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Category Archives: Uncategorized
THE BUSH BEAT, MAY 28, 2016
CORN HARVEST HIGHEST PRIORITY
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA”
DATE: May 21, 2016 |
CORN BUYING–HIGHEST PRIORITY With only 10 days to go, Capena, my office manager and head of food organization, is busy contacting village leaders to find out which Village Co-ops have corn to sell. Price agreements are the major point of the negotiations. MY PART: Getting the processing chutes and other equipment, (including the paper that pays for it all) ready as well as marking and counting out the 3,000 feed sacks that must be ready for distribution to the different groups. Dave Debour has a servant’s heart and is my saving grace as he is doing all he can to reduce my work load. Tackling this job with out missionary help can quickly steal one’s joy. I’m very grateful to Dave for his top notch help. 2 HELPERS FLY IN ON 27TH WITH FILM MAKING AS MAIN AGENDA May 27, I will be in Pemba fetching long time ministry supporters, Andy and Ashlee Gonzalez from the USA. (This is Andy’s 3rdtrip.) They raised their own support, and are giving 3 months to help with food buying, and making a updated film FOR ALL OF YOU! The new DVD will be a few months in coming but it will give all of you a better idea of the great job our bush evangelism teams are doing with the 7,000+ village children they are teaching about Jesus. I have seen some rough footage of the programs that Carletos Jorge took with his phone, and what they are accomplishing is equal to a mini crusade for Christ with each gathering! OOPS! MELUCO RAN OUT OF CORN ON THURSDAY Problem was resolved in 48 hours thanks to Manuel, our head driver, who willing made an emergency run on Friday. The Meluco orphanage manager told me 2 weeks ago that the corn should be enough, but his count was wrong. Since most of our staff grew up in the great civil war that lasted 25 years, one thing they never learned was to “think ahead”. They live in the NOW, and seldom think to replenish anything until it is GONE. This is one of the BIGGEST challenges/frustrations many Moz. organizations have with their management staff. Yes, we have worked hard to drill “inventory taking” and “thinking ahead” into their routines. Some learn it, and others don’t. Keeps us all on our toes for sure! NEW CHURCH GROUP IN MAURURA VILLAGE BUYS LAND Carlitos Jorge began this church just before Christmas. They met under a tree this rainy season, and have now been able to buy a 1 acre (half hectare) piece of land that is big enough for a church and a place for AWANA games during the rainy season. During the rainy season, many AWANA teams are very limited on where they can meet because every available spot, including all soccer fields, are planted in food crops. The villagers will now organize an “open air” building which consists of a grass roof with log benches inside. This will serve as the first phase of the church building until they can organize a mud brick structure. BLAST FROM THE PAST THE BUSH BUNNY ON “OLD FAITHFUL”. This felt poster was made by Anne Kunze, the great woman of God who discipled me during Bible School back in 1989/90. Anne used one of the first photos I ever had taken when I came to Mozambique 25+ years ago. I’m riding OLD FAITHFUL, my donkey, who was my first mode of transportation when I worked at the Vilanculous orphanage during the Mozambican Civil war. It is one of the few things that survived all the moves during these many years. It still hangs in my bedroom as a reminder of how far I’ve come since 1991. FYI: BUSH BUNNY turns 61 on MAY 26TH AND STILL HOPPING DOWN THE BUSH TRAILS! A box cake mix (chocolate) will be my treat for it was thoughtfully sent over by LINDA FERGUSON from our TEXAS office with Dave Deboer. Been a while since we had a cake baking, so I plan to enjoy it! BLESSINGS, BUSH BUNNY BRENDA LANGE DAVE DEBOER, MICHIGAN Sent from Samsung tablet. |
HOME AT LAST
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BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG, APRIL 3, 2016
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$25,000.00 MATCHING FUNDS
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This message was sent to l1nda@mac.com from:
Linda Ferguson | linda@orphansunlimited.org | Orphans Unlimited, Inc. | 307 East State Street | Eagle Lake, Texas 77434 |
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BUSH BUNNY BRENDA BLOG
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA” DATE: MARCH 12, 2016
ADDITIONAL 75 ORPHANS SINCE OCTOBER DEPLETES OUR FOOD STORE In the 17 years I’ve been in Balama, I’ve never had to admit so many moderately malnourished children into our Thursday food program. Since last October, the numbers have been slowly creeping upwards until it has now reached 75 new admissions needing food each week.
These 5 children and their grandparents, whom we admitted last week, are a prime example of the many others we have had to admit in the last 5 months
To meet this additional need we are now milling more than 140 sacks of corn/month. (Oct. milling was only 105/month).
I must ask your forgiveness for letting this need slip up on me, but our sack count shows that our corn supply will be depleted by April 20th, leaving 5 weeks to go before normal corn buying starts.
We have enough funds remaining from our 2015 food budget to cover 75 sacks, but not enough to cover the remaining 100.
A farmer has agreed to sell us the needed 175 sacks of fresh corn at $16/sack. (April 20th is way too early for dried corn, as it is still on the stalks in the field.)
I thank you now for any help you might be able to give us so these children will have food during May.
STREET CHILDREN MAKE THEIR WAY TO SUNDAY SCHOOL
SUNDAY SCHOOL DRAMA HELPS CHILDREN UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR SALVATION
Last Sunday, Bertino (playing Jesus on the left) and Daude (playing Satan on the right), gave a very effective lesson to the many new faces in our Sunday School Class. Many of the children did not know about the need for Salvation through Jesus to reach heaven, so this illustration brought the point home.
The lesson was simple: No one can stand with 1 foot trying to “find” Jesus and 1 foot in the world serving Satan.
The more the boy sinned, the further the baskets were pulled apart as he grew older.
Each man must CHOOSE JESUS or fall into the “pit of hell” when he dies.
Choosing JESUS is the only way to VICTORY!
THE LESSON MADE IT’S POINT!
For 30 hands went up afterwards to receive Jesus!
The “eye gate” is a powerful tool, for it is by seeing an illustration that we learn the fastest (both the right things, and sadly the wrong things too).
REVEALING JESUS through visual lessons AND OUR ACTIONS OF LOVE, is what draws the children to HIM.
My greatest reward is in training up Youth Leaders to bring JESUS to the children
Blessings in Christ Jesus!
Bush Bunny Brenda Lange
“Bush Bunny” Brenda Lange
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
Brenda’s Blog is Posted at:
www.orphansunlimited.org/blog
or SUBSCRIBE to receive the blog by e‑mail.
This message was sent to arvidcarroll@yahoo.com from: Linda Ferguson | linda@orphansunlimited.org | Orphans Unlimited, Inc. | 307 East State Street | Eagle Lake, Texas 77434
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KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL
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NEW DISTRICT DIRECTOR VISITS CHILDREN
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OH, THE RAINS CAME DOWN.….…
Bush Beat Blog
FROM “BUSH BUNNY BRENDA”DATE: JANUARY 15, 2016
RAINS CONTINUE TO POUR DOWN, BUT WIDOW’S ROOF BACK ON! Non-stop rains may slow us down, but my carpenters and brick layers worked long hours in the rain this week to get the new roof secured in place.
Repairs continue on the 4 houses that had damage to outer walls. Still to be re-roofed is the construction storage warehouse, which is leaking, but staying in place with heavy bricks. Thanks to a great friend in Broken Arrow, OK, we were able to buy the tin sheets and bags of cement needed for all this work.
Thank you for all your prayers during this time of trial, for old “smutty face” (devil) is not liking all the evangelical work we are doing. Even in the RAINY SEASON, we are reaching over 5,000 children a WEEK with the Gospel and discipleship training via the AWANA program.
BLACK MAMBA PAYS BUNNY A VISIT (Praise report, angels watching over me.)
When the roof attack didn’t stop us, “smutty face” sent me a 30 cm (1 foot) long, shiny baby black mamba to visit me in my bedroom! That was the only size that could slip under the screen door into my room. (That ¼”/1cm space has now been closed off!)
I woke up Tuesday at 4a.m., rolled out of bed with my flashlight, and immediately spotted the little critter under a box at the head of my bed. My trusty machete (panga) was within easy reach, so with 6 very fast and accurate WHACKS, that little critter was in 6 pieces! I then crushed his head with the point of the blade (that’s Biblical yah know!), scooped it up in my dust pan, and gave my guard a heart attack when I opened the front door and handed it to him to throw away.
Poor guy liked to have jumped out of his skin. No Mozambican likes to get that close to a snake, but when I convinced him it was super dead, he agreed to dump it in our garbage pit. AND NO, I didn’t bother to take a photo of the dead snake. At 4 in the morning, I just wanted it out of my house!
Needless to say, I was PRAISING THE LORD for revealing the snake, and keeping it from crawling into bed with me! I also asked the Holy Spirit to REVEAL any others that might be lurking in my house. None have shown their head, so I feel sure that was the only one that got in.
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE WILL KILL YOU
Sadly, 3 of Pastor Alberto’s family were electrocuted in Pemba in the same storm that tore up our buildings on Friday night. The house of his niece and her 2 young boys was wired for electricity with UNINSULATED WIRE. The high winds blew the wire onto the TIN ROOF of the house, electrifying everything. The mother was hit first. Her 2 young children were electrocuted when they grabbed her as she began to convulse. A neighbor man was also electrocuted when he tried to pull the children off their mother. Many people wire their houses with whatever type wire they can find. All of Mozambique is on 220 volt power, leaving no room for mistakes if you touch an open wire. A sad reminder why safety rules for building materials are a must. Pastor Alberto performed the funerals, and is now on his way back to continue training up Pastors in Namuno District.
NEW YEARS PARTY A SUCCESS FOR 150+ ORPHANS/WIDOWS
The photos tell it all, but games, great food (2 goats and 120 lbs of rice), and lot of cookies, candy, and balloons made a great New Year’s party for our children.
NEW NYLON SWING SEATS DONATED BY CHILDREN FROM EVAN’S, LOUISIANNA GOOD NEWS CLUB
You can tell from Dixon’s face, that he truly feels secure in the new swing seats. Much safer than the wooden seats we previously had, these nylon “snuggy” swings won’t hurt as bad if a child gets hit by them. THANK YOU to the elementary school children in EVANS, LA for this wonderful gift!
WIDOW’S RECEIVE NEW HOES AND MACHETTES FOR NEW YEARS
Thanks to several donors in the USA and RSA, we were able to bless 700 village widows who care for orphans, with a new hoe and machete.
I couldn’t pass up this photo of baby DANIEL as he laid claim to the hoe we gave his foster mother. That little face truly says “It’s MINE!”
My entire staff and our resident orphans all send our sincere thanks to each of you reading this, for without your help, we could not bless an endless mass of children with a new life through Jesus Christ. Each of you are a piece of God’s puzzle, and because you do your part, we can do ours.
THANK YOU, SO, SO MUCH
Blessings, and a BIG BUNNY HUG,
Bush Bunny Brenda Lange