missionary update

From: "Bush Bunny Brenda Lange
Date: September 10, 2011 10:30:31 PM CDT
Subject: Blog Sept. 11, 2011
5 WATER WELLS COMPLETED (Thanks to your generosity!)

Balama County--2 wellsMeluco County--3 wells (includes the Elephant village) All 5 wells are now pumping 1000’s of liters of water/day to over 500 families in EACH of these 5 villages.A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who pooled your resources to make this happen! There is still one well to be dug in the area of our Meluco mission station and orphan houses.

With much persistence, a Christian geologist, knowing how desperate the water situation is for our orphans, finally located 2 areas that show good promise. A break down in the water well drilling truck has caused a delay in completing this well.The company expects to have it dug before the end of Sept.

VISITORS ARRIVE TO LEND A HELPING HAND
On Sept. 3rd, I picked up Samuel Lyles of San Antonio, TX and Nathan Bell of Columbus, Ohio.Sam is a Junior an Accounting major at Texas A&M, and Nathan is a Youth Pastor with experience in African missions.Both have done a wonderful job of “jumping in” and helping this week with the many practical tasks as well as enforcing our new Youth Program for teenagers.These 2 young men instantly won the hearts of the people, as Nathan stepped in the first day of devotions for our workers and taught them a funny “kid’s camp” song.

He had everyone howling with laughter as they tried to imitate his hand motions.They will bless us with their assistance till late November.

GROUND BREAKING FOR NEW DORM
Last year you read of our dilemma with the new paved highway condemning many of our orphan homes, forcing us to construct new homes for the children.Our present dorm is home to 11 teenage orphan boys in grades 6-10.The new highway did not condemn their home, but it will pass just 30 feet from their front door.

Social Services agree that the boys needed to move to a safer location, so one acre of land was organized just outside our mission fence.Construction of the new complex hopefully will be completed in December, and is being financed by the selling of the old dorm site.

GOAT BARNS ALMOST READY Finding a suitable location, and building a goat barn with corral took a bit longer than expected.Thanks to Youth Leader Carlitos Jorge of Rovuma, it is finally ready to go.
We are looking at breeding stock next week, and hope to get our first breeding herd started by the end of the month.FYI: Carlitos grew up in our program, as he is the son of our first foster mother Assia. Assia has been with us from 2003 and is still caring for 7 orphans in her home.She has fostered 10 other children to adulthood in her loving care.

THE CONTINUING SAGA OF THE BALAMA BUSH CHURCHES JPequaria’s church offering and offering basket were finally returned to us this week, after Pastor Gito had a long talk with the woman who took it.

The 3 brick layers of the Kwe Kwe church will remain in jail until December for poaching an elephant. We distributed food to the Kwe Kwe orphans on Friday, and visited the church’s construction site. The church members were working hard to build the brick walls and were doing a fairly good job too.The 2 long walls were leaning outward a bit, so we asked them to tear down the “leaning part” and do it over.

Pastor Alberto rode his motorbike out there yesterday for their discipleship class and promised to make sure the walls were standing straight. ERIC DRY, our Associate Director in Balama, is wrapping up the supply trip purchases this week in South Africa and hopes to leave for Balama by early next week. That’s all for now folks!

Blessings and Love,

Bush Bunny Brenda and the Balama gang.