So, it's been a long time since our last blog post...well, at least when we post there's big news!

The next stage in our SneAdventure will involve moving from our TN home back to the Asheville, NC area!  God has opened some doors and we feel this is where He's leading us next.  As far as timing goes, that's not finalized at this point, but we anticipate making the move sometime this summer (due to school year, selling our home, finding our next home, and all of the other craziness of our lives right now).  Art will still be with LifeWay and will work even more closely with the conference center and camps there in a CFO role.  Several of his co-workers in LifeWay's Camps and Conference Centers Department will also be making the move over the next year or so.

the "twins" 

 

                               family b-ball in the back yard...

silly Savanna 

How do we feel?  Having lived in (and loved) the Asheville area for 10+ years prior to moving to NM, it feels like we're going home to an area and friends we miss and love, and we're excited about that.  However, the hard (very hard) part is that we feel like we're leaving home to go there.  We've been in TN for less than 3 years, but we have been blessed beyond measure by our friends, Long Hollow Baptist church, small group, and so many other people and things in the Nashville area.  Even with a great opportunity available in Western NC, our love for our friends and church here made the decision to go very, very difficult.

Some other things you might want to know:

- Josiah has visited the Asheville area recently and his health handled it very well...obviously this was a key consideration!

- While our kids are all handling it well, the news was harder for Silas, who has had so many great opportunities and friends here.  He's o.k now, but please pray for all of us through the transition! 

- Where in Asheville area will we live?  Probably east or south, but we don't yet know for sure.

Silas with some Long Hollow buds

Well, that's it for now!  As we go through the transition, we'll try to do a better job keeping you updated on this blog.  However, as parents with 4 kids we often find it easier to provide Twitter (@artsnead and @shellysnead) and Facebook updates more often than the blog, so you might want to follow us on those networks.  Thanks!

Art Snead
2 Timothy 1:7

Uganda trip, chapter one...

Well, this will be the first of several blogs about our recent mission trip to Uganda, because this one has a "time-crunch"!   Needless to say, as always when you go on a mission to serve others, you end up getting blown away by the blessing you receive in return. This journey was no exception! Today I want to focus on a special "muzungu" (white person in Africa) we met at the Mbira orphan village. And I'm hoping you'll participate in a special opportunity to help her ministry after I share it with you.

 Her name is April. She is a 20 year old believer (with eleven brothers and sisters back home!) who has given up several years of her life to serve missionary families in several foreign countries. Currently she is serving the Applegate family at the orphan village in Mbira. She lives with them, helps to take care of their 4 children (ages 1-7, and one with substantial physical, special needs), rises early to start washing clothes (no running water while we were there), helps prepare family meals and wash dishes (did I mention no running water?), and helps homeschool the children.

 And if that weren't enough, she also teaches the orphan girls' devotions every night. And we're not talking a little "kum ba ya" and basic Bible stories. These girls scripture memory put ours to SHAME! And she teaches them the whole scripture, tackling hard subjects that resonate with these girls, like why bad things happen if God is good...and the singing they do at the start of these devotions is one of the most beautiful sounds we encountered in Uganda.

 But there's more.... On Sunday's, the children leave the service after the singing and go with April to the schoolroom for Sunday school (shown above...with baby on hip!). This could last for an hour or more, depending on how long pastor J.J. preaches. She sings lots of sings with the 50 or so kids there, teaches them a lesson from scripture (the week we were there it was the story of Noah, and I was just as glued to her as the kids!), plays a game with them to review the scripture and then sings some more. All this teaching is done with an interpreter (one of the older orphan girls) for the kids who come from the village and don't speak much English, and with no power (I.e. no videos, "canned music, etc") and very few supplies. The week I participated, she drew a game board on the wall with chalk for the review. We asked April if she could use any other supplies, and her eyes lit up as she asked for a few basic things. Upon our urging, she went into the other room and wrote out a list. Nothing on her list included things for herself, but all things to help her more creatively teach God's word to these precious kids.

 So, we have another group going back to Uganda in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping to fill a bag with everything on the list! YOU can help! See the list below and go out and buy something from it (or you may even have an extra one at home). Get it to me by this weekend if possible. If you live far away and want to send me money to get a particular item on the list, I'll be glad to do that too! Thanks for serving with me!

 April's list 
Magnetic alphabet letters
 Magnetic boards (the small dry-erase kind)
Dry-erase marker sets
Box of paper clips
Rubber duckies
Food coloring
 Bean bags
 Indoor bowling ball/pins set (there are some wooden ones at target I think)
 Flash cards for teaching Bible (biblical pictures sets, etc)
Crayons
 Markers
 Tennis balls
Construction paper
 Brown paper bags
 100 pair of kids scissors

 Many blessings, and more posts to come,
 Shelly

An anniversary trip to....Uganda....

So it won't exactly be an Alaskan cruise or Hawaiian vacation, but Art and I will be spending our 17th wedding anniversary in Uganda this year....  And we couldn't be happier about it!

I know, I know, I haven't posted on our blog in over a year.....

what can I say?....I 've been incredibly busy on pinterest with my 4 amazing kids and  talented hubby!

Anyway, thanks for checking back in!  We, along with 13 other team members from Long Hollow Baptist in Hendersonville, TN, will be leaving this Saturday  for a 10-day trip to love on some orphans, elderly, and anyone else God puts in our path!  Forty-nine percent of Uganda's population is under the age of 15.....there are 2,500,000 orphans there!  We will be focusing on 2 orphanages that our church has help build/fund, playing with the kids, giving the "mama's" a break, blessing them with lots of diapers/wipes/formula, and best of all, letting them know with our words and actions that they can be part of an amazing family with a loving, heavenly Father who knows their name and loves them infinitely!  I am so pumped! 

We'll also be bringing mosquito nets for the elderly, gifts for the "mama's", and encouraging the American family that lives there full-time, ministering God's grace to these precious people. 

We would LOVE for you to lift us up in prayer as we seek to meet needs, share love and tell others about the Savior who made a way for them to know peace, joy, forgiveness and abundant life!
Some specifics are:
* unity among our group
* safety in our travels, activities, etc.
* our 4 kiddos and their Nana - She is taking them to her house in Florida the entire time we are gone
* our health
* boldness and clarity to communicate God's Word and his love
* patience.....

Most likely there will be no posts while on the trip, as our location will be pretty remote....there will likely be no showers, power, or quick trips to Mickey D's (I know some of you are wondering how I will make it.....without the latter....hence the petition for your prayers....), but we'll tell you all about it upon our return (or next year when I post again...)  Thanks for your prayers and love!

Many Blessings,
Shelly

My Trip to Haiti - by Silas Snead

me with some of my new friends in Jeremie, Haiti

"tent-living" in Port au Prince

me with one of the orphan village's "mamas"

the kids did not speak English, but by the end of the week they all knew the word "SILAS"

2 meals a day served in a frisbee and brought back to their room

cooling off in the ocean

frisbee with one of the "grass cutters"

Dou Dou - the "gentle giant"

me and Robinson

The one word that comes to my mind about this whole Haiti trip is GIVE. Giving love. Giving friends to the friendless. God giving me an indescribable experience. During the trip, I met some people that I really enjoyed: The mission team, Dou-Dou (he drove the bus and has big muscles!), Robinson (one of the orphans there), Sonia (another orphan), and many more.

The most challenging parts of my trip were mainly when I was tired (the roosters woke us up a lot), and also when Mr. Jason (on our mission team) told me he'd pay me a dollar for every conch I ate (yuck!). I'm proud to say that I earned $3! One of the hardest times was when I was trying to lay down, but the orphans wanted me to play with them at all times. I prayed to God about it, and after that I had an incredible time with them.

It hurts your heart to see men working all day out in the sun cutting a field of grass with machetes and the only get paid $1/day. My dad threw a frisbee to one of them and then we threw it back and forth with them for a little while.

I got to film a practice session for Mr. Gerald (our worship pastor). He is teaching the orphan choir original songs to record a CD. They will use the money they make on the CD's to hire a music teacher for the orphans. You could hear the orphans singing "Bondye Bel..." all over the orphan village! ("Bondye Bel" means "Beautiful God" in Haitian Creole.)

I had a really great time on the trip when I played a soccer game with the kids. One thing I ate that I really liked was goat. (yum!) During the week my dad and I had silly bands and candy in our pockets to hand out to the kids. They really liked it. I made friends with an orphan named Robinson, and on the last day, I gave him my sunglasses.

Me and my dad climbed up on top of a sunken submarine...COOL! The ocean was the bluest ocean I'd ever seen, and I loved getting drenched by the humongous waves.

Something I learned about myself on the mission trip is that God can use even the smallest people to do his will (I was the only kid on the trip). It was also incredible to me that I could use my ability of playing to serve God. When you're trying to be a servant of God, be a servant to others. If there is another mission trip to Haiti, I would love to go. After the trip I committed to God that I would do whatever I can to go on another mission trip, and that I would do the best I can to serve Him here in Tennessee.

Thanks again for all your support and prayers!

Silas Snead, age 9

We're off to Haiti!

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for helping me to go on this mission trip! I was able to give $281 to my church for the "Crazy Love" offering, and over $1000 toward my trip. I will be leaving with my dad this sunday (April 3), and I will be returning the next Saturday (April 9). Thank you all for your kindness and support. I will be building, playing with the kids in the orphan village, and helping the kids to know more about Jesus. Please pray that I will have a safe trip and a great experience. I'll be posting an update of my trip when I get home. Above is a picture of me pointing to Jeremie, where I will be working.

Thank you all,

Silas Snead

Silas' "Crazy Love" adventure!

The following post was written by Silas, our eldest, who has a love for painting/drawing and a heart for orphans. Please read his post and pray about being a part of his "Crazy Love" adventure....

"Hello. I'm Silas Snead. I'm 8 years old. I have decided to raise money for the orphan village my church is building in Haiti. I will be selling notecards made from pictures I have painted. This is one way that I can use my talents for God, even though I'm just a kid. I have been to the orphanage where my brother and sister used to live in Rwanda. I wished I could do more, and now I can.

Here's what God says we should do: 'Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans.' (Isaiah 1:17) All the money I make will go to help the orphans in Haiti, and to help me be able to go there with my dad this spring to help as well. The money will help them have a school to go to, food to eat, a home to live in, and to learn about Jesus. By buying my cards, you will be able to help these kids too.

Please cklick on the "buy now" button to the right to purchase with a credit card, or email my mom at shellys1216@yahoo.com if you would like to order by check.

Also, your prayers can be powerful and effective, so please keep not only this endeavor in your prayers, but the orphan village as well, as the cholera has finally reached Jeremie. Two of our orphans there have died, and 8 others are sick. We are sending out an emergency medical team this week to help. Having the clinic there has already been a huge blessing! Thanks again!

"Gotcha Day" one year anniversary!

What a fun day! "Gotcha Day" is the adoption word for the day we "got" our two newest family members, Savanna and Samuel. Today was the one year anniversary of that day and we set out to make it special and memorable!

We began our day by wearing matching shirts that proudly displayed the Rwandan flag...

Though we "stuck out" at church, we were also congratulated by so many in our church who love, support and participate in adoption. Then we came home for lunch and enjoyed Africa-shaped cookies.....with a "heart" right on Rwanda (or close to it, anyway! Its a pretty small country!)

We had a relaxing afternoon preparing a Rwandan meal (Rwandan Beef Stew, prepared by Art and the boys, and Rwandan Honey Bread prepared by Shelly - Savanna slept through most of this...hence the "relaxing afternoon"! ) Then we played some games and read books and began dinner! The only thing we regret is not having Orange Fanta bottles, which is what the kids drank with every meal while in Rwanda! ...on the list for next year...

Finally, we watched videos of our first meeting with Savanna and Samuel, and some of our time in Africa. We also enjoyed a FABULOUS slide show put together by one of the other moms who adopted from Rwanda when we did. It was great to see how everyone's Rwandan babies have grown so much over the last year in so many ways!

This has been such a whirlwind of a year, and it was so good to slow down today and take a look at all the progress that has been made, the bonds that have formed between parent and child as well as between siblings, and the positive changes that have occurred due to time, growth and God's amazing faithfulness. We look forward to this new year with great expectations and anticipation over what God will do next in our family to draw us closer together and make us more like Jesus. If you have the time, sit back and enjoy the following slide show of our first gotcha day, today's celebration, and some favorite photos of the last year! Thanks for all your prayers and support!