BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG
DATE: FEBRUARY 2, 2019
EXPECTED 4, RECEIVED 10!!!
Our whirlwind week starting at 8 a.m. Monday morning with a call from Balama’s Social Services Director. He had a critically malnourished 1 year old orphan boy, (4.3kg) (9.5 lbs), who needed immediate placement with us. An hour later he was in our care.
JESUINO UPON ADMISSION, JANUARY 26, 2018.
Sorely neglected by his Aunt, little Jesuino’s (Jez-wee-noo) body could not take much more starvation. In just 5 days of loving care, Jesuino is filling out his sunken cheeks, and allowing others to touch his hand without pulling away. He clings to his foster mother, Helena, for fear she will abandon him.
His “abandonment syndrome” will subside as he realizes food will always be there, and that we will not leave him alone. Helena feeds him a very high protein/vitamin cereal on demand, along with milk formula, so that we can get maximum calories into his tiny tummy each day. He also eats “Plumpy Nuts”, a high protein/peanut packet made specifically for malnourished children. His 1 week photos show how well he is gaining weight.
JESUINO 5 DAYS LATER, SITTING IN LAP OF HIS FOSTER MOTHER, HELENA.
WEDNESDAY WAS A CIRCUS WITH 9 KIDS IN THE RING!
Two families of needy orphans from 2 different villages moved in, filling our newest home, VICTORY HOUSE. 13 orphans now call Victory House their home.
This means we need to do double time to complete house #6, for we only have 2 girl, and 2 boy beds available out of 5 foster homes. Rainy weather, cyclones, and a shortage of bricks has put us behind schedule. We are on it! Moving as fast as weather allows.
4 orphans from Kionga, ages 5 to 15, were living with their grandmother, who has her hands full with 5 children of her own, plus a debilitated husband. We placed them in our food program a month ago, which helped curb their starvation until permission was granted by Social Services to accept them into our family.
KIONGA FAMILY: Clausia, 15 years, 8th grade; Alberto, 10, 1st grade; Dinis, 7, and Egidio, 5, pre-school (2 youngest must learn Portuguese to enter 1st grade.) All living in Victory House.
5 orphans from Nacala Village, who were a CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLD (no adult looking after them), were doing very poorly after their 19 year old Sister was no longer in good health and not able to care for them. She moved in with her Aunt, leaving these kids to fend for themselves. That left boys 16, 12, 10, 8, and a girl, 5 with huge responsibilities! Social Services was notified, and agreed they should come live with us.
NACALA FAMILY: (L TO R) LUCIA, 5, preschool; CASTRO 7, USSENE 8, AND MARIO 12. ALL IN 3RD GRADE. All but Mario living in Victory House.
CIPRIANO, 16, 8TH GRADE, AND BROTHER MARIO, 12, 3RD GRADE living in boy’s dorm for over 12 to 18 year old boys.
The 16 year old boy, Cipriano, (Sip-ree-an‑o) has a brilliant mind, making straight A’s in 7thgrade. He truly desires to continue his studies, and now lives in our high school dorm along with his 12 year old brother, Mario. His 4 brothers are also top notch students.
These children DEFIED THE ODDS, managing to go to school in their village with NO ADULT looking over them. Not many kids would do that! It is time to “let them be kids”, by taking over the adult responsibilities they have tried so hard to manage.
YOUR LOVE GIFTS AT WORK!
OUR 5 FOSTER HOMES ARE NOW HOME TO 49 ORPHANED OR ABANDONED CHILDREN.
SPONSORS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED FOR EACH OF THESE 10 CHILDREN, AS OUR GENERAL BUDGET WILL NOT SUPPORT THEM FOR LONG .
$30/MONTH/CHILD is what we need.
Check out their photos, for they are a handsome group, although slightly malnourished. Please contact me via email if you’d like to sponsor any of the children in these photos. I will personally send you a close up photo of your child and their personal data.
Thank you so very much for loving all these children that Jesus sent us.
BLESSINGS,
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE
AND THE FABULOUS BALAMA STAFF