Ministering in our village and Asumani

So much goes on here (as I’m sure it does where you live), and we can’t possibly keep you updated on everything. But, our hearts are stirred for the harvest the Lord is bringing in Lichinga, and so that is what we’ll share with you.

A short walk from here will bring you to the village of Asumani. A few adults and children from our village (a.k.a Iris base in Lichinga) serve as translators as the Lord opens up a whole new world to a people that have known anything but the love of Jesus Christ. Wars, foreign occupation (colonization) and disease have taken its toll. Rituals such as the (which we have yet) to learn more about are celebrated with jubilance. But, the conviction of the Holy Spirit is awakening people’s hearts to their need for Jesus Christ. Actually, many people in Asumani were waiting for us to come down and share the gospel with them. Nearly every time we enter into the village, both adults and children give their hearts to Jesus. The Lord is raising up local people, including children younger than 11, to be on the forefront of a mighty move of God to pour out love and justice on a people He has been longing for. It’s great to see our Lichinga children preaching about the love of Jesus and the need for people put away their sin and come to Jesus (and we just tell them to preach what the Lord puts on their hearts).

In our village, Tiffany and I teach the Lichinga children on Monday and Tuesday nights. This past Tuesday during a time of worship and Word (Bible), we cried out to the Lord, wept, and then gleamed for joy as the Holy Spirit blew a new and holy fire (His passion) in our hearts. Before we went to Africa, the Lord gave us visions of children being true worshippers of God (surrendering their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and in love yielding their lives to experience Jesus as He does what pleases Him through them). We are seeing that happen with the Lichinga children and are expecting to see the same with children from the villages. The Lord told us, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of our children” (Isaiah 54:13). The harvest is here! Who will help us reap!

If you have a desire to help out, please contact us and we’ll let you know what you can do. A lot is happening here and we are just beginning to step out into all that the Lord has for us. By the grace of God, we’ll take the gospel to the other villages further away.

Perhaps, another time I’ll get to share with you about the other things we do like cementing bricks and creating beams for the new house, digging up roots, tending to gardens, substitute teaching on the spur of a moment, manually drawing well water, etc.

Continue to pray and believe God with us for the hearts the Lord has for us to harvest.

Love Tyren

Our New Home In Lichinga Mozambique

The Lord continues to amaze us by opening the door to our new home in Lichinga, Mozambique. Lichinga is on the top of a beautiful mountain with grassy landscapes, pine trees, warm days and cool nights that can drop into the 40s during the winter months. We all draw our drinking and bathing water from a well, and use candles for lights at night.

Our first month here, we’ll have the joy of living in a very small cinder block house with 10 other people – the base leaders, Peter and Debbie Wilcox, who have 6 children and another couple who graduated from the missions school with us. While here, we serve under the leadership of the Wilcox’s. There are also over 10 Malawian children, some who lost both father and mother, being cared for at this Iris center. Our center is one of few in Niassa that can legally care for orphaned children, and the government is delighted that we’ll be able to take in some. Currently, a house is being built to care for 18 new girls.

As missionaries, my wife and I have an awesome opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ to nations. We have a heart to minister in the villages (preaching, teaching, serving, loving), to see hearts turn to Jesus Christ and people become true worshippers of God. We are NOT here to “crusade” (force our own ideas, American culture or lifestyle, etc) or “colonize”, but to be used by God to help bring people to a place where they can fulfill their God intended purpose and improve the lives of their own villages and country.

There is a treasure in Lichinga that many don’t recognize – the children. While in missions school, the Lord gave my wife and I a penetrating love for the children of Mozambique. We are going to minister to many children in Lichinga including those who are physically and sexually abused through weeks of an initiation practice done in the bush. We’ve seen what the Lord can do, and continue to pray that adults as well as the children involved in this practice may encounter Jesus so they can be healed of scars, know His salvation, and be restored as productive and loving members of their local communities.

My family and I are doing well. Tiffany began homeschooling Amerel and Isaiah during the day. We are still learning Portuguese and a few words of the local language. Tyren is helping with the construction of the new girls’ dorm, and walking to a local village called Asumani to minister to children with two other missionaries.