We wanted to give you some responses to questions we are asked about living here in Mozambique. We hope this will give you a better understanding of what our life here may involve.
Because of the dollar to Metical exchange rate, is it very cheap to live in Mozambique?
Lichinga is very expensive compared to other places in Mozambique because everything has to be trucked in to this little town in the mountains. $1 U.S. equals about 27 Mozambican Mets. This does not mean that $1 U.S. equals $27 U.S. here. For instance, here are the current estimated prices of things: 1 gallon of gas is about $7.25. 2 liters of ice cream is about $13. A small box of cereal is between $7 and $9. A 55 pound bag of rice, a staple food for us, is $23. One pack of spaghetti is $0.67. A pack of elbow macaroni is $0.90. We eat a lot of good food from the outside market which is cheaper – such things as tomatoes, onions, peppers, cabbage, lettuce, and carrots. We don’t eat like we did in the U.S., but we listed the above prices to let you know that everyplace in Africa may not be as cheap as many think. (Figures above were calculated based on the current U.S. exchange rate. The rate has recently been dropping so things are getting even more expensive).
Is Tyren mainly called to missions, and Tiffany’s main job to support him by caring for the kids and house?
Before we first met, both my wife and I knew we were called to serve God overseas. Being missionaries was something we both dreamed of doing. Together, we are both walking in our God given destiny.
What does Tiffany do?
She does a lot of things… too many to list. But mainly, she home schools our kids, intercedes for our center and for our individual ministry (of course,) heads up hospitality, helps other missionaries adjust, ministers to people, and more. Often I look at my wife in awe. She is a great encouragement to me, teaches me by example about walking in the grace of God, and is a person who exemplifies worship as a lifestyle.
Are there wild animals around like lions, elephants, and hyena’s?
Yes and no. We walk around at night and our children play outside by themselves because it’s very safe. There are snakes, jackals (that’s what they look like), and mongoose type animals; but no elephants where we are. There has recently been a sighting of some type of wild cat with spots about 5 minutes up the road from where we live. Generally, hyenas and lions live further away.
What kind of food do you eat?
A lot more things are available in Lichinga now than when we first arrived, but it’s nothing like what’s available in the U.S. We eat things like rice, potatoes, cema (maize flour boiled until it’s like mashed potatoes), tomatoes, onions, apples, minnows-and sometimes chicken, ground beef, and lake fish. Yes, some people in our family have eaten cooked insects.
Do you get “paid” to serve as missionaries?
No, we don’t get paid by Iris Ministries or a government. People who have a heart and vision for what God has called us to do donate as they desire. If you’d like to send us a donation, see
http://www.tandthaynes.com/donate.html.
Do your children like Mozambique?
Yes, our children love Mozambique. They have friends here. Two of our children, Isaiah and Chayah, have lived most of their lives here.
Is it very hot all the time?
Here in Lichinga, June and July are cold, dry months. It is said that the temperature can go down into the 40’s. We’ve experienced low 50’s during the day. To us, it’s quite chilly. We sleep with hats on (and sometimes a scarf, also).
Where do you live?
We live on the Iris Ministries Center in Lichinga. We have our own house that we built in 2008, mostly through one generous donation.
Do you have running water?
Yes, again through a generous donation, we have our own machine bored well which we use to have water pumped into a tank with an electric pump and a generator. From the tank it's gravity fed into our house. No, the water is not hot! We have cold running water and usually boil water to take warm bucket “showers”.
Do you have electricity?
We don’t have city electricity. We use 2 solar panels for all of our electric needs. We use them mainly to run our small DC (battery powered) fridge, laptop, lights at night, and IPod. With solar energy, sometimes we have to choose when and if to use certain electronics in order to preserve the energy for other items.
Yes, we are thoroughly satisfied in Christ and like living here in Mozambique. For now, this is home. It is the place where we live, and Lichinga is the city from which extend the gospel to the nations. Pray for us and Lichinga with expectation and joy, because our God is going to do greater things than what we can possibly expect. God is good, real good!
Captivated by His glory and overwhelmed with His love,
Tyren and Tiffany Haynes
We are pleased to be able to send you our Newsletter for 2011. It has been a year of abounding in the goodness of the Lord. In the newsletter, we've also included a few family updates.
