FRED IS BACK!Office manager, Capena, fetched our “cheerful” Pastor Fred yesterday from the Nampula private clinic, where he had leg surgery last Sunday. It is WONDERUL to have him back with us, and to know that his leg will now heal rapidly. His cast has 3 “windows” in it for suture removals this Monday. Pastor Fred with new “window” cast. Our Balama Doctor just left Fred’s bedside after verifying all is good after his 7 hour ride yesterday in the cab of a pick-up. The x‑rays shows his 2 broken leg bones are now held in place by 2 stainless steel rods. In 6 months, Pastor Fred will face another surgery to remove those rods once the bones are totally healed. Fred’s x‑ray with new rods in place. In 3 weeks, Fred must return to Nampula to have his final check-up and hopefully, his cast removed. He will then be told when he can begin physical therapy so he can put weight on his leg. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS PASTOR FRED’S SURGERY!!! The final bill came to $3,500 due to the surgeon’s decision to use “rods” (more expensive) than plates and screws. Fred has more patience than most people, for he has been “off his feet” since Dec. 24th. WE THANK THE LORD FOR HIS PROVISION THROUGH ALL YOU LOVELY PEOPLE. FRED WILL SOON RETURN TO THE BBC BALAMA GAMES TEAM WHICH IS TOUCHING OVER 15,000 VILLAGE CHILDREN/WEEK! THIEVES ATTEMPT A TUNNEL BUT FAILED!In the last 2 weeks, a rash of “break ins” have happened all over this area, keeping our neighborhood residents and night guards hopping! It appears these thieves are a small gang of teenagers, as one of our guards got a good look at 2 of them when they jumped the fence where he was guarding. Seeing a guard yielding a flashlight (torch) and a machette prompted them to jump out without taking anything. Two “teens” tried to tunnel under our rice barn Thursday night. They quietly dug a very nice tunnel, but it only yielded good exercise and dirty clothes! Concrete floors keep 2 and 4 legged rats outside! Guess their “intel” wasn’t too good, for all our warehouses have solid rock and cement floors that are at least 6 inches thick! Doubt they will be back, for they are looking for easy loot! KID’S KORNERThe 100+ children who live with us are all healthy, PTL! Unusual for sure! As the resident “Mom” around here, it is nice to not be called out in the night to attend to an emergency. We had 6 INCHES OF RAIN this week, forcing us to shut down all but essential work for 3 days this week. It is finally drying up a bit, so our tractor began moving large rocks to the next orphan home site. We put in this home’s foundation before the rains started which was a good thing, or we would not be able to do anything until April. Thanks again for all those who helped us get a great children’s Pastor “back on his feet”. Even before he can walk or run, Pastor Fred is planning a KID’S KORNER STORY TIME in his home village once he is out of his cast! A TRUE EVANGELIST WILL FIND A WAY TO TOUCH OTHERS, NO MATTER WHAT MOUNTAIN RISES UP BEFORE HIM. Blessings, Bush Bunny Brenda Lange And the Balama staff |
