| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: DECEMBER 17, 2022 REPAIRING THE TWISTER DAMAGE Our 4 carpenters and 4 helpers have worked hard on repairs this week, but we still have another week’s work ahead of us. The photo of the back side of the #2 (beans) and #3 (rice) barns shows the full extent of the major damage done. The storm didn’t just remove the tin sheets, it broke EVERY TRUSS (the triangles you see being replaced), took all the cross beams (4X4’s) holding the tin sheets, AND broke most of the upright wall posts supporting those trusses. I was amazed to see that the wall held with so many broken 4X4 upright beams! That in itself is a miracle!  Warehouses 2 and 3 after 4 days of work. Walls were badly damaged, so they had to replace many roofing support posts. Our other 2 warehouses received minor damage, which took all day Tuesday to repair. Also on Tuesday, a group of 20 men moved over 1,000 sacks of beans that could be salvaged after the storm into the half empty corn warehouse. The 2 upper layers of the beans were wet, and were distributed immediately to the orphans living close by. Those 2 layers of beans saved the majority of the beans from getting wet. We PTL that no one was hurt during the storm or the clean-up work, AND THAT NO FOOD WAS WASTED! We just gave it out a bit ahead of schedule. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO GRACIOUSLY GAVE TO HELP WITH REPAIRS! Your generosity has truly blessed us, not just for the rebuilding, but so we can continue serving the children of this area. BBC GAMES CONTINUE AFTER THE STORM It took 2 days for the ground to dry out, but on Wednesday, the BBC teams were greeted by bigger crowds than the week before! This in itself is amazing, as it is “machamba” time (mah-sham-bah)! That means all school-age children are expected to help plant their family’s farming fields, as the food produced is the only way most of these families survive. Yet the children were in their villages, and ready to play games and have a Bible lesson!  The games are very popular!  Keep on pulling boys!  The crowds are growing.  Singing lift JESUS HIGHER, stomp Satan under your feet. https://youtu.be/mHiUbD3OzgA I know it sounds redundant, but GOD IS TRULY MOVING IN A BIG WAY AMONG THE VILLAGE CHILDREN HERE. PTL! IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN TO BE MORE VIGILANT! Please keep us in your prayers as we also face increased crime at this time of year. With the barns in a vulnerable state, this makes us twice as likely to have unwanted night time visitors. We have increased the number of guards at the barns and at our main mission station. Prayers for their safety is also much appreciated. MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR CHILDREN. BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
