| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 REGINALDA FINDS A LOVING HOME At Thursday’s baby formula give out, a record 36 infants were weighed and given formula. Our staff was shocked when a 12-year-old girl walked in with a tiny infant girl whose Grandmother is supposed to be caring for her. The girl stated her Grandmother is sick, and unable to care for Reginalda, a 7‑month-old, VERY malnourished infant, who weighed in at only 4 kg/8.8 lbs. Anna, our Children’s Director, called me immediately, for the infant had lost 300 grams in 7 days! This meant she wasn’t being fed. She had only a mild cough with no sign of a serious illness, PTL, just very hungry! I called Social Services, who immediately placed the baby into our care until the situation was investigated.  REGINALDA, held by Assistant Children’s Director, Anna, with Foster Mom Angelina on right A trip to Granny’s mud hut revealed an elderly grandmother who wasn’t truly sick, just didn’t want the infant. Reginalda was placed with Foster Mother Angelina, Head House Mother for the Ostrich House kids, where 18-month-old Quiston lives. Reginalda, “Reggie” for short, needs LOTS OF PRAYER and a $40/month sponsor who will uphold her in daily prayer. With her being severely underweight, our staff has begun a 6 month high protein food program to help her overcome her low weight. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS EMERGENCY RESCUE POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR FAITHFUL LOVE GIFTS. SEPTEMBER FOOD GIVE OUTS IN PROGRESS! Time flies, for 4 weeks have passed, thus making this week the right time to roll out the trucks and load’em up with corn and beans. Two major villages were served this week, with 3 more scheduled for next week. Below are a few photos of those you support through this massive food program.  Even the youngest of orphans love helping Granny fetch their Love Gift  Ophaned youngsters receive salt, while Granny picks up their beans.  Everyone gives a helping hand on food distribution day!  Grannies and Aunts prepare their Love Gifts into smaller bundles for the trip to their mud hut. THANK YOU FOR HELPING THESE INNOCENT ONES OVERCOME THEIR MALNOURISHED STATE. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
Category Archives: Uncategorized
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: SEPTEMBER 11, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 HOUSE #7 IS FINISHED! Health Inspectors will check the house on Monday and then we can officially open it to receive children, or more infants if the need arises. It was a joint effort from 2 donors on different continents. Thank you to Caleb and Sarah of Inspire International in the USA for your generous gift that built the 4‑bedroom children’s home and the laundry area.  House #7. This 4‑bedroom orphan home is complete.  Laundry area for House #7 Barry and Lynette of Australia, thank you for going the extra mile in sending your gift that built the kitchen/dining area and bathrooms.  Dining room (L) and cooking, food storage rooms on right.  3 bathing areas on front with 4 bucket flush toilets in back. We are thrilled to have had the materials available to complete this complex, for 2 weeks ago both cement and tin roofing sheets were sold out with store owners saying it could be 30 days or more before they receive a supply. GOD IS ALWAYS “ON TIME” WITH ALL WE NEED! HOUSE FIRE WIPED OUT ALL THEY HAD Our Meluco Orphans Manager, Sylvai, sent me this photo of a burned out mud hut on Sunday.  Scorched trees show how fast and hot the roof burned. A Granny and her 3 orphaned grandchildren were cleaning their farming field when they saw billowing smoke coming from their mud hut. An unknown, obviously very heartless person, had set it on fire. Sylvai found this very hungry family the next morning sitting under a tree near their home. They had nothing but the clothes on their backs. The Grandmother stated that they had no fire at their hut when they left that morning, so someone had to have started it on purpose. This family has been in our orphan food program for several years, so Sylvai notified me immediately, putting our EMERGENCY RESCUE PLAN into action. Capena assisted me in sending the equivalent of $150 to Sylvai via phone transfer within 1 hour of Sylvai’s message. He went to the Meluco market with the family and bought them each 2 sets of clothes, new plates and a cooking pan, as well as new school supplies for the 3 children.  Widowed Granny with 3 grandchildren in front of burned out mud hut. This week Sylvai organized bamboo and 8‑foot bundles of roofing grass so he can replace their roof for an additional $70. (Sent to him yesterday) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVE GIFTS LAST MONTH, FOR THOSE GIFTS MADE THIS EMERGENCY RESCUE POSSIBLE. BALAMA ADMINISTRATOR VISITED ON THURSDAY On this visit, our Administrator first checked on the children, then asked to see our food warehouses. He is super keen on helping us increase our agricultural yield on the 40 acres/16 hectares of our mission station.  Balama Administrator visits our corn warehouse. He requested the Director of Agriculture to assist us with a plan before planting time in November. It’s great to have friends who really care. Blessings BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: SEPTEMBER 4, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2021 TRIPLETS GRADUATE FROM MILK PROGRAM! Born January 18, 2021, these 3 husky babies are now 7 months and 3 weeks old. Triplets at this age are a rare sight around here, but this family, who live in a remote village over 15 miles from our mission station, has done an outstanding job in caring for these tiny tots. But, by the looks of Melbio (far right), “Big Tot” is more like it! In the photo, L to R: Boy, Meldio, 12.1 lbs/5.5 kgs Girl, Meldia, 11.7 lbs/5.3 kgs Boy, Melbio, 14.5 lbs/6.6 kgs YOUR LOVE GIFTS MADE THIS POSSIBLE!  Marica Triplets graduate from our milk program. THANK YOU, for the baby formula alone is one of our biggest budget items at over $12,000/year. We currently have 36 infants in the program which sadly continues to increase weekly. Without our baby formula assistance, there is little hope for these precious little ones who lose their Moms shortly after birth. YOUR LOVE GIFTS ARE TRUE LIFE SAVERS. FAMILY OF 5 JOINS FOOD PROGRAM It’s not just the infants who are left alone when a Mom dies. In this case, the grandfather walked his 5 grandchildren to our mission to ask for help. Four-month-old Ambrosio, and his 4 siblings were orphaned after their mother died of post-malaria complications. Their father died several months ago from an unknown illness.  Baby Ambrosio in arms of grandfather with his 4 grandchildren. The oldest girl is 12 and will assist her grandparents with the raising of her siblings. Our prayer is that the grandparents’ health will stay strong for many years, or this could become a Child Headed Household. ELECTRICITY COMING TO OUR AREA At present, our 6 orphan homes use solar power along with battery powered lanterns for lights at night. This week, our long awaited prayers were answered as the electric lines passed by ALL our children’s homes.  Electricity will soon be a reality for our orphan homes. Our children all live on the same dirt road, but their homes are in 4 small clusters, each about 100 yards/meters apart with private mud huts in between. This way, the children grow up in a village community, and not in a dorm type setting, separated from their neighbors. God’s vision given to me in 1992: Build homes the African way, keeping the children IN THEIR CULTURE. We’ve done just that, with Home #7 soon to open. God’s vision has become a reality thanks to all of you giving a helping hand. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: AUGUST 28, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: AUGUST 28, 2021 AUGUST GIVE-OUTS COMPLETED The orphans are growing up, thanks to your commitment with your Love Gifts. Here are a few more photos, this time from the 4 villages in the Kwe Kwe area. On Tuesday, our team served 135 orphans cared for by 71 widows. THANK YOU FOR GIVING THEM A CHANCE AT A FUTURE.  Guarding the food for his 2 siblings and Granny.  Life-sustaining food. Not fully appreciated by most until you’ve gone hungry.  2 orphans carefully divide their food so they can carry it home. Not a kernel lost. GIRL’S ROOM PAINTINGS BRIGHTEN EVERYONE’S DAY. Vicente did a great job bringing “Creation” to life with a few local animals thrown in. My “bunny-rabbits on a binge” idea became a reality through Vicente’s paintbrush.  CREATION, GOD’S gift to us all, brightens the girl’s room.  My wild idea. “Bunnies in the garden”. Eating what they shouldn’t of course! As we admired his work, he was busy putting his talent to work creating a “tweaked Noah’s Ark” in the #7’s dining room. Vicente always changes each Noah’s Ark in some little way, so they are never exactly the same. BUSH BUNNY TIDBITS 1. Alferes is now playing soccer after a 10-day-fight with malaria, together with a magnesium deficiency that caused his muscle spasms. Magnesium supplements and extra vitamin B quickly resolved his muscle irritation. 2. Construction of a new kitchen at the Gazelle house is taking shape at a tremendous pace with carpenters and brick-layers using their famous remodeling skills. Our builders will tell you that building from scratch is much easier than remodeling.  Old kitchen (L) and new food room on right. The kitchen will include a longer, shaded veranda and a spacious storeroom for their food supplies. The roof and veranda floor are being completed as I write. UNTIL NEXT WEEK, WE IN BALAMA BID YOU GOODBYE FOR NOW. Please keep us all in your prayers, as we pray for all of you, plus our Christian family in Afghanistan. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: AUGUST 21, 2021
| WHAT CAME IN, NOW GOES OUT! Our massive county wide food give out to orphans living in the remote parts of Balama District has begun. In 4 days this week, our team used both the 6- and 7‑ton-trucks, plus 2 Land Cruisers to move the following life-saving food gifts. 343 sacks dried corn (19 TONS) 64 sacks dried beans (4 TONS) 25 sacks salt (500kg/1,100 lbs.) 1,145 pieces of bar soap  Excited orphans touching the life-saving food your gifts provide.  So precious in God’s sight.  Dedicated staff hard at work. YOUR LOVE GIFTS fed 1,145 orphans and widows this week, and we aren’t done! Next week, we have 1 more give out in the Kwe Kwe (Quay-quay) area.  Guard the food means “sit on it” to these young orphans.  Big brother balances the bike, while little brother looks on as their Aunt can load it up! THANK YOU AND PRAISE THE LORD FOR PROVIDING GOD’S PRECIOUS ORPHANED CHILDREN WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS THROUGH A LIFE-SAVING GIFT. HOUSE NUMBER 7 RECEIVES THE “CREATION” MURAL IN THE BOY’S ROOM. Painter Vicente has begun brightening each wall of the boy’s room with a special mural.  “CREATION” brightens the boys room of house #7 The murals most loved by our children are the Bible stories with animals in them. He will be painting the girl’s room next week. What we plan for those walls will be revealed in the next blog. BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL! BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: AUGUST 14, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: AUGUST 14, 2021 ALFERES FIGHTING MALARIA CONVULSIONS Thursday morning, 10 a.m., Alferes, our construction trainee who was receiving treatment for malaria, began having severe spasms in his right arm. Our staff rushed him to the hospital where all 4 of his limbs began to spasm as he tried to walk into the emergency room.  Alferes, our hero (above left) who saved baby Angelica when she had a febrile seizure. He remained conscious, but seemed mentally distant. IV malaria meds along with powerful IV antibiotics and anti-seizure meds were immediately given. It took repeated IV meds and fervent prayer before his body became calm about 6pm, 8 hours after these episodes began. He will continue IV treatments for the next 6 days, and only a mild arm spasm was seen once on Saturday. PTL ALFERES is improving, but not “out of trouble yet”. PLEASE keep him in your prayers this week. He has a bright future and needs his body working 100%. THE RACE IS ON AS MOTHERS CORRAL 5 TINY TOTS! All but 3 of the 8 tiny tots in the Zebra House are now walking! We praise their advancement, but it does keep the mothers hopping! In the afternoon lull between meals, it is PLAYTIME with these precious little ones. PLAYTIME PHOTO SHOWS ALL BUT CHEBANE, WHO WAS SLEEPING.  PLAYTIME at the Zebra House! They won’t be small for long. All but 3 now walking. FRONT (L to R): Gilda, Juma, Fatima. MIDDLE: Adelina, Julho, Maezinha FAR BACK: Tiny Suzanna, our youngest at 15 weeks, now 4kg/8.8 lbs. That is an incredible increase of 1.4kg/3lbs since July 10th when we received her into our family. They are growing/changing so fast, it is hard for me to fathom that they all came here as malnourished infants.  Roommates Mazinha, left, and Adelina on right, braving a cold morning to be first in the sandbox.  Julio decides he likes the girls next door!  Chebane super happy in his new home. THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THEM IN PRAYER, AND SUPPORTING THIS TINY TOT HOME THAT GIVES THEM A PLACE TO LIVE. BLESSINGS BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF H BUNNY BRENDA“DATE: AUGUST 14, 2021 |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 25, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 25, 2021 |
| ABANDONED BABY AT HOSPITAL In Saturday’s blog, I told of an infant in our milk program who has malaria and severe anemia with a Hemoglobin of 4.4. His blood type is O Negative, which is not available in this area. He was blood tested on Thursday, but the father disappeared from the hospital with the infant before he could be admitted. The father returned on Friday with the infant, agreeing to hospitalized him after much convincing by our staff. I knew it was a fragile situation, but prayed the father would cooperate.  BABY CHEBANE, cute even when not at his best. At 4pm Saturday, July 24th, I received a frantic call from Fatima, our Assistant Children’s Director who is the night mother for Baby Susana. She told me the father was making a big scene at the hospital, demanding to take the baby home to die. A call to Social Services brought them rapidly to our aid. After much convincing, the father agreed to leave 8‑month-old baby CHEBANE (She-ban-ee) in our care. Our 2 mothers watching Susana now have 1 infant each. Babies can sense the emotions of those caring for them, meaning they know when they are not loved. As soon as I gave that little boy a bottle, he stopped crying, and smiled when the bottle was empty. He was content. Assistant Children’s Director Fatima, took him into her arms where he fell into a peaceful sleep. She told me Sunday a.m. that he woke at 2 a.m. wanting to play with the baby toy I gave him last night. Big change from the lethargic infant I saw on Saturday night. Chebane has a good chance of surviving the anemia once the malaria is eradicated. Born December 12, 2020, his age, weight, and “fighter attitude” makes his anemia “curable” with a balanced high protein diet, much love, and prayers. Chebane needs a sponsor of$40/month as we declare he will live, in Jesus’ name! Thanks to your Love Gifts, we are able to continue RESCUING JESUS’ PRECIOUS INNOCENT ONES who would otherwise perish. Blessings, BUSH BUNNY “Mama” BRENDA |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 24, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“DATE: JULY 24, 2021 |
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 24, 2021 WEE LITTLE ONES NEED YOUR PRAYERS Baby Susana is doing slightly better after her blood transfusion 2 days ago. The malaria she contracted in her home village causes a delayed anemia, as the amoeba destroys red blood cells before the treatment can kill it out. Her blood tests still reveal an infection, so she will remain in hospital until that is eradicated.  Father of Susana when he left her in our care. Each Thursday is when all 26 infants in our baby formula program come in to be weighed, and receive their formula. The tiny twin girls, received last week weighing only 1.9kg EACH had lost 1 lb. Or 500gms EACH in 7 days! The mother is handicapped with only 1 hand, and later found to be severely anaemic (hospital test showed hemoglobin of 3!), so her Sister was taking care of all of them.  Tiny twin girls now in hospital with sick mother (far right) and Aunt (foreground) look after them. We rushed all 3 to the hospital along with another very anemic infant boy who has only his father caring for him. All were admitted, and blood was arranged for the twin’s mother. One of the twins has an infection and is receiving IV antibiotics also. The anemic baby boy has malaria, and is receiving treatment. However he has O‑negative blood, which is very rare. His hemoglobin is 4.4! Only 2 people in our District of over 130,000 are known to have O‑negative blood. Neither of these people can contribute at the moment as they gave recently. This little one needs a Jesus transfusion! Please keep them all in prayer, and I will update you next week. RICE IN THE BARN Our team did a marvelous job of filling our rice warehouse with 16.5 tons of rice this week. When rice comes directly from the field and is left in its hull (unprocessed), God’s natural shell keeps it safe from all bugs. Our barns are full, officially closing our food buying for 2021. THANKS TO ALL OUR DONORS WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE SO ORPHANS IN 2 DISTRICTS/COUNTIES, will have nutritious food for the next 12 months. ORPHAN HOUSE #7 IN FINAL STAGES Painting has begun for the lunchroom/kitchen as well as the bathrooms. Our carpenters are completing the roof over the clothes washing area as I write. Just the sidewalks, kitchen sink, and toilets are left to install once the painting is complete.  Carpenters completing roof over laundry area for House 7.  Lunchroom/kitchen gets 1st of 3 coats of paint.  Bathrooms await doors and toilet installation when painting is complete. THANK YOU AUSTRALIAN DONORS for making this possible! BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 10, 2021 URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 10, 2021 URGENT PRAYER NEEDED FOR TEREZINHA / TERESA Teresa (Terezhina) was rushed back to the hospital about 2 hours ago and is in dire, urgent need of a miracle. She was fine a couple of hours before that and eating well. Then her stomach began having tremendous bloating, she was in pain, and refusing a bottle. Sister Lisha has started IV antibiotics and Brenda and team have prayed over her. Please join us in prayer as Brenda says her symptoms tell them the most likely won’t make it otherwise.  Teresa before she developed stomach problems.  Baby Teresa after her last hospitalization. Thank you for your prayers. |
BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG: JULY 10, 2021
| FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA“ DATE: JULY 10, 2021 TEREZINHA HOME AT LAST This little girl is a fighter, overcoming her gastroenteritis in 7 days so she could return to The Zebra House on Tuesday, July 6th. Eating eagerly she now weighs 3.4 kg/7.4 lbs. as she decreased to 3kg/6.6 lbs. in the hospital. Born April 1, 2021, Terezinha’s Grandmother decided to change her name officially to TERESA on her birth records. This is the name we must use now. Our Miracle Mother, Vaneza, was unable to take the emotional strain of her 3rd assigned infant, Teresa, being sick in the hospital. An excellent mother, Vaneza has cared for 2 VERY HIGH RISK INFANTS, who are now in the arms of Jesus.  VANEZA with Teresa before she developed stomach problems. We offered her several solutions, hoping she would stay, but Vaneza resigned when Teresa had to be hospitalized. OUR PRAYERS continue for Vaneza as she took these infant’s deaths as a sign that she is not a fit mother. Please pray that Jesus can show her otherwise. BABY TERESA was cared for in the hospital by Fatima, our Assistant Children’s Director, who herself is an excellent mother. Salvador and Baby Fatima neck-to-neck to see who will walk first! Watch video—> https://youtu.be/eOefMKof1C4 JESUS SENDS US FOSTER MOTHER ERNESTINA The very next day, ERNESTINA came to our office with excellent credentials for a Head Mother. She has work experience in a large pre-school in Nampula, and loves babies! When the virus closed her pre-school last year, she returned to Balama where her extended family lives.  ERNESTINA, new Foster Mom with Baby Teresa. We are very grateful for God’s provision as ERNESTINA happily received the fragile Teresa into her arms when she was dismissed from the hospital. Remember, in this culture, to smile in a photo means you are not taking your responsibility seriously. SACK IT AND STACK IT! Our corn barn is now full after a grueling 5 days of sacking and stacking 187 Tons of super dry corn with a small group of men. Distribution to village orphans will begin in August. These village orphans grew enough food to last their households until August by planting the seeds YOU provided for them last November.  Last stack of July corn almost complete on Friday. Note: The July corn was provided by our 11 Village Pastors and a few staff members who are all part of Christ’s family. Our churches are growing! JUST RECEIVED A TINY 3‑WEEK-OLD GIRL from 20 miles/44 km away. That awesome story will be in next week’s blog. BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE AND THE BALAMA STAFF |