Koxukurella!     This is Makua for "Thank you very much!"

We practiced saying this many times during our last trip to the bush.  
Click here to check out our November photos online!

We're so thankful for...

• Your generosity which enabled us to take costly well-digging tools two new churches.  All their life they've had to walk over 1 to 2 miles to get water.  This water often makes them sick because it's bacteria/parasite laden dirty ground water which other animals also drink.  Their view of God's goodness and greatness continues to change!
• Witnessed the beginning of a new church in the Namicuco area this last Sunday with over 40 baptisms.  They had covered the key stories of the Bible from Genesis to Christ.
• We're finally getting to take the vacation trip into Malawi as a family.  A number of trips have been cancelled, including the time we were getting into the car to head out, when a call came to rescue my mother from the bush by towing her car many hours back into Nampula.   Please pray all goes well at the border with our car documents as we have not yet been able to change the title into our name.
• Our very encouraging movie, "The Gospel of John", (one of Melissa's all-time favorites!) from the Visual Bible Series.   This would make a great Christmas gift for a friend or family.
• Being able to get our roof sealed in a million places so mosquitos, bugs, rats, and rain don't get in.
• God's provisions of the first rains for planting the harvest.  A tremendous refreshment during this very hot period of November/December.  January to March brings the big thunderstorms.

Please pray with us for...

• Wisdom and patience in teaching a different culture
• Good progress in creating dialog questions in Makua for all the key evangelistic Bible stories.  We're 1/10th of the way through.  This will greatly help the message be more clear and will keep it consistent with each new church plant.
• Timing... We're very excited about starting a Makua literacy program next year in new churches in oral communities.  Many Makua primers will need printed, chalk boards and chalk provided, along with teacher instruction.  As a reward for all their study, we'd like to make a Bible very affordable to every new reader.  A recent love offering from Wallula Christian Church will get us off to a great start with this literacy project.

Koxukurella for joining us in the eternal venture!

We love you,

Daniel and Melissa

with Elijah and Esther

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P.S.

Since some have asked...

Personal gifts can be mailed to our daughter who will deposit it into our account:

    Daniel & Hannah Winter

    1209 E Westerfield Pl

    Olathe, KS 66061

Tax-deductible gifts for the mission can be sent to our forwarding agents:

    Tom & Linda Ledford

    31625 Summit Ridge Dr

    Crystal Lakes, MO  64024

Letters or Packaged gifts can be mailed directly to us at:

    C.P. 688

    Nampula, Mozambique, Africa 

    (There is no zip.  List our Ph# 82-403-1184)

Calls:   At little cost to you, call our Kansas Ph# 913-871-6490 which will route over Skype and ring on our computer here.  If we're gone, leave us a message.  Thanks!

Website:  www.beatoday.org

E-mail:    mission@beatoday.org

Hello Dear Prayer Warriors,

 

(See www.beatoday.org for this news and updated pics to be there by Sunday.)

 

My wallet disappeared last night with bank cards and $200.  I couldn't remember any time I had laid it down in the house anywhere.  The only thing I could remember is that I had been to a meeting at the "Mustard Seed Training Center" here in town and on my exit, outside the building, I had someone pass by very close to me.  I asked a friend to check the building today.  He returned with my wallet!  He found it thrown into the entry way looking like it had received a good scuff in the throw.  We had prayed it would show up!  It had $200 missing from it (we have to operate on cash here, not debit cards...) and all my credit cards were removed from the pockets but together in the money section!  We had one attempt on one credit card to withdraw money.   It'll be a task to get them replaced from here in Mozambique. We praise God the wallet was found. 

 

Now, we have a special prayer request.  In May we started the process to get our car documents in the capital, Maputo.  I have to travel with them, always...  We took a great risk and made the trip up here in May to Nampula without these documents in hand because we had the pressure to get the required Visa's by our presence in Nampula.  Well, now after 5 months, the documents are still not being produced by the goverment in Maputo!  The missionary there can hardly afford any more time chasing the documents for us and is asking that we come down to Maputo and personally put pressure on the government by our daily presence in their office.  This would cost us over $1000 in car fuel alone to make this trip, plus housing costs down there, and most importantly, stalling some great advancements that are occuring the furtherance of the gospel here.  It might be that we'd have to stay there from 2 weeks to 2 months.  So, please pray that there can be a breakthrough.  Thanks!

 

More Good News!  A couple guys came my Mom's way who work in ANA-MED, an international organization that trains people how to do community health and agricultural training.  These fellows are from a religious church but have very little knowledge of God's Word and have many questions.  They also realize that the Good News would also open closed doors to their training and they want to know how to convey the gospel.  They themselves have many questions and aren't saved at this point.  I am working with Antonio, a Makua Christian "king", to get all the key dialog questions to cover for the storytelling starting in Genesis.  We make the 1st list of questions in Makua for Genesis 1 and 2.  This is VERY Big, because at the most, a few things are in Portuguese, but that is not their heart language, so getting it in Makua for future generations of Christians and church planters will be a HUGE advancement.  We met the first time today to start in Genesis 1 with four men plus Antonio and I.  Wow, it's amazing how many strange ideas people have about God, this world, etc.  But the men were grateful to have some direction.  If we have to go to Maputo, this will slow our progress in getting the questions into Makua and also accompanying the Bible storytelling and discussions.  Rejoice with us and pray for God's deliverance.

 

Now for more GOOD NEWS. At the beginning of October I (Daniel) made a trip out of town with two families to new works.  These new churches are growing.  We took them bibles and did some teaching.  It was quite a cultural experience eating out of same bowl with them every day with our hands instead of silverware.  Their physical poverty is extreme.  Their biggest need is for water.  The women have to walk over 1 1/2 miles there and again back to haul daily water in containers on their heads.  Especially during the dry time during November and December, when the water is scarce, animals are also drinking from the same water, etc., they get very sick!  We praise God they we have researched how to help them build a good water well and how to bring this gift to others.  They are so enslaved to think they can do nothing but now they are being freed even more to bless themselves and others. This will also help the gospel spread to the spiritually and physically thirsty!  Our next trip is set for November 7th and 8th to get them trained and started on the wells.

 

More Praises To our Lord:

*  His greatest gift.  Jesus bore all our sins on the cross.  We are completely forgiven!

***  Our daughter Hannah gave birth to Adonia October 17th!  They're doing very well.  (see pics online soon)

*  We have been able to start painting projects in Elijah & Esther's bedrooms and so are feelilng more "at home".

*  For the idea God gave us that if we just think of our living curcumstances here like that of being "at camp" then we can accept them with (greater) ease.  Esther made a sign for the bathroom door as a cheeful reminder.  It reads "Camp Mozy Bathroom."

*  Mom/Grandma (Pat Maddux) has been blessed in doing a training on health and herbal medicines people can use here.  She is leaving for the U.S. this coming week to raise funds for a bore well here and to go to Brazil to see her daughter Angela give birth to her first daughter.

 

 

God hears,

Daniel & Melissa with Elijah and Esther

September Update

Praise!
* Hope Family Fellowship provided Daniel & Hannah with funds for camcorder so we can enjoy watching our granddaughter grow up!
* Your faithfulness to lift us up in prayer before the Father
* $ for Makua Bibles and Bible Story Books - Elijah is helping give and sell these.
* Elijah spared from severe head injury while helping put up a water tower. He had a blow to top back right side of his head by a metal platform for the tank and suffered hearing loss and sense of touch on right side of face, but is now almost completely better.
* Church planting workshop went well.

Prayer
* Homesickness more acute as:
   - Hannah nears her Nov 7th due date with our first grandchild (Little Princess)
   - U.S. holiday season approaches
   - our six month mark is coming up quickly when, as we have been told, a new missionary family senses "the honeymoon is over" and can feel drawn back to their country of birth.
* Strength, encouragement, and wisdom as we deal with:
   - the daily physical difficulties (water pressure for only a couple hours at night, rats in the cabinets, our camera memory card broke and challenge to replace here so getting by on little 32MB card, etc.)
   - the sad part of life here... Our dear brother, Lazaro, who worked honestly and diligently in our home these past months one day per week died Sunday morning from an illness his body could not fight because of AIDS. Our family grieves for him but we are quite certain it will be the first of many such loses here. His funeral was held in a small chapel area near the morgue at the hospital. When Daniel was asked to speak at the graveside, he reminded the believers of Jesus' resurrection and His power over sin and death.
* Completion of water tower project
* Daniel will be traveling with Antonio and Moniz and their wives to two villages on October 7-11th. They will need wisdom to discern the spiritual needs of the people and what Bible stories would best address those areas of need.

Love you all,
Daniel & Melissa, Elijah, & Esther Maddux

Dear Fellow Prayer Warriors,

We praise God that we can kneel together with you, thanking and requesting our heavenly Father for this upcoming training. This is for church planting, discipleship, and leadership training through storytelling. What a blessing that God has enabled me to finish translating the video text and written materials into Portuguese and to have made one revision! This is the initial training and is with two Christian men who work for us here and with who I am developing a close friendship. They are Antonio & Moniz, who started a church together several years ago. Their wives and Melissa will also be attending. The training is planned to be from 8 am - Noon, Monday through Thursday, including breakfast, a snack, and lunch. This is laying the groundwork for training of a larger group I hope to give in January. Please pray for the spiritual protection of all involved in this training. The wife of one has been having nightmares lately - she grew up with a mother who is a witch-doctor. Peace in relationships has been threatened. We do sense the battle around us! May we be victorious warriors. As a followup to the training, from October 7 - 11, some of us plan on visiting a couple remote churches that have been started similarly and are expanding, to see what the Lord might want done to strengthen them and to spur on church planting efforts. Please pray for physical strength, for wisdom in all relationships, insight into God's Word and Ways in a different culture, and that people see Christ through us.

Hugs,
Daniel & Melissa
with Elijah & Esther

Isaiah 45:23-24a I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.'

August/September Newsletter
Thanks so much for thinking of us here and praying for us!

How are we? A missionary asked me that question the other day and I said, "Divorce is never an option." He knew what I meant, having lived here longer. It is hard adjusting in many areas, but we are trusting God, our Fountain of Living Water, the Source of all we need to be like Him and accomplish what He purposes.

We're very grateful that Elijah and Esther have made friends here among the missionary community. It is a little harder to establish African friends with language and cultural differences. Each week the missionary kids join together for a Bible study time that is encouraging for them. Several weeks ago Elijah asked me (Daniel, Elijah’s proud Daddy) to help him put together some things he wanted to share with the youth from the Bible and life. We worked on it together and Esther reported that God used it to spur on so much good conversation that they didn’t have much time for games afterward. They really enjoyed their trip to Beira and worked very hard with the group putting up a church structure. Thank you so much for your prayers as God protected them when on the ride home the Land Rover Elijah was riding in went off the road at a high speed and was miraculously spared when the driver woke up from a doze and was able to navigate back onto the highway. Elijah was riding shotgun and said he was sure he was going home to be with Jesus. There were youths from 3 different families represented in the vehicle and we thank God for His mighty angels who serve Him.

Wow... What major cultural differences we are encountering! I wish I could give you a book to read that would give you a taste of it. I don't even know where to begin. It seems like every day it's something new regarding the way Africans think about God, communication, possessions, relationships, jobs, finances, conflict resolution, marriage...

Makua Marriage Culture –
Soon after puberty very commonly a girl, 14 to 16 years old, seeks to secure a guy a little older. In short, boy meets girl, boy asks girl’s parents if he can marry, they work out details. If yes, two days later the boy moves in with the girl’s family. The boy lives there until he can build a house for himself. He is on probation until a child is born. If his wife does not get pregnant after several months of marriage, the wife may be advised to divorce him for a more “fruitful” partner. The girl is instructed from her puberty initiation rites and her culture that just as a woman who is cooking puts three rocks under the pot to hold it up, so she should have three or more men in her life (to give her clothes, food, sex,…) The extreme poverty drives MANY women to prostitute themselves for food money.
During a recent Sunday meeting the church had a discussion on marriage relationships. The Makua believers explained that man treats the woman as a tool or slave. If she complains or tries to boss him around he demands, "Did you marry me? No, I went to your father and married you!" In other words, “ I got you. Now you're mine to do whatever I command ”. At the root of the marriage relationships we see a lot of insecurity, jealousy, manipulation, and fear. Most of the families still have clan property outside the city where they grow some food to supplement their poor diet. If the husband and wife travel together, the man will carry his radio while his wife carries their child wrapped with a cloth on her back, and also the hoe, the husband’s machete, and other belongings on her head. On the way back she will carry the baby on her back, the harvested food in one hand, the tools in another, and firewood on her head. (They are pro's at carrying things on their head. We see it every day.) So, while the men do work, they have no sense of compassion or real love for their wives. In fact when they "marry" the husband is not considered part of the wife's family. He is from another family and is mainly there only to bear children for the wife’s family. Usually the children take on the mother’s last name rather than their father’s. The men usually come home from work and are served their food away from their wife and children. They are very disconnected. The Good News of Jesus is here to enter into the sin and muck of their lives to restore their relationship with Him, family, and others.

September marks the beginning of the hot months here in Mozambique. It will be extremely dry until the rains start in mid to late December. For a city of over half a million, Nampula is not adequately equipped to provide for the growing demand for water. Besides, two of their four pumps are broken with no promise of being replaced. We live on a four+ acre property with three other families. It is common to daily not have water for hours at a time and the pressure isn’t strong enough many times for use of the shower, washing machine, and sometimes the bathroom sink. Elijah and a couple of his friends have started the process of digging a hole for a reservoir and we plan to have a water tower up within the next couple weeks. Please pray for us to have wisdom and lots of grace in our relationships as we deal with these types of character building events, as we tend to get stressed at times, a bit discouraged and sometimes sin by complaining. Our Lord Jesus, the Faithful One always takes care of everything and we are truly overjoyed to serve the Wonderful Master.

How can you best pray for us?
- We need wisdom to understand the Mozambicans and how to express honor to them
- Safety from thieves
-That God will somehow provide for us a long term water solution (ie, a bore well)

Rejoice with us about…
-God providing Gito to teach Melissa Portuguese a couple times a week
-Overall good health in our family and Daniel’s back is much better
-Trust that is building in Daniel’s relationship with Moniz and Antonio, Christian brothers we employ
-The gratitude of the people here as we share some food, clothing, anything with them
-Our dogs, Roxy and Tipper, that add such joy to our days! (And protect us from harm)

Love you all,
Daniel & Melissa
with Elijah & Esther

P.S. We pray for you and would love to hear how you are if you have the opportunity to write. Thanks you so much for those who have written!

Culture: Thank you for your prayers regarding the Makua’s understanding of God versus witchcraft. A seminar will be held this month to help the church here. The Makua view sickness as always caused by some spiritual reality. For instance, I might explain that malaria is transmitted from person to person by a malaria-infected mosquito. But they will always then ask, “But, WHY did the mosquito bite the infected person and then bite me?” The reasons could be varied. Either someone doesn’t like me and wants to bring me down, or I violated some ancestral tradition, or I have been cursed, etc. If the sickness is serious, a “healer” or “witch doctor” will be sought. Even if a Christian has the confidence to not do this, their non-Christian family may pressure them to go. The witch doctor will seek to divine the cause of the sickness and then prescribe the “medicine” to take. They don’t as much believe the power is in the therapeutic value of the concoction of leaves, roots, chicken feet..., but in the spiritual power of the witch doctor derived from the spirits or ancestors they invoke. There are various levels of witch doctors, the most highly instructed who at the start disappear into the jungle for months and then re-appear having been personally trained by what they call “evil spirits”. These kinds are especially sought out for the hard cases of getting healing or casting a curse on another. Others are trained through other kinds of spirits. Others still are trained by their ancestors through the spirit world, and other just learn the trade from another witch doctor / healer. We’re praying for God’s wisdom to know which specific Bible stories will prepare the soil for the gospel and reshape their worldview.

God brought our container from Kansas City all the way to our home in Nampula safe and sound. While our “stuff” has been boxed up for nine months, Jesus has given us a greater sense of His warning, “be on your guard against every form of greed.” (Luke 12:15 and remember Achan in Joshua 7) and we don’t want our hearts drawn away from things above. A great little book on this topic is The Treasure Principle (by Randy Alcorn) that we read aloud as a family.

We have visited different congregations and are exploring ministry possibilities until we start Makua language training in February. (Sorry I didn’t get some pictures at these churches. One even served a lunch of grilled fish! One fellow wouldn’t eat it because it had seen the fish in the market covered with flies.) We’re benefiting a lot from wise input and ideas of others who have worked among these people even as far back as shortly after the civil war ended here in 1992. There is much to learn!

FYI - It looks like we’re going to get our first little break and go to the ocean together with Pat Maddux (Grandma!).

Thank you for your prayers. We remember you too and are anticipating with you how God will continue to glorify Himself in this place.

Please pray for:
* Wisdom & the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to we build relationships and learn about what Bible stories best help change their worldview.
* Elijah & Esther’s opportunities to assists a group constructing a church building (August 15th – 26th) in Beira (a coastal city 2 days travel from here).
* Daniel's bad back which needs to heal and which prevented him from going on a trip out of town this last week to visit a couple church plantings through Bible storying.


Praise God with us for:
* The sweet fellowship & encouragement we have with other missionaries
* We are getting more settled into our home and Daniel’s friendship with our Christian workers grows stronger

(Check out our latest pictures online.)

You can click here to go to this newsletter in a pdf format you can put on the church bulletin board.

Help! We're in Culture Shock!

Last week I was called by our fellow missionary, Dan Been, to help mediate in a scandal that sent shock waves through the church here in Nampula. It happened that one of the most respected native leaders, while having been married for 14 years, had hidden affairs that occurred during 2003-2004 with three sisters of another family. Two of the sisters as well as their dad have been ill for some time. One of them went to a witch-doctor with her mother-in-law and was told that she was sick because she had slept with the man her sisters had also slept with. When all this became known to the family, several church leaders became involved, and under pressure to solve the family crisis agreed to call in a traditional “healer” (witch-doctor) who would mix up something for them all to drink. They believe a special kind of sickness would result from one man having slept with three sisters of the same family (versus women from separate families). This is superstition. This is not purely an herbalist, but one who requests the ancestors for their blessing of protection during their journey and for a cure of the sick person. At the door of the sick family’s house, this “healer” had brewed a concoction of special leaves, part of a chicken’s foot, and other things. They all drank it but did not improve. It was at this point that our fellow missionary was finally notified.

A meeting was called of the pastors of the city. The leader committing adultery agreed to the discipline of not being able to teach for a period of time. But, all the leaders still maintained that the “healer” was only using an herbal remedy from their traditional medicine.

Witch-craft and Cowardice Exposed. The next night I was able to sit down with two leaders and step them through some scriptural principles to discern where and how healing takes place for the spirit, soul, and body. I even mentioned the superstition of the 1700’s that most likely killed George Washington, that of bleeding the patient to let the sickness out. After reading Revelation 21:8 – “but the cowards…”, they began to question if in fact they hadn’t given in to superstition and brought in one who in fact requests demonic powers for the cure versus them seeking God in first place (Is 8:19). They also came to see they had acted out of cowardice when no one spoke to question the witch-doctor idea to begin with.

Discipline. At a later meeting, the leaders decided to be disciplined by stepping out of leadership for one month. This is very important as almost all so called Christians in this culture will run to a “healer” as a last resort, bringing themselves under demonic powers and usually not getting well. Later we met with some city pastors who also recognized and turned from the previous claim that the witch-doctor was simply an herbalist. Other meetings set up by Dan Been were held to bring spiritual healing and to reconcile the relationships broken by adultery.

Public Repentance. In the end, the adulterer and the ones who called the “healer” all participated in a public repentance in the Sunday meeting according to Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy 5:20 – “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” Dan Been and I were asked to preach at the Sunday meeting and to aid the Mozambicans in steering this. This is one of the first times a public repentance and discipline like this has ever occurred here. Please pray with us that God will continue to purify His Bride here and that strong churches be planted.

The president of Good News for Africa (our mission agency) recently wrote us saying: “I still hear the words of a veteran missionary who advised me after hearing of all my plans for the next few years. He said, ‘On your first term don’t worry about getting a lot done, just get yourself situated to a point where you can work well on your second term.’ Wise words! I didn’t exactly heed them and as a result produced a lot of expectations and stress on myself because I was unrealistic. Get to know the lay of the land – physically and spiritually and develop some good friendships…”

Some missionaries have commented that this is one of the most difficult place to live in and to minister to spiritually. We thank God He has allowed us to enter this place. It is now even more evident how important it will be for us to start learning the Makua language. In February through July of 2009 we plan on relocating temporarily where Melissa and I will study full-time in a course designed to teach us Makua culture and language.

Thanks for your prayers and partnership in the work here among the Makua,
Hugs from the Madduxes.

Hello Dear Friends,

God is blessing us to adjust to new conditions and to make friends here.

Please check out our new photo gallery to get the rest of the story. A caption is at the bottom of each picture. The link to the pictures is on the top right hand margin or go to http://photos.beatoday.org/index.htm Also note our mailing address here.

I, Daniel, have been having some good conversations and relationship building times with a Christian here. Antonio is a "king" of his small clan (about 87 people). He is one of the night guards the previous missionary's established for this property we live on that has 2 other houses. Most kings have 50 - 300 people they're in charge of. They are not officially recognized by the government but they are by the people, as they typically lead the ceremonies of satanic origin in funerals, births, etc. making sacrifices to appease the departed spirits. He, of course, no longer does this as a Christian even though 95% of professing Christians participate in these. As a king he has the respect of other kings and is in a place of much influence. He has led in planting two churches, which is a great story in itself and due to the work of God through our fellow missionary Shawn Gardner. Relationships of trust take a loooonnng time to establish here so we praise God that we already have a good start.

Please pray for...
* Our container to arrive safely sometime around the end of June.
* God to show Elijah and Esther the unique ways they can serve while they are here.
* Melissa and the kids continuing to learn Portuguese.

We praise God for...
* How great a help our fellow team members Dan and Robin Been have been to us!
* Our home here on a large mission's property with a spacious yard we're all enjoying.
* You - our prayer partners in the U.S. and Brazil - engaged in the battle for Truth.

Love you,
Daniel & Melissa
with Elijah and Esther

Wedded

We praise God our daughter Chloe married a godly man this last Saturday. Everything was "out of the box" yet drenched with the dew of heaven. Except the blessing from the two families, Jonathan and Chloe wrote everything to be in the wedding including their vows. Awesome music, choreography, content, and example of purity and devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is truly a joy to us to see God provide husbands for our daughters as we leave for Mozambique.

Melissa's last days in Brazil brought many opportunities to practice Portuguese. Once at a nearby backery she asked for "egg juice" instead of "grape juice" and another time asked for "black cheese" instead of "plate cheese". She's having fun laughing with others over these things. While we're on the food subject, Melissa had a biblical insight to share. It seems that Tuesday must be the best/most important day of creation (3rd day) as it is the day God created chocolate (plants)! Lord willing Mozambique will have some good chocolate!

Please pray for the following:
- That we'll be able to get everything on the container to Moz this Friday
- Blessings in speaking at a church in Stoctkon, MO (Sunday 13th), final time with our home church (20th), and time with family before departure.
- Safe and Healthy travel to Mozambique and then 3-4 days via car from the capital to Nampula.
- That we'll quickly be able to find my mother a pickup truck in the capital so that we can make it up to Nampula in time to start our government paperwork there within 30 days of entering the country.

We're looking forward to getting setup in Nampula by the end of May and communicating with you all then, if not earlier.

God bless you!
Daniel & Melissa Maddux with Elijah and Esther.

Would you believe that God answered all of our prayers this month in an incredible way?

Vehicle 4x4: First of all Jehovah Jireh has provided us a vehicle in Mozambique. We no longer need to raise more funds for a reliable 4x4 because a missionary couple returning to the U.S. Is selling their 1996 Diesel Toyota Hilux Surf to us for $12k. What a tremendous relief to have reliable transportation ready for us when we arrive.

Portuguese: Secondly, we see that God has accomplished His work in us here in Brazil, equipping us for life in Africa. He has amazed us by enablish Daniel to translate much of the “Bible Story Telling” materials he will be teaching to the Makua people. He has also purchased some useful teaching materials in Portuguese. Melissa now has a good foundation in the Portuguese language and we all will continue to focus on it for the rest of '08. God has knit our hearts together as a family for the purpose He has called us to in Nampula. Though we falter at times, the path is clear with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Glorious One.

Wedding: Lastly, dearly beloved, we're anxious to boast about the Lord's work in our daughter, Chloe Elizabeth, and her soon to be husband, Jonathan Heston. They are being blessed by all the appeals to God for their purity, waiting in animated ankissapation for their April 5th marriage festivities. May God be praised.

Packing: What extraordinary months lie ahead of us. Easter Sunday will find us back in Kansas City, God willing, and smothered with the affection of our dearest Chloe & Hannah. For four and a half pleasurable weeks we'll be celebrating life with some of you while packing for our April 24^th migratory flight to the dark continent. Please pray for peace and health for us in the next few weeks as we return to the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Thanks for remembering us in the midst of your daily bustling and know that we think of you and pray for you too.

Elijah Exercising ------------ Esther's Birthday ----- Daniel's catch of the day

(Thank you everyone who sent cards and presents for Esther's Birthday!!!)

C O U N T Y O U R B L E S S I N G S !

Singing this rich hymn and many others recently has been really been effective medicine for our spirits. Esther noted that this past week was our half-way mark for our stay here in Brazil - she’s actually counting the days. We’ve been feeling the culture-shock and homesickness most acutely these past couple weeks. What joy to focus on these musical messages for our souls…

• O To Be Like Thee!
• Hallelujah, What A Savior!
• Sound the Battle Cry
• One Day!

Daily Life Here: Your prayers are tremendously appreciated. Our time here would not be the blessing it is without you interceding for us. We did not move from the apartment here as we thought we would. Instead, God is teaching us much about contentment in this setting. Some of the aspects of life we are beginning to get used to include:

• doing our laundry by hand (wringing is the hardest part, but getting them to dry during the rainy season has proven to be a bit tricky!) - see 1st video below.
  
• living out of our suitcases (there are no dressers or closets to use here)
• no water heater (i.e. cold showers and heating water from the bathroom sink—there is no kitchen sink-- on the stove to wash dishes and clothes)
• having ants everywhere! (so the sugar is in the frig)
• taking a bus or walking to get around town
• taking our umbrella with us each time we go out
• sleeping with mosquito nets over our beds
• crying out to our loving Jesus for comfort when our hearts ache from missing Chloe and Hannah and our other family and friends in the U.S.
• thanking!! God for the receptive hearts and attitudes Elijah & Esther have had about being a part of our lives as missionaries and thanking God for our afternoon of relaxation at the Amazon River beach (see 2nd video below).
  

Temptations for Men: A few weeks ago we realized Elijah was acting unusually stir-crazy and needing to get out of our apartment more. Several times when we were heading out for groceries or running errands he did not want to go with us. Elijah, whose name means ‘Jehovah is God’ said “Brazil is not a place for boys or men. You can’t hardly look anywhere without seeing women or pictures of them immorally dressed.” We praise God for Elijah’s desire to be pure and choosing to not expose himself to unnecessary temptation.

True Love: Have you heard a really good love story lately? Now then, Daniel and Esther were participants in the wedding of one such couple this month. Daniel had the privilege of giving his 29 year old sister, Angela, in marriage to the Brazilian, Davi Marcos Siqueira, 31 years old.

A wealthy Christian friend of the groom’s family offered to host the wedding ceremony and festivities at his countryside estate. His generosity seemed too much to believe. “Absolutely!”, he said, “I would certainly do this and more for two virgins.” God’s power has been shown in Davi’s and Angela’s lives as they have both grown up in this very adulterous Brazilian culture.

Blessing the Little Ones: While visiting São Paulo for the wedding, we were able to meet with a brother in Christ, Dirceu, who has a church and ministry among one of the poorest slums in Brazil. He was only allowed into the neighborhood because the drug-lord of the area gave him permission to start helping the neglected children of prostitutes and poor families. This same drug lord hires hit-men to protect his territory from policemen. God has given Dirceu favor in the enemy’s territory. As he passed the street corners where the hit-men were posted, they asked him to pray for them. As he did, they lowered their weapons, took off their hats, and many times God softened their hearts to tears. Five of these men so far have left that job for an honest wage with Dirceu’s help. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor…” (Luke 4:18)

The Father’s Financial Provision: We’re grateful that the Father has already provided 85% of our minimum budgeted goal and all the regular setup costs! Our Faithful God will certainly provide, as He wills,for the remaining $20,000 for a vehicle and for the rest of the monthly needs. Our estimated time of departure for Mozambique is no later than April 24^th.

Birthday: 450 – 405 = Melissa’s age. Yep, she turned 45 this month. Thank you so much to all of you who sent cards and e-mails that brought great delight to her middle-aged heart!!! We enjoyed sharing a box of Brazilian chocolates after breakfast as part of our celebration.

Language Study: We wish you all could meet our Brazilian jewel, Joelsila, who comes to teach us Portuguese three times a week. She makes learning a lot of fun and begins each lesson with Melissa, Elijah, and Esther with prayer. (Believe me, we need it!) Joelsila expressed excitement about Melissa’s progress because she’s not afraid to practice and make mistakes.

Translation: I (Daniel) am so encouraged that God is providing beyond what I imagined. Even though it was more difficult than I expected to get back into Portuguese, God is helping me translate the 200+ pages of video text, handbooks, and charts for the “Communication Bridges to Oral Cultures”. This is from the training I received from the group I met at the National Missionary Convention. I am especially grateful for our Portuguese teacher who is correcting the translation. This material will greatly aid in training grassroots story-tellers to take God’s story to their non-literate Makua communities. Please pray with us for God to continue to raise up laborers for the harvest! (Luke 10:1-2; Mt 9:36-37)

Abraços (Portuguese for ‘Hugs’),

Daniel, Melissa, Elijah and Esther Maddux