Sunday morning… Blank page following Saturday…

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We have had so many beautiful and heartbreaking stories since my last post.  Too many to tell.  See photos and descriptions for a few…

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We have a beautiful group of people visiting us from Ohio.  They are from varied backgrounds with varied interests and experiences, mostly outside of health care.  They are all interested in seeing how they might be able to invest themselves for the benefit of those in this region of Angola.  Those in this group of eight are here to see if they can teach, demonstrate and/or provide anything that might help the difficult lives of these beautiful people.  The villages surrounding Cavango are rural and simple.  There are many areas in the world with as little, but there are few/none with less. 

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Those visiting bring skills and knowledge in agriculture to teach/demonstrate the principles of “Farming God’s Way” to improve nutrition, developed for just such an area of low resources.  They are here to investigate the possibility of developing fish-farming as a source of protein in a manner that can then be reproduced in other villages along the large and long Cubango River.  They are evaluating the clinic to see how we might improve our care, including providing protein supplements for those kids who arrive with protein malnutrition.  They are surveying the villages of the area to evaluate the possibility of improving clean water access. They are getting to know us, “seeing”, asking questions and minimizing the reality/perception gap re mission work. Their interest has been so encouraging.

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Yesterday we traveled past several grass-roof villages to visit four to observe their water access.  We targeted a few of the 50+ villages of 500-2000 people that are within a day’s walk of our hospital, as these are the people we serve in Cavango every day.  It was enlightening and so emotionally challenging for all of us.   Betsy and I have been living in Cavango for many years and what we saw is still beyond my comprehension.  

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None have schools for their children and none have organized churches or leaders with any training/education.  Almost all speak in their tribal languages and few speak Portuguese.  Transportation is by foot, with no cars and a few motorbikes in each village.  There are no stores and all live off their fields.  Pigs, chickens, goats, etc live with them in their houses.  There are no fences or fencing material available to them. Products sold on the global market are unavailable in this largely cashless culture.  There is, of course, no source of electricity, though there might be a few families in each village with a small generator, for which fuel is purchased in a city, hours away.

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The water access is “water holes”, which have surface water for six months of the year.  The rest of the year they walk several kilometers daily for river water.  The water holes we visited were small, open and dirty, covered with sticks, and with no protection from animals or the elements.  Each was 2-3 meters in diameter, now only about a foot deep (soon dry) and each served villages of 500-1500 people! 

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We were received warmly by the villagers, mostly barefoot, who live in crude clay, stick and grass huts.  They were dressed in what any developed culture would consider “rags”.  They showed us their access to water and the team was able to see up close where/how they lived.  They bathe in rivers, several km from the village, maybe weekly.  They voiced that diarrhea was a constant in both adults and children, among other water-borne illnesses.

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One of the villages we visited has recently been the recipient of a borehole, solar pump and water tank and the drunk village chief related that their diarrheal illnesses almost disappeared.  This gave us an example of how we would like to impact the other villages we visited and others.

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One of the women on our team shared about how providing access to clean water would free up hours daily, especially for women and children, to do other things, such as schooling for the children.

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One of our dreams in Cavango is to provide basic education for some of these thousands of kids who have no access to the same.  We are paying for four years of housing/training in the city for four adults, who will return in 2026 to begin a school here.  The challenge, of course, will be that as soon as we open school doors, we will have thousands of worthy and interested applicants.

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One of the members on the team asked what is our principal need in Cavango.  The answer hasn’t changed since Jesus spoke of lack of laborers for the waiting fields.  People.

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It is estimated that 7/100 full-time Christian workers are cross-cultural missionaries and 1/1700 Christians serve in the same capacity full-time.  All following One who said, “Go!” to those close by and to those far away.  He said when you serve those without, you are serving Him.  With the conditions described above, how is it possible that so few “Jesus-followers” are applying to come here and other places like it to give their lives to His call to go?

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From a fellow missionary this week, “I always had it in my heart, this strong desire to do this type of work. Just couldn’t find the right opportunity – and also not the right organization for me –  which would combine Christian faith and humanitarian work. And after praying and after thinking about it a long time, it just seemed the right fit. And I have not regretted my decision since.”

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There is a catchy philosophy in today’s American church, “God, family, others.”  This is taught as “truth,” by those who claim to follow the One who said, “Who is my mother?  Who are my brothers?  These are my mother and brothers.  Anyone who does the will of my Father is my brother and sister and mother.”  We have a special, God-arranged connection with our families and we are wise to faithfully honor and love those in our family. But this phrase is the essence of tribalism and we see the unhealthy fruit of tribalism all over the world, including in Cavango, where the community is fractured along family/tribal lines.  “Us, them” tribalism has caused far more damage historically than colonialism and racism combined.  It is the foundation of slavery, as those outside of one’s circle are objectified and used/abused/neglected.  Paul wrote that in Jesus there is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, etc.  Human tribal divisions do not exist among Jesus-followers, do they? 

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What about those mentioned above?  How will they hear that Jesus is alive unless a courageous someone tells them?  How will someone serve, honor, value them unless someone goes to them?  How will they trust our words if we don’t leave our favorite people, live among them and demonstrate to them, over time, that they are of sufficient value to give our lives and serve them?  “Greater love has no one than this…”

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Another popular phrase in American churches, “Grow/serve where you are planted”.  This is exactly opposite of what Jesus taught.  “If God wanted me there, He would have called me.”  He did call us to go, many times, in person…

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When will the church that bears His name begin to teach, like He did, abandonment of self for the betterment of others?  When will the (most) “least” become our (greatest) priority?  When will we sell our “worship” instruments for sweaty gloves and soiled tool belts?  Who will consider those mentioned above as of equal value to their mothers, brothers, sons and daughters?  Who will leave their homes, comfort and, even families, and go?

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If you leave your home culture/family to go to those hurting and confused, you will not become more “fulfilled” or “satisfied” or live a “better” life, but your life, service and words will benefit others.  Another’s well-being, comfort, thirst, hunger, learning, housing and improvement will take priority over your own. You will be misunderstood, dismissed, reviled, mocked, and hurt by some and honored, respected, admired and encouraged by others.  More importantly, others will benefit!   

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Those of you who respect us and our work might be surprised at how people have ascribed to me the most hideous motives behind what I do.  Midlife crisis, adventure seeking, narcissism, inferiority complex, workaholic, escapism, hypocrisy, anger, depression, arrogance, savior complex, racism, colonialism, personal profit, exploitation, etc.  Offended people can communicate some crazy, hurtful, untrue stuff.  An accurate cost/benefit analysis would be revealing.  We are in pretty good company in some of the American vitriol that comes our way (by people doing nothing for those naked, hungry, captive) but we have yet to be beaten, flogged, imprisoned, crucified…  Imagine if Jesus, Peter, Paul, Stephen, etc lived in the age of social media…  We are living a familiar, old story and this is why your encouragement and partnership with us has such great value.

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The group here is getting to know us, as we are. They see, first hand, our actual work, challenges and dreams and they are evaluating/discussing how they might partner with us.  Would you consider joining us or sacrificing to send another (“go-ers” need “senders” and supporters) to join us as we seek to improve living conditions for these “least”, via clean water access, instruction, development of a school for these thousands of kids within a day’s walk, all the while sharing about a Father who values them and has created each of them to walk in relationship with Him, now and forever?

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“This is the work of my Father – that you believe in the One He sent.”  “Believe in” – spoken to people sitting with Him.  Trust Him… follow Him… do what He does/did… 

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“I will follow you wherever you go.”.  “The Son of man has nowhere even to lay His head”   “I must first care for my Father”… “I must first care for my family…”  “Follow me…”

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Many of you are faithful to our work among these rural Angolans, sacrificially providing the means for us to touch so many.  Elbows, shoulders, fingers… all of equal importance to our Father.  Please be the voice among those you know about the tremendous pain and need outside the palace… and the ever-present opportunity to contribute to pulling the forgotten from the rubble of adversity, neglect, confusion, suffering, preventable illness, lack of clothing, water, food… hopelessness…

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