BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG
DATE: JANUARY 5, 2019
“BIG SURPRISE” MAKES HAPPY FACES IN THE NEW YEAR!
You never heard such a commotion, when 24 kids began jumping for joy after being told they got to pick out a toy at the local market! When I went to Pemba in early Dec., all I could find were baby gifts. Sincerely frustrated, I told our Staff, who quickly pointed out that all but 8 of our children are now old enough to choose something they want.
When they told me that the Balama market for the first time has a good supply of toys it was a “no brainer”! Put all that together and it spells “SHOPPING TRIP” for the children!
As a child, my Grandmother taught all her grandchildren the value of money. She gave each of us a small monetary gift at Christmas. After Christmas she took us shopping at a major department store where we could buy whatever we wanted within our budget. I decided to pass on that “gift of learning” to our children.
Balama’s “Major Department Store” is the town market. It is HUGE!
THURSDAY, with the rains in a lull, off went our staff with our 24 older children for their shopping spree! Only the 8 babies and 5 small toddlers stayed behind. (The high school boys are on holiday so they will receive their surprise upon their return.)
Each child was given the equivalent of $5 to spend, which is A LOT of money in this culture. They had a blast with all the girls choosing dolls that made sounds. The boys came home with a fleet of airplanes, police cars, helicopters, and army trucks that actually ran across the floor when you pulled their wind up string. The look on their faces told it all!
Happy kids headed home with new toys.
Pedro (left) and Pedrito (right) brought home new dolls for their two baby sisters who were too young to go to the market.
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO GAVE AN EXTRA CHRISTMAS DONATION. OUR CHILDREN HAD THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES GETTING TO SHOP FOR SOMETHING THEY TRULY WANTED.
HELPING OUR NEIGHBOR
In 2018, the Catholic Sisters opened a much needed school dorm for 7th to 12 grade girls who live in remote villages. Cooking 3 meals a day for over 40 girls took a toll on their mud brick stove over the last 9 months. Their brick layer had tried to copy our “Rocket Stove” pattern, but made errors in some of the key requirements.
When Sister Isabel showed me the problem, I took her to our orphan homes and showed her our new and improved Rocket Stoves. They needed a DOUBLE ROCKET STOVE, which we had never attempted. So I designed one, and with a few tweaks by our Master Rocket Stove Builder, Argentino, we gifted the Sisters with what they needed.
Aggie Engineering coupled with a Master Brick Layer has developed a stove that will hopefully last a long time.
Sister Isabel, Administrator of girl’s dorm admires her new Rocket Stove.
2018 WAS A WONDERFUL YEAR, BECAUSE YOU SHARED YOUR LOVE WITH OUR 1,800+ ORPHANS AND THE 500+ WIDOWS WHO CARE FOR THEM. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO DO WHAT WE DO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND LOVE GIFT SUPPORT.
TOGETHER WE ARE CHANGING THE LIVES OF MANY CHILDREN.
BLESSINGS,
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE
AND THE BALAMA STAFF