The adventures of David in Darkest!! Angola.

This is an excerpt from a very interesting – but 5 page – report on David’s recent trip to Angola. (That would be a long to post on the blog.)
Please email me if you would like me to send you the full story (as a Word document).

After problems with paperwork, we finally crossed over into Angola at 2.30.
The difference between the two countries is immediate. On the Namibia side, a well-kept border post, and sealed roads. On the Angolan side. Dirt road, run-down border post, and the people looking decidedly more subdued and poor.
The “highway” north of the Omhanene border post could be described as a highway for military TANKS. Our vehicle was less hardy and so we weaved in and out of the power lines until we had to turn off at “Kaluheke”.
By now it was getting late in the afternoon and we starting to wonder exactly how far it was to Shangalala – the Lutheran mission station which was our first ‘landmark’ – however, I only had directions from the another ‘main road’ – and as we not in possession of a map, we were stymied. We started asking how far it was to Shangalala. “12 kms” – no problemo. We drove for about a half an hour and no sign. “How far is it to Shangala?” “About 20 kms”. We drove for another hour. Nothing. “HOW FAR IS IT TO SHANGALA”. 17kms. By this point we started realising that there was no point in relying on these estimates – as there are no distance indicators and the people probably almost never drive in cars.
Eventually, at 7pm, we reached Shangala. We greeted the Halme family; Finns who have been working at the Shangala Bible Institute for 40 years. We told them we had to continue driving through the night as we had an appointment at 7am the next morning. They shook their heads in disbelief. Little did we know that the road we had so far travelled was a luxury highway in comparison to what lay ahead. The ‘main road’ to Lubango is – in theory - a sealed road. However, due to years of lack of maintenance, potholes have eaten their way through the surface, inside outwards, and erosion has eaten its way, outside inwards. Sometimes you can go at speed (40km/h) – even in parts up to 80km/h. It took us about 10 hours to drive 300km – so, considering that we were moving faster, at some points, much of the time we were crawling at 5km/h.
On Sunday, I went with the van Steensels to the Anglican church – which is classified as one of the Evangelical Churches. There are 2 young Anglican students at ISTEL – but I think most of the Anglicans are still trained in an Anglican college in Mozambique. Mozambique shares the Portuguese language with Angola and is ‘mostly’ also part of the ‘Anglican Church of Southern Africa’.
I was very encouraged by the service. As it was Trinity Sunday, the pastor gave a sermon that was a summary and explanation of the Athanasian Creed.
After that I met with the 2 Anglican Students, Juliette and Francisco, to encourage them and hear more about the Anglican situation in Angola. They are the first Anglicans at ISTEL, and were interested in the ‘Anglican Distinctives’ Course available at NETS. I was encouraging them to consider this as an alternative to compulsory study they would have to do subsequent to ISTEL in Mozambique.
Their main request to me was for a computer. Digital submission of assignments is a requirement at ISTEL. Yet, in Lubango, there is only electricity for 6 hours every 18 hours. So ISTEL (and many other businesses) run a generator for the ‘down-time’ – up to about 11pm at night. But because there are not many computers at ISTEL anyway, to use them when there is power is essential.
Lubango has a Portuguese colonial flavour, and there are some beautiful buildings. But it is dirty as a city and the roads, though not as bad as the road we travelled on, still have some holes. Yet despite the dirt and ‘ghettos’, you still see many satellite dishes, receiving ‘DSTV’ – South Africa’s pay-TV export to the rest of Africa.
It is in a beautiful location – a valley surrounded by hills on three sides and is at a height of 1800m. So, although it is comparatively close to the equator, it has a beautiful climate – quite chilly in fact. Once you ascend 200m to Monte Christo, you are at a height of 2000m. Of course, I had forgotten to bring warm clothes, coming from Owamboland, but my colleagues from Windhoek certainly had. Jesus on Monte Christo had part of his face blown off in the war, and some fingers of his left hand.
Tuesday we took off’ and drove to Namibe – the costal city. The road down the escarpment, the ‘Lebbe’, is described by Angolans as the most beautiful in the world. For good reason! (See the pictures.) Well, it would have to be, after the most UGLY road in the world. It is in very good condition, and the area is “touristy”. The most interesting thing about Namibe was the taxis – which were motorbikes, darting all over. You simply stand on the side of the road, and soon a motorbike will pull up next to you and you climb on the back (no helmet required) – it will take you where ever you want to go.
Fuel is cheap in Angola – a land rich in crude oil (and diamonds), and the latest member of OPEC. But where does the money go? Paying for the 30 year war, I guess – but Angola is supposedly the second most corrupt country in the world.
I praise God for this opportunity to visit my brothers and sisters in Angola. I am humbled by the life I see in churches, which in many cases is not present in far more ‘blessed’ church circumstances. I have friends now in Angola, brothers and sisters I may not see again in this world, but certainly it the world to come. I thank God for safe and uneventful travel – I have heard of many who had to stop more than once with flat tyres.
Pray with me that NETS material can be a blessing and tool for churches there – the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, and the building up of the body of Christ. Please pray specifically that the IELA church (the biggest church in Cunene) would choose to translate the Ndonga material into Kwanyama, and this would be also beneficial to other churches, and to us in Namibia!