Timothy and Christi Chaffee Newsletter (Fall 2021)

Greetings Family and Friends! 

Our on-the-go family is rolling full speed ahead and we invite you to strap in for the ride.

 In early July, we found out the gender of our baby—another boy! Brielle still does not completely understand the concept of another baby in the house, but we are gradually working toward that direction. David seems thrilled that he has an actual brother on the way and he has even made a rattle for his brother out of his own toys stuffed in a bottle. Rebekah is excited to have a balanced number of boys and girls in our home and is particularly looking forward to holding him. Christi is looking forward to when he is born so she could relax a little bit easier. Christi has commented how, though it could be exciting sometimes, none of our other kiddos have moved as often and aggressively as this little guy, which is clearly evident to me with her uncomfortable—sometimes painful—expressions when he switches in or out of some positions. I am eager to see him develop, especially as each of our children have such different personalities. 

Brielle has an excellent memory when it comes to music lyrics and she continues belting out songs proudly. David has expressed a particular interest in some aspects of Asian culture, including Chinese written characters, which may be because he enjoys drawing and I think the abstract idea of a character expressing a word may be intriguing to him. Rebekah enjoys healthy competition and scoring me with foam darts during NERF wars we carry out in our free time. Christi has been busy ensuring things are ready for our little one’s quick-approaching arrival. She is grateful to be done with the nausea. I continue pursuing historical knowledge of the 15th century, especially armor, which I relish educating others upon. 

Personal Involvement

During the Preteen Boot Camp program this summer, I was grateful that God used my armor and knowledge to allow me to co-teach a more visual, comprehensive, and engaging series to these youth, which assisted them in better comprehending the armor of God. During Boot Camp, I also served as a class monitor to ensure the teens were following instruction throughout the class. When the preteens and teens do not follow instruction, they are often given an SB (Special Blessing) which is an hour they get to serve extra during their free time completing whatever task is deemed necessary. I was designated to be one of two people responsible for supervising SB’s. Ground maintenance was among the other tasks I had throughout the summer.

Teen Testimony

Jenna L. from the Zambia team shared, “If I had to describe this summer in one word, I would choose ‘wondrous’. I would never be able to have enough paper to write down all that I learned and experienced in these seven weeks. What I can say is that God is faithful no matter what trials you go through. That is one thing that I can never forget from this summer.”

Country Overview: Zambia

For this newsletter, we have decided to take a closer look at Teen Missions in Zambia. Teen Missions began running Boot Camps in Zambia in 1994. There are currently five Boot Camps that run throughout the year. The first mission trip by a North American team took place in 1996. In 1997, 20 acres of land was acquired near Ndola, where a base and BIBLE, MISSIONARY & WORK (BMW) Training Center were established. At this time there are two Bible schools. There are also 16 Rescue Units and three Matron Units. In 2008, Sunday schools were also established in Zambia. There are 99 Sunday schools. Many Zambians (approximately 64%) live in poverty. They also are struggling with the continued spread of AIDS. Zambia has a high level of AIDS Orphans—more than 650,000. English, as well as tribal languages, are widely spoken in Zambia. Christianity is growing quickly, causing an awakening like never seen before.

From prayers to financial support, thank you to everyone who has come alongside us as we trek along life’s journey! Every bit makes a positive difference and helps us to serve to the fullest capacity God leads us.

Praise and Prayer Requests

Praise as Christi and our little guy she is pregnant with seem to be healthy. Pray for continued health. Our due date is November 20th.

Praise as David is making good progress with behavioral therapy. He is making such great progress that his therapist mentioned reducing the services he is receiving. Pray he’ll continue to be cooperative and put into practice the things he learns.  Pray we’ll shine God’s light to his therapist who may not be a Christian.

Praise and pray for increased support for our family! We’re aiming to raise an additional minimum of $33 in monthly support by October.

Pray for the fitting of my partial denture to have more “teeth” added to be completed and returned in a timely manner with no sizing errors.

Pray for Christi and me to have wisdom with important decisions we have to make.

Pray for Christi and me to balance and prioritize everything we are involved with.

Pray for Christi as she is homeschooling Rebekah and David.

Pray for Brielle to adjust well to preschool. Her first day was Monday, September 20th.

Pray for Rebekah, David, and Brielle to have increasing desires to learn.

Pray for God’s peace in every area of our lives.

Pray for our health and safety in all we do.

In Christ’s Love,

The Chaffee Family