MELUCODISTRICTBEGGINGFORURGENTWATERWELLREPAIRSAFFECTINGOVER 40,000 PEOPLE
Thursday, a hand carried message was sent from the Meluco Administrator to our Balama gate. TWENTYWATERWELLS went “out of service” in the last 2 weeks, and need urgent repairs. BUT, no spare parts or repair team are available. Could we help?
Our answer is YES, for NOWATEREQUALSNOLIFE.
BUT, our parts supply is not enough to meet the need!
An additional $1,000 is needed to buy the water well parts in Nampula city, 7 hours drive to the south.
We can fetch the needed parts this Tuesday, if love gifts are pledged to help us, as I must go to Nampula for my Passport renewal.
I can “borrow” our kid’s December food money, as long as we know the funds will be coming in.
Grandmother Asuema (Ah-sue-ee-ma), fled for her life from the remote village of CATAMBA (Cah-tam-bah) with her 5 month old granddaughter, Rotina on Sunday. They were attacked with deadly force by the mother of these 4 children, who suffers from mental illness. The mother came home drunk after stealing a bottle of “home-made corn liquor” from someone in the village, and attacked the grandmother with anything she could throw. Asuema grabbed the baby’s milk and bottle, but the mother smashed the baby bottle from her hand. She ran with the baby tucked under her arm, as the mother swore loudly in Makua that she would kill baby Rotina!
The other 3 children, Nelson (13), Toni (9) and 3 year old Maezinha (My-zeen-ya) fled to a neighbor’s house, and were kept safe until the rampage was over. These 3 children were then sent to stay with a relative in that village, while Granny Asuema walked the 12 miles (20km) to our base with Baby Rotina (20 km). Without a baby bottle and clean water for mixing the formula, baby Rotina, who is very small for her age, would not stay healthy for very long.
Granny walked in late that afternoon, and we immediately replaced the baby bottle and gave them a bottle of clean water. Granny was given food and refuge in one of our widow’s homes for the night.
Social Services was contacted the next day, and agreed to accompany Granny Asuema, and Capena (our office manager) to her village to assess the situation. After a 2 hour meeting with the extended family, Social Services agreed that it was in the best interest of all 4 grandchildren and their grandmother for them to seek refuge in one of our Balama widow’s homes for an indefinite time period . Since this was the worse of many such attacks on the grandmother and children, it was evident that their presence in that village put them at great risk of injury and/or death from their own mother
Sad, but this is reality here, as treatment for mental illness is non-existent in this area.
This village has no idea who Jesus is, as no church exists in their area. We made a lot of friends in that village that day, opening the door for a Pastor to visit.
This is definitely one of those “mysterious ways” Jesus brings HISWORD to the lost who do not even know He exists.
RESCUEINGTHELOST: both physically and spiritually is why Jesus sent us to Balama. TOGETHER, WEARESAVINGLIVES.
Our staff is dedicated to “going the extra mile” to do just that until our Lord returns.
We THANKYOU for your prayers and love gifts that make it possible for us to go those extra miles.
ROLLING, ROLLING, ROLLING! KEEPTHOSETRUCKS A ROLLING!
Rolling out with 5 Tons of corn and beans to The Mango Tree Church food give out on October 16th
Loading, unloading, and distributing 27+ tons of corn and 5 tons of beans in TWODISTRICTS in 5 days is a massive amount of work.
BUTTHEREWARDSAREGREAT! Our staff gave out clothing to all 515 orphans in MELUCODISTRICT this week, as the orphans danced and sang for joy!
cLayla and Sozinho, an orphan who grew up in our program, (far right) “dishing out the beans” at the Kwe Kwe food give out on Wednesday.
Many of the orphans who grew up in our program, now “give back” by helping us out on distribution days.
Layla, Rachide, and Pastor Fred, (yellow hat,) cutting and folding 200 “caplanas” (cotton wraparoung skirts for the girls in the Meluco District.A Caplana is the normal village wear for the girls in northern Mozambique.
By Wednesday evening it was evident Layla had a fever, and “malaria” symptoms. I quickly cooled her down with a cool water bath, and put her to bed after she took the proper malaria treatment. She handled the 3 day treatment just fine, and is quickly regaining her strength. In fact, she just walked past my door, having managed the 150 yard walk from her house to mine. With an appetite, she is now “raiding” the table for bread and beans. You know she is a true TEXAN when BEANS is the first food she asks for!
P.S. Layla will travel to RSA (S. Africa) on Monday to request her residency visa on Tuesday at the Mozambican Embassy in Pretoria. She has dedicated a year of her life to help us continue our live saving work with the orphans. I am MOSTGRATEFUL for her help!
I will travel to Nampula to renew my Passport on Tuesday, as embassy staff will be meeting with all Americans needing such services (to save us travel costs to Maputo City). Keep us both in prayer as we travel.
