Trusting God

New shocks: 1 of 3 costly replacement parts on
our truck.  We did 2 of the jobs ourselves.

Have you ever had a day or a period of time when things just weren’t going well? For the past several weeks, we’ve been having times like that. Some things were breaking while other things just stopped working although they were perfectly fine. We even found a dead mouse lying in plain view under our couch!

During this time the Lord has been speaking to our hearts about trusting Him. We understand that Jesus is not afraid or ashamed to make use of the normal things of life to teach us. We found deep comfort in simply knowing that He was using the challenging and bad circumstances to draw us closer to Himself. In the midst of stuff, issues, and problems, we focus on Him, utterly convinced that our life is in Christ and not in our situations or circumstances, whether they be good or bad. Therefore, we don’t have to be shaken or deterred. We choose to give Him thanks. There is no place like low. So, we worship Him. Joy fills our hearts, and amazingly, although the situations do not change, we see the Lord’s will being fulfilled within us and around us. We cannot help but praise Him more. God is good, only good, all the time.

There’s No Place Like Low

One place where I am reminded to trust God is the prison. It’s a good place to see the power and the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. After worshipping together and a time of teaching, we were all on our knees praying. The Lord did something because I suddenly began to pour out my love on Jesus. Others joined me as we humbled ourselves before Him. Then it happened. No worship with songs, no music, but the presence of God came in a mighty way as we prayed. He came as we were surrendering ourselves anew. In that moment, I saw that the Lord was bringing the prisoners an understanding of the low place of worship – this is where we live. No matter how bad (or how good) the circumstances around the believers in the prison, there’s that victorious “place” of worship that Jesus freely provided for us. And here, victory always reigns. Here, we realize and experience that Jesus is everything we need. The prisoners could live in the prison, yet still be in His presence, and find joy, peace, a refuge, receive strength, wisdom, comfort and hope no matter the hopeless and despairing circumstances that are often around them in the prison. In this moment, many begin to see that their own strength, wisdom, plans and the like do not cause them to prevail in life. But, when they surrender all these things to Jesus, worshipping Him, they find that Christ helps them and becomes all that they need. He is always strong, has all wisdom and counsel, is ever merciful and is more than ready to help them. Please join us in praying that what the Lord started continues. The presence of God is never optional. If these men grasp and guard what the Lord is doing in their hearts, it will utterly change their lives, open their future, and allow them to step into their individual destinies.

Chayah, Amerel and Isaiah in Malawi

Thank you for praying, donating and believing God for greater things in Lichinga. We know the Lord wants to do more. We are ready to expand our vision, and be even more broken in heart to see our Lord pour out His love and power upon Mozambique and the nations beyond. Speaking of expanding, please remember to pray for our family as we are about 4 weeks away from giving birth to our new baby. Hallelujah!

Grace and love, Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

When we are too tired to walk, we decide to run anyway. True faith makes Christ our sufficiency.

The Kingdom of God Revealed through Floorball



The beauty of Lake Nissa in Metangula, Mozambique

  I drove 100 km (62 miles) outside of Lichinga to Metangula, a town that is situated on Lake Niassa. The main floorball coaches and Claude, the young man from Switzerland who has been training them and discipling them, were meeting at the lake to celebrate Claude’s last few weeks with them. They slept in tents on the beach within a lodge’s property. I slept in my car on the same beach close by them. There was a guard nearby, but when I asked him how well he had slept, he said he slept well through the night. I thought that would be the case, so I slept in my car :)


These young Mozambican youth are special treasures. Many are called into something much greater than what they ever expected - Floorball, a vehicle through which Jesus Christ wants to reveal His glory into the sports arena; Floorball, a dream that God has given to Mozambique with little Lichinga being the only place in all of Mozambique that has this sport. When one government official, who travels all over Mozambique, requested a special meeting to see them practice, he saw them praying together before practicing. He remarked on how different these youth were, and how their faith in God was a good thing in sports.


Hanging out before Dinner

As I spent time with them on the beach, my heart silently ached and was in prayer for these young men. I wondered if they were really prepared to walk with God in His dream for Floorball. I pray for them because I know the glory of God only remains in low and broken vessels, and because I long for them all to have a relationship with God that is fully dependent upon intimate experiences that only Jesus can bring to lives abandoned in His presence.
 

We had fun burying coaches

The Lord taught me so much more while sitting on the beach and playing with these young men. I would have chosen certain things to happen on that day at the beach. But, the Lord is a great teacher and He opened my heart to what He prepared in the midst of my longing for my friends to experience more of Him. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (and only in the Holy Spirit). We experienced the kingdom all day long. One of the coaches took it upon Himself to cook for all the rest. He did it without complaining. That’s peace. We had more than enough spaghetti, and these young men could have eaten all of it. Instead, we saved a bunch and shared it with some very hungry children that were staring at us, but not asking for anything. Those children were so happy. The peace and joy of God was operating in our midst. One of the coaches joined me as we talked to them about Jesus. After eating, the children washed out the basin and returned it and also filled it with water from the lake (this was to wash our plates in). At another time, there were a few other children who wanted to hang around the coaches. They wouldn’t leave. This was a God moment. So, Felix, one of the coaches, translated for me as I explained to them about the salvation of Jesus Christ. Two of the three little boys gave their lives to Jesus with joy on their faces. The third boy prayed with us also, but since his main language was Makua, and not Portuguese or Nanja, I’m not sure how well he understood. Righteousness came in this moment as we experienced His kingdom yet again. 

Please join me, join us all, in believing God and asking Christ Jesus to consume all of these young men’s hearts, and for the glory of God to fill Floorball like never before. During the time at the lake, I learned that in His own way, the Lord is fulfilling His purposes in this Floorball team.  If we trust God and if we live utterly dependent upon Him alone, His dream for Floorball will become a reality. Your kingdom come and will be done, oh Lord!

Love,

Tyren and Tiffany Haynes