BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG
DATE: MARCH 16, 2019
JESUINO MAKING GREAT RECOVERY
Many have asked how Jesuino is doing, so here is the latest!
He’s gaining weight rapidly, making his face almost unrecognizable from his entry photo. This shows all of us how little bodies can bounce back when given the opportunity.
Jesuino upon admission in mid-January (left) and then in mid-March (right) after much prayer and a high protein diet.
Social Service members from Pemba and Balama visited us yesterday afternoon and were AMAZED at the difference. Great prayer and a high protein diet do wonders for malnourished little bodies. He weighed 4 kg (8.8) in mid-February when admitted to the hospital with life threatening anemia. His weight on March 14 was 5.7 kg (12.54 lbs)! He still has a ways to go before he catches up with his age bracket, as most 1 year olds weigh 12 kg (26 lbs.).
THANK YOU for your prayers and love gifts which are making his rapid recover a reality.
CYCLONE IDAI (EE-DIE) HITS BEIRA, CAUSING MASSIVE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
This is the 2nd cyclone (hurricane) of 2019, and the STRONGEST to hit the middle of Mozambique in the last 10 years according to Accuweather. Winds gusting to 240km/hour (120–140 mph) hit Thursday night, but PTL, the 8 inches of rain they expected it to bring ashore did not materialize.
At least 100 people lost their lives in Mozambique and Malawi. EVERYONE in the area lost their crops, and many their homes. Please keep these folks in your prayers, for it will be an intense year of hunger for the survivors with all the crops now destroyed in this huge area.
Eric Dry was scheduled to leave RSA TODAY with essential supplies for our food buying program not available in our area. His annual trip was scheduled 2 months ago, with no one expecting a late cyclone to interfere.
MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship), which is called Ambassador Aviation in Mozambique, was uncertain until late last night if they could fly to meet Eric in Inhambane next week due to the high winds that they must fly through. Lots of text messages were racing back and forth between Eric, the pilot, and I over the last 3 days. Eric takes vacation time to help us with this trip, so he is on a set schedule.
PTL, the head pilot texted late last night that the flight would be delayed by a day or 2, but it would happen. The MAF crew plan to drop supplies for storm victims on their way to fetch our supplies. Thankfully, Eric organized a 3 day stay so all should work out.
Please keep Eric and his youngest daughter Chanelle and her 2 children in your prayers, as they make this life saving trip to help our children. Stay tuned for “the rest of the story” next week!
BUSH BUNNY AND CREW TO THE RESCUE!
Our staff are trained RESCUERS and that includes the 4 legged kind too! When the frantic wife of our Balama doctor raced into our office to ask us to save her dog, our team went into action.
Her 4 legged friend had fallen into a 36 ft. (12 meter) deep, open water well the night before and was alive!
She and her guard had searched for over an hour, and finally heard him whining from deep within this water well. The ground around the well was very soft, so we placed our heavy aluminum ladder across it to secure the rope, providing the rescuers a safe foothold. The Dr.’s house guard, who knows the dog well, bravely lowered himself to the bottom of the well using a sturdy rope we provided.
Normally, a dog will panic and fight, thus slipping out of a single loop placed around his chest. This young pup seemed to understand the situation, and stayed super calm allowing our team to lift him out on the first try. We could not believe he was UNHURT. He eagerly greeted those he knew and started rolling in the sand to dry off. He had been sitting in dirty, chest deep water for at least 16 hours!
Dog as he was pulled out of the well.
Getting the guard out was now our major challenge. With the guard assisting by using the footholds dug into the side wall of the well, our 4‑man rescue team lifted him out using all the strength they could manage.
Guard struggling to climb last 6 feet out of deep well.
The final 6 feet were very difficult, as the dirt crumbled if the guard touched it. With much help from our team, he finally made it out, unharmed. The relief at being out of that hole was very evident on his face!
Guard struggles out after a difficult 10 minute climb.
THANKS TO OUR TEAM, this very blessed dog and his family happily walked towards their home to feed a very hungry dog!
Our team closed the top of this well to prevent further accidents at this site.
BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU WHO MAKE THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE.
We save lives, both great and small, because JESUS loves them all!
UNTIL NEXT WEEK,
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE
AND THE BALAMA RESCUE STAFF