About

My life

Who’s the real Charlotte Snyman?

Well, I hope that in the following questions, you will be able to figure out a bit more about me on a personal level. If you have a question which I have not answered (within reason), please email me the question or subscribe and you’ll get to learn more about me.

Do you have any pets?

I have a dog. I would LOVE to have more but I have to stick to the guidelines of the estate in which we live. His name is Manu and he is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. We have always had a staff as our pet of choice. They have beautiful natures and are the most loyal dog. He loves to sit net to me and follows me everywhere.

What is your favorite hobby?

I have so many! Being a creative sponge, creative things just get my attention quickly. I love painting, designing backdrops, going to art galleries, fine dining, wine farms. The list could go on. We recently did the Franschoek wine tram and it was a blast!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I LOVE spending time with my family! They are the most important thing and we have fun together, whether we are playing board games (I generally lose since I suck at strategy), watching movies, rugby, or going out. Life is never dull with them around. Spending time with my daughter is also a favorite time, With all the testerone, it’s great to have that girly feminine vibe and she’s an awesome young lady.

What are some of your favorite vacation spots?

There are so many but I really enjoy the Garden Route along the Western Cape or Kruger National Park. I enjoy nature and I can sit or walk around and just enjoy the creativity of our God. If we are in the States, I love going to Colorado or Montana or Disney World in Orlando. If we are in Europe, I love Paris, Barcelona, Venice and Rome, Naples...I just love Europe.

What is your favorite restaurant?

This is a simple answer and the easiest to answer: La Colombe in Constantia Nek (Cape Town). It is enjoying food as art. I loved every single part of this restaurant, the vibe, the food, the presentation, the smells, the everything!

What is your favorite quote?

This is my heart’s cry every day. My hope is in Him and I trust Him implicitly for He is my God, my Hope, my Peace, my Deliverer. He is everything to me.

Writing Journey

In TAPESTRY, Charlotte Snyman shares her “stranger-than-fiction” life story with witty honesty and passion. She is not your average pastor’s wife but is well-loved by her church family at Lighthouse Christian Centre, in Cape Town, South Africa.

She masterfully tells vivid tales of times past, reaching all the way back to her grandparents in America, her miraculous adoption in Taiwan, growing up as an American girl on US Air Force bases all over the country, and finally settling down in Africa.

This jaw-dropping autobiography is an epic love story, an inspirational testimony, a medical drama, a musical symphony and a hilarious comedy, all woven into one big colorful tapestry, designed by God Himself.

I grew up knowing I was adopted but never wished to find my birth family. I knew my birth mother passed away when I was three months old so the desire to find them just wasn’t there. Fast forward many years, I was married, had my own family and my mother became ill suddenly. Within 5 weeks, she passed. This was the catalyst God used for us to fly back to Taiwan (for a conference) and God used that to connect me with my birth family. It truly was a miracle.

This whole experience is what spurred me on to write my story. It has been a labor of love. Many events happened along the writing journey of my book which could have caused me to just “give up” but I refused to give in.

I see this as another expression of who God is through writing. I just know that for me, the obedience to write was part of my journey. I do plan to write again but I’ll follow the lead of my heart and God and see where this next chapter leads me.

About my family

We have been a globetrotting family over the years. We lived in Cape Town for the first 7 years of our marriage, moved to Dallas, Texas, settled in Montgomery, Alabama for 2-1/2 years then we moved back to South Africa in 2001.

I’ve been married for over 28 years to the most handsome man whom I met at Christ for the Nations, Institute in Dallas, Texas. He is truly my biggest supporter and keeps me grounded. His words of encouragement have been the push to start my writing journey, and he always makes a mean cappuccino!

We have raised our four children, he’s been the lead of our family and a true model of a father to them. We are nearing the “empty nest” part of our lives with our sons moving out, discovering their purpose and destiny but we still have our daughter at home who keeps us on our toes! I absolutely love every season of life.

We are a close knit family and have a great time when all the kids are together, since our eldest son lives in the USA. When our eldest son visits, it is like the boys have never been apart. I treasure every moment with them and capture every moment in my heart.

My mom was the biggest influence in my life. She gave selflessly to anyone in need and those she loved. She taught me how to listen, be a friend, a support, love those who were unseen, be the tool to help others, how to be a mother and a friend. She became my best friend, always cheering me on, encouraging me to pursue God and the purposes He created me to do on this earth.

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