Meet Our Teammates

Sam and Sarah Snyder

As most of you know, Michelle and I are not going it alone in the Congo. Far from it. We are just one half of the team. The other half of our team is Sam and Sarah Snyder, most recently from the Rockford, IL area. They were married about 14 months ago and the work of the Eliky Center has been a passion of theirs even before then. Their wedding itself was a testament to that passion as they accepted donations in lieu of gifts for the work of the Center. Shortly after their wedding they felt the call to be of service on a greater level and have committed the next 2 plus years to work with us at the Elikya Center.

Sam and I were roommates at boarding school in the Congo as missionary kids and again for a couple years at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL. It has been amazing to see how our paths have crossed yet again and to glimpse the intentions of God in so directing our steps. Even more than that, Sam and I share the joy of having wives that are equally called and equipped for ministry in the Congo and are by no means just being "dragged along."

We are excited to be on this journey with Sam and Sarah. To follow their own personal story, check out their blog, snydersincongo.blogspot.com.

October 2009 Newsletter is hot off the presses! Click to view. April and June newsletters and donation cards are also available to view or download on the sidebar.

We're Back!

We arrived back in the US this past Friday evening at around 6 o'clock. It was a pretty long day, beginning somewhere in the sky over central Africa and ending outside of Rockford, IL. We boarded our flight out of Africa in Bangui, Central African Republic around 10 PM on Thursday night. From there we flew to Paris, arriving around 6 the following morning. From Paris to Copenhagen (where we glimpsed Air Force One) and from Copenhagen non-stop to Chicago. So here we are. It is definitely good to be back. Our travels aren't yet over, though. Tomorrow we will be in Minneapolis for about 8 days for some additional training with ReachGlobal.

Hopefully we will get to see many of you during the course of our travels or "at home" wherever that is these days. Thank you for your prayers and your support of our ministry.

On the Road in Congo

See these short videos for a brief glimpse of life in Congo as seen from the road. These are pretty typical "street scenes" for this part of Africa and during the rainy season. In the Congo, villages are always strung out along the few (main) roads that exist.