Trial and Sentencing

In April, I and another missionary attended the Tribunal twice for the court’s ruling on the man (Mr. M.) that was caught during the mayhem (robbery and attempted murder) that occurred at our center last year on September 25, 2012.  To read our blog about the testimony of the Lord that occurred that night please click here.

During both the trial and sentencing we learned much about the seriousness of being before a judge.  We sat for over 7 hours (on hard, uncomfortable chairs) just waiting for our case to be presented before the judges.  We were told that we couldn’t sit with feet crossed, leaning to the side, or with eyes closed (it would appear as though you’re sleeping).  No holding any handbags, coats or other similar articles, and we couldn’t leave the courtroom unless we raised our hands and were given permission (of course we were given more rules than these).  The other missionary said, “This is like prison.”  Well, it’s the courthouse and your rights are limited.  Not even one's opinion was guaranteed to matter.  It’s not a place where you can take things lightly.

During the trial earlier in April, the other missionary and I testified before the justices and lawyers.  We also affirmed our love to the accused man (and his wife who was there listening).  I told the judges that I was not there to ensure a harsh judgment, but to testify of how we forgave Mr. M. and the others.  I also told them that he has been showing his willingness to have Jesus change his life, and honestly, that there still needs to be deeper repentance in his heart.  We stood for Christ, and didn’t hide our faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel.   After the court hearing, the Lord graciously allowed me to convey our love and forgiveness for the man to his wife.  I know that the Spirit of the Lord was touching her life and those who came with her.  She was in the courtroom and heard how we did not try to encourage the maximum sentence or speak bad things about him.

On Tuesday, April 30, we had to return to the Tribunal just for the verdict.  In the morning before going to the courthouse, the Lord surprised me by telling me how many years Mr. M. would get.  In the courtroom, the wife of Mr. M. sat right behind me.  This time, she got our attention, looked at us pleasantly, and said, "Good morning" to us.  Her countenance had changed a lot from the trial earlier in the month. When the justices came into the courtroom, the judge looked my way.  I perceived that he was delighted about something.  They brought the accused man into the room, and the judge read the verdict.  The judge told Mr. M. that for his crime the law states that he should get from 8 -12 years (along with a lot of fines that must be paid).  But, listen to what the judge said.  He said, “…but because you were forgiven [the justices  remembered when I said that I and our center forgave him], we reduced your sentence to 5 years.”  For me it was a complete victory!  We hadn’t contended for vengeance, neither for a harsh punishment.  We contended to stand in the Lord’s faithfulness, so that the will of God would be done.  The Lord’s will was all that mattered to me.  That morning, the Lord had also told me that he would get 5 years!  I also remembered the prophetic word I gave Mr. M. last year in October.  Last year, when I first talked to him in prison, face to face, the Lord filled my heart with love for him.  As I chose to love him, the Lord gave me prophetic words for his life.  One of the things that I told him was that the Lord would allow him to spend less time in prison than what he should actually spend for his crime.  On April 30, we saw that part of the word of the Lord come to pass.  I also prophesized to him that he would preach the gospel, and if he continued in faithfulness, the Lord would also use him to preach the gospel in nations and deliver people from bondage and oppression from sin and Satan.  Personally, I pray that while Mr. M. is in prison, he will take the opportunity to receive the Lord's forgiveness, and grow in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Many other things happened in the courtroom.   The other missionary and I witnessed how the gospel impacted the judges, their decisions, and even the wife of Mr. M.  Many other people in the courtroom, got to hear the judge explain his decision as well.  After the sentencing, we encouraged Mr. M.’s  wife and prayed for her (she goes to church and said she does believe in Jesus the Son of God).

This is why we are here in Lichinga, Mozambique.  This is why we desire to spend our lives for this nation and others.  We have a growing love for the people, and contend to see them receive an opportunity though the gospel, to repent and be brought into right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

One more thing.  Recently, during prison ministry, the Holy Spirit had me call Mr. M. to the front of the group and have him pray for a specific need of another prisoner.  Mr. M. looked at me and said, “I don’t know how to pray.”  I told him, “You didn’t know how to get into prison, but you got here, right?  You don’t know how to pray, but you will pray.”  Love is gentle, yet bold.  I gave him a quick word of encouragement.  I could see his heart was in the place of humility, because he wanted to pray but didn’t know what to do.  This was just the place the Lord wanted to place him in.  Here Mr. M. could clearly see his need to exercise faith in Christ.  It’s faith in Christ that will allow him to trust God, leave behind his life of sin, and begin walking in God’s destiny for his life.  Mr. M. did pray for the man.

God is clearly working in Mr. M.’s life and many others through the ministry here in Mozambique.  Thank you for believing God, and standing with us for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  If we (who have the Holy Spirit of God and believe in Christ Jesus) forgive people (villages, cities, nations), the Lord will forgive them and not hold their sins against them (John 20:22-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).  Simply by forgiving people in Jesus' name, we can open the door for unprecedented moves of God in areas that we’ve never witnessed them before.  I believe God.  Are you willing to believe with us?!

Love,

Tyren

"...for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?" And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."   (Matthew 25:35-40)

Link to original story of the attack:  "Faithfulness of God: Robbed and Attempted Murder"
Link to story of personal meeting with the attacker: "Personal Meeting With Our Incarcerated Attacker"

Prayer Answered: Personal Meeting With Our Incarcerated Attacker

This past Tuesday, the Lord showed me favor.  I was granted permission to have a personal meeting with the one guy that was captured the night of the attack.  He is now incarcerated.  I had as much time as I wanted.  It was an answer to prayer.

On behalf of my family and our center, I confessed our love for him and how we have forgiven him and the others for destroying property, robbing many things and attempting to take my life and others.  It wasn't my job to try to transform him, but simply to declare the gospel, the love of Christ and our love; and how we were sorry that he was injured while trying to fight and flee with stolen goods.  I asked his name, and called him respectfully by his name.

Since that night in September, the Lord has been putting a deep love for him in my heart.  I told him that many people have been praying for him.  Actually, last week he came into our prison ministry group and started singing the worship songs!  This week, I asked him about it.  He confessed that he goes to church a lot.  But, it was obvious, like many others in prison who I meet with weekly, that he had turned away from the right way of Jesus Christ to seek after worldly pleasures.  He still needs to repent (turn to God), turn from his unwillingness to ask forgiveness for the crimes he committed, and make a firm, final, wholehearted decision to follow Jesus Christ.  Jesus loves this man, and I know that in His goodness, the Lord will convict him and attempt to lead him into true repentance.  I hope this man accepts the love of Christ.


In the end, I prayed for his injured arm, thanked him for being willing to sit me, and asked permission to give him a hug (that was on my heart).  We hugged one another.  I'm not sure what he thought, but I meant it!  Then, do you know what the Lord did?  He gave me words of wisdom that would help him to repent and grow in Christ.  I also received prophetic words concerning God's purpose for his life and how the Lord would use him in the future if he chooses to walk with the Lord.  It was amazing!  After he left, I almost cried because of the privilege of being used by God and witnessing the love of Christ for this sinner.  It's the same life saving love that Jesus still has for you and me.

Love,

Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16)

Link to the original story: "Faithfulness of God: Robbed and Attempted Murder"
Link to story about sentencing:  "Trial and Sentencing"

Faithfulness of God: Robbed and Attempted Murder

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4)



One of our roses in bloom
the night of the attack

For the testimony of Christ and because of His great love for this nation of Mozambique, many of us suffered, and some were wounded on Tuesday, September 25. At 10 p.m. at least 9 men armed with axes, machetes, and iron tools came onto our center’s property. Several of them broke open our front door with my wife, children, and two female missionaries (who had just returned from village evangelism) inside. They ransacked our house, stole every precious thing in their sight and threatened everyone inside. While outside, others, including myself, suffered wounds as we were violently attacked with iron rods, axes and machetes. We are all well. We did not deny faith in Christ; and therefore, we remain victorious. As a center, we have chosen to continue to put our faith in Christ. We are holy to the Lord. Below is my testimony of what Jesus Christ did for us during the attack. I, Tyren, who was outside with attempted murderers am typing with my own hands- something I could not do without much pain two days after the attack. To God be all the glory – forever.

Axe used to hack a lock on our door.  The robbers left it
by mistake as they fled.

I am writing this testimony, that you might see Jesus as I saw Him with me during this time of darkness. Immediately after seeing the thieves, a guard ran down the hill to get help from the young students who were here for a 4 week Bible school session. I called to the two female missionaries who were still in our yard, telling them to get into the house and tell my wife to call another missionary down the road so that he could call the police – robbers are here! The other guard who was attacked by the approaching group hid close by watching everything. I didn’t want to run away or run back into my house because my family was there. I was left alone with at least 9 men armed with axes, machetes and other iron tools. When the attackers saw me they did not speak. Immediately weapons were thrown at me to kill me. Instead of hitting me, the weapons hit small twigs on the tree before me, and fell straight down to the ground as though dropped from a man’s hand. They should have spun or something. I knew the Lord had done that. In my heart, I knew I had just seen the Lord do something great. Immediately, the Holy Spirit filled me with courage. Everything that happened next was only because of His power within me.

Great courage entered me. I walked right into the midst of the attackers and said, “In the name of Jesus, what are you doing here?” One of them said I was the guard, and they raised their weapons to strike me. Again I said, “In the name of Jesus, what are doing here? What do you want?” No one could strike me. Suddenly, I don’t know why, but I ran.

After axing off two lower
locks the robbers entered

Meanwhile, my wife ran out the side door to call for help on her cell phone. The phone didn’t seem to have good reception inside. A robber ran to demand her phone. She threw it on the ground away from herself, and of course, he ran after it. She ran back inside of the house and locked the door behind her so he couldn’t get inside that door. But just minutes later, they axed their way through the front door. My wife stayed in the house because our children were still inside. The two missionaries, one 19 years old, instinctively stayed because they knew our children were still in the house. At one point while one of the robbers were shaking my daughter’s bed, my wife ran into the bedroom and pulled her out of the bed. This 19 year old, who had run into the bedroom after my wife, grabbed the man by his collar (she said it must have been the Holy Spirit who moved her), pulled him back away from my daughter’s bed, yelling in Portuguese, “She’s only a child! She has no money!” The man looked at her and left them alone. The Lord moved on our behalf yet again. (I was told later, that those 2 missionaries and my family just sat in the corner and worshipped the Lord while the house was being ransacked by at least 5 men. My wife told me that it was the only thing that came to her mind to do.)

Meanwhile outside, the robbers stopped chasing me, and when I turned around I saw that they had entered my house! I ran back and two thieves were guarding the front of my house. I prayed and asked the Lord to let me enter the house. They looked at me and I walked right by them. Again, I “saw” the Lord.



Cost of discipleship:  my blood stained
clothes after I was attacked

I entered my house and only saw two robbers. Without thinking I attacked one, planning to take his machete, and go after the one I saw inside my kid’s room. But, quickly I was surrounded by the whole group holding a huge axe, machetes and other things. I didn’t know that there were at least 5 of them in my house. The Lord must have blinded them because they didn’t attack me after I had attacked their friend. Again, I saw the Lord protect my life. They asked, “Where’s the money?”

I told them to go with me to the other side of my center and we’ll look for the money. I thought that if I could lead them out of my house my family and the others could escape. I didn’t know that some robbers would remain in my house. I was gripped with fear as I walked with my attempted murderers to the other side of the center because I knew there was no money. I prayed and told the Lord that I trusted Him. Immediately, all the fear left. Once we got to the other side, one robber said, “He lied!” I tried to move as an axe, a machete and an iron rod were being swung at me. The Lord kept them from surrounding me. The machete (with a thick ~ 16 inch blade) came straight toward my face. I called to the Lord in English. Immediately the man froze in motion. Again, I saw the Lord. The man with the iron rod (pole) hit me in my ribs. I couldn’t stop, but kept moving and dogging. Again, the machete came down toward my face. In my thoughts, I cried to the Lord. Again, the man froze in mid-air. I was amazed. I moved too late, and the man with the iron rod struck me in the legs. The man with the axe kept swinging. As he held up the axe, I knew I could not move. I thought, “No!” as I cried to the Lord in my heart (I didn’t have time to open my mouth). He swung the axe right at my chest. I tried to move. As my attempted murderer swung the axe, suddenly, I saw the glory of the Lord like a bright light around the axe head. I watched the sharp axe head pivot around so the blunt end faced me. I moved, but the blunt end crashed against my wrist and forearm. The Lord had done a miracle.  Blood splattered all over my face, my pants and my side. Knowing I was hit, the man with the axe asked, “Where is the money?” The Lord strengthened me and I kept moving while these 3 men kept swinging at me. For the third time, the man with the machete raised his hand right in front of me and swung. I thought, “Lord, not with the machete!” Right afterwards, I saw the man freeze in mid-air and he could not strike me. Suddenly, I felt a hard blow on my leg from the metal rod.

I tried to run, but couldn’t. Knowing I was about to be surrounded, I cried out to the Lord for help. Immediately, one of the robbers off in the distance exclaimed. He had broken into another house that no one was in. The 3 attempted murderers looked at me and immediately left. I knew the Lord caused them to leave immediately after I cried for help. Again, I saw the Lord.

There was so much commotion going on, but I thought about my family. I ran with socks on (I had lost my shoes during the battle) over rocks and through the field to get around the commotion. I climbed over my wall and tapped the side door. My wife opened the door. I tried to find the car keys so that the two missionaries could escape with my family in our car. I could not find the keys because the robbers had thrown everything they could onto the floor searching for money. I didn’t know that while I was running back to my house, the commotion I heard was the bible school students and our Mozambican missionaries. They risked their lives. Using shovels, brush knives (very long knives curved and sharpened at the end used to cut grass) and whatever else they could grab they met the attackers. One of our Mozambican missionaries was slashed on the side. Another was hit on the hands. But, they are doing well. The attackers fled, but one of them was wounded and is now in police custody. The police came shortly after our attackers fled. We forgive our enemies, and pray that the Lord will save them. That’s why we are in Mozambique, and for Christ and the gospel we will remain.

The Lord is helping all of us choose faith in Christ, and each day the children and missionaries are being strengthened through the love and peace Christ is raining upon us. But, we are choosing to trust in Him. This morning (Saturday), some of us gathered for communion and worship. We didn’t gather to try to comfort ourselves; for the Holy Spirit is faithful to comfort us. We gathered to invite the presence of the Lord to cleanse our land for His glory. We gathered to recommit ourselves and this center into His hands, accepting His call for us to be holy a people who will live for His presence alone. Prophetically and symbolically, we poured out the communion juice upon the ground as a sign of our lives. We wholly surrender our lives to welcome His presence and purpose at our center, and vow to stand with Christ at all cost to see Him glorified and His salvation taken to the nations. Before Tuesday, Sept 25, we were victorious and we are victorious still.

For my family and I, there is nothing to compare. For Christ we live, and if necessary, for His namesake we will die. But be assured, the Lord has protected us, and did miracles and awesome wonders that night. He has great plans for us. We will rejoice and see the harvest that is yet to come. The world must come to know our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ – the world has no other hope.

Our oldest daughter chose to worship after the ordeal was over. She simply said, “Jesus I love you.” She testified that, immediately, the peace of God swept her soul, and her fear went away.


After all was over that night, I tried to cry. I felt that I just had to release it all. Instead, the Holy Spirit said, “No, I give you joy.” My stomach started shaking and immediately I burst out in joy and laughter (Acts 5:41). Again, I saw the Lord.

Two days later, the police of Lichinga responded in compassion. They have set up a police post at our center and will work at nights with our Christian guards. The police carry rifles. Before starting to guard, our guards and I pray and invite the Lord and His presence to be among us. Our focus is to be a people of His presence. Guards will help keep order as we contend for His presence and to be a holy people in His sight.


Please pray:

• The captured robber would live and be healed of his wounds, and that he would come to know Christ.
• If this robber is imprisoned in Lichinga, I’d love to tell him how we are sorry for his wounds, and how he needs Jesus.
• The other 8 or more would be captured, or at least come to repentance to Christ.
• Our center would have permanent armed guards, as the Lord wills. (We know not to trust in man or their power).
• Our missionaries (both Mozambicans and others), orphan girls, my family would have true peace and be free from all fear or other effects from that night.
• We’ll be able to have better protection at our center (even if that means having armed guards).  We'll continue to have the means to provide food and transport costs to have the police patrol at our center. We don’t pay for their services, but we offer transport and meals because we live outside of the city and their normal patrol zone. As of now, they have agreed to keep coming.
• Somehow the Lord would restore all that was stolen. The police said that they are working on it. Among many other things (since some people have asked), these things are counted lost for Christ (Philippians 3:7-11): 2 newer laptops, Tiffany’s new phone (I gave it to her as a gift), 2 Ipod classics, a Kindle Fire (was given to my kids as a graduation gift), our new Sony DVD player, most of our DVDs and computer software CDS, my identification and bank cards, Chayah's identification and of course other things.

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel …[and in our case to the love and glory of Jesus Christ]. Acts 20:24 [we included the words in brackets]


For Christ alone. Love, Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

Updated 2014:
Link to story entitled, "Personal Meeting with our Incarcerated Attacker"
Link to store entitled, "Trial and Sentencing"