Saturday, September 9, 2006 (Travel to Luanda, Angola)
Jane Lawrence

Seated next to me was a couple who had been contracted to go to Angola to build and stock a dairy farm. They told us to expect “dust, dirt and poverty” in Angola. I couldn’t help but think that there was more to Angola than these three things – there had been no mention of the people.

Following our lengthy wait to get through customs, we were met by Rev Augusto Chipesse and several pastors who had been waiting for us for almost three hours. They were so gracious and welcoming – took our suitcases from us and loaded us in vans to take us to the Continental Hotel. As we left the airport and entered a main road into Luanda, a hush fell over the van as we came face-to-face with the people and the extreme poverty of the people. There were tall apartment buildings with laundry hanging out the windows, small “shanties” lined the street, and every few feet there was someone selling apples (or almost anything); anything they could sell to buy food for their families or meet other human needs.

It was no surprise that after the 27 years of civil war, the city would bear the scars of that war. Over sandwiches at a small restaurant on the bay, the pastors explained some of the harsh realities of the war. Most of the war was fought in the provinces, so the people fled the villages and headed for the “security” of Luanda. Luis Samcuimbi, Projects Director, told us that the population grew by nearly six million people – displaced persons seeking refuge. What they found was a city that was overwhelmed – not enough water, unable to handle sanitation needs, insufficient housing and too, too few jobs. The pastors told us that in one day, more people died in the city of starvation or disease than had died that day in the villages due to the fighting. Some of the people have gradually begun to return to their villages to escape the hardships of Luanda.

When asked about the work of the church during the war, we were told that the pastors deliberately split themselves into two groups – one group working in the city and one group working in the provinces. They said the church tried not to side with any of the factions, so they could be pastors to all the people. They also said the faith of the people grew as they faced the hardships of war.

They feel the current government has brought stability, but the people in the “bush” do not want to have anymore elections as they equate elections with war. The idea of a smooth change in leadership is not assumed.

Postwar problems are HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment, and housing.

Following a brief sightseeing trip to the edge of the bay, we returned to the hotel. Reflection time was important and very relevant to transformation – we discussed the importance of building relationships with others and sharing our belief in Jesus Christ and what that belief has meant to us.

A poignant discussion took place regarding how the African-American members of the group felt about being in Africa – the joy of finding identity and their history was shared, but too, the pain of being identified as “black Americans” rather than “African American.”

David Vargas’ devotional was a powerful close to another amazing day as we meditated on the role and importance of memory.