FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 23, 2022 RICE PORRIDGE ANYONE? With 90 TONS now filling 2 barns, our kids can have rice anytime they want it. We buy our rice in the hull, straight from the field, as weevils don’t mess with it. God’s shell keeps those tasty little kernels nice and safe until we desire to dehull it for eating. Our group of widows living in our homes as well as some of the women from our church dehull rice BY HAND for the children once each month, giving them the freshest, vitamin rich rice available anywhere. Just ask any visitor who has eaten it how tasty and filling it is! Bringing in 90 tons of rice took three days as we could only handle 600 sacks a day Note that 90 TONS is twice what we usually buy, but we decided this was best for 2 reasons. 1. Our main rice growers lacked rain at the proper time this year, leaving them with NO harvest. THANKFULLY, the small farmers in other areas of this county were able to bring in a few sacks each to fill our need. FYI: Rice in the hull will keep up to 2 years if kept dry. 2. With uncertain weather patterns for 2023’s rainy season, this could easily affect corn growers in 2023 as well. Thus, best to have a food reserve we can count on. BEE HOME DISCOVERED Rice stacking interrupted until we chased off a large honeybee family. Unknown to all of us, a family of bees built a four-bedroom home in the 4X4 building beams in the second rice warehouse. 4 Bedroom home of local honey bees OUR THANKS TO OUR BUSINESS CONTRIBUTOR WHO MADE RICE BUYING POSSIBLE. YOUR LOVE GIFT WILL FEED HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN OVER THE NEXT YEAR. WINTER COLD CONTINUES BUT… Nothing seems to stomp out the malaria mosquito! Malaria mosquitos are less active during this cold time but are never stopped completely. In cold weather we know some of the children will suffer Upper Respiratory Infections (colds, sinus infection), but this winter has been exceptionally tough on all of us. Edward, 9 years old has malaria and Baby Franciano has a sinus infection but still smiling I hear many of our donors are laughing because our “winter” means night temperatures of 50F/13C, but our children are use to 10 months of VERY HOT weather. A 40-degree F/25C DROP IN TEMPERATURE is super cold to them, especially because many only have light cotton clothing. THANKS TO YOUR GENEROUS LOVE GIFTS, we can afford the cold weather clothing to protect them, as well as the medicines that help our children recover quickly when they do get sick. UGLY BUT VERY HELPFUL IGUANAS are not known for their beauty, but they sure love eggs and things that slither along the ground. This curious critter keeps our snake population to a minimum as it scours our woods for tasty morsels of snake eggs, or newly hatched snakes. This guy has been around for several years and makes an appearance out of his intense curiosity every now and then. Not violent, but that tail can be lethal, so that even our guard dogs know to “bark, but don’t approach”. Our guard lizard (3 foot iguana) decided to check out my guard dog After taking the photo, I told him it was time to “disappear “again, and he casually walked back to the woods as I walked a few feet behind him to make sure he got there uninterrupted by my guards. The locals fear anything that gets that big, but I am doing my best to educate all our kids and staff on how beneficial even ugly creatures can be. WHAT CAME IN, MUST GO OUT With food buying over, it is time to visit villages and update our orphan lists in August. Due to the late harvest of corn, last year’s orphan group has food that they raised themselves. Our team will begin distributing food in September. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
Author Archives: Kim Hartman
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 16, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 16, 2022 CORN BARN IS FULL TO THE BRIM! All 5,200 sacks (312 TONS) were weighed and stacked in our corn barn over 7 days by our VERY POWERFUL 106-man team. Our weighing station at sunrise. 600 sacks weighing 132 lbs/60 kgs went over that scale each day for 7 working days Starting daily in the dark using our pick up lights at 4:30 a.m., we usually finished our 600-sack daily quota by 11 a.m. and were ready to hit the showers. Corn is very dusty, and the strong sunrise winds that hit daily picked up the loose dirt to add to the dustiness. Cowboy Jamie has faithfully hand sewn sacks for us since we began buying in 2005 The tall stong men push the last of the “ladder” goes upon the 5200 sacks And the last sack goes up! HALLELUJAH!!! NEXT WEEK we move on to buying 90 tons of local RICE straight from the fields. The 90 sacks of PEANUTS IN THE SHELL weighing 40Kg/88lbs PER SACK will also be received, wrapping up our 2022 food buying. HALLELUJAH! WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL TO OUR FOOD DONORS AND OUR STAFF FOR MAKING THIS ALL POSSIBLE. EVEN WITH ALL THE WORK THERE IS STILL TIME FOR WEEKEND FUN Jess and I had fun distributing balloons to the children and squeaky tous for our toddlers during our weekend break from corn buying JESS RETURNS TO SOUTH AFRICA Jessica Christie with her beautiful smile and trusty sidekick, her camera Jess, a true shutter bug, did her best to capture every aspect of our program during the 14 days she stayed at our base. She is dearly loved by our children, as she brought frisbees and jump ropes for the children to play with. She was a super blessing to me by lightening my work load around the mission station. Jess has returned to her home to begin the tedious editing process of all the footage she took. Our goal is to come up with informative videos and photos for Social Media and our website. I will let you know when she begins posting, but please be patient as it is not a simple process and will take some time. TOGETHER WE ARE SAVING LIVES AND GIVING VULNERABLE CHILDREN A CHANCE AT A FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND LOVE GIFTS THAT MAKE ALL THIS POSSIBLE. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 9, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 9, 2022 CORN, CORN, AND MORE CORN! The majority of our staff’s whole week has centered around the corn buying with the photos pretty much telling the story. The remainder of the corn will be weighed and stored this coming week, completing this monumental task, so we can move on to buying rice. With more and more baby orphans showing up here weekly, our plan to fill the barns to capacity is more important than ever. Corn Mountain will feed over 1,500 Orphans and Widows for next 12 months Yesterday we thought our work was done when an anemic, orphaned, 7‑month-old baby girl was brought to us by the grandmother at 1pm. We gave them baby formula and Hypo baby food, teaching them how to properly feed this little one. They will now be attended each week at our Balama program, along with the 32 other orphaned infants receiving weekly assistance. (no photo to respect family wishes). 2,500 sacks of corn went through our scale this week. 78 TONS stacked for distribution from August to November. YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE INVALUABLE AS LIFE IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THESE INNOCENT LITTLE ONES TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON INFANT FORMULA THAT HAS RISEN FROM $5 TO $6/CAN. BITTER COLD SWEEPS BALAMA AREA With temperatures down in the low 50’s°F/15°C at dawn, and high winds constantly picking up and throwing dirt across people’s yards, few venture outside until the sun comes out to warm the air. The normal temps are always in the 90’s°F/33°C for 10 months of the year, so this big drop in temperature makes it very cold for all of us. THE WARM SWEAT SUITS YOUR LOVE GIFTS provided to our children are keeping them warm and healthy. THANK YOU FOR THIS PRECIOUS GIFT! Our little ones bundled up against the cold. Now back to the barns on Monday to finish the corn. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR OUR SAFETY. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 2, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 2, 2022 JESSICA RETURNS! Jessica Christie, now a Board Member for Orphans Unlimited, is returning to assist with our children while I am tied up with corn buying. So, I was off to Pemba to fetch her at the airport on Friday, just 3 days before our Corn Buying Spree takes off on Monday, July 4th. While you celebrate the USA Independence Day, our team will be “counting corn” so that orphans in our area will not go hungry. Jessica Christie, now a Board Member, comes to help with corn buying and much more. Please forgive the short blogs for the next 3 weeks, as duty calls, giving me little time to write. MELUCO CORN TEAM RETURNS TO BASE Our 3‑man-team returned on Monday after a tough weekend of work. Assembly of God Pastor, Manel, our driver, used the Sunday morning to hold a “mini-church” with the 34 men who assisted our team in preparing the 500 sacks of corn for storage. Since few of these men attend church, it was a great evangelistic opportunity to share the Lord’s love. Village Pastors each counting the 145 sacks that they will fill with corn. On Tuesday morning, we met with the 106-man team who will help us process the Balama corn. After the meeting, a dozen men assisted Manel in getting the corn chute off our 7‑ton truck and back into the corn barn. All is now ready for the July 4th take-off which will be a 2‑week-marathon, receiving 5,000 sacks (300 TONS) of corn over 10 days. Unloading the heavy corn chute after the Meluco team returned. Our team will be weighing and processing simultaneously, making it a very busy time indeed. Keep us in prayer for strength and endurance as well as NO accidents as we tackle this immense job. OUR CHILDREN All the children, including the infants, are all healthy and fine. Our newest member, Elsa, is responding well to regular feedings, PTL! Our 4 school tutors continue to help all our school-age children make better progress in school. THANK YOU FOR MAKING ALL THIS POSSIBLE! MANY BLESSINGS FROM A BUSY BUNNY! BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JUNE 25, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JUNE 25, 2022 INFANT ELSA JOINS OUR FAMILY Elsa was admitted to our baby formula program shortly after her birth on April 9th, as her mother died of postpartum problems. She presented with malaria a month ago and a bloodless lower eye lid, which told me she was very, very anemic. Baby Elsa joins our family. Her grandmother agreed to admit her to the hospital if we would organize the blood she needed. Elsa received that blood, and was gaining weight when released from the hospital last week. This week was the first we saw Elsa and her grandmother since her hospital release. Sadly, Elsa had lost 200 grams which is a critical weight loss for a 3.5 month old who only weighs 3.1kg/6.8 lbs.! Her grandmother just wasn’t capable of caring for such a fragile infant. Thankfully, the family agreed yesterday to release Elsa into our care which Social Services approved. Please pray for Elsa as this little one at 3.5 months is just 300 grams above her birth weight! 108 TONS OF BEANS IN THE BARN! A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR BEAN DONOR for making this possible! If it wasn’t for special businessmen who love the Lord, our food program would not be possible for the 1,500 orphans and the 700 widows who care for them. Our well experienced, hand-picked team of 112 men moved 600 sacks per day, each weighing 132 lbs./60kg, to complete the storage task in 3 days. It was amazing to watch, as they moved like a well-oiled machine! 108 TONS OF BEANS in the barn! The team is busy loading the 7‑ton-truck for Meluco. MELUCO HERE WE COME! On Thursday at 5 a.m., a small team of our best men weighed and processed the 28 sacks of the very expensive Montega (Pinto) bean, and put it into the bean barn. 5 a.m. devotions, then the work begins as the day is dawning. Our 2 pickups and flashlights give us the light we need Once done, these same men loaded up the processing chute onto our 7 ton truck which was secured by ropes as well as 40 sacks of the “Koote” bean (black eyed pea). Meluco’s terrain only produces a small amount of corn and only a few beans. Therefore, the Meluco orphans depend on the Balama team to transport beans to them. Loading the sacking chute onto our 7 ton truck. Back at the missions office, the final items were loaded onto the truck so that our 3‑man-team could leave for Meluco at 4 a.m. on Friday, June 24th. They arrived safely and today found them processing the 500 sacks of corn purchased in remote Meluco villages. YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE SAVING MANY LIVES! THANK YOU FOR BEING GOD’S HELPING HANDS IN MOZAMBIQUE. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA FAMILY |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JUNE 18, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JUNE 18, 2022 FINALLY! BRINGING IN THE BEANS! Better late than never, as the 108 TONS of beans are finally dry and ready for storage! With a team of 43 men, we had 1,200 sacks (72 TONS), in the barn over the last 2 days. Capena, Office Manager, weighs 3 sacks of beans at a time while Carlitos Jorge holds the 🔦 torch. Moving 600 sacks weighing 132 lbs./60kg EACH, is no easy task, but these super strong men made it look easy. We begin preparing these beans for long term storage on Monday, June 20th, and will receive the final 600 sacks on Tuesday. So no need to count sheep next week, we will be counting beans in our sleep! Early bird start at 5a.m. on 2nd day of bean buying. Two of our pick-ups provide lights along with 3 🔦 torches. Keep us covered in prayer, for if all goes as planned, we will move ALL 108 TONS into our bean barn by Wednesday noon. 1st day’s beans in the barn. 600 sacks total. A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF OUR MISSION STATION The VP of Orphans Unlimited blessed me this week with a satellite photo from Google Earth of our Balama mission station. I decided to share it with you, so you can see where we live without having to fly over here. The BIG GREEN SQUARE in the lower half of this photo is our 40 acre/16 hector mission station. The town built around us many years after we had purchased this land in 2002. The children’s homes are NOT on our mission property as the children live in the village area just outside our fence. Satellite photo of our 40 acres/16 hectare mission station in Balama. THE FAR LEFT UPPER CORNER of this GREEN SQUARE shows the food warehouses, which we are working in right now to fill with corn, beans, and rice by the end of July. Follow the dirt road down to the middle of our mission property and the FIRST LONG TIN ROOF in the trees is our office and my home (all under 1 roof). The other buildings are guest homes, and the covered areas where our trucks are parked. THE FAR RIGHT UPPER CORNER (sandy area) is our soccer field, with the All Purpose Food Distribution/Education/Playground Center sitting just north of the soccer field. If you turn LEFT at the Food Center, the dirt road takes you to the LONG BUILDING in the middle of the property. That is our church building. I hope this satellite tour helps you to understand better where every place is that I speak about in my blogs. KEEP THOSE PRAYERS COMING! IT’S LOTS OF WORK TO BRING IN 500 TONS OF FOOD BY END OF JULY! BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL! BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JUNE 11, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JUNE 11, 2022 PRE-TEENS COME FOR A VISIT National Children’s Month in Mozambique helps to “open the eyes” of the local young people to the important programs in their county. Having these youngsters visit our facility was a first for us, and the children were truly surprised to see such nice homes and loving foster parents. 17 children from Balama received a tour of 2 of our homes plus the playground. They were truly amazed at our program. Their one-hour visit included our “Victory Home”, the teenage boy’s dorm, and our playground/all-purpose teaching facility. All but one of the children didn’t know such a facility existed in Balama. I found that truly amazing! MOTHERS CONTINUE TO FLOW IN FOR FORMULA Our Baby Formula Assistant Program mostly serves Grandmothers having to raise orphaned Grandbabies, but we do get the occasional mother who doesn’t produce breast milk after birth. Why? Poor nutrition mostly accounts for their lack of breast milk, making it essential to place the infant on a baby bottle. Abandoned mother and Uncle are shown by Anna how to mix formula for 1.3kg/2.5 lb. Infant. I was amazed this 1.3 kg/2.5 lb. Infant could bottle feed. Super tiny little girl. Baby girl, Augusta, was born weighing only 1.3 kg/2.5 lbs., but despite her tiny size, she managed to grasp bottle-feeding immediately. THAT was a relief! This little girl needs all our prayers, for she is a high-risk infant due to her size, and the cold temperatures that exist here at this time. HAND POUNDING PRODUCES NUTRITIOUS RICE In our area, Hand Hulling the locally grown rice is the best way to preserve the many nutrients God placed in those tiny kernels. Once a month, we have a “Hulling Party” where all the local widows from our church come together for 5–6 hours to use one of their best skills. Removing the rice hulls by hand leaves all its goodness intact for our children. See video here —> https://youtu.be/TOqgc-JLmGw It’s a great social time, as well as provides them a way to earn some pocket money. The rice stays untouched by the heat of hulling machines, and thus provides more nutrition for our children. I call that a “WIN/WIN” situation for all. SALVATION REPORT FOR MAY, 2022 Our 15 District-Wide Village Pastors met on May 31st to give me their salvation reports. CHILDREN: 286 TEENAGERS: 48 ADULTS: 58 GOD IS MOVING STRONGLY AMONG THE YOUTH OF BALAMA DISTRICT! THE WORD SAYS: Raise up a child in the way they should go, and they will not depart from it. The “good ground” (youth) is yielding a large harvest. Please keep these “tender hearts” in your prayers as our leaders show them the Jesus Way to live their lives. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG JUNE 4, 2022
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JUNE 4, 2022 NATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY FEAST A SUCCESS June 1st is National Children’s Day in Mozambique. The 1st to 7th graders are given a holiday as it is a day of fun and feasting for the younger children. With 28 fat chickens, 220 lbs/100kg of rice, 33 lbs/15 kgs of Montega beans, and all the “fixings”, these kids had a wonderful party. Always fun watching our littlest ones tackle those chicken pieces. Baby Fatima (pink hoody) thoroughly enjoyed the feast! From the youngest to the oldest, everyone feasted and enjoyed the fellowship! Our Children’s Day Celebration begins by singing God is so Good. See the video at this link—> https://youtu.be/klCmxzGlQmA Baby Franciano celebrates his first Children’s Day celebration. It’s a bit cool, as it is our “cold season” in Mozambique with chilly temperatures making a sweatshirt necessary, especially for the younger ones. Thanks to your generosity, a 2nd set of warm clothes has now been provided to each child so that the Foster Mothers can “wash one, while the children wear one”. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS WONDERFUL PARTY A HUGE SUCCESS! BABY REGINALDA NEEDS OUR PRAYERS “Reggie”, as we call her, was born with fragile bones. Her left femur broke 4 weeks ago but, even with treatment, it has healed bent to the left. MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship) very generously offered to fly her to see an orthopedic surgeon in Nampula, 7 hours south of Balama. Going by road was out of the question with such fragile bones as this child has. Baby Reggie takes a plane ride with Missions Aviation Fellowship. She is the only orphan in our family to fly. Foster Mother Angelina thought it was pretty great to make a 7‑hour-drive in 45 minutes with the plane. This surgeon felt that with her being only 15 months old, we should wait before trying to correct the problem. With great disappointment, Reggie was flown back 2 days later, with instructions to be extremely careful when lifting her. She is on the best mineral supplements available to help increase her bone strength. WE NEED A JESUS MIRACLE, and ask that you join with us in praying for her left femur to straighten out, AND for the strengthening of all her bones. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD! THANK YOU and I will keep you posted on her progress. JUNE FOOD BUYING DELAYED UNTIL THE 20TH. With cold temperatures (55°F/15°C nightly and 72°F/23°C daily) and grey cloudy skies, there has been little sun to dry the beans properly. Many may laugh, but for people use to very HOT temperatures, and only thin cotton clothing, this is VERY COLD. That’s why your LOVE GIFTS are so valued, for it allows us to buy the needed clothing to keep our kids warm and healthy. Having to patiently wait for the beans to dry has all of us a bit frustrated. WE NEED STRONG SUNSHINE, so that is also a prayer request. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes over the next 2 weeks. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: MAY 28, 2022
JESUINO SUFFERS FEBRILE CONVULSIONS On Monday at lunchtime, our executive staff was meeting outside under a cashew nut tree, also known as our 2nd office. I was facing our entrance road when I saw our Foster Father, Nuro, running towards us with a child in his arms. Capena and I ran to meet him with Capena carrying the convulsing Jesuino to the nearby table under the cashew nut tree. Anna, Children’s Director, and I raced into my house to grab a large basin and a bucket of water. Outside, Capena was stripping Jesuino’s clothes off him. Putting him into the basin, we began pouring the cool water over his body. His fever was high, as the water turned warm within 1 minute, but his convulsions stopped as the water cooled his body. Praise the Lord, for high fever is a sign of rapid onset Malaria. Jesuino, age 4, happy at home after his febrile seizure. Wrapped in a cotton “Caplana” (wrap around skirt), we rushed him to the Balama Hospital where a Dr. and Sister Ligia met us at the emergency room. An IV was started, and life-saving medications and fluids were given. A Rapid Malaria Test turned positive immediately, proving what we all suspected—a strong case of malaria. Jesuino’s Malaria Rapid Test turned positive immediately. Jesuino was admitted for 24-hour observation. He slept until 8pm when he thankfully awoke hungry, and fully aware of everyone around him. The next morning he was released with the normal oral medication that kills the malaria larvae, and had no further problems. Malaria has attacked many children this year in Balama, and not all had such a quick recovery as our Jesuino. OUR STAFF’S QUICK RESPONSE AND THEIR PRAYERS AS WE WORKED TO STOP THE CONVULSIONS, were key in Jesuino’s fast recovery from this killer disease. We are very grateful to the Lord Jesus for answering our prayers for this little boy. BALAMA’S LOCAL LEADERS VISIT OUR CHILDREN The Balama Chief of this Administration Post (a powerful position), as well as the Primary and Secondary School’s Directors requested to visit all 7 of our children’s homes this week. They said they were impressed after reading our 1st quarterly report, and desired to meet all of us. They were truly impressed by all they saw and those they talked with. The Chief said she was very happy to assist Helder, who has completed teacher’s college, to be placed in a job near our mission. Helder is currenly working to tutor our primary school children with their lessons. Capena, far left, speaking to our 4 visitors on Thursday this week. With many compliments and encouraging words, they left after spending 2 hours talking with the children and their foster mothers. It was great that this influential group now truly knows us and our children, for they have a heart to help them excel. PERSEVERANCE AND PERSISTENCE IN ACTION GRANNY MINIAH (Mee-nii-ah) lost her right leg many years ago during the Mozambican civil war. Instead of sitting at home waiting for a handout, she began to work her farming field sitting down. We met her over 10 years ago, as she was raising her 2 orphaned grandsons in a village about 5km/3 miles from our base. Since she struggled to grow enough food for the 3 of them, we immediately placed her into our weekly food program. We expected her to send a friend to pick up the food, but she actually WALKED the 3 MILES to our give-out on her crutches! Her friend came with to carry the food. NOW THAT IS BEYOND AWESOME, AND SHOWS A TRUE HEART OF LOVE FOR HER GRANDSONS! We soon organized an improved mud hut near our mission station, (mud brick walls with concrete floor and tin roof), to ease her burden, and assist her with the 2 boys who were nearing school age. HER FORTITUDE, AND DOING WHAT SHE COULD TO PROVIDE FOR HERSELF AND OTHERS, DEFINES PERSISTENCE AND PERSEVERANCE. Persistence and Perseverance are this widow’s motto. BE GRATEFUL TO JESUS, and do what you can with what you have. When she came to live with us, she immediately asked for a farming field. I took this photo on Wednesday this week as she walked home from her farming field with a tub of bean leaves on her head that she had just harvested from that very same field. It is an honor to assist such a strong woman of God, as is our Miniah. YOUR PRAYERS AND LOVE GIFTS MAKE ALL THIS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US AT ORPHANS UNLIMITED. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: MAY 21, 2022
HARVEST DELAYED The rainy season in Balama began 30 days later than normal, which means the harvest is just now being taken from the fields to be dried. Result: Beans will hopefully be dry by middle of June. All corn will only be dry by July. God has provided our children’s June corn needs via our 7‑ton truck driver, Pastor Manel of the Assembly of God. He knows a man who had stored up some of his 2021 corn and talked him into selling it to us. We are most grateful for this awesome provision! Buying last year’s corn to hold us over until 2022 harvest is ready in July. Our 2021 corn will be finished the first week of June, when we normally would be receiving the 2022 harvest. GOD KNEW WE WOULD NEED CORN, AND HAD A TOTAL STRANGER STORE IT FOR OUR CHILDREN. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME! BREAKING GROUND FOR NEW TEEN BOYS DORM With over 3 weeks until the food-buying can begin, our bricklayers and I cleared the land and marked the new building site for the older teen boy’s dorm. This land is 2km or 1.2 miles from our mission station on the new main highway, thus easy access for all. With Balama town growing at a fast rate, this is the nearest plot of land that was available, and it was purchased 5 years ago! Breaking ground for new teen boys dorm. This dorm will be specifically for older teen boys who are in the final 3 years of school, and for those going to technical/professional schools. This leaves the original dorm near our mission for the 5th to 9th graders, as we have at least 5 young boys nearing the 5th grade with another 5 to follow in a few years. The time to take action is now! Our objective is to have this dorm ready by the end of 2022. FRAGILE FRANCIANO RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL This little boy, now 5.5 months, weighs only 3 kg/6.6 lbs. He’s fought and won after 2 bouts of malaria, thanks to 2 life-saving blood transfusions during his first hospital stay when we received him into our family. Baby Franciano showing weight gain after a week out of the hospital. Since he is so tiny, he can’t take the stronger malaria meds that would wipe out this deadly larvae. Our goal is to help him reach 5kgs/11 lbs. as soon as possible by giving him plenty of milk and high protein infant food (Hypo). Once he is at this weight, he can take the stronger malaria treatment. PLEASE KEEP HIM IN PRAYER AS HE IS EXTREMELY VULNERABLE RIGHT NOW. Your prayers for all of us are greatly appreciated. THANK YOU for helping us make a difference in 1000’s of children’s lives. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |