Chris and Faith Anderson: April 2008

On August 13, 1976 in Grand Forks, N. Dakota God created a great joy in the hearts of Russ and Harriet as He blessed them with their first child and son, Christopher L. Anderson weighing seven pounds and nine ounces. My name is special as i am named after Uncle Lowell and also my name means "follower of Christ". I was baptized two weeks later in the church where my dad was a student pastor for one year. after baptism we made our first move from N. Dakota back to seminary in Ft. Wayne, Ind. There i spent the first year eating, sleeping, growing and exploring. I had the bluest eyes and the blondest hair on my first birthday in August. By then our little family knew it was time for another move; we were going to Nigeria Africa. First we traveled to Stl Louis, Missouri where I received all kinds of shots; yellow fever, typhoid, small pox. I decided that women in white were NOT my friends. We all enjoyed the summer by doing fun things too. There was the Zoo, the Merrimack Caverns and the time dad took us trout fishing. Our time went fast and we were on our way to Nigeria. Mom remembers a funny thing on the plane. We had just recieved our food trays and on the tray was a dinner roll that was as round as a ball and as hard as one. My eyes just lit up seeing that and immediately reached for it, picked it up, and THREW IT ACROSS the plane, the stewardess retrieved it and told us that at a year and two months we had quite a pitcher. Mom and dad were embarrassed but i thought it had been great fun. My first year in Nigeria was getting used to the rain, the bugs, the snakes, my new sister, finding friends and discovering what our neighbors did. One day i had heard a rooster crow and went to find him, and Mom and dad heard a blood curdling scream coming from the chicken house. Dad ran to find a one and a half year old boy covered to his knees with half inch size ants biting him viciously. Dad immediately brushed them off and got bit himself. So i quickly learned not to wander too far off from the house by myself.
Mom and Dad also raised some chickens for eggs and also some roosters for meat. One day while i was playing by the chicken house the largest rooster came out and attacked me by flying at me with his feet and his sharp spurs, which were at least three inches long. There was another horrible scream and Dad came to the rescue. Mom and Dad were sure my guardian angel had been there to protect me as the wound was so close to my eye--- you know, i could have lost my eye! Well anyway we had chicken for supper that night.
My first good friend was Sunday and what fun we had together as he showed me what boys did in the village. i learned to eat fufu and soup, rice and beans and all kids of meat with lots and lots of hot red pepper ( that sure made me run home for a quick drink of water). I played soccer, peeled cassava, climbed high coconut trees, which worried my mom very much. Before i knew it, it was time to go back to the US for furlough.
This time when i got on the plane i knew better not to throw my dinner roll for after all i was four now. That summer we all settled for three months in Norman, OK. where Dad and i attended the University and mom had my first brother, Timmy. Dad and i had a great time. He rode his bike every morning and i would go with him by riding in the bike seat. In between Dad's classes we did manage to do some fun things like go swimming, go to a "Frontier village" with rides, and to lots of parks with slides and swings.
Well, we were once again ready to go back to Nigeria, but this time there would be a new schedule. For i was now five and needed to start school. Mom decided afternoons was the best time, so while i was in school my sis and brother took their naps. it worked out great, for mom was able to spend several quiet hours with just me.
We took a vacation to Togo. It was a long drive by car. I loved the ocean the best, but it was so salty that it stung my eyes. I was about six years old when our brother Matthew joined us- three boys, and one girl. Yeah, the boys were winning-three to one. In 1982 we were ready for furlough and this time we stopped in Germany on the way home. I remember the train rides we took and the Zoo in Hanover. the neatest thing that happened there was that all the big cats (lions, tigers, ect.) were being fed and the noise they made could be heard all over the zoo--boy, what a noise!
When we got back from furlough I moved to a new village. it was hard at first to make new friends, but i found one friend that i kept the rest of the years in Nigeria. His name was Ben, One thing my Dad and i liked to do was to go fishing. When i was eight our while family went to an island to spend a couple of days and there i lost two fish--the line broke-- but dad caught his forty four pound Niger perch. It was a neat place to go since we could swim during the day, fish at night and sit by the camp fire and listen the the hippos swim by. We were safe though as we camped on higher ground so that the hippos never bothered us. we didn't need tents since we slept in mosquito nets. it really was a neat time.
Our third furlough home we left early enough so i could be in the US for my first Halloween We had family fun by cutting up the pumpkins and mom had fun making our suits. i was Count Dracula. Since i was home longer i went to Pipestone Public School-- third grade. It was a hard time for me, but through prayer i made it and i didn't quit.
Now when we went back i had more school- longer hours and now a classmate--my sister. also y friend ben and i were doing more things together. ben and i would go to farm together. we belonged to a boys club that worked on people's farm. we fished and hunted rats together. whenever mom let me , i was over at this house. he also had a very nice family. ben and i did everything together. one of the saddest times in my life so far was when we had to leave Nigeria and i had to say goodbye to Ben. but i still pray for him and who knows, maybe we'll meet again.
When i was nine years old i had another brother, Marcus. He's a neat little guy. soon after Marcus was born we took a really special vacation to Kenya as a family. the first thing we all wanted to see were the animals. we went on a three day Safari, which was great. The best thing that happened on the safari was seeing a lioness with a zebra. Which she had killed that morning. it was interesting to see that she ate the belly first so that the meat would not rot so quickly. we slept in tents and one time we didn't zip the zipper on our tent all the way and some small monkeys had come in while we were gone and ate our special candy bar treats, which dad had gotten for us. we were all so sad that dad that dad went and got us a few morn. but we learned our lesson well- ZIP TENT SECURELY.
We took a night train to the beach-Indian Ocean- and that wa the best time. I loved the ocean. i would ride the waves for hours and never get tired of it. I also went deep sea fishing with dad and i wa the only one who caught a fish. just a small one called a Cooley Cooley. one day there was a camel on the beach so we had to barter for a ride. we finally rode a camel. that was a different kind of ride. we got back to Nigeria in July and in November my little brother Marcus got very sick and we all thought he was going to die. Mom, Dad, and Marcus and his doctor flew to Holland in a hurry. to get better hospital care. but it was a very hard time for me without mom and dad- i sure missed them. My brothers, sister, and i along with mom and dad did alot of crying and praying as a family. It was a special day when mom and dad came home with Marcus.
now we were beginning to hear and talk about going back the the US and staying there and not coming back. i was feeling very sad inside but knew that i didn't want to go to boarding school and mom was already teaching three of us and matty would be ready to start soon. mom said she just didn't have enough hours for four students by herself without help. it took us many months to pack and get ready to go and leave our HOME for good. Like i said, my goodbye to my friend ben was one th the hardest things i had had to do.
On our way home we were able to spend some more time in Holland with friends. we also went to Austria where my grandma was from. there were mountain to walk on and small ponds to swim in. It was a fun month before we came to the US.
And now that brings us to Luverne, MN where we had temporarily settled. I enjoy going to Edgerton Christian School, especially being able to play basketball, softball, track, and football. for i never had these opportunities in Nigeria.
While i have been in the fifth grade i had another sister, Jenny, who is so special, so soft and with such chubby cheeks. (Emmy says, the girls are catching up with the boys now).
My family and i are waiting now to see where the Lord is leading all of us to serve Him next.
This was the first eleven years of my life. We were in Nigeria, Africa from 1977 to 1987. I still have so many memories from long ago. I pray that you enjoyed reading this excerpt from my pass.

Thank you so much to all who support us through prayer and financially. We pray that the Lord would bless you, and thank Him for you daily. We are serving the Lord together, and it is important to remember that we each have our special part that the Lord has called us to do. Thank you so much.
If you wish to support us through financial contributions you may do so by sending a check to: Calvary Chapel Boise
123 Auto Dr.
Boise, ID 83709
Please make checks payable to: Chapel Missions Romania
On a sticky note or separate paper please be sure to put for Chris and Faith Anderson
This is very important as there is another Anderson working in Romania.

Serving in Christ Together,
Chris, Faith, Levi, and Chloe Anderson

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Mom and Dad sent this too me and I thought a would share a tidbit of my past with y'all.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Chloe turned three!!

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