Sunday, May 29, 2005

[Beens Prayer Partners] June prayer newsletter

Dear Partners,
29 May 2005

HELLO FROM MOZAMBIQUE!!!!!! We are so excited to finally be here and
to be at the point of starting our actual ministry among those whom
we've been called to serve. Karunia, Asher and Robin have now been in
Mozambique for a week while Josiah and Dan have been here about
three. We look forward to the days, weeks, months, and years ahead of
us!!! Thanks for your partnership and your prayers.

Praise God with us – His blessings and providence and faithfulness are
so amazing!
• The Portuguese spoken in Mozambique is slightly easier than
the Portuguese in Portugal, primarily b/c things aren't as
grammatically correct. Both Dan and I have felt fairly confident in
our communication which is a huge blessing. We'll continue to study
some, though simply talking with people will help cement things even
more.
• The housing we have here is an amazing blessing! Months ago
we'd sent a list to teammates of things we needed to have in a house
and then a 2nd list of things we'd like to have in a house, though
never imagined we'd get all those. Well God surpassed even our
wants. The house is wonderful – we have plenty of space, are
surrounded by Mozambican neighbors and have room for visitors! Give
us a bit and then we'd welcome your visit!!!! (we're serious!)
• Though there are still many things we have to do to finish
getting settled, we rejoice in the amount of things that have been
accomplished so far.
• Our workers. We've now managed to secure workers to help with
the yard care, house, and guards to work at night. Some of these are
fellow Christians and one of our guards is a Muslim. All of them
desperately needed work so we rejoice in being able to serve as a
blessing to them in this manner while they in turn serve as a blessing
to us. As they help with the daily grind of tasks it frees us more
for ministry.
• Friends for the kids. While perhaps they don't even know all
their names – our children are not going to be lacking for friends!
On any given afternoon we already can find 10-15 kids running around
in our yard!
• Safety in travel – both on the planes from Portugal and then
from Maputo to Nampula. Also for Dan as he drove up from Maputo to
Nampula (a 3 day trip).
• Karunia's sleep has been wonderful. During the 2 weeks while
we remained in Portugal without Dan and even since we've been here in
Mozambique, she has done wonderfully – no problems with sleep or
tantrums in the night. The boys have also seemed to transition well.
• The provision of a vehicle! Dan managed to find a good,
reasonable priced vehicle fairly quickly. It is a used vehicle, which
we'd been hoping to avoid (roads here are terrible on cars), however
it's a new car to Mozambican roads! People have started importing
used Mitsubishi's from Japan so even though it's used, it hasn't had
the roughness of roads here so that's great. It made the trip up from
Maputo without problems and we rejoice in this provision!

Please join us in praying for:
• That we would continue to settle in over the next few weeks.
Many things are still out of place while we wait for carpenters to get
kitchen shelves put in place and dresser drawers fixed. It's simply
all the little tasks that take time to accomplish.
• For the sale of our car in Portugal. Our friend and
babysitter from the church there is planning to buy it, however the
banks there are being slow in processing her credit so we haven't yet
completed the sale. Simply pray that this would be finished soon.
• Dan will be traveling back down to Maputo sometime in June,
once our things shipped by boat arrive (theoretically around the 8th),
to arrange to get them up here. Pray all would go well with his
travel and that process.
• Pray for ministry opportunities to present themselves. Dan is
anxious to get to the center, though we're still so preoccupied with
daily tasks to get settled that it may be a few more weeks. Robin is
thinking of starting a story hour once a week with the kids that
come. Within this she could introduce Bible stories and such as well.
Pray for opportunities to be a blessing to those around us.
• Pray for wisdom as we have to balance the many pleas for help
that are already presenting themselves. We long to help people around
us, but we're going to have to develop guidelines to keep from being
taken advantage of by thieves and others who aren't so honest.
• Pray for wisdom as we establish rules of play for the kids and
their friends.
• For a healthy pregnancy for Robin and for healthy development
of the baby in her womb.
• Pray for our safety. While we feel safe, we realize that we
could easily be a target for theft as we are surrounded by people who
are drastically poorer than we are. Pray for our protection from
malaria and other illnesses. Pray for our Spiritual protection as
well – God is greater than our enemy – we rejoice in that – but we
know our enemy is not happy that we are here!

Blessings on each of you.
Robin and Dan

PS Luanne - I went ahead and sent this to e-mail people obviously so I
wouldn't have to authorize it. If you could please still send to
snail mail people.
--

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Monday, May 23, 2005

[Beens Prayer Partners] Check in from Dan and Robin

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Dear friends,
 
Just wanted to let you know that Asher, Karunia and I arrived safely in Mozambique on Saturday morning.  Flights went fairly well - Asher didn't sleep quite as well as I'd have preferred but he did sleep enough (though on me instead of in his carseat).  Karunia did great and was very helpful in the airports and didn't complain about having to pull her bag.
 
The Lord blessed us greatly - we arrived at the airport in Lisbon a bit later than I'd have preferred only to be told that 2 of my bags were too heavy for each individual bag.  The cheapest suitcases to purchase in the airport were over $200.  Thankfully we had time enough that 2 friends left me and the kids and another friend at the airport and they went to buy suitcases elsewhere.  We got the bags down and they returned in time - the lady didn't charge me for the total overweight that I did have so that was good.
 
We do continue to ask for your prayers.  Dan left today with a national minister to make the drive up to Nampula.  They'll drive about 6.5 hrs today and stop for the night; it was stop there or be forced to drive 14 hrs total b/c there's no lodging between the place they will stop and the next.  They'll leave tomorrow morning around 4am to head for Beira (another town) - stop there for Germindo to get some work down quickly and then leave for another town. Total drive time on Tuesday will be 12-13 hrs.  Then Wednesday morning they'll lose their decent roads for the remaining trek to Nampula.  Please pray they have no problems on the way - that they don't run out of gas (several were concerned on this so he has and will keep a full tank whenever he can fill up, plus he has 3 jerry cans totalling 75 liters of gas in the bank). 
 
The kids and I fly out tomorrow at 1pm to head for Nampula.  Assuming all goes well with the guys we'll be there about 24 hrs before they arrive - but things should be okay and teammates will be around so  . .
 
Thanks for your prayers.  Will update you more when I'm on my own computer.
 
Blessings, Robin
 
 

Don & Aleta Hulsey
Good News For Africa
Mozambique
ph 258-1-750325
dhulseymoz@teledata.mz

Thursday, May 19, 2005

[Beens Prayer Partners] Friday

Dear friends,

Well, I'm trying to wind up my packing this evening.  It's proving a bit more difficult than I thought b/c I've run out of space in my luggage.  I had one huge suitcase and one trunk (plus will have Asher's bed).  I thought I could fit everything in those but . . . here one doesn't go by bags but simply by weight so . . . I need to get another suitcase, however the kids are in bed already.  Noemia, our tutor has been staying with me though today is her birthday so she's not coming back here till late.  I did reach her and she'll buy and bring a suitcase for me to use, though that means I have a late night ahead. 
 
The plane leaves tomorrow at 2pm (6am central time).  Please pray our flights would go well, that the kids would do well, etc.  Dan and Josiah also are flying back down to Maputo tomorrow to be able to meet up with us on Sat.  We'll all stay the wkend there.  Dan will go meet with the minister of religious affairs Monday morning and then he and a Mozambican will then be setting off in our car to begin the 3 day drive up to Nampula.  I will stay with the kids in Maputo until either Tuesday or Thursday.  We're still debating that one.  On one hand I don't want to stay in Maputo b/c there really won't be anyone around, the kids won't have their toys, etc. so I foresee large amounts of boredom.  On the otherhand, to fly with all three kids up to our house in Nampula, which I've never seen (and while mostly arranged it isn't completely) with various workers and a dog which I've never met and stay there alone for several days is also somewhat strange.  Anyway we'll see - but prayers for wisdom would be appreciated!
 
Thanks so much for your partnership.  Our e-mail will stay the same so feel free to write.  Will let you know when I've arrived and gotten north.
 
Blessings,
Robin
Dan & Robin Been
Missionaries to Mozambique, Africa
Our Web Page:  http://www.mozambiquemessages.com

Saturday, May 07, 2005

[Beens Prayer Partners] Dan and Josiah

Hi all,

Just wanted to fill you in on things.

Dan and Josiah arrived safely in Maputo, Mozambique accompanied basically by all their luggage. One item was initially missing, but it arrived later that day which made everything accounted for. Josiah traveled very well. For the long flight from 7 pm to 7 am he managed to sleep from 10 pm until 5:30 am so Dan was very thankful for that. Dan got some sleep, though not as much. Josiah has been busy playing in the dirt and sand since his arrival and having a blast. He's been going down fairly well and Monday morning will go to a preschool class that Karunia attended some during our internship there in '03.

Dan has had a busy couple days car shopping. He's found one which he's pretty pleased with and it should meet all our needs. He's looked at it and test driven it several times - teammates think it a good car as well and it's in our price range. It's currently on reserve for him so they can't sell it to anyone else. He goes back Monday to talk prices and extras (luggage rack, snorkel to protect the engine, possibly a winch) and we'll see what happens. Keep praying about this - that it will fall into place if this is the right vehicle and that if not it would fall through so we can get something better yet still unfound!He'll also get his plane tickets purchased on Monday to fly on up to Nampula and start settling in there.

We're doing fine here in Portugal. Karunia has continued sleeping pretty well and we've had good days. Asher is fine as well - though every time the door clicks open he runs saying "Pai Pai Pai" (which means dad) only to find it's our friend Noemia. Continue to pray for us as we continue on separate tasks at the moment.

Blessings,
Robin



Dan & Robin Been
Missionaries to Mozambique, Africa
Our Web Page: www.mozambiquemessages.com

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

[Beens Prayer Partners] Almost off

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 Dear friends,
 
Well tomorrow Dan and Josiah will be taking off at 2 PM our time (7 am Eastern and 6 am Central).  Pray they have a safe trip, that connections are made without hassle, that Josiah will travel well and that they'll both get some sleep (thankfully the long leg is from 7 pm till 7am so at least it's during Josiah's normal sleeping hours which will help)!
 
Packing is going well.  Everything that would have been "excess luggage" was picked up on Monday and has been loaded on a boat to send by sea.  The rest of the packing is going well and we should finish up this evening without feeling too rushed!
 
Karunia has been doing great through all the packing and preparation.  Continue to pray that she'll do well and Dan's departure won't throw her off too much.  Pray she'll continue to sleep well and not have the problems at night that she experienced when we moved here.
 
Pray for wisdom as Dan begins to make purchases in Mozambique to get our house set up (furniture and such) and also as he searches for a vehicle.
 
Pray for Karunia, Asher, and I as we stay behind in Portugal for the next couple weeks.  Karunia will continue to go to school and I'll continue to try and close things out here and sell a few things.
 
Thanks so much.
Blessings,
Robin
 
Dan & Robin Been
Missionaries to Mozambique, Africa
Our Web Page:  http://www.mozambiquemessages.com