Dear ones,

We desperately need your prayers!  Because of incredible heart changes occurring here in Mozambique and the potential for more (more on that later), demonic forces are not happy and we ARE under attack.  We praise our Lord for protection and we need your earnest prayers!

Door thieves tried to bust

Just a few hours ago, at 2 a.m., Melissa and I were awakened when we heard the young missionary couple living in the house right next to ours screaming to us for help. I ran out the door when the wife said thieves were breaking in so I quickly retreated back again behind my locked door, looking through the external metal door's screen.  Eight (8!) men with machetes and a crowbar were beating down their door and demanding money from them. Through the metal re-bar door, one thief had managed to put a minor cut in the husband's hand while he was trying to protect his family.  The dogs just stood at a distance and barked, while our single night guard with his machete could do nothing.  I immediately shouted out that we were calling the police and then called another missionary friend who drove like Jehu into the police station and showed up with police 40 minutes later.  The thieves, who were probably waiting to see if our threat was real, scattered back through the hole they cut in the fences and out into the darkness of the neighborhood.  Needless to say, that family packed up their 4 young children and finished the night at the larger walled in missionary compound next door.  

One missionary just informed me that last year, gun-armed thugs were making their rounds in our city among foreigners to steal and devastate.  In the early 90's , our own Good News for Africa missionary colleague in the capitol, Maputo, was shot to death in his home in front of his family by thugswho supposedly heard he'd withdrawn money that day.  It seems that now in Nampula things are escalating for those who do not have armed guards.  I'll be making trips to the bush and cannot leave Melissa here alone with a simple guard.  Dan & Robin Been, our colleagues who will be moving onto the property in June to the house that was just attacked, have five children, and are super concerned.  They said they will now be writing their supporters asking for funds to hire armed guards.  Though we don't know at this moment what that will cost, my guestimate from previous info is $1000 to $1500 per month.  Splitting that cost of armed guards between us would mean we need $500 to $750 extra per month per family to handle this.  Could you bring this need before your churches and pray about how you might help? 

Evangelist Antonio with his relative's kids in his care.

So, before I mention the spiritual attacks on our family, I want to talk a little about the great victories we are experiencing that are angering the enemy.  Can you imagine giving up 1/2 of your income to start an orphanage and Christian Training Center?  When we got back, our main evangelist, Antonio told us the following...  In 2005 he spent months chasing all the paperwork to give the gov't so that he could receive monthly military pay for having fought in the civil-war (1975-1992) here.  He has friends to this day whose paper-work is buried in some heap in the capitol and have received no funds!  Yet, in 2005 after two months, he heard that the person sitting at the desk processing his papers just happened to have someone from Nampula here show up who knew Antonio to be a respectable guy and so, right then, his application was approved.  He makes $100 a month working for us here and lives off that (unbelievable isn't it!) and he receives another $100 a month for his military pay.  He now is starting to use all his military pay to enlist the help of the churches he helped to plant in order to start an orphanage and training center (youth, marriage, church leadership...)  Wow! His wife is one with him in this.  And this is the fellow that during our first term came to me a number of times with a poor person's mindset of, "I'm a nobody and have nothing, so others need to give me money to do ministry" thinking like everyone else I know in Mozambique.  So many times, by God's grace, I've poured into him God's greatness, His promises, ... and he came away with a new perspective.  This weekend he and his wife are buying the property out in the bush near those churches.

Meal with church leader from the bush visiting us.

There is sooo much more I could tell you!!!  Heart changes even this last month in people we're working with!  God is going to move more and more.  With the trips to the rural church networks and trainings in the grace, freedom, and power our Lord purchased for us (Col 2:12-15), we couldn't be more bug-eyed than we already are!  Pray that the enemy will not be able to sabotage the ministry and that the Lord will move on in power on these trips out.

Now, with all that going on, we believe the enemy is seeing the fruit!  And more fruit to come.  Beginning last week, it seems that each person in our family came under some kind of spiritual attack.  My previous Saturday and Sunday were very discouraging.  I could not figure it out.  Prayer was difficult.  Monday, woke up, prayerful, and pressed on in faith and received victory. It's been one of the most blessed weeks in my life. (We're also very thankful that Hannah's health has been much better.)  But, each one in our family had some similar experience or something that greatly agitated their life, even bringing great doubts of faith in God in one quite vulnerable who is careening on the precipice. We are quite concerned.  When we were there, we could easily spend an hour talking with our children through whatever came up and they'd leave built up and encouraged in the Lord.  Now!? When we're on the front line here, what do we do dear brothers and sisters except pray with tears and faith!?  The 7 hours later difference makes it very difficult to talk via skype at the best times for them when they're off work etc.  We're sleeping when they're home from work and available in the evening.  Because of these things, we feel we must empty our only personal CD at our bank and bring both Elijah and Esther here for at least two months to pour into them, and strengthen them, probably as never before.  I would make the trips to the bush still and they would go with us, but would cancel the ongoing fun but time-intensive translation work while they're here.  So, yet again, we present another need to you, if you feel a desire to help cover some of the airfare to get Elijah and Esther here, we'd continue to be forever grateful.

"Sovereign Lord, hear the threats of the enemy and do what you have pre-determined and now give us courage to tell others about Jesus and may You stretch out your hand through Jesus to do marvelous things!"  (the gist from Acts 4:23-31)

Thank you for joining us in prayer,

Daniel and Melissa Maddux

March Update

Springtime greetings from Nampula land,

Gito, Henriques, and Daniel translating Gospel presentation.

REJOICING IN HIS WORK       When we returned last month I began meeting  with Henriques daily to study through the Gospel presentation I’d written during our first term.   My desire was for him to assist in translation work.  He is the younger brother of Antonio, our main evangelist.  His teachable heart was apparent from the beginning although he was stuck in his thinking that he was a pretty good person and that he could somehow keep enough commandments in order for God to overlook his sins.   After several days of reading together God’s direction in the Bible, he still did not grasp the gravity of his sin nor the highest payment Jesus made on his behalf.  I asked him to read chapters on Jesus’ death and Isaiah 53.   He came back to me a few days later with a new realization, “that I am no better than the men in prison who’ve murdered because I too have murdered in my heart with my anger” (as well as lustful thoughts, wanting others’ things,…).    With conviction of his sinful condition before our Holy God he cried out to Him and received Jesus’ payment of death in his place.  What joy shone in Henriques' eyes and he soon testified before the church of his deadness in sin but now new life through Jesus, the only way to the Father.   This dear new brother of yours is especially grateful for God’s mercy on him as he was diagnosed with AIDS a few years ago and almost died then.  Now,  Praise Jesus!,  he is assisting Gito in translating our gospel presentation from Portuguese into Makua so many more may receive this saving message.

MISSIONARY GET AWAY    A few weeks ago we helped host an annual conference for Good News For Africa, the agency that makes our presence here legal.  It was an important time to renew friendships, worship together and discuss goals.  For Melissa it was a break from lizards and ants inside our lodging and no cooking for several days.  She prepared desserts for an added treat to the evening adult game time.   The children seemed intrigued by my “multiplying coin” and card tricks that I demonstrated for the talent show.  We’re very grateful for this time of refreshment though several of us came away with a stubborn intestinal bug that is now “mostly dead”.

HANNAH GRACE UPDATE    So many of you are praying and asking and we are thrilled to tell you our daughter’s  latest  blood test results were VERY good and her bone biopsy looked normal.  She is now pursuing a natural doctor, Vaughn Lawrence, in the KC area that has treated several lupus patients with promising results focusing at the beginning on nutrition.    

GOD IS GOOD & DOES GOOD     

4 foot spitting cobra at our door!

* HE protects us even when we are not aware of the dangers.   Bella, our guard dog, caught a 4 foot spitting cobra just a few feet from our front door.     We are now being more careful to carry a flashlight in the yard at night.    
* HE provided us air conditioning (for 2 rooms!) and a few other house preps with a special gift from Wallula Christian Church.    Sweet!


PRAYER REQUESTS
* God  has called two incredible servants Home into His Presence this month.  Jr Bryan long-time lead the mission team at Crocker Christian Church & Kyle Degge lead us on the path to grace and out of the ICCC over 20 years ago.  We'll miss these brothers who've loved much.  May their families be comforted and many inspired by their example to follow in Jesus' steps.   
* Clarity of mind and heart for Gito, Henriques & I working together on the teaching resources translation.   It is a slow process with many concepts requiring thorough attention.  For example, the Makua do not have a word for “guilt” or “debt” so we have to discuss at length how to express the idea so they can understand.
* A Christian Portuguese tutor for Melissa.
* God’s Spirit to open the eyes of Agusto & Gracinda to His love and grace.  He is a leader in the church that meets on our property.  Our prayer is that God will strengthen the church here through weekly Bible studies with the leaders, one couple at a time (a WONDERFUL vision of our sending Hope Family Fellowship).
* Development of the marriage seminar.   We are continuing to learn about the ungodly practices here.  A wife, for example, builds on her own family ties out of a fear that if her husband dies his family will take all and leave the widow & children with nothing.  Profound lack of trust/security in the marriage.

What an incredible privilege we each have of being able to pray and help make preparations for His Wedding Feast!  Thank you for your part in blessing us to be here among the Makua.

Love and Resurrection blessings,
Daniel & Melissa
www.beatoday.org:  e-mail mission@beatoday or call us at 913-871-6490.

Blessings is the Name of Jesus         We (Daniel and Melissa) will soon be hurdling through space at 40,000 feet high!  We fly back to Mozambique this Monday, January 30th. Who is where? We'll greatly miss our children and grandkids here. Elijah will stay here and continue working at Vetter's Collision Repair - Great Job! Esther will stay here continuing her music training with Phil Rogers Foundation for music (par excellance and Christian!), working part-time 4-6 days a week with Brown Button Estate Sales, and primarily helping Hannah with home and young ones (1 & 3yrs). How is Hannah? We praise the Lord that Hannah's Lupus is being contained and that she is off of kidney dialysis with 25% kidney function. Thank you so much for being behind us here during Hannah's health crisis. There is almost no way she could have made it through without all the extra support given in the home while she was down. It's been rough. It's been stressful many times. Thanks for holding us up with your prayers. She has made great progress, but still has a long ways to go - at least another year or more of Cell-Cept... Due to the immuno-suppressant drugs, she gets every cold and flu that comes along, with the ensuing sinus infections and fevers, and so has been in bed much of the time. She's better and up more today. Please pray she can come into a sick-free time and be able to get the consistent nutritional support to heal completely and to maintain good health. Ready for Mozambique Also while here, we've been able to continue language practice (Melissa-Portuguese & Daniel-Makua). Amazingly, the following resources were also completed: 1) The rest of the dialogue questions for the Bible storying from Exodus on through the life of Christ with the accompanying Makua Bible text for all verses! 2) Sixteen Bible Narrative lessons for new church plants and young Christians with beautiful Gospel pictures in an African context, and 3) several other smaller pieces. These are all in Portuguese. In the next months, pray we find all the help necessary to translate them into Makua and for more "laborers for the harvest" to spread the Word of Jesus. We've been greatly encouraged by the book, "In Heaven! Experiencing the Throne of God" by Dean Braxton. As with any book, eat the meat and spit out the bones. After reading it, we see even more of God's grandeur in John's Revelation. While @#!*% is a reality, Jesus is actively sowing the 'Good News' of forgiveness of sins and a forever relationship of love with Him. He is AWESOME! What Now? Well, we're back to the land of heat, rats, spitting cobras, corruption, bribes, high inflation, thefts, harrasments, fewer resources, time in lines again and again, fears, confusion, hate, greed, much sickness, grinding poverty, demonic activity... BUT where there are also beautiful sunsets, where _everyone_ is a beautiful creation of God... AND the LOVE and GRACE of JESUS is covering us and bringing HIS PEOPLE through to streams of living water flowing from His throne. (John 4:10-11; 7:38; Revelation 7:17) Love you, Daniel and Melissa Maddux www.beatoday.org 913-871-6490 - You can call this Kansas phone number to ring on our computer in Mozambique and speak with us. P.S. Melissa had a GREAT birthday Jan. 15th with her Dad and Mom and sisters from Iowa.

Makua Update Hello Dear Friends, Here and HEAVEN:  What a great God we have to gives us what we could never deserve - the breath of life, family and friends, and an eternal friendship with Him through Christ!  I just read through '90 Minutes in Heaven' and am again amazed at how indescribable the simplest things in heaven are - pure radiant self-less love from everyone, bodily beautiful perfection, warm intense light - everywhere!, music from the heart by myriads of angels, humans, and heavenly beings, the heavenly city.... and then there is the ..... triune God!   What a HOPE we have! HANNAH'S Health: In light of that great hope, these "light and momentary afflictions" of accompanying Hannah through Lupus recovery are minor.  She still has a VERY low immune system. (She caught shingles twice & has had several bacterial lung infections in the last couple months.) Besides her current extensive regimen of meds and dialysis, a doctor is going to look into her hormone levels.  We also are trying some alternative things - low-dose naltrexone...    Please pray we see much recovery before we head back Mozambique.  Airfare has just been re-booked for January 30th. SURPRISE Eye-wear:  Before we left Mozambique in August, Antonio's (evangelist) wife, Rabia, came to visit Melissa and pray for her return to care for Hannah.  Before Rabia left we shared a favorite verse with her and asked if she would like to read it in Makua.  She tried but said it was much more difficult at night with indoor lighting.  So, as an experiment, we pulled out a pair of +1.25 reading glasses.  She couldn't believe the improvement! She read!  Praise the Lord!  Now she uses them all the time.  On our return, we will be taking more reading glasses to share with the Makua believers as a gift from our dear brother optometrist, Tom Hobbs, and the Warrensburg Christian Church. Blessings and have a happy day of Thanksgiving and also soon a wonderful time remembering Christ's Birth!!! Daniel and Melissa Maddux www.beatoday.org  -  Daniel and Melissa Maddux c/o Thomas and Linda Ledford  31625 Summit Ridge Dr. Crystal Lakes, MO  64024       816-630-0918  Daniel and Melissa Maddux 616 Walnut St., Leavenworth, KS 66048 Email: mission@beatoday.org   -  Ph: 913-240-1887

Madduxes for the Makua God has done amazingly! I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done! Ps 118:17.   You've got to see the VIDEO Hannah put together!  http://youtu.be/DLufGUFWd5E Today we saw Hannah's main doctor.  He said he is very positive about her recovery, as all the health markers from labs are going in the right direction up or down. While in the hospital, her active lupus level indicator, which would read below 5 for a normal person, read 634!  Today it is only 10!  Because of the overall improvement, the doctor is lowering the dosage on some of her blood pressure pills and steroids (prednesone...).  The $4000/IV rituxin(sp?), which she received twice by IV, is still coursing through her body continuing to work for another 6 months.  She still will be on CellCept for a couple more years, helping control the Lupus autoimmune response.  But, the doctor is also quite hopeful Hannah could be off of kidney dialysis within 6 months.  She'll see the doctor again in two months.   Thank you  for your prayers!  We praise our heavenly Father for watching over us! So, how much longer will we be here in the U.S.?  Elijah and Esther will stay this time.  Elijah had quite a test, gearing up to go to Mozambique, selling and purchasing things, getting there and buying a motorcycle to get around the city and help others, then having to sell it for a much lower price to recoup some cash.  Elijah will now stay here and continue to work at Vetter's Autobody where he is being trained - another PRAISE the LORD.  Esther will stay on after we leave to help Hannah manage the household. We're grateful that, while we weren't long enough in Mozambique as planned to save up for Esther a car, the extra funds from you all will take care of this big need and enable Esther to be a great support to Hannah. We'll miss Elijah and Esther tremendously!!!  God took them through a test, as they both on their own decided to return to Mozambique to serve, and yet, the Lord had other plans and it is obviously best they stay here now.  Melissa right now is doing a phenomenal job helping Hannah around the house, as Hannah's energy level isn't fully back yet.  We're enjoying the grandkids like never before!!!  Melissa and I are considering returning to Mozambique in early January.  By that time, Lord willing, Hannah will be much more able to take care of things. Another piece of GOOD NEWS is that during this time Melissa and I are continuing language training.  Each morning Melissa reads from her Portuguese Bible and I help her with pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar...  She's progressing marvelously.  I'm also studying Makua and loving it - just wish I could speak fluently!  More GOOD NEWS is that each day I'm completing the Portuguese training resources we need for church planting/discipling and will have them translated once back in Mozambique.  Among other things, I had previously completed all the questions in Portuguese and Makua for the key stories of Genesis.  I'm 80% done with all the rest of the questions on into the life of Christ!  By November, Melissa and I hope to be back working on the marriage training for the Makua, providing a simple way pastors can circulate this encouragement throughout the churches.  So please pray for our spiritual vitality in the Lord as we pour over these things. Finally, we thank God for His generosity through YOU.  Extra beyond our airfare came in and has made it possible to cover all our other extra expenses in the U.S.!  Praising the Father for His Dear Son - our Lord Jesus! Daniel and Melissa with Elijah and Esther www.beatoday.org Ph#: 913-240-1887 (U.S.)   Ph#: 913-871-6490 (U.S. & even Mozambique via internet Skype.) Donations can be sent to:  B.E.A. c/o Thomas and Linda Ledford 31625 Summit Ridge Dr. Crystal Lakes, MO 64024 816-630-0918 Your prayers are a sweet incense rising to the throne of our awesome Father.  May the Lord Jesus receive the Glory!

God is Faithful and Super Gracious! The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works! Ps 145:13 People all over the world have been praying for our daughter Hannah - from the Makua Bush, to China, to Brazil, elsewhere, and all over the U.S.  Thank You! We are so grateful for each one of you who gave to Hannah while in the hospital.   John and Carole Winter (Hannah's in-laws) have done a phenominal job taking care of theirs and our two grandchildren (Adonia and Creed), coordinating things for Hannah, keeping people updated...  Amy Dickey accompanied Hannah through the myriad of things in the hospital...  Melissa's sisters visited and her sister Amy stayed for days in Melissa's absence...  Our church family are giving in so many ways...  Flowers, cards, gifts, hugs, cheer, blessings, prayers... Thanks! We've just landed at KCI today.  Several churches substantially gave toward getting us back and it has sufficiently covered our airfare and lodging costs.  So, we send you a big warm hug and thanks!  We've also now been blessed to see our granddaughter, Shiloh Heston, born while we were in Mozambique. The great news is - the doctors let Hannah out of the hospital yesterday!  Her blood count went up to 9.7 yesterday (12-14 is normal). Yeah!!! Thank you Jesus!  She has dialysis 3 days a week, where they'll also take blood samples to check her levels.  She is still loosing a some blood and will probably need some transfusions.  She has 20 different meds (about 40 pills) to take throughout the day.  Five of them, alone, are treating blood pressure.  We're so grateful she can be home again!  Hannah has a special diet to minimize how much her kidneys have to process.  For now, we'll be staying with them and helping her take care of herself and the family so that she can get her rest.  Being the busy beaver Hannah normally is, we'll see how that goes. God bless you all, Daniel and Melissa with Elijah and Esther www.beatoday.org

Coming Home Unexpectedly

Madduxes for the Makua God is Good All the time! The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works! Ps 145:13   Thanks for all your prayers for our daughter Hannah Grace Winter.  While the doctor said that he could get a call that Hannah is in ICU on life-support, they are hopeful her body will begin responding to one of the new treatments to stop her body from attacking and eliminating red blood cells/hemoglobin.  Nothing has worked so far.  Her kidneys are now at 10% and she is starting dialysis regularly. The doctor strongly urged us to return there for support and encouragement in her recovery.  Daniel David, her husband, is doing an unbelieveable job, but can't take off work much.  His parent's are an amazing help with the children, but his mom has some health concerns as well.  Once Hannah is home, the doctors are saying her energy level for the first months will be low, much needing our help in their home.   After talking with the doctor today, knowing we needed to return, we noticed an e-mail from our home church saying they would fly Melissa and I back.  Thank you Jesus!!!  We also need to pay for Elijah and Esther's tickets.  Airfare alone is $2676 per person along with other travel & lodging costs.  With the blessing of 9 churches supporting us, we are asking and trusting the Lord through you to help cover these unexpected airfare expenses.  Donations can be sent to the address below.    We will have extra expenses living in the U.S., and helping Hannah, while maintaining a home back here in Mozambique.  In addition, we have been shocked with the marked increase here in Nampula in costs for food (butter-$8/lb, oats-$4 for 4 cups, hamburger-$4.50/lb), electricity (tripled), gasoline ($6/gal)...  While we're certain God will always care for us and feed us, would you also prayerfully consider increasing your monthly support?   We're returning on the earliest flight we could get out of Nampula, leaving the 26th and arriving in Kansas City on the 28th.  We booked the ticket for six months out but will be allowed to adjust that according to the need.  God has really been blessing my vision and work here on the materials for the fledgling churches in the bush. The evangelists are excited about the gospel presentation/training being translated into Makua. Please pray with me, that I would continue to have some time to devote to writing more while in the U.S..   God is constantly testing us in trusting Him for His timing.  We were overjoyed in having Elijah and Esther here with us, as they both came here to serve.  Now it seems they may not return to Mozambique with us.  What stories will they tell of God's faithfullness?   God bless you all, Daniel and Melissa with Elijah and Esther www.beatoday.org Donations can be sent to:  B.E.A. c/o Thomas and Linda Ledford 31625 Summit Ridge Dr. Crystal Lakes, MO 64024 816-630-0918 Your prayers are a sweet incense rising to the throne of our awesome Father.  May the Lord Jesus receive the Glory!