It’s Autumn!!

Whoa…where did September go? Whoosh…..and it’s October.  It’s actually my birthday today and I am now….sigh…30! I just can’t believe it. I thought my 20’s would last forever (in a good way)? Alas…here I am. THIRTY.

Lots of news to report it seems. We needed to apply for Blessing’s ‘green card’ and it was/is just so darn expensive ($1500) and we were just wondering where exactly we were going to get the money.  Then an amazing donor stepped up and gave us $1350, which is the original amount we thought it was going to cost. Then the rates went up on August 1st! Blessing had to have all kinds of medical stuff done and that took a lot of money too, but God is amazing and provided the perfect amounts of money at the exact right times.  I am happy to say we have submitted all the paper work to the government and now begins the long, long process of waiting!

As we were working on getting the all the medical stuff done for the green card, we were wondering just what is next for us here in America. I have been trying to get a job since May and I’ve had only one interview.  We were both praying and at the end of August we realized God was telling me to go back to school!! So I applied to Umpqua Community College (UCC) and registered for some classes. I also applied for Federal Student Aid, which you normally do much earlier in the year!  On the 28th of September I began my classes for a certificate in Clinical Medical Assisting. It’s kinda complicated to explain, but it’s more than a CNA (Nurse’s Aide) but less than a LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse).  It’s a one year program and I’m excited about it! I’m also overwhelmed since I went from being a stay-at-home Mommy to a full-time 16 credit college student!  I have survived week 1, and I’m praying for the strength to keep going!

Emma is just growing more and more beautiful each day. She’s sitting up and crawling and babbling all the time. She is such a precious little girl.  We grow more and more in love with her everyday!  Everyone who sees her loves her and are blessed by her perfect lil’ toothless smiles!

August Nights

Hey! Happy almost end of Summer!?  We have had a wild and crazy August so far and it’s not even half over!

Last week we took lil’ Miss Emma and up to Seattle to attend her first professional soccer game.  Seattle Sounders vs Barcelona (Blessing’s all time favorite team) at Qwest field with 66,848 of our closest friends! It was a pretty cool experience.  We stayed in Tacoma with some new friends and had a great time.  But according to Blessing, the real highlight was when we skipped sight-seeing and drove up to Mt. Vernon before the game to see a brand new baby boy!! My cousin Heather gave birth to Mason Cole on the 5th and we just couldn’t stand being so close (about an hour and half from Tacoma) and not seeing him, so off we went.  Emma was intrigued at the lil’ thing making noises, but seemed okay with it.  As we were leaving the hospital, my cousin Holly was carrying Emma and this older lady (probably a hospital volunteer) stopped us with the usual “oh she is just precious” conversation.  Then she asked us, “is it okay if I give her a stuffed animal? Wait right here…” and she came back with the softest stuffed bear ever! Blessing thinks we should have more kids just to get more free stuff.  I think…uhm, there might have to be more discussion!?

Today (the 13th) is Emma’s official 6 month birthday! We took her for her pictures today, and I think they will turn out pretty cute. Emma wasn’t too fond of the chick takin’ the pictures tho, so the smiles were few and far between?  I think the girl was trying too hard (or not hard enough) to get Emma to smile…

Stepping Out in Faith

July 5, 2009

Dear family and friends,

Blessing and I would like to say thank you for your emails, letters, prayers, encouragement and support since going into missions as a couple.  You standing with us, in prayer and finance, has enabled us to reach out and change lives in the name of Jesus — for the expansion of His kingdom — in places many of you will never personally see.

Since coming to the USA late last year to finish the pregnancy, we have been praying and seeking God for direction of our future.  God has blessed us with the precious baby Emma, and we want to make sure we give her the best possible future.   As we have been praying these past months, we feel strongly that we are to stay in the USA for ‘some time’.  We are not sure if that is one year or two years or how long exactly that time is to be.   We feel that it is vital to have a rock-solid foundation under us when we do return overseas – debt paid down and firm financial support.

We are writing to let you know that we will be stepping out of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and international missions for the time being, but we are not stepping out of missions on a local level.  We will continue to seek out opportunities within the USA for us to minister and use the gifts that God has given us for His work.  Blessing is currently on a mission trip to LA to the Dream Center (www.dreamcenter.org) until the 15^th of July, and we will continue to seek out opportunities for ministry here in the USA.

As we stay in the US, we will need to begin the application process for Blessing’s ‘green card’.  After much prayer and conversation, we think it is the best option for our future.  With a green card, when we go back overseas (and we will!), if for any reason we needed to return to the USA Blessing wouldn’t have to reapply for a visitor’s visa and risk getting denied.  The cost of the application is $1,365.00 and we are trusting God and taking a step of faith that the money will come in.  Also it is imperative that I get a job so we can prove to the government that I am able to support him in the US.  I have been applying for jobs, but it’s a tough economy right now and we are just trying to be patient.  It is scary to step out of missions without any idea where next month’s income is going to come from, please pray with us!

Thank you so much for standing with us during our time as full-time missionaries.  Blessing has been a full-time missionary for the last 9 years and I have been full-time for the last 5 years!!  We appreciate all you have done on our behalf over the past years.  We would not have been able to do our work without you.  If you are a financial supporter, your tax-deductible donation can still be made thru YWAM Montana thru October 28, 2009.  If you have any questions, or would like further clarification, please do not hesitate to call or email us.

May God shower you with His peace, joy and love,

The Chaendera’s

Email: beforetherains@yahoo.com bchaendera@yahoo.co.uk

Phone: 541-530-2616 (Megan)   541-530-1470 (Blessing)

The Heat of the Summer

Warm: As I’m writing it’s actually quite warm outside for a change!  A few weeks ago we had a spell of 90+ degree days and that was a bit much for us Oregonians. Then it went back to rainy/gray sky normalcy for a bit.  Now that it’s the middle of June it seems Summer may be trying to sneak in? Bring on the cool summer nights by the fire pit out on the deck!

Soccer: Blessing successfully finished coaching his middle school rec team with the Roseburg Soccer Association.  He had a great time doing it, good experience with American teenagers (hahaha). After the final game I had several parents asking me if he was going to coach again in the Fall, their kids told them how good Blessing was and that they actually looked forward to going to practice.  :-)   Out of that coaching experience came an extraordinary opportunity to be the head coach at a soccer camp in Glide (20 miles away) last week.  For 3 days Blessing coordinated a soccer camp for middle-school and high-school boys and girls.  Judging from what they all shouted on the last day (you rock! you’re my hero! etc), they liked Blessing and his style of coaching and drills!   Another great experience for him, and new (fellow Jesus people!) soccer contacts were made.

Work: Well, we are still looking for work. We think we will be here in the US for a bit (a year or so), and I’ve been looking for jobs when possible, but there just isn’t much in our area, or that I’m qualified for.  Please keep praying for us. We are still living on our missionary support for a bit longer until we officially step out of (international) missions. Finances are tight, but somehow God still provides for our needs.  We’re never without food, shelter, or clothing — so we praise God for that!

Have a great summer, don’t get too hot, and please please don’t forget to have fun!

Have Baby Will Travel

It had to happen some time, Emma going on an airplane that is! Blessing and I were very brave and took Emma on her first long-distance trip outside the State of Oregon, thank you frequent flyer miles! (Travel all over the world, save the miles and viola we have 2 free roundtrip tickets!) So off to Atlanta we went, visiting some ‘family’ of Blessing’s.  We flew out of Portland on Sunday night arriving in Atlanta Monday morning, and the humidity at 7am hit us like a freight train! We be Oregon people now, accustomed to the cold rain, not the warm heat. 

We had a great time tho. Tuesday (28 April) we went and visited Kennesaw Mountain State Park, a big deal place if you happen to be a history buff and/or knowledgable of the Civil War. (Uhm two strikes for Megan who knows next-to-nothing about American history!)  On Wednesday (29 April) we took off for the Georgia Aquarium (www.georgiaaquarium.com) which is just about the coolest place ever! Gigantic exhibits and so many cool fishy things! Blessing just couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards and I simply wanted to move in and stare forever at the huge ‘fish’ tanks. Emma was awake for about 15 minutes then fell asleep, but I think she was impressed too?! Thursday (30 April) it was off to the World of Coca-Cola (www.worldofcoca-cola.com) for a tour of the world’s largest collection of Coke memorabilia. I have to admit…I wasn’t thinking it was going to be nearly as cool as it was! Very interesting stuff in there (Coca-Cola was invented near Atlanta hence the museum) from the original advertising of Coca-cola as a “Nerve and Brain Tonic” to the eventual selling of it at soda fountains to the subsequent world-wide popularity. They had the Olympic torches from the last several Olympics, as Coke has been the longest running sponsor of the games. All very cool stuff! Friday it was back to the airport and on a plane back to Portland.  A quick trip it seems, and there was so much else we wanted to see! Perhaps we will return in the future.

Emma was FABulous on her first plane rides! A little fussy on take-off  on the way to Atlanta then slept the whole way including landing.  On the way back she slept thru take-off, woke up and ate and slept and woke up and ate and slept! Woohoo!! Easy kid to travel with! The only thing is … babies need a lot of stuff to take with them, strollers playpens diapers…shoot! Good thing we had a snazzy Nissan Altima to drive with a big ol’ trunk!

Easter

Easter 2009

Well the little Princess Miss Emma is 2 months old today! She is growing, although she still looks pretty tiny, and changing each day. She loves cooing and making new sounds and is a fan of sticking her tongue out at her Mommy.  We are doing well, and adjusting to the chronic sleep deprivation. Emma has ocassionally let us sleep for 4 hour stretches this sleep schedule is a work in progress!  She sure did look cute for Easter as did her little cousins in their fluffy dresses!

Recently we went up to Portland (Ore) to check on extending Blessing’s visa.  Unfortunately we were met with a surprise that we had to mail off paperwork to California with a $380 check, to apply for this extension.  Our other option was to send off the application for a Green Card with a check for $1,365 (not kidding!)!! Well, God provided the $380 in a matter of hours, so we sent off that application.  We will be praying for the funds to apply for the Green Card in the near future.  Our immediate plan is for Megan to start looking for a job to pay down our debt and raise funds for the Green Card and for our return to Africa (whenever that may be).

We continue to ask for your prayers, and thank you for your continued support as we are on furlough here in the States.

Be Blessed!

Parenthood…

So parenthood is exhausting! Great, but exhausting.   Emma is growing and changing by the day. Blessing and I are getting used to trading shifts for the middle of the night feedings, and the lack of sleep!  Blessing: recently turned 31! and attended a coaching course for soccer and is now a licensed youth soccer coach in Oregon.  He is still playing in an indoor soccer league up in Eugene, and comes home exhausted every Monday night. Last Monday Emma and I went up to actually watch a game…Emma slept thru the whole thing, but I was entertained.  

She’s finally here!

Well the much awaited Little Princess is finally here! Emma Chipo Chaendera made her entrance into this world at 1230am Friday the 13th of February 2009.  Emma weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces (3.5kg) and measured 19 inches (31 cm) long.  We are excited and tired and thrilled with the arrival of our daughter.    Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf during the pregnancy and delivery. We appreciate your continued prayers as Megan recovers from the c-section, and as we adjust to the 2-3 hour sleep interuptions! 

What?….Weird…..

Okay, here’s the thing…I remember writing an update in the middle of the month, and I really truly thought I posted it and emailed it and such. But…I look on the site and there’s no January update…where did it go? Did I really write it, or is this a trick of my pregnant-brain?!

We are doing well here in Oregon.  We had some mild weather (50 degrees and sunny) in the middle of the month which Blessing really enjoyed, but now it’s back to Winter weather (cold and often rainy) which he is not-so-much enjoying!   And yes, we are STILL waiting for our Baby Girl to make her debut into this world.  Technically we are due on February 1st (SuperBowl Sunday), but she could come before then and Mommy would be just fine with that!  I can hardly wait for her DAD to carry her around for a while!   We had a great Baby Shower on January 3rd at the church here in Roseburg.  One thing is for certain…this child will not be naked!  She got lots and lots of clothes, and not a few diapers too! Woohoo!!

As I’m pregnant and just waiting for Emma to show, I’ve not been too active per se.  Blessing on the other hand is making great connections with the local soccer scene here in Roseburg.  In December he hooked up with some guys who play in an indoor soccer league in Eugene (60 miles away) on Monday nights.  He found out about it thru a ‘brown guy’ he saw referee a local soccer game.  Turns out this ‘brown guy’ is from Harare, Zimbabwe (same town as Blessing) and is married to a ‘chick like me ‘ from Roseburg and they have a 3 year-old daughter named Megan.  No, I’m NOT kidding! Weird eh? Seriously, how many Zimbabweans do you know in your town?!  It’s great for Blessing as he has someone he can speak his native language to (Shona), and share experiences with.  Blessing has also been working a bit with the Roseburg Soccer Association as an assistant coach. He works with the new Director of Coaching who is a British guy with loads of experience, and even speaks “the Queen’s English” like Blessing.  Opportunities to play and coach soccer are just abounding for Blessing, which is great.  It keeps him a little busy and gets him some really great hands-on experience of American soccer and also more ways of teaching/coaching kids of all ages.

Well that’s about all the news for now.  We’ll be sure to know when Emma makes her appearance in this world!   Keep in touch, we love hearing from you!

The Subtle Wind

Whew! Greetings from FREEZING cold Arusha! Contrary to popular belief, yes it IS possible to get quite cold in the Southern Hemisphere winter! Especially when one lives in the mountain regions! Brrrrr!  Living in a cement house with no heat, working in a cement office with no heat….hey, does shivering burn calories?!

We are still alive and kicking, the two of us, so that’s good news, eh? Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragements when I (Megan) was sick with the evil kidney infection! I am healthy now and have recovered my energy for normal day to day activity.  Blessing is still very much involved in soccer, and our boys are currently playing in a tournament of local teams.  My friend Michelle and I are still tutoring English to our Standard 7 (US 6th Grade) soccer boys on Mondays (but not Wednesdays)and are loving it.  We each have 7 boys in our group, and we finally had to tell Blessing ‘No More!”. Other than that I am, well… searching. 

The winds of change continue to subtly blow in the life of the Chaendera’s.  We have been feeling for quite some time that a change is coming for us… we just don’t know what it is yet!  We are praying and talking with each other, and so far the only thing we know for sure is that change is coming!  Blessing is doing quite well with this.  I, on the other hand, am not doing so well with it!  I want to know what the change is, when it’s coming, and how to prepare for it! But, alas, God has not revealed that to us yet.  Please continue to pray for us and for clear direction in our lives as we are now married.  God Bless you so much and please, please let us know if there is anything we can pray about with you!

Posted by Megan