Our Orphan Drama Team at their best, just before the Jesus Film is shown. The boys did a great job and had the audience totally captivated.
Our orphan drama team engaged the large crowd with 2 very powerful programs while our Missionary Team set up the film equipment just before dark last night at Mapone’s soccer field. Many hid in the shadows to watch, too afraid to be seen in the crowd by their neighbors. Today, Sunday, 80+ adults and 95 children came to the church meeting to find out more about Jesus. FOUR people prayed to receive Jesus as they met under a large Mango tree that had been designated “the church” for this village. A total of 32 new Christian adults will now cut fence posts and bamboos so they can build a proper meeting place. Having 180 people show up for our first post Jesus Film meeting makes this village a record setter. It’s the best response we’ve seen so far. The fields are RIPE and we are ready to bring in the harvest! These new believers begged Pastor Alberto to start a Bible School in their village. We’ll be organizing that to begin 2 weeks from now. Evangelism is only the first step. DISCIPLESHIP through our International Victory Bible School curriculum is the way to “train them up in the way they should go”.
Our team is off to the 5000+ population of the Mpaca village for tonight’s showing of the Jesus Film. More on that showing next week.
DALE’S OBJECT LESSONS IMPACT NAMARA AND PEQUARIA CHURCHES
Dale Meindertsma of Michigan is visiting for his 3rd year in a row, specializing in “object lessons” that teach valuable Bible Lessons to both adults and children. His 2 audiences were totally engaged this morning as he used a blind folded child to show how we are lost and in danger without Jesus. But WITH Jesus in our hearts, He guides us through life, keeping us safe, even when danger is right in front of us. Dale’s sponge dripped water, a perfect example of how our words drip out of our mouths, and once gone, can’t be taken back for they are “lost” forever as they hit the dirt and soak into the ground. Bridle thy mouth or face the consequences if our words harm others for you can’t get them back, no matter how hard you try.
BABY RESCUE AT PEQUARIA CHURCH
A mother came forth when Dale prayed for the sick, who has a new born but no breast milk. We organized a baby “RESCUE KIT”. A baby bottle, can of formula, and filtered water. Nelson, my 16 year old nursing trainee, got his first chance to teach a new mother how to boil water, clean the bottle, and take proper care of a baby on formula. The baby is very weak, so our prayer is that the baby will survive it’s rough start in life.
PREGNANT MOTHER IN TROUBLE
Just as everyone returned from church, I received a call from the hospital begging our help for a pregnant mother in trouble. Being “on call” with 1 of our Land Cruiser pick-ups as an Ambulance is one of the ways we help out when lives are at stake. Our driver, Janito, rushed out to the clinic in Impire at noon to fetch a pregnant woman having a seizure. He just came back to say they requested him to take her on to the Regional Hospital in Montepuez, 30 miles (60 km) away where C-sections are possible. I had anticipated this, and organized Manuel, our main driver to handle this fast trip so that Janito could carry the Jesus Film equipment out to Mpaca tonight.
My official title here is “THE COORDINATOR”. It’s a gift from God, and He helps me do it well. With HIM BY MY SIDE, many lives are touched in everything we do. There is no better place to be than in God’s will for your life. For it is in that place, that HE will show you that you can do more than you ever dreamed you could. NO ONE could have convinced me when God called me in 1988, just how much HE would have us accomplish in these last 23 years. AMAZING is all I can say when I look back at how many lives He’s touched through us and the visitors he’s sent us.
SALLY PREACHES THE PRODIGAL SON IN ROVUMA TODAY
Sally Dykema of Michigan is also here for her 3rd “tour” to preach and love on our kids. Sally’s USA church founded Rovuma’s church 5 years ago, so she was received with much singing and dancing today by the members. Sally told us at lunch that even ERIC got in on the dancing with the men in the church. Linda’s camera battery died, or we would have had that rare happening on film!
CORN IS IN THE BARN!
Dale and our team setting up tarps as the rain drizzled down.
On a cold and rainy Friday this week, our 60 man team worked hard and fast to sack and stack the last 305 sacks of super dry corn that will see our orphans through the rainy season (Jan. to May). I’m very proud of our team of Missionaries (Emma and Melissa) as well as our 60 man staff and crew who moved 103 tons of corn in 5 days. It was never more true, when I say that “many hands make the work light”. Our corn barn is now “full to the brim” as we were barely able to close the doors once it was stacked in 7 “pillars” reaching 13 ft. (3.9 m) in height. The first distribution to 447 hungry orphans and the 211 widows who care for them will be Tuesday this coming week. This area had a poor corn harvest due to crop failures from either too much rain or not enough, depending on which of the 9 villages the kids live in. We THANK ALL OF YOU who have generously given so that these children may grow up healthy and do well in school. As everyone knows “hungry bellies have no ears”.
TIDBITS:
DANIELLE VAN ZYL is back in RSA to get her residency documents. Melissa Olmsdahl flew in Wed. with Sally and Dale. Melissa is from the Christian Motorcycle Association church in George, RSA and applies for residency tomorrow, give a year of her life to help us out! Welcome aboard, Melissa! Biker Woman!
BLESSINGS FROM THE BALAMA TEAM,
Bush Bunny Brenda Lange
Eric Dry (The Bush Bear)
Linda Stanley, (Angel)
Melissa Olmsdahl (Biker Woman!)
Emma Clifford, Rough Tough Texan
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