel a DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY has opened for you? Always know:
*God will not contradict His Word. -It will be confirmed through His Word and leading.
*It will be a: " ...good thing given and every perfect gift is from above..."James 1:17
*As it states inRom. 8:31 "If God is for us, then who can be against us." HE IS FOR YOU!
*Are you saying: "I can't do this on my own." Well, that is good; for the Lord God is a relational God. He wants us to rely on Him-i.e.: Walk of Faith. Thus, He gets the glory, for as we,"LIFT HIM UP, ALL MEN WILL BE ADDED UNTO HIM." Jn. 12:32
Lately, the Lord has been encouraging me to step away
from the 'THINGS FAMILIER - THAT BRING SECURITY'. Into a new realm; a place where God has purposed for me to THRIVE and live out my calling. That means, stepping out, clogging my hearts ears when others do not respond in coming along (joining with us as team members in support). WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! Glory to God!!!
Allow me to encourage you to do the same; step out if He is calling you. Trust your loving Father; He's got you...just go forward ONE step at a time.
BEYOND THE OPEN DOOR
listen
Don't forget to click on the side column to link up with our missions page. You will see descriptions of who we are and what we will do in Mozambique through One Missions Society.
Ya, you heard it RIGHT: We are going to Africa! Most of whom we have shared our testimony of this HUGE open door are baffled. Majority have known us as Pastors, Construction workers, who home school our children. Also, in the past several years all have known us as a family battling a horrendous sickness; appearing to take the life of my husband, Brad.
Yet, the path our Lord has cleared for our family to take has been revealed. I still shake my head in amazement recalling as I exclaim: "Who am I Lord, (as the Psalmist declared) that He should choose me (and my family)?" Then as in Isaiah's answer to our God's call...I share the same heartfelt words:
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Campus of One Mission Society - Greenwood, IN
My husband and I had always felt the burden to one day 'GO' into the foreign field as missionaries. That particular door just didn't open; YET...another door did as Pastors to the Mission Field of America. God led us to people and places that were unique, and needed His Love- pure and simple. We were honored to lead many to Christ, disciple, teach all of them through out our 28 years in the ministry.
Accompanied with Pastoring, my husband has been able to have his own Roofing & Construction Company. This truly has been the main source of our income. Then over six years ago he became gravely ill; this resulted him not being able to work, being pushed in a wheel chair and spending countless days bedfast. Many growing lessens (in seeing the faithfulness of our God) did arise. Deeper we grew, (although it didn't feel that way); as well as used in unique avenues ministering to countless lives throughout our trial.
God drew our families heart again to missions in the past year. Deeper than ever, we felt compelled to pray for His leading. In that, we also had a tremendous burden for pastors all over the globe. Knowing their true needs, and even desires being pastors ourselves; we just felt a longing to come alongside them to be an encouragement, also to affirm them in countless ways to 'go-forward' in their CALL from God.
In the midst of our SEEKING GOD...an OPEN DOOR was made clear for us to SEE. We found a 'JOB-DESCRIPTION' - for Pastoral Support to Pastors in Mozambique, Africa. It aligned perfectly with our hearts.
Months went on by; and it came to another point in time when we were spending time as a family in prayer and fasting. This is when we received a phone call from the same agency that posted this incredible job description. That week, we set up two appointments in the same day; one with One Mission Society and the other with my husband's specialist for the chronic illness he was fighting.
First we went to see Brad's doctor; who after we asked did say his health was declining quickly and well, it didn't look like he may even survive. An hour later, we found ourselves at OMS headquarters; an amazing missions organization that is over 115 years old.
We took the tour, learning about this great agency. It was a big day for our family; what to do and how to; did enter our minds. We prayed and couldn't help but go ahead and start the application process. As we did, Brad's symptoms week by week, month by month disappeared. I must also say; thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ had been praying for a miracle for Brad. That is what we got too! About the same time we were 'official' ALL OF BRAD'S SYMPTOMS HAD LEFT! [click link of full story here]
He no longer is in a wheel chair, no pain, breathes great and is WORKING AGAIN!
Brad & our daughter at OMS headquarters.
Now, we are going FULL THRODDLE to raise support to be able to minister to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in Africa! Hudson Taylor famously said, “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” We rest in this truth, it's a huge endeavor -- Yet, I am reminded I serve a GREAT GOD...the only TRUE GOD; our Creator and King.
Will you join us? Please pray for us as we go about this new walk...excitedly WALKING FORWARD - with Purpose; telling others of the Ministry that lays before us.
We cannot do it without the BODY, joining along with your prayers and monthly support. As you pray, I just ask - will you ask the Lord if He wants you to PLEDGE to financially support this ministry. Just listen to His guidance; that is all we ask. [SUPPORT LINK - CLICK]
Thanks for reading along...I promise the future blogs will not be 'as-long'. Just wanted to share with you the BEGINNING of our journey.
Then it happened; the road became narrow, space for two vehicles were squeezed tight and the shoulder -- where was the shoulder of the road? Ha! All we saw was 'NOTHING'! 
We have known the vital importance for pastors, ministers and leaders working for the Lord; to be strengthened in various ways. SUCH AS:
God drew our families heart again to missions in the past year. Deeper than ever, we felt compelled to pray for His leading. In that, we also had a tremendous burden for pastors all over the globe. Knowing their true needs, and even desires being pastors ourselves; we just felt a longing to come alongside them to be an encouragement, also to affirm them in countless ways to 'go-forward' in their CALL from God. 
