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	A letter from Bob and Bobbi Snyder in Zimbabwe

	February 2005 Dear Friends, Lucia’s new blouse Lucia got ready to go to church one Sunday morning. She was singing as she was dressing herself. There would be visitors (us) attending the service today and she wanted to look her best. So she put on her best skirt, a faded discard from America, and a brand new blouse. This was the only new piece of clothing she had ever worn. She felt so good about herself. It never entered her mind that we would look at her picture today and figure out that her “new blouse” was actually just a plastic grocery bag that was opened at the bottom. It is truly amazing that some people, especially those who are poor, can be satisfied with so little. By contrast, it usually takes so much to satisfy us. Is there something we can learn from Lucia?

	Lucia is a child at the Zobue Presbyterian Church, Zobue, Tete Province, Mozambique.				For the past six months, we have been visiting our supporting churches around the United States. In discussing the challenges facing us today in missions, we always talk about the fact that we have much to learn from the poor. As we are in community with and doing mission together with people who are poor we learn about suffering, faith, prayer, patience, perseverance, joy, love, and humility. “Wait a minute” you might say, “that almost sounds like the fruit of the Spirit.” Yes it does: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). Could it be that one of the best ways to grow in the Spirit is to be in ministry with the poor? Maybe that’s what Jesus was getting at when He said in the Matthew 25, “Whatever we do to the least of these, we do it to Him.” Does that mean if we spend time in ministry with the poor, we are spending time with Jesus? Most likely, yes, that is precisely what He meant.

	We give thanks for Lucia’s new blouse and the lessons she teaches us. We covet your prayers as we prepare for our return to Zimbabwe on April 19, 2005. Until that time, you can reach us at (336) 926-6434. Our email address, rpsnyder2003@yahoo.com, will continue to work after we leave for Zimbabwe. We continue to be very grateful for your encouragement, support and prayers. Your partnership with us in this ministry means a great deal to us. Thank you. In His Service, Bob and Bobbi Snyder P.S. We ask for your prayers for Bobbi and our family as we grieve the loss of Bobbi’s beloved father. General Robert M. Carroll died peacefully, after a long illness, on Thursday evening, February 24. We rejoice with him that, at long last, he is in his Father’s arms. He was a faithful follower of the Lord and he longed to see Him face to face. We praise God for a life well lived.

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