The Kahindis' 2009 Christmas Letter

It’s been a busy year for us!

After getting engaged last November, we spent a leisurely 4 months planning our wedding. It was a very small, intimate ceremony on March 14, in Brenham, TX, at the home of Pam Franke. We got married in the backyard, in spite of the rain which drizzled on us throughout the ceremony. We honeymooned in Washington County, at a bed and breakfast, called M’s Hideaway, and the Birch Creek Unit of Lake Somerville State Park.

Six weeks later, we had a big surprise! We’re expecting a third member to join our family. Nathanael is due on January 7, 2010. We moved into a 2 bedroom apartment to make room for him, and we’re enjoying setting up the nursery and dreaming of what our son will be like.

Rodgers has been diligently attending to his studies, despite having a pregnant wife to distract him. He took a full load of classes over the summer and is on track to graduate December 11 of this year. In April, we filed all the necessary forms and fees for him to become a permanent resident of the United States. In the beginning, they projected having his case fully processed and approved or denied by mid-October, at the earliest. However, Rodgers’ application was approved and his status adjusted to lawful permanent resident on September 10!

Rachel was hired as a webmaster for the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) at Fort Hood last December. For someone who has never before been a part of the military, working for the Army is a cross-cultural experience. She is gradually becoming acclimated and learning the lingo. After plenty of morning (a.k.a. 24 hours per day) sickness in the first trimester, she is enjoying a healthy pregnancy and growing larger every day.

We’ve been more and more involved at Memorial Baptist Church in Temple. We became instant friends with the people in the young married Sunday School class. (Young means “ranging in age from 26 to over 40.”) Besides them, there was really nothing particularly appealing about the church, not much for us to get out of it. But, we found that we have a lot to give to this church. We have initiated a partnership between Memorial and Revival Baptist Church in Mombasa, Kenya. Pen pals have been assigned and both groups are getting to know each other via snail mail and the internet. Our first project was to raise funds to build a restroom for Revival, as they currently have to use a latrine down the street. We exceeded our fundraising goal on November 29! Now, the pastor is encouraging the church to continue giving so that we can eventually send some people from our church to go to Mombasa and meet with Revival face to face. There is a lot of interest on both sides for some Memorial members to join in, hands-on, Revival’s ministry in Kenya.

We’ve experienced lots of major, life-changing events in the past 12 months. God has continued
to bless us beyond our wildest dreams this year. We’re looking forward to an even better 2010!

We love you!