Timothy & Christi Chaffee Newsletter (Winter 2022)

Hello Loved Ones,

Please join our family as we launch into this new year together.

On the morning of November 22nd, after passing our due date and with the Thanksgiving holiday on the brink, Christi’s labor was induced and at 3:24 p.m. we welcomed Allister Bennett to the Chaffee rank. Allister remains incredibly active, as he was in utero. He is also very attentive to people and smiles with great satisfaction when others mimic his coos and facial expressions. Brielle has adjusted well to no longer being the baby and she enjoys helping her younger brother by fetching his pacifier, diaper changing pad, stuffed animals, or toys when he becomes upset. David responds to Allister’s cries by exclaiming to Allister, “I love you!” and singing to him. Lastly, Rebekah is a wonderful help by holding, bouncing (in his bouncer) and rocking Allister to console him when he is unhappy. 

Brielle has recently been taking advantage of Florida’s warm winter. The daily temperatures averaging in the 70’s offer a perfect opportunity to get better at bike-riding and on the rare days when it is cooler than that and days we do not make it outside, Brielle is quite fulfilled spending hours coloring pictures. For Christmas, David received themed posters to help him learn a little Mandarin Chinese. He also received an oriental costume which allows him to immerse a bit more in the Asian culture which he has grown an interest for. Racing laps outside our house in the yard against her siblings and me is a favorite activity of Rebekah’s, in addition to refining her archery skills. Christi aspires to read more frequently, but often finds her time consumed with feeding Allister, tending to her responsibilities with homeschooling and housekeeping, and in the bit of time she has she falls asleep before even beginning the book. She certainly has a lot to keep her busy on the home-front.

Personal Involvement

Just as Christi has been busy at home, things have been bustling at Teen Missions. I have been responsible for pressure washing houses and driveways and at headquarters we find ourselves in a season of various retreats utilizing our property to host their events. With bounteous retreats accessing our property, it is my privilege to perform minor maintenance repairs for the Retreat Center and maintain the grounds to be pristine for the retreat attendees to enjoy. For more information on Teen Missions Retreat Center, please check out christianretreatcenter.com. We’d love to help host your next event and are equipped with different housing and meal options depending upon your preferences, and we have meeting rooms and recreational fun as well! We’re also a short drive from many local attractions that Florida is known for. Please stop in for a visit!

Teen Testimony

Ellie D. from the Tanzania team expressed, “I wanted to share about a little boy named Davis. Davis is a baby, probably a year old, and came on the foot washing day I was in charge of the medical station. Davis’s dad walked up, holding him with a blanket wrapped around him. We greeted each other, and then he uncovered Davis’s face from the blanket. I was in shock. His face had blisters from burns and open burn wounds all over his face and neck, to where you couldn’t see his skin. Just looking at him completely broke my heart. I tried not to react because I didn’t want them to be scared, but I knew we didn’t have the right stuff to help him. I grabbed what I could find that would take some pain away, and as I was helping him, I started to cry. I knew the family didn’t have enough money to heal the wounds. I was praying for him as I worked and still do pray. [Ms. Deb] did all that we could, prayed over him, and tried to keep it clean. Though it’s a sad story, I’m glad I got that experience to see God work in my life in that way.”

Overseas Testimony

Godfrey, with Teen Missions in South Africa, recounted with us, “Hey, my name is Godfrey. I’m from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I was born in a Christian family and then I came to South Africa. When I arrived in Pretoria, South Africa, I met some wrong friends. They introduced me to the wrong things. Then, I began to smoke and drink beer, go after women and in 2012, I decided to follow God. I got a contact. Someone gave me the details about Teen Missions. Then, I contacted Teen Missions. We set up the program. I came and introduced myself here and I quit, because when I came my spirit was still in the world. When I went back, I went to Cape Town. I became a Rasta and when I talk about being a Rasta, you can smoke marijuana and all kinds of evil things - even believe in false things. I thank God, because He never left me. Swimming in sin, something happened. Then, I had to remember that God needs me to come back to Teen Missions. I decided to contact Mr. Jason, who was a former coordinator, to ask him if he could let me come back. He was glad to hear from me after five years and he agreed to let me come back. I came back here. I was just a sinner - the worst guy - and I didn’t know that someone like me could change. I’m not smoking. I’m not a Rasta. I’m a preacher. I preach the Gospel. I win souls now. Everything is possible for those who believe. That’s my testimony. I’m a new person now. Thank you.”

We would like to thank each individual who has partnered with us—making it possible for our impact to soar around the globe.

In Christ’s Love,

The Chaffee Family

Praise and Prayer Requests:

Praise for increased support for our family!

Praise as Brielle adjusted well to preschool.

Praise as Allister is healthy, except for acid reflux. Pray for guidance as to how we could help Allister get relief. He’s been given a prescription and probiotics to help, but it does not seem to be working as effectively as we’d like.

Praise as David’s behavioral therapy has begun being reduced. Pray he’ll be cooperative and always put into practice the things he has learned. Pray we’ll shine God’s light to his therapist who is not a Christian.

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 as we explore whether Brielle may benefit from occupational and/or language therapy.

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 our children 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.