Dennis and Claudia Chamberland, Cocoa, FL, had never heard of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch when they received a letter from the Ranch in the mail.
"We almost never open unsolicited mail," Dennis said, "but I guess the Lord was prompting us. We read the letter and were extremely impressed with your Christ-centered work. We prayed about it and were moved to become monthly sponsors."
They signed up to receive weekly emails from Joy Ryan, Ranch President/CEO, and said the stories she shared helped them develop a personal bond with the Ranch.
"Joy's emails give you a weekly account of what's going on, what the needs are, the celebrations, and the victories you all experience because of your ministry," Dennis said.
In one of her weekly emails, Joy told the story of a young man at the Ranch whose ultimate goal was to work at NASA.
"I wrote back to Joy immediately and told her that was right up my alley," Dennis said. "I worked for NASA as a Space Life Sciences Engineer with a focus on building Lunar and Mars-based advanced life support systems."
Dennis was interested in mentoring this young man at the Ranch, hoping he could pay forward the support and guidance he received in reaching his own goal of working at NASA, eventually developing undersea habitats, growing the world's first agricultural crop inside an underwater habitat on the seafloor off Key Largo, FL. Dennis also designed and built the Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station, an undersea habitat which, among many endeavors, was used for NASA's SEEDS in Space Program, a project that has given millions of students the opportunity to conduct hands-on science experiments with tomato seeds that had been used to test space life support systems for growth of plans in remote and extreme environments such as in outer space and undersea habitats.
"After getting all the appropriate permissions, Joy got me together with him and we had half a dozen phone calls over the course of several months. I was very happy to be able to mentor and minister to him."*
Claudia, who met Dennis at a singles Sunday School class at her church, had lived near the Kennedy Space Center since the 1960s when her father went to work as an engineer at the Space Center. She was a single mom with three young children and didn't ever intend to remarry. But Dennis started praying and she said she "didn't have a chance."
At the time, Claudia was a Major in the Army reserves as a Security Officer for the Medical Department Activity (MEDDAC) at Ft. McClellan, AL. She had attended college on an Army ROTC scholarship and was on active duty for four years before joining the reserves.
"When we married in 1992 and blended our families of three children each, we decided I would separate from the military to stay home with the children," Claudia said.
Raising six children, including homeschooling, was a big job, but Claudia found the time to join Dennis in his work by volunteering for NASA's outreach and education program for schoolchildren. Together, they connected with schoolchildren across the country, giving them the opportunity to conduct hands-on science experiments with tomato seeds that had been used to test life support systems for plant growth in outer space and undersea habitats.
Claudie said, "We've always had a real heart for working with kids and helping direct them in any way we can towards the love of God. A lot of people don't think you can be a real scientist and still be a committed Christian. It's fun to be able to show young people that those are not incompatible."
In retirement, Dennis and Claudia are busier than ever. Dennis has published 18 books, with Claudia as his editor, and has several others in the works. They also continue to be involved in undersea colonization through the Atlantica Expedition, with a mission to launch the first permanent human undersea colony in history.
In addition to their scientific research and writing, Dennis and Claudia are committed to serving God through their support of the Ranch and other Christ-centered organizations. Their commitment to doing God's work was born out of the seeds planted in their childhood.
"When my family moved to the Space Coast, it was nothing but cow pastures and orange groves and it suddenly became the center of scientific advancement," Claudia said. "They were building schools and homes and all the infrastructure necessary to make a place out of nothing. My parents ingrained in me from the beginning to support and help and give and never judge people — we are all equals who sometimes need a little help."
Dennis grew up in a small community in Oklahoma that "wasn't exactly prosperous."
"There was this rural area near us that was especially poor," Dennis said. "My parents would put me and my sister in the car and drive there with groceries and other offerings for them. We would sit down and visit with them, talk about life, and find out what their needs were. I could see in my mom and dad's eyes that they would do whatever they could to help our neighbors. I guess that's my first glimpse into philanthropy, although it makes me uncomfortable to apply such a big word to that. I give because I have the heart of Christ who lives within me."
They both say the Ranch ministry lines up with their Christ-centered worldview, and they have been blessed by their connection.
"The work the Ranch is doing aligns with Scripture. And, I have never seen a ministry that is so involving of their supporters," Dennis said. "The money we have is not our hard-earned money, it's the Lord's. He put us in charge of His dollars and it's our responsibility to send those out for the good of the Kingdom. Supporting the Ranch is one way we can do that."
As for a final message to the children at the Ranch, Dennis said, "I would tell them the same thing I told my kids. And that is: 'God is where life begins. He is where life ends. He is all that there is. He is the summation. There is nothing else and nothing else matters. Cling to Him always.' God is the only way you can possibly be successful in life. All other paths lead to destruction."
*The young man Dennis connected with is graduating from Minot State University (MSU) this spring with a degree in Chemistry. He has been involved in many leadership and student government activities and plans to attend graduate school in the fall. He is well on his way to reaching his goal of working for NASA.
This article was originally published in Ranch Voice: Spring 2023.
Read more stories like this and explore other issues of Ranch Voice here.