| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 2021 LEARNING RESPONSIBILTY THE TOUGH WAY TAMACINA, age 14, is the young lady on the far right in the cooking pan photo. She has 4 siblings, a deceased mother, and a crippled father whom she cares for. All the children in this family work hard by fetching water, firewood, and keeping their mud hut area clean. Since there is no way this little girl and her siblings can go to school and farm for food, they receive a weekly food allocation from us.  Tomacina (far right), and 3 widows who received cooking pans this week. THANKS TO YOUR LOVE GIFTS, these 5 children just received new clothes made at our mission’s clothing maker, Master Seamstress, Atumany. MAKING DOLLS FOR CHRISTMAS!  Atumany, Master Seamtress, making 20 dolls for our younger girls as Christmas presents. Our little girls much prefer the durable, soft, rag dolls made by Atumany, over the fragile plastic ones available at stores. These dolls get to ride on the little girl’s backs, have tea, and play all sorts of games that are suitable for tough dolls only. YOUR LOVE GIFTS AT WORK FOR CHRISTMAS! NATIONAL INSPECTORS SPEAK ENCOURAGING WORDS TO OUR FOSTER MOTHERS On Tuesday this week, 2 National Inspectors from the Maputo Social Services Office visited our orphans. The first 90 minutes was spent in our office as we answered a 5‑page questionnaire concerning every aspect of our program.  National Visitors speaking with our mothers. 100°F/37°C temps made staying in the shade a necessity. Then off to the houses we went, where they inspected our homes. They complimented the mothers on their dedication to the children, and encouraged them to continue teaching these vulnerable little ones all that any mother would teach them. GILDA, our Head Mother for houses 6 and 7, assured the inspectors that these infants and children were loved and cared for as if they birthed them themselves. THANKS TO YOUR LOVING KINDNESS, all 57 children in our homes have what is needed to grow up healthy and strong. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
Monthly Archives: November 2021
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: NOVEMBER 6, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2021 TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK Houses 6 (Zebras) and 7 (Leopards) work hand-in-hand together to ensure their 8 infants are well cared for whenever a Foster Mother needs to run to the market, or just take a break. Better known as a “Built-In Baby Sitter” service.  The famous 8 Foster Mothers of Houses 6 and 7 with their fast-growing crew of infants. Foster Mother Gilda, far right, front row, hosts the youngest infant in our family, 5 month old, Baby Susana. Gilda is also the Head Foster Mother for both these houses, a position she earned by studying basic medical care that help her discern if an infant is beginning an illness. She personally checks each infant daily, then gives me or Children’s Director, Anna, a “Heads Up” if a problem exists. This is a big help to both Anna and I, and provides the infants with faster medical care.  Baby Fatima with her Foster Mother, Cecelia.  Baby Chebane is Mr. Gigglesfor sure. He loves to laugh! Foster Mother, Ernista says he is a real joy to live with. YOUR LOVE GIFTS MAKE THIS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR GIVING THESE HIGH-RISK INFANTS A CHANCE AT A HAPPY LIFE. WATER WELL REPAIRS MEANS A HEALTHIER LIFE FOR REMOTE VILLAGERS November is not only the hottest month (37°C/99°F), but the driest month when many hand pump water wells go dry. Our water well team is quick to repair any broken well in Balama District, for no water leaves the village prone to Dysentery or Cholera from drinking dirty water. Last week our Nacacca Pastor called, begging help. It meant going the extra mile as our team had to be called in to make this afternoon repair. The water well repair team leader, Manel, also drives our 7‑ton-truck to deliver food to the 500 orphans and widows in Meluco District. His truck was loaded and ready to pull out at 4 a.m. the next morning. The well couldn’t wait 3 days for Manel to return, so his team “went the extra mile” and got it repaired in 4 hours that afternoon. Since the pipe glue had to dry overnight, Manel’s assistant, Mario, went out to unlock and test the well the next morning. To prove to me that the well works, Mario, who has a new smartphone, sent me a video of our Pastor pumping the well. Lots of happy people were waiting in line behind Mario to receive this precious water. Repaired water well means life and health to this village. Click Here —> https://youtu.be/nCHPTxPplj0 YOUR LOVE GIFTS PROVIDE THE WATER WELL PARTS THAT KEEP THESE WELLS PUMPING. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US TO SAVE LIVES. Blessings BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: OCTOBER 30, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: OCTOBER 30, 2021 MIRACLE IN MANAPO! After 4 days of prayer, a 63-year-old woman who lost the strength in 1 leg after suffering a stroke 18 months ago, AROSE FROM HER BED AND BEGAN TO WALK! Manapo is so remote that only a motorbike can get there, but Pastor Jaime says this is now a super excited village after witnessing this healing, for everyone knows her! Our Monapo Pastor’s phone won’t take a photo, so I apologize that a photo/video of this wonderful healing is not available. Our Pastors are truly on fire for Jesus, as 63 refugees received Christ as Lord and Saviour this month! (26 adults, 11 teens, 26 children). PTL AND KEEP YOUR PRAYERS COMING! 3 RAINY DAYS HAVE EVERYONE SCRAMBLING TO CLEAN THEIR FIELDS! YEAP! Looks like the rainy season has begun 3 weeks early, with most of the area’s farmers unprepared for planting. Orphan Eva and her Grandmother, Elisa, were out on Friday, pulling the last of their ervila beans off their bushes. I am proud of Eva, for she has mild cerebral palsy, and is Grandma’s faithful helper both in their field, and around their home.  Eva, foreground, with Granny Elisa, harvesting last of ervilia beans. For those of you who are not familiar with Eva, she was given a miracle healing from Jesus as a 3‑year-old. She was having 6 seizures a day, leaving her bedridden and in a vegetative state until the Lord touched her, stopping her seizures. She now speaks Makua, Portuguese, and some English. She also runs, jumps, sings, and buys bread at the local market, all by herself. All this because the Master Healer touched her tormented body after she was prayed for in 2000. THANK YOU JESUS FOR SAVING THIS CHILD! COOKING PAN PROJECT OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF! Seven widows caring for 3 to 6 orphans each, were super blessed when gifted with several pans of various sizes last Thursday. Their smiles tell “the rest of the story”, for they can now cook a meal that will feed all the Grandchildren at 1 time, instead of in shifts.  Granny and Aunt with 4 orphans each received cooking pans.  2 Aunts with 5 orphans each, and Granny with 6, receive cooking pans.  Uncle of 3 orphans and another happy Granny, receive cooking pans. Thank you to all our New Jersey friends who made this possible! More widows will be assisted each week until all in our program have been served. Right now, we are organizing more pans as well as grass mats and blankets for these children who have suffered the loss of their parents. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU FOR HELPING US TO HELP THESE FAMILIES! BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: OCTOBER 23, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: OCTOBER 23, 2021 FINAL FOOD AND SEED GIVE OUT Our area had a freak rain storm on Tuesday night that left water standing in low spots. OCTOBER has always been hot and dry, so this Godly warning told us all that the rains are coming early, get your fields ready for planting! This week marked our final food give outs to the 1,144 orphans and widows we assist in Balama District. Corn and bean seeds were included in this give out so all can plant their fields.  Final 2021 give out provides corn and bean seeds as well as food.  Grannies and Aunts helping one another to transport food and seeds to their homes. Double balancing a load takes great talent which this 12-year-old seems to have. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND LOVE GIFTS THAT MAKE THIS ASSISTANCE POSSIBLE. COOKING PAN PROJECT BEGINS In October, 3 grannies with newly orphaned grandchildren have joined our weekly Balama food give out. All 3 came independently, but asked the same question. “How can I cook for so many with my small pans?” Each of these elderly women now have 4 or more grandchildren living with them, but lack the means to cook for all at the same time. The Grandmother with the 4 grandchildren in the photo is a prime example. This grandmother left her home in Pemba to come care for 1 of her daughters 2 orphaned children (not shown).  Newly orphaned children with Grandmother are 1st recipients of our cooking pan give out. Then her 2nd daughter died just last week leaving her with 4 MORE ORPHANED grandchildren, including a 9‑month-old infant! Now she is in crisis, but thanks to the Balama food assistance program AND a VERY GENEROUS Love Gift from friends in New Jersey, we were able to resolve her food and cooking pan problem immediately! JESUS provided these 3 women’s needs just as the problem arose. HE is our provider, and the care taker of the innocent. KEEP YOUR PRAYERS COMING, FOR THE TIME OF HUNGER IS UPON US AS WE ENTER THE RAINY SEASON. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |