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BUSH BEAT: November 2007
PRESIDENT'S WIFE VISITS BALAMA ORPHANS
The State Governor's wife visited our children in November, 2007. She then recommended that the President's wife give us a visit. On Oct. 9th the entourage for the President's wife blew in with a flurry of cars, TV cameras, & secret service. Her convoy included 2 pick-up loads of food & gifts for our kids. It was an honor to have her visit & a great moral booster for the kids.
MISSIONARIES FROM ARGENTINA HAVE COMMITTED TO HELP US FOR 3 YEARS!
Finding long term missionaries to help us has been a serious need since 2000. In early November, I sent out a request for help from several South American missionaries who have worked in Mozambique. Missionaries who speak Spanish quickly learn Mozambican Portuguese.
Anyone who speaks Portuguese can quickly become a very productive staff member in their 1st year of service.
MEET THE FREIRES:
Alejandro, (48) & Sylvia, (43) from Buenos Aires, Argentina have met all our staff requirements, & would like to start working with us by April, 2008.
Alejandro has completed 3 years of Theological Seminary & is a deacon/teacher/home cell leader. (He will be training up pastors & evangelists for our BBC teams. (Bush Biker's for Christ).
Both he & Sylvia have 3 years experience as house parents caring for 12 orphans of all ages. Sylvia enjoys social work & will train to be our Children's Director, overseeing our Christian pre-school as well as our orphan programs. They come HIGHLY recommended by Dr. Daniel Martin from Argentina who works in central Mozambique.
Argentina is a 3rd world country. Dr. Martin assures me that this couple know how to sacrifice, as their foster parent work was volunteer only (no salary). They lived & worked with needy & abused children for 3 years.
THEIR FLIGHT TICKETS MUST BE PAID BY JANUARY IF WE ARE TO SECURE THEIR SEATS FOR AN APRIL ARRIVAL.
Buenos Aires, Argentina to Pemba, Mozambique will cost $2,350 each or $4,700 total.
Pastor David Deulofeu is excited about this Project, and is gathering the information to present it to his small Baptist Church (100 members) in December in order to commit to do all they can to support the Freire's, BUT it will take many months to raise the plane ticket funds in a 3rd world country. Dr. Martin spent 3 years speaking to 5 churches before he could raise enough funds to come work in Mozambique.
We need their help by April for the massive food buying that starts in May.
(We have to buy & store over 400 TONS of corn & beans in less than 6 weeks if we are to feed our 1,900 kids for the year.)
With trained helpers on the horizon, we must not let a flight ticket stand
in the way of rescuing & evangelizing the orphans of Mozambique! WE THANK
THE LORD FOR PROVIDING US SUCH A DEDICATED COUPLE.
WATER WELL DRILLING MACHINE & A 100 BAGS OF CHILDREN'S CLOTHING ARRIVING IN PEMBA BY DEC. 3RD!
It's been a hard battle getting this life saving water well drilling machine to Moz. Eric's team plans to start drilling wells as soon as the rainy season is over in late March. God told us 2 years ago to CUT THE ROOTS of the orphan problem.
The biggest root in our area is death of mothers & children caused by dirty drinking water. The solution is proper water wells. THANKS to your generosity, this machine will bring clean water to 1000's of people.
RAINY SEASON STARTS EARLY-REQUIRING MASSIVE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS
In Oct., normally our driest, hottest month, rains started moving in with force. The roads would soon go to mud. During Oct., Eric was scheduled to transport 6 loads (36 tons) of corn & beans to the Meluco warehouse (9 hrs.
drive each way). This would sustain the 460 orphans & widows in that area till next April. As our truck passed over a log bridge on his first trip, a log broke under the back axle with the truck fully loaded.
It was truly a MIRACLE that the truck's axle wasn't damaged. Eric says his angels must have been pushing because the log broke when his wheels were still 3 feet from the edge, yet the truck pulled out of the hole carrying 6 tons of food! Our Mavala feeding station, 9 miles north of Balama was also in jeopardy as rains make the pure clay roads very slick with even the smallest of rains. In April this year, I was taking food for our monthly distribution, when a slick clay area caused the truck to slide sideways for 40 yards with 6 tons of food & 10 men on the back! That is a scare I don't care to repeat. Eric says the only reason the truck didn't flip with us was because my "icy road driving skills" kicked in, saving all of us from a nasty accident. By spinning the wheel in the direction of the slide & keeping a steady food on the accelerator, the truck was unable to roll over.
Social Services approved our plan to distribute 4 months of food for Dec. to March before the roads close. Eric is driving weekly with a 100 bags of food to Meluco (9 hrs each way), plus moving 165 bags (12 tons) to Mavala for a distribution for 5 Fridays in a row. The Mavala feeding station assists 611 orphans plus 200 widows who care for them. It's a massive job, but all is going smoothly since the rains are sporadic, allowing us to get the work done. Butler First Methodist Church in Penn. has donated blankets & clothing for the 611 Mavala kids. Most of these kids have never had a blanket or new clothing. We will distribute it as soon as the clothing arrives (expected before Dec. 1st)
BUSH BUNNY TIDBITS:
- Our 5th feeding station will open by Dec. 5th to include 70 more orphans living with little food in a remote village called Mpire (m-peer-y).
- A new church will be planted at the Mavala feeding station in December, thanks to the evangelistic work done by Pastor Luis. Our pastors will train up a new BBC team to work in the 8 villages near this church by next year.
THANKS FOR HELPING US GIVE 1,900 CHILDREN A BETTER LIFE & A CHANCE AT AN EDUCATION IN 2007.
This will be the final Bush Beat for 2007.
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!
Bush Bunny Brenda in Mozambique
Eric Dry, Associate Director
& all those who help us in the USA, RSA, & Mozambique
2008 SPEAKING SCHEDULE
- Jan. 13 Baptist Church, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Jan. 21 arrive in USA
- Jan. 27 Emanuel Fellowship, Gonzales, TX (a.m. service)
- Feb. 03 Crossroads Church, Sequin, TX (luncheon after a.m. service)
- Feb. 10 The WAY Church, Owasso, OK (morning service)
- Feb. 11 Victory World Missions Training Center, Tulsa, OK, 8-10a.m.
- Feb. 17 & 24th OPEN for invitation
- Mar. 01 & 02 First Un. Methodist, Butler, PA (5 services)
- Mar. 09 Church of God, Sandusky, OH (a.m. service)
- Mar. 16 OPEN for invitation
- Mar. 23 Easter Sunday
- Mar. 30 Hineston, LA
- April 7th return to Mozambique
IF YOUR CHURCH OR MISSIONS MINDED GROUP are interested in having me speak while I'm in your area, please contact me as soon as possible at : (BB zero
one) bb01 (at) bushmail (dot) net*
Send LOVE GIFTS to:
Orphans Unlimited, Inc.
PMB #391
11152 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, TX 77042
Or donate online now.
LOVE GIFT SECRETARY
KAREN BROOKS
office@orphansunlimited.org
832-671-5530
PUBLIC RELATIONS SECRETARY:
LINDA FERGUSON
linda@eaglehill.com
979-234-2292
BRENDA LANGE
brenda@orphansunlimited.org
*Brenda in Balama: BB01 (at) bushmail (dot) net SHORT, SIMPLE TEXT MESSAGES ONLY due to HAM RADIO e-mail.
NO FORWARDS, ATTACHMENTS, OR PHOTOS AS BUSHMAIL CANNOT ACCEPT THEM.
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