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
