Hello Dear Friends,
Our missionary colleague, Don Hulsey, in the capital of Mozambique, just sent us this urgent request for prayer for the country. Also, catch other important news of ours at the end.
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Don F. Hulsey
Sent: Fri, September 3, 2010 1:29:28 AM
Subject: Riots in Mozambique
Urgent Prayer Request: Please pray for peace in Mozambique. By now
perhaps you have heard through CNN or another news agency that
Mozambique has had two days of protests against the rising cost of
living (bread, water, electricity, fuel, and basic food staples) that
turned violent and left more than a dozen dead and hundreds arrested
and injured, mass looting, burned vehicles, and general unrest.
Although the government called for peace and an end to the violence,
the words were not received well by the people as they heard no plan
of action to alleviate the current situation. Instead the government
has said that the price increases are irreversible.
We had heard rumors of potential protests Wednesday but were assured by
our embassy that the planned protests were postponed until next week.
So Wednesday I drove Aleta and Zac to school in Maputo city and it was
obvious from the lack of vehicles on the road that tension was in the
air and the public transport vehicles were for the most part staying
off the road. We began to hear of rioting in the outlying areas of
town and police shooting at protestors and decided to leave
immediately for home. As we drove home we did encounter two locations
where tires were being positioned in the roads to block traffic which
is then followed by rocks being thrown by any vehicles attempting to
continue forward. We also met a huge crowd of youth who were blocking
the road and forcing a public transport bus to back up. Fortunately
this blockade was coming at the place where we turned off the main
road to head home. Throughout the night we continued to hear gunfire
and shouting around our neighborhood which is located 10 miles outside
the capital city of Maputo.
We are safe. We have armed guards at our property. The gates are
locked and although more protests expected throughout the weekend,
currently we do not hear anything outside. We thank you for your
prayers and partnership in ministry. Mozambicans are loving and
generous people but as is true anywhere, there are opportunists who
will take advantage of unrest and use it as an excuse to rob and
commit acts of violence. The poverty is very real here and people are
barely surviving. The rising costs of basic essentials has led some
to acts of desperation, including rioting and stealing.
Together in Christ, Don
From: Don F. Hulsey
Sent: Fri, September 3, 2010 1:29:28 AM
Subject: Riots in Mozambique
Urgent Prayer Request: Please pray for peace in Mozambique. By now
perhaps you have heard through CNN or another news agency that
Mozambique has had two days of protests against the rising cost of
living (bread, water, electricity, fuel, and basic food staples) that
turned violent and left more than a dozen dead and hundreds arrested
and injured, mass looting, burned vehicles, and general unrest.
Although the government called for peace and an end to the violence,
the words were not received well by the people as they heard no plan
of action to alleviate the current situation. Instead the government
has said that the price increases are irreversible.
We had heard rumors of potential protests Wednesday but were assured by
our embassy that the planned protests were postponed until next week.
So Wednesday I drove Aleta and Zac to school in Maputo city and it was
obvious from the lack of vehicles on the road that tension was in the
air and the public transport vehicles were for the most part staying
off the road. We began to hear of rioting in the outlying areas of
town and police shooting at protestors and decided to leave
immediately for home. As we drove home we did encounter two locations
where tires were being positioned in the roads to block traffic which
is then followed by rocks being thrown by any vehicles attempting to
continue forward. We also met a huge crowd of youth who were blocking
the road and forcing a public transport bus to back up. Fortunately
this blockade was coming at the place where we turned off the main
road to head home. Throughout the night we continued to hear gunfire
and shouting around our neighborhood which is located 10 miles outside
the capital city of Maputo.
We are safe. We have armed guards at our property. The gates are
locked and although more protests expected throughout the weekend,
currently we do not hear anything outside. We thank you for your
prayers and partnership in ministry. Mozambicans are loving and
generous people but as is true anywhere, there are opportunists who
will take advantage of unrest and use it as an excuse to rob and
commit acts of violence. The poverty is very real here and people are
barely surviving. The rising costs of basic essentials has led some
to acts of desperation, including rioting and stealing.
Together in Christ, Don
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel & Melissa continue...
We are SO grateful for God's provision for us these last three years. Our fellow colleagues in Mozambique recently informed us that the government is increasing the yearly visa renewal charge from $100 to $1000 per person. This increase as well as others is certainly affecting the missionaries in Mozambique and will be an additional cost we need to begin saving for. This exemplifies one of the reasons that we need to continue with God's truth in Mozambique - to break the spirit of dependency and poverty with the message of the abundance we have in Christ. Also, the foundations for farming is a practical way that they can see God's blessing on those who trust Him and take responsibility to put His ways into practice.
Love you all,
Daniel & Melissa and Esther Madux
913-240-0433 - Daniel
913-240-0448 - Melissa
