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BUSH BEAT: November 2006"OPERATION RESCUE," LOVINGLY RENAMED "THE ELEPHANT & LION PARK" Many have asked, what's it like to visit Meluco, home of our new mission?
This beautiful mountainous area is the site of many wild animals as it sits between 2 wild game reserves. The following is the story of my latest visit: Ever try doing your business on a dark & rainy morning in an outhouse without a roof? The rain was refreshing as it cooled me off, but I had a horrible time keeping my toilet paper dry! That's one of the "unfinished" pieces of construction that makes camping out here such "fun". A few miles down the road, a "gully washer" rain storm hit us, turning the road into a raging river of mud. We were climbing a series of large hills, fighting rivers of water hitting the front tires for about 12 miles. We made it, but it took 2 hours to cover the 30 miles to Meluco. The slippery clay almost caused us to fall off into a deep ditch at one spot. But angels were on duty & we arrived safely without damage to us or our supplies. That afternoon, I'm over at Sylvai's mud hut talking to his wife, & playing with his 9 month old baby. I'm squatting in the shaded doorway of the hut, when his wife yells "COBRA!". Unknown to me, a 1 meter long green mamba had come sliding out of the house just 6 inches behind me, & was now laying at our feet, partially concealed under a piece of cloth laying on the ground. At her scream, the snake took off at it's full 15 miles per hour, running between Pastor Mussa's feet & then doubling back, to hide behind some water containers. Mussa did an "escape dance" that later had us laughing to the point of tears. With heavy pieces of bamboo, 3 men managed to corner & kill that feisty speedster. We PRAISE THE LORD that no one was bitten, but it showed us that even "in town" we still need to be alert to hidden dangers. That night I did a thorough "snake check" of my tent before crawling in. Meeting snakes once a day is enough for me. At dawn, Pastor Mussa & I hit the road for Balama. Three miles up the road, 3 piles of very fresh elephant dung lay in the middle of the road, telling us that our flat footed friends are still nearby. Elephants, like humans, take the easiest path to get where they want to go, so they walk the roads when it is dark. RULE OF THUMB IN THE BUSH: KEEP YOUR PRAYER WALL UP, YOUR ANGELS ON GUARD, & YOUR EYES OPEN, OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES. BUSH BIKERS FOR CHRIST, TAKING THE LOVE OF JESUS TO MANY VILLAGES BBC (Bush Bikers for Christ) has been a big hit in both Meluco & Balama counties. Thanks to generous contributions, Meluco now has 6 bikers & Balama has 8! We will be outfitting more members as funds come in for bikes. The teams are made up of mature Pastors & trained children's leaders from the 2 existing churches in these counties, Living Waters (our church) & the Assembly of God. Meluco's group (4 men & 2 women) is working in 6 villages with an expansion planned at Meluco's high school village, 14 miles away. In the first 4 weeks of existence, this "under the tree type Sunday School" touched 154 children/week. Attendance is growing, & the team is super excited at the children's responses. Balama's team of 5 men & 3 women has conducted 2 outreaches with 115 & 144 attending the first 2 meetings. These teams are using stories & drama to open the eyes of children & their mothers, who have never heard of Jesus. TIME IS SHORT before the second coming of Christ. Our goal is to reach out & save as many children as possible before the Lord comes, (both physically & spiritually). The Bible asks "How are they to hear if no one goes, & how are they to believe if no one tells them?" We at Orphans Unlimited believe the only way to do this is to equip their OWN PEOPLE to reach out IN IN A REAL WAY BECAUSE THEY SPEAK THE TRIBAL LANGUAGE. To reach the multitudes, we must start with the "good soil" (children) for they will carry the stories to their families. We realize we can't physically save all the children in northern Mozambique but BECAUSE OF YOUR HELP WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS & LOVE GIFTS THAT MAKE OUR JOB EASIER! GET READY FOR THE COMING OF THE SON! (FOR THE TIME IS VERY NEAR) The Lord set a fire inside of me, like none I've ever experienced, after reading "HEAVEN IS SO REAL" by Choo Thomas (available on amazon). It's an amazing account of her vision of heaven & what awaits those who stand firm with Jesus till the end of their life. The Lord has also shown heaven to Jessie Duplantis. His DVD packet on "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE GOD KIND" will give you further insight into what the Lord has built for his children. Available through his web site. The time is short & the laborers are few, so recharge your batteries, & help bring in the harvest! MUD HUTS FOR WIDOWS AND ORPHANS Thanks to several gifts given for building mud huts, local villagers were contracted to construct mud huts for 2 widows in desperate need. Completed is the hut for the widow with a crippled foot who had no where to live with her 3 orphaned grandchildren. This little woman danced around her yard when she saw us drive up. She was so excited to have a hut with a complete outdoor bathroom/toilet to call her own. Having a deformed foot made it hard for her to carry water on her head. The village chief blessed her with prime land within 100 yards of the only water well for this very large village! Her joy was beyond measure. Out next stop was to a grandmother, who is caring for her elderly mother, as well as her 7 orphaned grandchildren. The roof of her house was falling in from termite rot. The rainy season has started, so there is no way to build her a complete house. The village men quickly constructed a 1 room hut that will serve this family of 9 until the rains stop next April. Once her new house is built, the 1 room hut will serve as her kitchen. This family was overjoyed to receive this help, as they'd been sleeping outside with no protection from the rain. YOUR GIFTS made this possible & the family asked me to thank you. During this visit, I was delighted when 3 year old orphan, "Esperanca" (HOPE), allowed me to hold her. This is very unusual as most African children are afraid of foreigners because they have never seen white skin. This child truly won my heart as she radiates love, & beautifully represents this generation of children that we hope to reach with the gospel of Jesus. THE LORD BLESSES THE ORPHANS IN 3 OCTOBER FUND RAISERS Wonderful friends in Texas & Louisiana organized special events for 3 weekends in October. I flew to the USA for a 21 day whirlwind of activities, & had a wonderful time making lots of new friends & visiting existing ones. The March banquet held in San Antonio provided the funds to start Operation Rescue, but funding was needed to keep it going. With the funds received through the Houston Banquet & 2 church services, O.U. was able to purchase a much needed 1 ton Toyota Land Cruiser. This "work horse" will haul in food, bedding, & clothing to areas where our 6 ton truck can't go. The Land Cruiser will also be the transport for the newly donated Water Well Drilling Rig that will provide the new water wells to serve villages where the orphans live. OUR HEARTFELT THANKS GOES OUT TO ALL THOSE WHO GAVE SO GENEROUSLY DURING THESE EVENTS. Your funds will make a remarkable difference in 2007! 2007 SPEAKING DATES to be announced in January. During Feb. & March, I will be touring churches in TX, LA, OH, NC, OK, & the Washington DC area. Hope to see you then! This will be my last letter for 2006. May you & your family have a blessed time celebrating the Lord's BIRTHDAY! Bush Bunny Brenda Lange & the Orphans Unlimited Board of Directors Send LOVE GIFTS to: Or donate online now.
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