FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2023 PREPARING FOR MAJOR FOOD CHANGE On September 28th our teams will distribute a bag of rice to each Granny or Aunt who hosts orphans and receives their food at our Balama Mission base. Our 3 months of corn supply is now finished. We were unable to store corn for the entire year due to a lack of availability of the preservative that is necessary for long-term storage. 50 lb or 25 kg sacks of corn flour for our 7 orphan homes Nothing changes for our 7 children’s homes, as the resident orphans will still receive corn flour weekly. This corn flour is being bought in a town 30 miles/60 km away that has a professional mill for bagging corn flour for sale to the local stores. We are very grateful that this mill exists so that our 55 resident orphans and the widows who care for them, will be able to continue using the menus that encourage maximum growth for our children. CHANGE IS NECESSARY FOR ALL OF US, AS WE MARCH TOWARDS OUR LORD’S RETURN. BEHIND THE SCENES OF OUR VILLAGE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS Our food distribution teams give out 24+ TONS of food in each food give-out location in the “time of hunger”. The orphans and widows from 22 villages meet in 6 different locations in the Balama County/District to receive our assistance. The time of hunger extends from August to November each year. In the past I have shown you many distribution photos, so now I will share with you what it takes to make those distributions happen. THE DAY BEFORE THE DISTRIBUTION, OUR TEAMS LOAD THE TRUCKS with 4 to 5 tons of food supplies needed to feed whichever group of orphans that will receive it the next day. This year we are serving 1,145 orphans and widows in Balama. They are divided into 6 location groups throughout Balama County/District. Loading the trucks is the first step in food give out preparation ONCE LOADED, the trucks are tarped and parked in the shade at our office for safe keeping until the next day. That afternoon at 2 pm, my guard buys the team freshly baked bread rolls, leaving them with me to prepare the next a.m. ON EACH DISTRIBUTION DAY my work begins at 2:30 a.m. (Bush Bunnies must be early birds!) At 2:30 a.m. I make fresh peanut butter sandwiches for our distribution teams who leave at 4 a.m. with the loaded trucks. There is no food in these remote locations. The teams are usually out until 10 a.m. each distribution day, so a hearty breakfast is a must! Once the teams pull out at 4 a.m., I only have 30 minutes to prepare for the construction team’s arrival at 4:30 a.m. With the whole team out of town for the distribution, all other work falls to me, and 2 other staff who stay behind to help out. FYI: Sun up is 5:15 a.m., so we do all our preparation work in the dark with flashlights/torches, or the headlights of the vehicles. Granny and orphaned grandson working together to get their food to the other orphans living with them God’s little ones, happy to have food to eat Those smiles make all the work worth it That little smile says it all IT IS HARD WORK, BUT WELL WORTH IT WHEN YOU SEE THE CHILDREN’S FACES AT THE DISTRIBUTION! TOGETHER WE ARE TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THESE 1,145 CHILDREN AND THE WIDOWS WHO CARE FOR THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL LOVE FOR THEM! BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |