Melodie Chandler

Director of Operations

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  • BA in Music Education, Sam Houston State University

Melodie Chandler is a native of Montgomery County. She attended Sam Houston State University and Graduated with a BA in Music Education. She taught Music in Huntsville, Willis and Magnolia ISDs before moving to Wuhan, China in 2011 to teach English at JiangHan University. After one year of teaching English as a Second Language, Melodie moved to Guiyang, China to serve in a foster home for children with special needs. After the first six months of serving there she became the director of the foster home. During that time she formed a board and with the help of that board formed the 501c3, Journey of a Joyful Life. During Melodie’s 8 years in China she fostered over 100 children, all with differing abilities and needs. Many children were adopted into forever families all over the USA.

After being forced to return to the states in December of 2018 Melodie has continued to work alongside the board to give adoption grants for children who she fostered, as well as children all over the world who have special needs and are in the process of being adopted. In the Spring of 2019, Melodie felt God wanted her to start a Private Christian School in Montgomery County for children with different abilities. With the advice and prayers of the Board of Journey of a Joyful Life, Journey School for the Uniquely Gifted and Talented opened its doors in August of 2019. Journey School currently has 33 students and 32 staff members with differing abilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and others.

Melodie lives in Conroe with her husband and soon to be seven children, three of whom she fostered in China before adopting and have special needs. She feels every child, no matter their difference deserves respect and love and should be pushed to do and be ALL God created them to be!