From: Brenda Lange, “Bush Bunny Brenda”
Date: May 8, 2011
Subject: Blog, May 8th, 2011
ERIC IN RSA WITH ARTIFICIAL KNEE PROBLEMS
While I was in the USA, Eric experienced increasing pain and too much “play” in his knee which received the knee replacement.
Upon my return in April, he began taking MILA (special chia seed formula that reduces inflammation), and doing advanced knee exercises. Within 2 weeks the Mila had drastically reduced his knee inflammation, but the exercises didn’t help his “loose” knee which made it difficult for him to walk.
He flew to South Africa for a medical consult last week, and it looks like a major tendon didn’t tighten like it should after his knee replacement, leaving the knee able to move out of its “area of intended motion”.
His surgeon will make a decision as to what can be done to repair is knee on Monday, May 9th.
I’ll keep you posted, but it looks like Eric will need a surgical repair to fix the problem.
SHORT TERM TEAM TO PULL THE SLACK IN ERIC’S ABSENCE
Praise the Lord for his faithfulness to provide a 6 person team of 90 day missionaries to help while Eric is laid up.
This is the first time I’ve been without Eric’s mechanical/driving skills in 4 years of major food buying, and to tell you the truth, it makes me a bit uneasy. Two men and 4 women are on the team with both men having excellent driving credentials with big rigs. Before Eric left for RSA, all the vehicles were given general maintenance and our maize mill is running great.
My prayer request is for no break downs or problem that my team and I can’t fix!
TEAM LANDS IN PEMBA ON MAY 20th.
Dave Deboer-Michigan, 3rd trip to give us a hand (leaves July 1st), excellent helps ministry and big rig driver.
Don Hitsman-Michigan, 1st trip, prof. carpenter, with tractor and big rig driving skills
Deborah Wylie-Arkansas-3rd year Business Adm. Student and heart for missions (born in Namibia to missionary parents)
Machala Herrera-17, Texas, excellent helps ministry
Rebecca Harris-Texas, 2nd year Bible School student with heart for missions
Stephanie Gonzales, Tennessee, college student, experienced short term missionary, and wife to Andy Gonzales who helped us out when we were super short-handed with food buying 3 years ago. (This time he’s on a fishing boat in Alaska and is sending his wife. J)
Eric and I thank ALL 6 YOU for giving up your summer to give us a hand in what would have been a serious problem had you not answered God’s call long before the seriousness of the need was known. The food buying program takes a minimum of 4 missionaries for supervision and logistics of the huge Mozambican team it takes to fill our 3 barns.
BOOT CAMP BALAMA
Due to the intensity of our food buying time, the entire team will be given a 5 day crash orientation in Mozambican culture, need to know Portuguese phrases, and how to handle the food buying jobs.
It will prepare them for the next 30 days of intense corn buying which starts June 1st.
Our goal: to weigh, buy, and transport from the villages 400 tons of corn in 30 days with an 80 man crew.
It’s a big job, but we serve a BIG GOD whom I know will help us make it happen.
BEAN BUYING IN BALAMA (Joseph Project—filling the barns against hunger)
In the last 3 weeks we have bought and stored 59 TONS of dried beans in our barns in 2 areas of the county. It has been a race against illegal commercial buyers from other states who are buying beans and sneaking them out out of the county at night. Bean buying legally begins on June 1st, but that’s a joke. The village bean harvest is expected to be SOLD OUT by May 20th.
Key people have come forward and are buying for us in the villages and in Balama town to help us meet the needed 90 tons for our orphans. We have 11 tons promised, and are still trying to locate the additional 20 tons.
1,600+ kids eat a lot during one year, and our program is growing weekly with kids who need our help.
Our goal for the extra 70 tons of food this year is to open a rescue center in the county south of us this year where no church exists, and no assistance is being given to the orphans.
We are praying for someone to come forward to Pastor and Administrate this rescue center.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Eric’s fast recovery
2. To receive the 25 tons of beans that will fill our barn.
3. Supernatural adjustment for this team who will have only days to be trained before starting this massive food buying program.
4. Pastor/Adminstrator for Namuno Rescue Center
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda, Linda Stanley, and the Moz. staff