Friday, December 4, 2009

Update: Blessings in the Home


Introducing My Mom to Lichinga
We gave my mom a small taste of Lichinga, from bean leaves, bean patties, bananas (that only last about 2-3 days), roasted peanuts, to Tiffany’s homemade veggie burgers, fried minnows and cema (boiled maize flour). We also were blessed to have chicken a couple of times and cheese. We’ve gotten used to some things here, but my mom was pretty shocked by some of the things that are different. Most things happen at a much slower pace, people “cut in line” (as we would call it in the U.S.) at stores or even at the airline office and don’t think twice about it, fruit that looks perfectly good still could have small worms in it, you can’t flush toilet paper at many places, and little children carry their baby brothers and sisters on their backs. Yes, things are culturally different here. One day we ate with Victo and Gazani at the bible school. A boy was there who tasted ice cream the first time in his life (my mom bought ice cream for us all). Victo had to instruct the boy in eating it so it would stop hurting his throat (don’t chew it…don’t swallow too much, too quickly). Sunday I accompanied my mom as far as Maputo, Mozambique, on her way back home to America, and then I returned back to Lichinga on Dec 1.

Wood Table: After many months of waiting, we finally picked up our folding round table from the carpenter. We designed the table to save living space and be expandable to accommodate a total of 10 – 12 people. The stools are supposed to be completed before the end of this week.
Wall of Fire: My mom helped me put up the wood frames that will support the second part of the Nachazi wood wall (“wall of fire”). The frames will allow us to build the wall up to the roof (we have a single storey house, and none of the rooms have a ceiling).
Internet Access: We also have internet access from our own house now. Thank you Jesus! Now Tiffany can use the internet more often, and it’s easier for us to write and respond to emails. A local phone company offers a wireless phone with internet service. We power the phone via solar power.

Free Furniture: My wife has wanted a sofa for a while. Someone told us that they had furniture for sale, but when we arrived at the person’s house we found out that the furniture was sold even before we received the message. After missing out on the furniture at another missionary sale, my wife talked to God about the fact that we kept missing out on all of the good furniture that was for sale in our area and how she didn’t want to settle for furniture that she didn’t like. Well, the next day when we went to someone’s house, Tiffany remarked on how she liked the furniture. The individual gave Tiffany the handmade furniture, 2 sofas and one cushioned chair, for FREE! The person had just bought new furniture and was considering what to do with the existing furniture. The furniture Tiffany received is exactly the type she likes.

Refrigerator: My praying wife also asked the Lord for a fridge. It’s not simple to run a nice size fridge off of solar panels. But, when the Holy Spirit told me to start looking for one, I knew Tiffany was going to have what she’d been praying for. While I was in Maputo (the capital of Mozambique), I found a medium sized fridge with a freezer section (just the kind my wife wanted), and it uses a lot less power than many others, so it can run off of our solar system. As I am writing, I’m thinking that this blog update could have easily been filled up with the “Testimonies of my Praying Wife”.

As always, thank you for your prayers and gifts of love that you send to us. Let us know if you have any prayer requests that you would like to share with us. May the Lord continue to show us all His face and let His favor rest upon us.

Always for His love,


Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

For contact or donation information, please visit our blog at http://heartsforharvest.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Welcoming Tyren's Mom To Africa



Tyren's Mom In Africa
Nov. 8th we arrived at the Lichinga airport to a lot of welcoming shouts by the missionaries from our center in Lichinga. Amerel and Isaiah were filled with joy and shouted out, “Grandma!” as they watched us from the airport balcony emerge from the plane! We are taking my Mom around to different places to get a taste of the culture, languages, food, market, stores, city, villages and the bugs. Of course, my mom is enjoying seeing her grandchildren, even little Chayah who will be 5 months old next week. She is also getting to see first-hand the fruit of life-long prayers for me, and the fruits of laying down her own life to see her children grow in the Lord. That is a very precious gift. This week, my mom joined our ministry team in the hospital, loving and praying for people who couldn’t understand her language. My mom has extended her stay for another 9 days, so she has more time to experience the consuming fire (love) of God being poured out over Lichinga.

Iris Children’s Center in Maputo, Mozambique
The Lord did a lot of wonderful things during my short trip to the Iris Children’s Center in Maputo. I learned more about resting and relaxing in Christ, and also how loving my neighbor includes letting my neighbor love me as he/she can. So, I spent a lot of time with the children and with visitors from other nations. At the Bocaria, the huge garbage dump where people live and build homes, we witnessed the Lord restoring sight to a woman. Our small team was about to leave her house when the presence of the Lord came suddenly upon us. Right then, the Lord said to me twice, “My presence is everything”. While we worshipped the Lord (we couldn’t do anything else), the poor-sighted woman tapped her friend and said, “I can see them standing there.” The Lord began to heal the woman’s eyes while we were worshipping! Isn’t Jesus amazing! (Since being back in Lichinga, I’ve received 3 testimonies of people being healed who were prayed for. More than being physically healed, faith and love for Jesus grew in these people’s hearts).

Ripples from the Chiuaula Outreach
In March of this year, we organized an outreach in the Chiuaula district of Lichinga. A man, who attended that event, recently went to our Iris church in the city and accepted Jesus as his Savior. Since that outreach, the Lord had been working on the man’s heart, and the man reported that he knew he had to surrender his life to the Lord. At the church, he actually prayed by himself to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Long after we share the gospel with people, or hold an outreach event, the effects of our prayers and service are still kindling a fire in the hearts of people. Perhaps, we’re no longer thinking about what was done, but others are remembering and longing for more. We refuse to stop believing in the power of the gospel and in Jesus Christ. We joyfully admit, we are in love and so desperately dependent on the lover of our souls. His love compels us to draw people to His heart. There is no other place for us, our own children, or the people of Mozambique to turn. Jesus values your work and ours in His kingdom. He watches over His word and work to perform it until the end. Let us continue to pray together, stand together and believe together until the cries of the Father’s heart become the living reality in thousands of lives throughout Mozambique.


Always for His love,


Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

For contact or donation information, please visit our blog at http://heartsforharvest.blogspot.com

Photos: Chayah getting used to grandma, Celebrating Amerel's and Isaiah's birthdays.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Lord Continues To Do Great Things



City Ministry
Ministry in the Hospital and Prisons is going well. Weekly, other missionaries from our center have been joining Victo and I to visit patients in the hospital. We laugh and joke with the patients, play with the children and sing songs in the local Yao language. We also pray for them, and seek the Lord’s heart for His living word to share with them. This week, I asked Victo to lead the hospital ministry. He is full of love, and has a big heart for the hospital ministry.

The Lord’s presence and glory is always with us as we are meeting in the prison. Last week, after having communion with the guys, I asked them to show the same love that Jesus showed them. I brought cookies, and had them hand out cookies to all of the surrounding prisoners, friends and foes, (who are not part of the group of believers). Besides praying that things would remain calm (I think cookies must be on the most wanted list inside the prison), I was in awe as the presence of the Lord captured men’s hearts to hear about the life of love that Jesus wants us to live. God has something wonderful in store for the prison. Pray that the believers stay focused on Jesus, protection for their minds and hearts, breaking of habits, and that they would be consumed by God’s plan for their lives.

Assumane Village
Last Thursday, Victor and I had a wonderful time with the children in the grass church. The children loved the play parachute and beach balls. After, we briefly taught them how to carry the love of God.

Visiting Children’s Center in Maputo, Mozambique
From Oct. 29 – Nov. 6, Tyren will be at the Iris Children’s Center in the capital of Maputo. The Lord is sending me just to serve, however I’m needed there. Pray that the Lord fills me with His love and glory while I am there, and truly humbles me to serve Him. Then, on Nov. 7, I’ll meet my Mom at the airport. We’ve been praying that we’d be able to fly back to Lichinga on Nov. 8 instead of Nov. 9. Well, this past Tuesday, the airlines called me to say that they canceled the flight for Nov. 9, and now we were able to fly on Nov. 8. God only does wonderful things. Pray for God’s love, joy and protection over Tiffany and our children who will remain in Lichinga.


Always for love,


Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

For contact or donation information, please visit our blog at http://heartsforharvest.blogspot.com

Photos: playing with children in Assumane, the Nachazi wood in our house

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Growing Iris Center in Lichinga, Mozambique


Iris Center in Lichinga
We wanted to update you on the Iris Center on which we currently live, and how the Lord has been adding to it. We now have 15 full-time adult missionaries (3 are local Mozambicans), 10 missionary children (and another on the way because Tanya Gellatly is due in December). Tanya was the one who did the awesome job watching our kids and preparing hot water, etc. to use during Chayah’s birth. Now, we have missionaries from Australia, U.S., England and Mozambique. During this year, we’ve been blessed with several visitors who have come to check out the center, and also help build and take part in evangelism. The center is still going through the legal process of selecting orphans, and also getting final approval for the orphan children’s house that has been built for little girls. Hopefully, the process will end soon, and the center can begin bringing children “home”.


Church in Assumane Village
The church that used to meet at a grass and stick hut outside the white mission house (where we used to live) moved to Assumane village in September. Jessie and Tanya Gellatly are leaders over the church. The church is often mostly full of children. The new church building is also grass and stick. We are praying for at least 3 more permanent buildings that will be used for children’s church on Sunday. Also, during the week, they can be used for other activities with the children. During the rainy season, Nov. – March, it rains often, is windy and gets very muddy, so it’s difficult to plan and do activities with the children outside.

This week, Victo and I will begin using the church just to meet with children and teach them more about the God of their salvation and the beautiful relationship that Jesus wants to have with them.

My Mom is Coming to Lichinga! My mom is visiting us for about 2 weeks in November! I’ll meet her in Maputo on Nov. 7 and will fly back with her to Lichinga. We are all excited, especially Amerel and Isaiah. This will be her first time in Africa. We are definitely going to take her around to the villages and the city to have fun and take part in our ministry. We are praying the Lord will radically blast her with His love and leave her changed forever.


In His love,


Tyren and Tiffany Haynes

For contact or donation information, please visit our blog at http://heartsforharvest.blogspot.com

Photos: New missionaries at our center, Jung family, who arrived in September
Photo of church in Assumane Village
Missionary children having their own baking day

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Greater Harvest Within the Prison Walls

On Tuesday mornings, Victo, myself and others from our center who desire to join us are serving the men at the prison. The Lord specifically told me that He has given me access to the prison in order to bring the men into their divine destinies. A few weeks ago, we expected to meet with 4 to 5 men. But on that day, about 20 men met with us and then asked us to come weekly to teach them. The Christian men understand why they are there, but they are also being taught to see themselves as their heavenly Father calls them- not prisoners but sons of God. Last week, 3 people accompanied me to the prison. After teaching, the Holy Spirit told me that we needed to individually pray and prophesy over each prisoner because He wanted to give each one a specific word that was applicable to their situation and would immediately help them walk in the purpose of God for their lives right now. We ran out of time last week, so we returned this week to finish praying, prophesying, and counseling them.

There are so many stories to tell, but I’ll tell just one short exciting one that I witnessed. When one man asked for prayer, the Holy Spirit told me He was innocent. So, I asked the man to tell me his story, and he shared with me that someone else broke the law, but he was put into prison instead (there are others with similar stories). The Lord had me tell the man that although Satan tried to rob him of his life and time, the Lord was going to restore time and use this time in prison to hasten the purposes of God for his life. In fact, when the man is released, he is going to be doing things for the Lord a lot sooner than if he had never went to prison. Now that’s the Father’s love and justice for His children. The man’s eyes opened. He explained to me that he understood that God was being good to him. He knew God hadn’t forgotten about him, leaving him to suffer, when he hadn’t done any wrong. In that instant, the man began to exercise faith and fully depend on God to fulfill His will for his life. This week, I brought a guitar so he can play it as we all worship together inside the prison walls.

Besides, ministering to these men, we also want to do some projects that will help bring them income to buy toothbrushes, toothpaste, clothes (they have to wear their own clothes not uniforms), and other daily necessities that aren’t supplied by the prison. We believe God is going to use these men for great things. As only God can, He is using a prison as a spring-board or catalyst to transform their lives, restore their hopes and futures (Jeremiah 29:11), and prepare them to live productive, God-fearing lives one day outside the prison walls. Pray for these men. Pray that God’s glory covers the prison and His fire (passionate love) totally transforms the lives of the prisoners. There are many unbelievers there, especially Muslims, and they too desperately need a personal relationship with Jesus.

(Sorry we can’t include photos, but pray with us. Perhaps one day, we will be allowed to take photos inside the prison walls).

In His love,


Tyren and Tiffany Haynes
Heartsforharvest@yahoo.com
http://heartsforharvest.blogspot.com

For contact or donation information, please see information directly on our blog at http://heartsforharvest.blogspot.com