The Chaendera's

A new month. A new year. A new decade. Wow. A few nights ago the news shows were doing a look back at 1999/2000 and it seemed so weird.  I remember the Y2K scare, never thought much about it at the time though.  I thought it could be cool to not have electricity for a while and have to live by candle-light and such. That was, of course, before I moved to Africa and where candle-light living was a way of life!  Ten years ago, I was sure I would be married by now (check) and have at least one kiddo (check) and perhaps be settled into a nice life (uhm…check-in-progress).   I dreamed of travelling the world, but didn’t think I’d rack up frequent flier miles going to 9 different countries before the decade was over.  I dreamed of going to Africa, but didn’t really see it as attainable reality…it was just a dream!  What will happen in the next ten years?!

We are continuing to do well here in Oregon.  I am back in college and classes start again for me on the 5th, I am taking 17 credits this time around.  I see lots of reading in my near future!  I took 16 credits last term and managed a 3.75 GPA, so heck…why not add another credit hour!? Am I a glutton for punishment? No, not really.  I only have a limited amount of time to get this schooling done and start making money! School for me will be done done done in August 2010.  Not so very far away, but so very very far away!  Click here to for an overview of my studies http://www.umpqua.edu/Programs/MedAsst.htm

Blessing received his Employment Authorization card in December and has been scouring the employment listings looking for work everyday since.  We are hopeful that he will land something soon. We need an income!  In the mean time he is “Mr. Mom” taking care of Emma while I study.  He rocks!  Blessing’s green card application is progressing quite well and quite rapidly! We have our final interview on January 7th in Portland, and then everyone says the green card comes within 2 weeks! The speed with which this application has been processed is nothing short of a miracle.  We only filed the paperwork at the beginning of October…a mere 3 months ago! Our other friends who have gone through this process are amazed at the quick progress. Well…it’s nothing we did. It’s all God!

So that’s our news for now.  Hopefully soon we will be able to post about a job and a green card and other cool things that are in the works! Take care of yourself, stay warm, and don’t forget to laugh!  :-)

Oh the weather outside is frightful… okay it’s not frightful here, but it surely is on the east coast! Shoot! I always wish for snow for Christmas-time, but I think what they are getting might be a bit much for me? This is such a strange,crazy time of year…yet memories are being forged that will never be forgotten.

Two years ago, Blessing and I were in Zambia after our time in Zimbabwe was cut short. It may not have been optimal at the time, but I look back on that Christmas as one of the best I have ever had. We were up around midnight talking to family back in the States, and when the clock struck 12 there were fireworks! Literally! I was confused. People were shouting and setting off fireworks … just because it was Christmas! Last year I was prego and uncomfortable, but we had such a nice, peaceful, uneventful Christmas.  It was our first Christmas as a married couple and our first Christmas in America. We were wondering what it would be like this year with a baby. Now here we are with  beautiful baby girl who is just so busy crawling and standing up and destroying things…all with a smile on her face.  And we her parents are wondering what this next year will bring…

We hope you have a happy Christmas and a blessed New Year! Happy 2010!!

Our baby girl turned 9 months old today and I just can’t help but stare at her in disbelief.  Where did my sweet tiny lil’ baby go? Did this bigger one eat her? Friday the 13th of February I was staring at her in disbelief that she was actually here and belonged to us. Today I just stare.  I stare at this lil’ cutie pie that just the other day decided to learn 3 new things all at once.  She decided she would clap, say ‘uh-oh’ and wave hello and bye-bye all on the same day.  I nearly fell over.  One thing at a time lil’ missy, or ol’ Mommy won’t be able to catch up with you! 

Anyways, on to other things? It’s definitely edging closer to Winter these days. The cold wet weather that evaded us last year is here in full force this year. Blessing is a bit baffled since last year it didn’t rain as much (which was weird), and the cold didn’t seem to get into our bones. This year tho, we are both freezing!  Emma could care less.  She’s just excited to hear the rain outside the windows, and absolutely loves to watch the millions of leaves fall from the oak trees. She thought it was wonderful when the other day as I put her in the shopping cart, we had to run across the parking lot into the grocery store because it started to rain! She laughed and kicked her legs all excited..oblivious to the paranoid Mommy hoping she didn’t get wet or cold. Ah, such a life she has!

I am doing well in school, and my studies are going fairly easy for me.  I am taking 16 credits this term, which is a bit much I agree, but it’s the only way I can finish my program in 1 year.  Next term I’ll be taking 17 credits!  So far I am not learning much of anything new due to my experience working in offices and in health care, but I am definitely brushing off a few cobwebs in the ol’ brain.  Especially when it comes to math! Sheesh…it’s one of those things I wouldn’t take it if I didn’t have to! All told, I’ve passed the halfway mark of the term and I have a nice combo of A’s and B’s.  Not too shabby for not having been to official college in 12 years!

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving this year and we will be taking our little family up to Portland, OR to celebrate the holiday with my cousin and her fiance. I’m excited and nervous. Excited to have a new Thanksgiving experience (Emma’s first!) and nervous to shop with my cousin on Black Friday. She’s a scary shopper on a normal day, I don’t know what she’ll be like on that Friday!?  What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Do you have any traditions or rituals that you do?

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!

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…

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)

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!

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 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!

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.