BUSH BEAT, August, 2009
(to view beautiful version with photos, click on pdf icon to right)
BREAKING HIGH DEATH RATE IN REMOTE AREAS
On July 5th, the first of 3 VOX Ministry teams arrived from Grand
Rapids, MI to teach health and hygiene to our area church leaders.
Thus began our joint effort to break the high death rate in remote
villages caused by poor hygiene and dirty water.
Leaders from all eight Balama county churches as well as 15 leaders
from a Pemba church (which leads over 60 other churches in other
remote counties) made up the class for our first health and hygiene
seminar taught by Dr. Sherrie Tamburello. With balls of play dough,
representing human waste, colored sprinkles for germs, & her huge fly
with dirty feet, Dr. Sherrie gave unforgettable object lessons on how
dirty hands and bugs spread disease.
Forty trainees have already begun to teach these life saving methods to
their Sunday schools and churches in several counties. (If you want to
change a nation, start with the children.)
THE IMPACT: hundreds of families are already learning how to stop
diseases because the VOX team knew how to multiply themselves
through teaching.
EDUCATION is one of our essential keys to REDUCING THE
DEATH RATE, thereby reducing the rate at which children are
orphaned.
The life expectancy of a
Mozambican is only 38
years, making it hard to
raise your children to
adulthood.
CARLOS ALI RETURNS TO
ARGENTINA
At 76, Carlos
is the oldest
evangelist
we’ve ever
had help us.
His powerful
testimony of his conversion from
Islam to Christianity has touched
many lives in the two years he’s
visited us.
During this trip, a muslim leader
invited Carlos into Balama’s main
mosque, but when the muslims
wanted to know more about Jesus,
the main leadership went to the
Religious Affairs Director and
had him barred from entering
another mosque in our county.
But never fear, Carlos with all his
anointed boldness went to their
houses and told them more! We
all love and miss him dearly, as he
is a powerhouse of energy, and
was essential in June during the
processing of 250 + tons of food
for our orphans. If God so
ordains, we hope he returns in
2010 to continue his quest to
open the hearts of the muslims to
the Love of Jesus.
ROCK DELAYS DRILLING, BUT SOLUTION ON THE WAY!
In late June, our O.U. team drilled 3 wells that showed great water content, but before we could reach the
needed depths, we hit rock that our drilling bits couldn’t penetrate.
Quit? Admit defeat? NO WAY!
Thanks to the cooperation of a VOX team leader, the advice of Living Waters Int. drilling instructors in
Michigan, and Little Beaver Drilling Company of Houston, our Texas office was able to locate and ship a rock
drilling bit (just in time) to the VOX team leader. Bob Kammeraad brought us the 38 lb. bit in his luggage.
With this new “rock cruncher”, these 3 wells sites can now be completed!
WATER WELLS SPRING FORTH!
As the seminar ended, VOX brought in 2 water well
teams who rehabilitated 7 existing water well pumps
and helped drill 1 new well. Some of the wells needed
a complete overhaul (a major 2 day job) while others
went into immediate service after minor repairs.
In each village, the people greatly rewarded the hard
work of the VOX teams when their anxious looks
turned to shouts of joy and dancing as the repaired
wells released their sparkling clean water. Each hand
pumped well serves up to 1,500 people per day
(10,500 people in 7 villages). Our combined efforts
brought the Love of Jesus to these people, and
opened doors for the Word of God to enter the hearts
of these villagers who have never heard the gospel
even once. A church has already been planted in
Mpaca village because of VOX’s efforts. Just as Jesus
brought his living water to the Samaritan woman in
the Bible, we know that this is only the beginning of a
great awareness of GOD’S LOVE for the lost in
Balama county.
FIRE LEADS FAMILY TO JESUS
In mid-August, Social Services sent us a family of six
(parents with three small children and an infant).
They walked into our Balama mission with only the
clothes on their backs. The dried grass roof on their
mud hut caught fire, burning to the ground in
minutes. They escaped only with their lives. Gone
was their entire year’s hard work (their entire harvest
of corn and beans) as well as all they owned.
We immediately gave them clothing, food and a ride
back to Mavala (9 miles away), as they were
exhausted. The father was strong and willing to
work, so we hired him to clear 7 trees for the Mango
Tree Youth Sports Center. As he worked, two women
from his family stopped to talk to him. Pastor Agusto
and I began to witness to them about how much Jesus
loves them. They were all ears, as they were
experiencing that love as we spoke.
Assistance from neighbors or family after a disaster is
difficult to obtain as everyone in this area is very poor
and has little to spare. This family was amazed that
we not only gave them a gift of food and clothing, but
provided them a HAND UP and not just a HAND
OUT by providing a job. (Few jobs exist in this area)
THANKS to all of YOU, we are able to share the
LOVE OF JESUS with those in need.
MANGO TREE YOUTH EVANGELISM
CENTER NEEDS MISSIONARIES
Chris Nagowski arrived Aug. 8th from the FUMC in Butler, PA. The members of this Methodist Church
adopted and built the Mango Tree church in 2008 in the remote village of Mavala. This 7.5 acre site is home
to our new sports evangelism center that will serve the 15,000+ children of the 8 villages surrounding Mavala.
A simple brick home is now under construction for Pastor Agusto who will direct the program. Two soccer
fields and the basketball court will also be completed by December. Sports programs, a preschool, and other
children’s programs are planned to start in May, 2010. All programs will be Christ centered.
HELP NEEDED:
The potential impact of these programs is immeasurable, and we
will need several long term (two years or longer), and short term
(90 day) missionaries to supervise and train local leaders to
handle these programs. If you feel God calling you to work with
kids in remote Mozambique, please contact us.
“The harvest is great but the laborers are few”.
Not into Children’s ministry, but want to serve?
We need missionaries to help with the water well drilling and
with the management of the everyday running of our orphan
program. Some financial help is available for both these positions.
Love , Bush Bunny Brenda & the Balama Staff
NEW PHONE NUMBERS FOR O.U. OFFICE
Note below that we have changed numbers to decrease our monthly costs.
LOVE GIFTS TO:
ORPHANS UNLIMITED, INC.
11152 WESTHEIMER RD., PMB 391
HOUSTON, TX 77042
LOVE GIFT TO: ORPHANS UNLIMITED in RSA
Standard Bank-Hatfield
(branch code) 011-54515
Name: Orphans Unlimited
Acct. # 017743036
PERSONAL NOTES TO BRENDA brenda@orphansunlimited.org
ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
LINDA FERGUSON linda@orphansunlimited.org
phone: 979-234-3422 or 713-854-9197
To find out how YOU can improve your health and
sponsor an orphan at the same time, look at the videos
on our MAX website: www.maxgxl.com/orphansunlimited
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