Bush Bunny Blog - Orphans Unlimited

Subject: Blog, July 25, 2010

TWINS AND THEIR FAMILY OF 10
 
On July 21st, the twins I told you about last week had to be taken back to the hospital late in the afternoon.
Both had developed severe nasal blockages and were struggling to breath.
The hospital refused to admit them, so I was told to pick them up and start them on liquid antibiotics.
By 8pm that night, Pastor Fred and I finally had the babies and grandmother settled into their mud hut and the new drugs administered.
We got on our knees and prayed for God to spare the lives of these little ones.
Without a miracle, I felt the little girl would not live the night.
The next morning I found BOTH TWINS looking much better and breathing normally!
I KNEW GOD HAD ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS and was ECSTATIC!
Both twins are doing well at this time and the whole family of 10 kids, grandmother, and foster mother (all muslims) were presented to the church this morning.
They saw the miracle our God did and wanted to know more about Him. PTL!
 
BALAMA MAMA says help! It’s raining babies!
 
In the last 7 days we received the family of 10 orphans (two of them newborn twins weighing only 4 lbs each).
On Friday, July 23rd, I sent Eric out to pick up a family of 5 orphans which included a 16 YEAR OLD orphan with her OWN TWINS!
They came to our mission on Thursday afternoon, with a letter from Social Services saying they needed urgent help.
I guess so, since the 16 year old, very thin and anemic mother, was carrying two month old twins boys.
Agirina (Ah-jeh-ree-nah) told us her 8 year old sister and two brothers, ages 4 and 3 were at their mud hut.
 
We gave her immediate food and sent her home in one of our trucks with all she needed.
I needed a day to get a house ready, so Eric and our ministry team picked her up the next day.
Their hut is in sad condition.
 
The mother of these children died 3 years ago. Father died in 2008, so they went to live with an aunt who died in 2009.
A man married Agirina and she became pregnant in Sept. 2009.
 Her husband refused to help her plant a field of corn and beans which is absolutely necessary for any family to survive in Moz.
He abandoned her in December.  She had the twins ALONE in May, 2010.  Quite a feat for any woman, much less a 16 year old.
With only minimum help from neighbors and her uncle, she has been the sole caretaker for her twin sons, as well as her sister and brother.
They had only starvation foods, so the entire family is anemic and bloated.
 
Now in a home we had just purchased and renovated, this little mother has the help of a live in foster mother from our church.
She looked so relieved to no longer be the only provider for her family.
 
Sponsors are needed for this family, as Agirina’s anemia and poor health, means her breast milk cannot support the twins.
They boys, Pedrito (Peh-dree-two) 1 and Petrito 2 need milk formula to supplement their Mom’s breast milk.
 
Since the twins only need 1 can of baby formula every 5 days ($6/can), a sponsorship of $30/month will support both the twin boys at this time.
The little brothers also need sponsors at $30/month/child.
 
Their photos will be featured in the next Bush Beat.
 
Construction and Rehabilitation is going full speed ahead with 5 work crews of brick layers and carpenters on the job.
The road crew are expected to condemn our orphan houses this coming week, so there is no time to lose in getting housing ready for the orphans to move into.
 
I greatly appreciate ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS and support as we go through this difficult time of change.
Blessings, Bush Bunny Brenda
Now known as the Balama Mama!
 
 
 
 

July 18, 2010 BLOG

NEW ROAD WILL DESTROY 9 ORPHAN HOMES!
 
On Wed., July 14th, the Balama government informed me that the new highway coming through Balama till take out 9 of our 18 orphan houses.
This includes the concrete brick dorm that houses our Jr. High and High School orphans. (A $10,000 loss)
 
This SHOCK WAVE rocked our mission station.
I expected to only lose 3 orphan homes and not until next year!
The Road Crew will be coming this week, July 19th, to tell us when we have to vacate.
More than 300 mud huts will be destroyed, so speed is of the essence if housing or land is to be found before prices sky rocket.
 
Taking immediate action, I sent 2 pastors into the neighborhood to find out what mud huts were for sale.
 
MIRACLES NEVER CEASE! J
 8 MUD HUTS are for sale within 300 yards of our mission station. ($550-$600/hut)
Thanks to several extra love gifts given last month, we have enough to purchase these huts this week.
God is never late.  He knew what was coming and provided before we even knew the need.
We PRAISE THE LORD and send our thanks to the donors who gave those gifts last month.
Your funds are at work.
 
As if this news wasn’t enough, another shock wave hits…
 
10 ORPHANS NEED IMMEDIATE HOUSING WITH US!
On Thursday, July 15th, Social Services sent us a grandmother with 10 ORPHANS (included 8 day old twins).
With no food, no help, and only one small mud hut, she can’t cope.
One look at the twins, and we rushed them to the Balama hospital. The male twin was near death with diarrhea and a respiratory infection.  The female twin was looking ill also.
With no house to put them in, Capena, our project manager, organized food for the 8 orphans, (7 under age 5 and one teenage boy), and then drove them back to their home village.  The village chief organized neighbors to care for the children until we could provide them a new home in Balama.
Grandmother and a 2nd neighbor woman stayed to care for the twins in the hospital.  As I write this, both twins are recovering in the hospital and looking much perkier.
 
How did this happen?
A man with 2 wives had a total of 8 kids and the 2nd wife was pregnant.  Late in 2009, the man and his first wife died, leaving the orphaned teenage boy and 4 children under age 5 with the grandmother.
Being a strong woman, she coped, but then the 2nd wife, pregnant with twins, died the same day she gave birth.  This left grandmother with new born twins and 3 more toddlers!
The husband was muslim, so the village mosque took up an offering to buy a can of baby formula ($6) and a baby bottle ($1).  This was a BIG gesture from a village that has little income.
Grandma lacked education in how to prepare the formula, so the male twin picked up a deadly type of diarrhea that kills infants in less than a day.
It was a miracle that they both didn’t have diarrhea as they ate from the same bottle.
By God’s grace, the twins were saved because neighbors brought them to us the same day the twins got sick.
 
MIRACLE HOUSING:   A lot with 2 mud huts and a $700 tag, was located within 200 yards of our mission station.
With the emergency reserve funds which your love gifts provide, we purchased these 2 huts that day.  With a few improvements, the 7 toddlers will be able to move in with a foster mother this week.
Sponsors are needed to help us care for these 7 little ones at $30/month/child.
Photos will be provided to each sponsor.
The twins will need milk formula and an additional foster mother’s care for the next year.  TWO sponsors are needed at $50/month.
 
Please feel free too write.
I’ll keep everyone updated and answer questions via this blog.
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda