Timothy & Christi Chaffee Newsletter (Winter 2024)

Hello Family and Friends!

Let’s leap into this year together!

Personal Involvement

Work on Teen Missions property is in full swing as we continue expanding recreational options for our full-time retreat center by beginning to build a game center that benefits retreat participants who rent our property to host their events. I, Timothy, will also be overseeing canoe safety some Saturdays in February for retreats. Preparations for our summer teams has also begun and has mostly consisted of days spent clearing hundreds of acres of old, dead, and invasive trees to make the property more functional, specifically the trails that we have and tent sites which are used during the Lord’s Boot Camp training in the summer.

Teen Testimony

Lauren K. from the 2023 Tanzania team expressed, “Tanzania has been absolutely breathtaking. Our work project has been going well. We visited a Rescue Unit and a Sunday school. I loved working with the kids and evangelizing. God has been so good through this whole trip. I have learned so much from Him and my alone time during devos.”

Tanzania Overview

We’ve decided to explore a glimpse of Teen Missions in Tanzania for this report. In 1992, the ministry was founded in Tanzania. There are three yearly Boot Camps, as well as a Bible, Missionary, & Work (BMW) Training School. Like the other African countries we’ve examined in the past, Tanzania also ministers to children through 38 Sunday schools that have reached throughout the country. Work and evangelism teams have also gone across the country to both major cities and to remote areas. Tanzania’s population of around 68 million is roughly identified as 63% Christian, 34% Muslim, and 3% other beliefs. Great opportunities exist for sharing the Gospel in Tanzania and Bible-based discipleship remains a great need in Tanzania’s churches.

Family

Oliver is seven months old and is on the move! He sits up by himself and has started scooting to where he wants to be. He is very observant and will copy some actions others do. He will often growl and grunt which is entertaining because he’s often happy when doing it. 

Allister particularly loves trucks, cars, dinosaurs, ducks, climbing, and his baby brother, Oliver. He will often share the toy vehicles with Oliver and point out anytime Oliver has a dinosaur on his outfits. He often won’t go to sleep without his ducky stuffed animals and when he’s not sleeping there is a fair chance he may be climbing to reach what he wants. 

Brielle enjoys drawing and spending time with her siblings—especially when they are creating things or when she is playing with her younger brothers to make them happy and getting them to giggle. 

David is our sensitive boy who loves understanding how everything works and why it works that way, and he loves to read. He has an excellent memory for the things he reads and hears as well.

Rebekah has begun learning spear throwing and enjoys learning how to use the tools I enjoy using. She does not often slow down and, unless she is distracted, she constantly has to do something to exert her energy; the most common activity is running. 

Christi keeps busy with our children and researching a variety of things. I was invited to the Real Life Christian Academy renaissance festival where I will give a medieval armor fabrication demonstration with a Biblical focus, coming in March.

Thank you to each of you who have taken the time to pray and support our family as we serve through Teen Missions! We have been immensely blessed to be able to share our journey with you!

Praise and Prayer Requests

On December 7th, Allister was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes which was a surprise since it is often genetic, but sometimes will occur without a genetic factor. It is also not caused by many of the causes associated with type 2 diabetes. We’re blessed he has adjusted well to having his blood sugar checked with finger pokes and receiving insulin injections daily. He also just qualified for insurance to cover a continuous glucose monitor which will allow us to not have to poke his finger to check his blood sugar as frequently, and we will have ongoing access to his glucose levels which is a definite praise! Pray for our family as we continue adjusting to Allister’s new diagnosis.

Pray for Rebekah as she raises prayer and financial partners to participate on Teen Missions Australia team this summer. She still has to raise $3,425. If you are led to contribute financially, please visit teenmissions.org/involvement-detail/rebekah-chaffee. Thank you so much to everyone who has joined with her already to make this mission trip a reality!

Pray for our family as we continue adjusting to having two boys under three years old.

Pray that David will practice the helpful tools he’d been given during behavioral therapy—particularly when he faces unpreferred situations or when he is required to complete unpreferred activities, such as school. 

Pray for our children to be uplifting in the way they treat each other.

Pray my vertigo continues decreasing, Lord-willing!

Pray for Christi as she is homeschooling Rebekah, David, and Brielle this school year.

Pray for our children to have growing aspirations to learn.

Pray for Christi and me to harmonize and prioritize all we are involved with.

Pray for Christi and me to have discernment with necessary choices we have to make.

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

Pray for our protection in each thing we do.

In Christ,

The Chaffee Family