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Multnomah graphic artist blessed Roselyn Snively enjoys both the Media Services department and students

Roselyn looked up at her mother with her 3-year-old eyes and asked, "Mommy, what can I be good at?" Her mother, an artist, sat Roselyn down and taught her daughter how to draw stick figures at their kitchen table.

From a young age, God blessed Roselyn Snively with natural artistic abilities. Her mother's artistic talents encouraged Mrs. Snively to involve herself with art in as many areas as possible. But as Mrs. Snively grew older, art was only one area through which Mrs. Snively saw God bless her.

Mrs. Snively also saw God's blessing in her marriage to her first husband. She met her first husband when she was 19 years old. They met in March and married in September. They had one daughter, Carmen. As Mrs. Snively looked back on her first marriage, she recognized the warning signs of hardship to come and the signs of God's blessing through the circumstances.

When Mrs. Snively first met her husband, Ralph, they went on walks together. Ralph tired easily on the walks and later he mentioned his bad heart to Mrs. Snively.

Within their first years of marriage Ralph, became ill and X-rays revealed a heart problem. He needed an

operation. "My first thought was, 'The Lord's on my side; he won't let my husband die,'" Mrs. Snively said. She waited 13 hours for the three-hour surgery to finish.

After Ralph was initially diagnosed, the doctor told Mrs. Snively that her husband wouldn't live much longer. Ralph lived for two years after that. During that time God blessed Mrs. Snively by preparing her for her husband's death. "The times were so special," Mrs. Snively said.

Following the surgery, Ralph felt better and began some light work. But eventually his health went downhill again.

Mrs. Snively rushed her husband to the hospital after he stopped breathing one day. While at the hospital, Mrs. Snively decided to walk downtown with her sister. On their way back, about two blocks before they reached the hospital, Mrs. Snively began to run. She ran into the hospital, up the stairs and into her husband's room. He was already gone.

"The Lord let my husband live till I could say, 'He's yours Lord,'" Mrs. Snively said.

Driving home from the hospital with her sister, Mrs. Snively began to weep. She then realized that Ralph was in a better place. "That was it. I turned to my sister, who has a great sense of humor, and told her to say something funny," Mrs. Snively said.

Following her first husband's death, Mrs. Snively made a list of qualities she desired in a husband. A good father for her daughter topped her list.

Mrs. Snively met Bob Snively in March when Carmen was 3. Mrs. Snively shared her concerns about wanting Carmen to feel a part of Mrs. Snively's relationships with him. She was blessed by his response. "He said, 'We'll teach her that there's two to love her,'" Mrs. Snively said. They married in September of the same year.

After 13 years of marriage, she and her husband decided to join Wycliffe. She worked as an illustrator in Quito, Ecuador, and he worked as a mechanic.

Mrs. Snively illustrated both first aid books for native tribes and also folk story books. To properly illustrate books in Ecuador, Mrs. Snively travelled to tribal villages to see how the people of certain tribes lived. While traveling to the village of the Cofan tribal people, Mrs. Snively had to endure countless hours of sitting in a rickety truck, walk on rough paths and ride up a muddy river. At one point in the journey, the small group had to slide down a muddy slope to reach a river. Snively slid down with her drawing tools under one arm and her pillow under the other.

Mrs. Snively felt blessed through her experiences in Ecuador. "It was a rich experience in Ecuador, when we left I cried," Mrs. Snively said.

After three years in Ecuador, the Snivelys returned to the United States. They had heard of an opening in Multnomah's maintenance

department.

Multnomah hired Mr. Snively as a mechanic, and the Snively family moved to the Pacific Northwest. Mrs. Snively took a job as a bus driver and taught craft classes at Clear Lake Camp near Mt. Rainier, Wash. God blessed the Snivelys once again by providing for all their needs and allowing an outlet for Mrs. Snively's love for art.

Two years after their return to the United States, Mrs. Snively decided to apply for a graphic artist position at Multnomah. Ernie Ediger, head of the Media Services department at that time, interviewed Mrs. Snively.

"When I first saw her art, I could see that she did fine art," he said. "I offered her a one-year contract. In my experience most fine artists are bored with graphic art. Roselyn surprised me. After the first year there was no question. Some of the jobs weren't challenging, but she never complained. She stuck with it because she loved the Lord; it was her ministry."

Not only was Mrs. Snively blessed by working at Multnomah, but also blessed Multnomah by working in the Media Services department.

Mrs. Snively remembered when Mr. Ediger lead her into classroom L104 in Mitchell Library. She placed her portfolio on one of the tables. At that time, the room only had tables in it. "It was in Multnomah's pre-computer days," Mrs. Snively said.

L104 is now full of computer equipment. "Roselyn did all her art with ink and paint. Along came computers. You do things one way all your life. Electronics come along and you're asked to use [it]. That can be

traumatic," Mr. Ediger said. "Roselyn never noticed. She was always willing to learn."

About ten years ago, Mrs. Snively asked Mr. Ediger if Multnomah would pay for her to attend computer graphics classes at Mt. Hood Community College. The college paid for one semester-long class. Mrs. Snively wanted to continue learning, so she paid for the second class.

Mrs. Snively continues to be blessed and bless those around her at Multnomah despite her retirement on Dec. 28, 2000. "I'm delighted to be doing what the Lord wants me to do," Mrs. Snively said.

She hopes to spend more time on her artwork after she retires. And she knows that God will continue to bless her.

For now, Mrs. Snively sits at her desk, designing overheads for professors at her computer terminal. Papers are piled around her work area and a Snoopy figure or two sits guarding her continual stream of work projects. She is redesigning an overhead for Professor Needham; a sketch from a former Christmas card she designed lays to the side. Mrs. Snively sits in the midst of it all, a peaceful smile on her face.