The first week I stepped on the Trinity Western Campus the reality had set in, I was in B.C and a long way from home. Ontario seemed a world away and I had moments I asked myself ‘what have I done!’ My original plan to attend university was in Ontario, but God had different plans for me that I am absolutely beyond grateful for over and over again. Three weeks before the term began I was moved to apply to Trinity and make the trip across Canada. Yes, I lived there until grade 5 and had many family and friends that were still there, so it was actually a second home. But it is different when you are on your own. My family was not going with me to tuck me in bed at night, make sure I had extra cash for midnight snacks or a car to drive me where I may want to go. It was me, on my own. Isn’t that normal though? I did not look back. I entered the campus with excitement and a nervousness that all first year students feel.

In that first week of school I met Ryan Snider. I recall a whole group of students in the gym chatting and I found out he was from Ontario. Immediately I felt a peace that there was at least one other person from the east! We became friends and to this day have kept connected through social media. He is the one that reminds all of us on FB just how many years it has been since we stepped onto the beautiful TWU campus, the one that changed our lives forever! Then comes Liza! I have not had the privilege to meet her in person, but have been able to watch this amazing story unfold before my eyes through social media. It was many years ago when mutual friends Jenn and Jeff Gamache were in town visiting that Ryan was able to quickly stop by to say hello. It was a great reunion! Now that we are slowly able to connect with others I will be able to finally meet his family! Today, you are going to meet a remarkable woman. She is just outstanding! Her heart for the Lord is a beacon of light that shines forth for all to see. She illuminates a steadfast, determined perspective on life centered on Christ. Her story will inspire and encourage your on your journey, whatever stage that may be today. I am so excited to welcome Liza to Sovereign Radiance! Thank you for being here with us!

 

 

Liza Snider – Biography

Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Liza moved to England to study for her B.A.(Hons) and MSc.in Sport Science and Sport and Leisure management.  Upon graduation, she returned to Kenya to work in her family’s boutique hotel – managing conferences and private events. 

After marrying her Canadian husband in Kenya, Liza moved to Canada and was employed as a travel agent for Northstar Travel, while also taking on the roll of Program Director for GIVE International.  She is multi-lingual and has travelled extensively – both independently and as a tour guide – to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania (Kilimanjaro), Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, and Morocco.  

Liza is commencing a Masters in Divinity this fall at Wilfrid Laurier in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy, with aspirations of setting up a private practice for providing counselling services to couples and families needing support.

When Liza isn’t working or raising her three wonderful children (ages 15, 5, 1), she can be found running fitness bootcamps, cooking healthy meals, trail-running through the forest, or thanking God for His eternal grace.  

 

 

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3: 5-6).

Nine years ago, I was living in Nairobi, Kenya and working in our family business; hosting weddings and corporate functions, managing our 7 boutique cottages, and helping run a restaurant on the beautiful property.  It was a busy, but enjoyable time of life, as I was enjoying the freedoms associated with earning a paycheque, and making decisions based on my personal interests.  I caught up with friends in the evenings and enjoyed participating in sports and fitness classes on the weekends.  Needless to say, my life was easy and carefree.

My relationship with God was equally easy and carefree, as I had grown up in a Christian home alternating between attending Catholic mass with my mother on Sundays – if I was up in time! – and an Anglican service with my father.

Future plans, marriage plans, thoughts of how many kids I wanted, or where I wanted to settle down – came and went without much serious thought.  And even though I had so much going for me at the time, I found myself struggling with issues of self-identity and self-worth; two factors that that plagued much of my teens and twenties.  Bouts of depression and anxiety had often left me feeling worn-out inside, as I often felt unsure of my abilities and self worth.  Through a combination of medication and therapy, I was eventually able to emerge from the ‘internal darkness’ that I had carried in the past, and finally enjoy the growth I was experiencing in my late twenties.  For the first time in my life, I felt carefree and spontaneous, and I was determined to avoid heading back to the dark place I had been previously.

One evening, just before I was scheduled to finish for the day, I received an email from a client who had several questions surrounding an event that he wanted us to set up at our venue.  He was a safari guide from Canada who was responsible for coordinating and booking a venue for a large tech company wanting to host their conference in Nairobi.  Little did I know at the time how my life was about to change.

February 2012 rolled around, and the day of the tech conference arrived.  The participants were coming into the venue, and into my office walked a dark haired, very good-looking man. I soon realized that this was the Canadian guy – the safari guide – that I had been emailing back and forth.  We chatted for a few minutes, and he mentioned that he would be in Kenya for a few days before heading to Tanzania to take a group of Canadians on safari.

As with most great love stories, the next part of the story moves very fast.  Punctuated by a cultural faux pas where I was expecting him to pay us on the day of the event, and he was expecting me to send him a bill when it was all finished.  But as a result, the faux pas provided us the opportunity to meet again the next day in order to collect his payment.  This allowed us to spend a little more time together, and laugh about the cultural misunderstanding.  To my surprise, he invited me out for dinner that evening, and that same evening we fell in love.

I listened intently about his multitasking roles: a university professor of geography and sustainable tourism, a guide leading socially responsible safaris in East Africa, and his role as the director of a charitable organization.  I was intrigued.  And then he got a little quiet, and told me that he had one more very important thing to tell me.  He was a dad, and he was raising a six year old daughter.

 

My heart skipped a beat. Floods of emotions went through my mind and suddenly I had flash forwards of a life as step mother.  I had never considered this. I wasn’t prepared for the depth of our connection, and I wasn’t prepared for the weight of what he was telling me.  But at the same time, I definitely wasn’t prepared to let him go.

Over the coming months, we took it slow.  As he had returned to Canada, we talked for hours on the phone, on skype, and sent several lengthy emails every day.  

I had began attending a local Church close to home. I felt that the uncertainty of the relationship and the challenges ahead, were beyond my control.  I was realizing how important it was to pray about our hopes and intentions. Did God want this for us? It seemed too unreal to me. Yet, I found myself talking to God more, asking for help and guidance.

The following summer, he returned to Nairobi to guide another group on safari.  We had planned that I would pick him up from the airport, and his daughter would be with him.  To say I was nervous would be a huge understatement, and yet, I was absolutely confident that this was what I wanted to do.  His daughter knew that I was a friend of her dad, and we had spoken on the phone a few times over the course of the past year.  This wouldn’t be an extraordinary meeting for her, but for me it had the potential to be life changing.

I waited nervously at the arrival terminal. Finally, I saw them walk through the arrivals gate, and there, sitting on top of the suitcases was the sweetest little girl I had ever seen.  She was dressed in a pink T-shirt and pink shorts.  She had a cute bob hair cut that hugged her face, a pink hat with a giraffe, and she was missing her two front teeth.  She smiled at me, and I smiled back.  It was a very chatty ride in the car ride back to my parent’s place, and any tension that I felt quickly dissipated.  It wasn’t weird, and there wasn’t any awkwardness.   

Writing this now, and recollecting those memories, all seems a little surreal.  Because now, eight years later, I am a that little girl’s step-mother, and we’ve added two boys to our family – a five year old and a one year old.  Had I known all those years before what God had in store for me, I likely wouldn’t have believed it.  Or maybe I would have believed it, but I might have been overwhelmed by it all.  It just reinforces to me, how God’s plan for our lives is so much greater than what we could ever imagine, and that we all need to be reminded that He has a beautiful plan for all of us.  As I hear the conversations between my daughter and five year old, I am continually reminded by how much they love each other, and I am in awe of the gift of our beautiful, blended family.

At the same time, that doesn’t mean that we are constantly living in marital bliss!  After getting married in December 2014, and moving to Canada in the middle of a polar vortex, there were definitely days where I debated the merits of God’s plan.  Similarly, becoming a Permanent Resident, finding employment, looking after a house, figuring out the currency, joining a church, making new friends, and understanding Canadian nuances and expressions, all posed challenges that nothing can prepare you for. 

But what took the most of my time was trying to develop a healthy, reciprocal relationship with my “instant daughter”.  We got along on for the most part, but there were also times when we would disagree on things.  I realize that every mother has challenging times with their pre-teen daughter, but it’s a peculiarly odd feeling to share with your husband under these dynamics.  Fortunately, he never made me feel second best, and I’ve always felt that he supports me in my decisions and parenting. 

As weeks turned into months, and months into years, I found that she and I would chat easily, and we enjoyed similar activities.  She has a great sense of humour and an extremely kind heart.  Yes, with time, it just got easier to give her hugs, to chat about deeper issues and to feel comfortable sharing our thoughts with each other.  We’ve grown very close to one another and I feel a deep peace from God that this is right.  That His plan – although not easy nor expected – is perfect.  And it has taught me that I couldn’t have done this alone, and that I need to rely on Him – always.

Through this experience, I’ve been constantly reminded that God can make the impossible happen.  He can soften hearts, He can stretch us beyond our perceived abilities, and He has a beautiful plan for all of us.  We can’t impose our limits on Him.  

From the very beginning, my husband and I prayed for our relationship, and that a life together would work out for us if it was within His will.  And now years later, we can see that it was.  And we are so thankful.

As I close my eyes at night and think of our story, I pray that I’m wise enough to provide guidance to all three of my children.  And although that often feels daunting, I think back to my old days of fear and doubt, and I try to replace them with affirmations of God’s grace, mercy, and everlasting love.  I was never in this alone.  We never are.