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BUSH BEAT: April - May 2006
FUEL SHORTAGE CHALLENGES THE BUNNY'S RETURN TRIP
The plan was to fly me and my 400 lbs of cargo from S. Africa to within 30 miles of our Balama base in a Cessna 310. These supplies are essential in order to begin Operation Rescue (saving 2000 orphans in a remote area of northern Mozambique).
AV GAS, which every small plane depends on, has been in short supply for over a month due to a bad mixture being made at the refinery. All airports in northern Moz. were out of fuel, making it impossible for us to fly up.
SOUTH AFRICAN INGENUITY TO THE RESCUE!
Alison Papenfus, our RSA board member, solved the problem by offering to drive me to Maputo (7.5 hours each way) with the high priority items. I flew commercial with 150 lbs of the most valuable items from Maputo & Eric Dry picked me up in Pemba.
After 8 days "in the air and on the road", I was finally HOME in Balama by April 24th.
It's been a tough return with many challenges awaiting my attention. But the Lord is clearly opening the doors for both the Balama project & the Meloco project, known as Operation Rescue. I've never seen a program fall into place as well as this one is doing. It's a wonderful site to see.
MY KIDS in Balama welcomed me home with a fantastic song and dance presentation in the first church service after my return.
They were truly keyed up because Mamma Brenda finally came back. It's nice to be loved.
"ELEPHANT WALK" NO LONGER A GAME
On April 25th, we sent our supply truck to pick up diesel from the nearest fuel station, 30 miles away. This road is such a JOY, as that little trek takes an empty 4X4 90 minutes minimum through miles and miles of deep trenches, holes and muddy low water crossings. Top speed 20 mph in the few good spots. We call it our TEST OF PATIENCE!
As the pick-up returned, some villagers stopped them just 6 miles from our base. Two elephants had just crossed the road less than 100 yards from where they were stopped. Since 1999, there have been NO elephants within a 2 hour drive of our town. Local reports say their numbers are growing and they are spreading out due to a lack of food supplies in the game reserve.
Is it any wonder that kids are starving just outside the game reserve? These 2 elephants have now wandered over 100 miles south of the game reserve.
STATE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES APPROVES "OPERATION RESCUE" PROPOSAL
Our proposal to save the 2000 orphans and bring clean water to Meloco District was met with GREAT JOY on Friday, April 28th.
Plans are now being made to "scout the land" for a mission base and to begin the program in June. The wheels turn a little slow for my liking, but there is little I can do about it. I'm a DO'ER personality and will start "DOING" what I can for the kids as quickly as they will let us. Food buying for the entire year starts on June 1. There is little we can do until we fill our barn with corn and beans, as I have no extra food until the harvest comes in this month.
NEW WAREHOUSE IS ALMOST FINISHED
My construction team knows I am one for "hitting the ground running". I was only home a week when we started work on the largest food barn I've ever built. Measuring 35 ft. X 75 ft. and reaching 16 feet high, this barn will hold 300 TONS of sacked corn or beans. This rat proof barn is the first step in starting Operation Rescue, as all the food for both Balama and Meloco must be bought and stored by August. Because we have no base in Meloco as of yet, the Balama base will have to hold enough food for both places this year. We hope to have a base set up in Meloco by Oct., so that the food needed for those orphans can be transported up there by our new truck before December, when the rainy season closes the dirt roads to large trucks.
Our 6 tons truck is a DREAM and is already carrying large loads of supplies for the orphans and the construction needed to support the orphans. The Meloco project would not be possible without it. THANK YOU JESUS for answering our prayer so quickly.
TERMITE HILL NOW A CELL PHONE CENTER
Don't ask me how, but someone discovered that those of us in remote Balama can make a phone call to anywhere in the world by driving 12 miles east towards Montepuez, the nearest town with cell phone service. "Coconut Village", so named by our visitors because hundreds of coconut trees grow there. It's beautiful and really stands out among the local landscape.
Well, there's a very tall termite hill on the outskirts of that village. If you stand on top of it, your cell phone can pick up signal from Montepuez, over 24 miles away. Eric tried it and it worked! It sure beats having to drive 30 miles (90 min.) over a really bad road just to make a phone call. There is hope that by next year, we may have a cell tower in Balama. Until then, we will use the "hill top phone center" for necessary calls.
ROADSIDE DELIVERY
I was awakened at 10 p.m. on May 11th by Ali, my English speaking project director. At his first shout I sat up in bed trying to get my brain to function. I knew his wife was due to have her baby within the next week, so I assumed he wanted me to give her a ride to the hospital. As I got to the door, his words penetrated and I realize she has had the baby in the street! We jumped into my truck and raced off into the moonless night to fetch her.
Ever try to pick up a mother with a baby lying on her abdomen, who is still attached to her by the umbilical cord?
I can tell you it isn't easy, but 4 of us managed it, and didn't even drop the baby!
After getting her safely into delivery, where everything turned out fine, Ali explained what happened.
He was studying at 8 p. m. when his wife said she was going to bed. At 9 p.m., he goes into the bedroom & sees she is in pain. He puts her on his bicycle and pedals as fast as it he can towards the hospital. In Moz., a bicycle is the common man's "car" & everybody travels that way. He gets half a mile from his house and has to lay her in the grass across from the Assembly of God church. The pastor's wife and a friend come out to help, while Ali delivers his fourth child on the side of the road. A little girl they named Eve. I asked him why that name. He replied that since the baby was born in front of the church, they would name her after the first woman God made.
We have had a good laugh as I told him "just because Eve is literally a "STREET KID", don't think you can apply for assistance through our feeding program." Ali's street kid jokes have given us many a laugh since that night.
The rough start didn't seem to faze either of them as both Mom & baby are doing great.
I know many are anxious to keep up to date with what is happening with Operation Rescue. I promise to write as often as needed; sending updates called "Bush Beat Bulletins" as events happen. This will truly be an exceptionally exciting year.
Be praying for us as we make our first scout trip around May 25th.
Andy Gonzalez is joining us on May 17th, to help complete the construction of the new barn and then fill it with food.
It's his first time to Africa and we greatly appreciate his sacrifice in coming to help.
We ask God's Blessings on EACH OF YOU who read this. THANKS FOR BEING A PART OF THIS AWESOME MOVE OF GOD, WHO SEEKS TO SAVE THE LOST BY USING US AS HIS INSTRUMENTS.
Blessings,
Bush Bunny Brenda Lange,
Eric Dry (Associate Director) &
The Balama staff
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
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