New song raises awareness of Lutheran Malaria Initiative
ST. LOUIS, August 21, 2012—Guitar? Check. Recording studio? Check. Write a song that children will sing to raise awareness about a disease that takes another child's life every minute, half the world away? Check!
The Rev. Dr. Frederic W. Baue, a St. Louis pastor with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), has written "Buzz Off," a song to help raise awareness about the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI). The song, chords and lyrics can be found under "Resources" at www.lutheranmalaria.org.
The song begins: "Buzz Off! (Buzz off, you nasty little bug!)," and includes lyrics such as these, "When God made the world, He made it right, There were mosquitoes, but they didn't bite. Then along came the serpent slick as you please. Man fell. Then came sin, death and disease."
Baue was inspired to write and record the song after playing guitar at an LMI fundraiser with LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison.
"That got me fired up about the project to end needless deaths from this dread disease," Baue said. "I just got a note from the kids at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Daykin, Neb., saying, 'Thank you for writing 'Buzz Off'! Our VBS [Vacation Bible School] really enjoys singing it as we learn about showing Jesus' mercy to others.' "
The song is one of the many free resources available for raising awareness and funds to carry out LMI anti-malaria programming in Africa. Congregations, schools and others participating in LMI are encouraged to use the song as part of their activities.
"Malaria fighters have a new tune to sing thanks to the talents of Fred Baue," said Dionne Lovstad-Jones, manager of development outreach for LMI. "This new song, with its catchy tune commanding the mosquito to 'buzz off' and 'get on out of the area,' is perfect for kids. Its melody is simple and fun.
"These kids know that their work will save children 'just like them' and that they are joining a worldwide effort to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. Having a song to promote their work and share in the excitement is contagious in a life saving way."
The Lutheran Malaria Initiative, a partnership of Lutheran World Relief (LWR) and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and made possible through support from the United Nations Foundation, seeks to raise $45 million to combat malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by this devastating disease. With programs currently in Mali, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, LMI is reaching 2.4 million people with messages about prevention and treatment.
When the LMI campaign began in 2010, a child died of malaria every 30 seconds. Today, that rate has decreased to one death every 60 seconds.