Hello Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas!  Christmas music via radio is fantastic!  We missed it in Mozambique.  We're looking forward to our first sledding event too, once we get our first big storm.  We're looking forward to spending this season with our kids, with 2006 being our last Christmas together here.  

As we're already planning for our return to Mozambique mid 2011, we have a specific need that we'd like you to pray about with us.  Mission Training International is hosting a week-long 'Debriefing and Renewal' time for cross-cultural workers that we'd like to participate in.  Read more about it at: http://www.mti.org/dar.htm.  We believe this will greatly benefit our continuing ministry in Mozambique, as we've faced significant cross-cultural hurdles.  One aspect of that is that Mozambique ranks 5th from the bottom of all 169 countries on the 'Human Development Index' - http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/. The debriefing and renewal is scheduled for the week of February 27th - March 4th near Colorado Springs, CO.  If you are considering giving a Christmas gift, this is how we'd like to use it.  

Also, please pray now for Antonio, the lead evangelist in Nampula.  Within the 8 or so churches of Christ in Nampula, one fellow is doing everything to be the boss.  He doesn't like the fact that Antonio is freely spreading the gospel of grace and planting rural churches not coming under his umbrella.  He has ordered Antonio to stop this work and to pastor the church Antonio is a part of in the city.  Antonio has explained that God has gifted him and called him to this work, but his answer is unacceptable to the leader, so they asked him to defend his case before at the upcoming monthly Sunday conference of the all the city churches. Please pray that God would give Antonio peace in his heart and courage to speak the truth in love.

For some time I've felt a great need to connect with other men for mutual prayer and personal encouragement.  Last night, the Lord worked it out to get together with Greg Sarenson from our home church, and Dave Coleman & John McKnight from Wallula Christian Church near us.  What a wonderful gift to be able to open up, share, and feel close to fellow warriors of Christ.  How are you?  Are you, by the grace of God, striving to be a light in this dark world?  Certainly, and you're a target for the enemy.  Who might God bless you to connect with today?

We're so thankful for you and your prayers!

May God bless you,

Daniel and Melissa & Esther Maddux

www.beatoday.org

913-240-0433