An itinerant, zealous, misunderstood, maligned, cultural rebel named John asked of Jesus a question we have all asked.  Jesus responded, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” – Jesus,  Mt 11

.

As we look back on 2024 and our twelve years in Cavango, we are grateful to be participating in a work that so resembles the work/life/ministry that Jesus described to John.

.

Every day in Cavango, a small, simple hospital in the interior of central Angola, one will likely encounter patients who were previously blind, paralyzed, deaf, had leprosy or had “died”.  You will also encounter many who would have not survived their illness had they not chosen (by faith) to come to Cavango for care.

.

2024 was a year like the others of the past decade, filled with joys, challenges and outcomes pleasant and unpleasant .  We served many with excellence and most little ones also enjoyed a sucker.  Our all-local-labor construction continued to expand our simple campus and we are ready to open a simple main hospital building, an improvement we have been anticipating (and needing) for over seven years.  Our staff of more than seventy full-time workers know that they are participating in a work that is a pleasure to their Father (because of Jesus’ words to John), and has the potential of serving many for a long time.

.

There are few works anywhere like Cavango, begun on a shoestring with a simple and passionate desire to serve – in a place with no access to health care… with anyone who might join us – anyone/all who arrive; orchestrated over decades by the One who sent the above message to John, and who now invites the participation of people from all over the world.

.

In another talk at a synagogue, Jesus used the words of Isaiah to describe His work: 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of the sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” – Jesus,  Lk 4

.

We know from the chronicles of eye witnesses, written just a few years after Jesus’ life, that both of these passages describe accurately Jesus’ brief ministry 2000 years ago.

.

We know from thousands of witnesses over the last twelve years, that Jesus’ words also describe accurately the work in Cavango 2000 years later.

.

The major, beautiful difference is that, though the same One is accomplishing both works, Jesus is now using thousands of people to accomplish what he Himself did in the Middle East 2000 years ago.

.

So many of you are participants with us in this work, each contributing a bit of the mud and spit (meds, instruments, people, etc) that Jesus chooses to use to touch and heal those ill, captive, oppressed and/or hungry.  We are so grateful to be joined with such a devoted team from Angola, Europe, North and South America and Asia and Australia.

.

How many places in the world is the gospel truth – that Jesus, our King, is alive, interested and accessible – proclaimed and explained in small groups to over 20,000 different people over the course of a single year? Some simple math will estimate the impact over twelve years.  Our daily, morning meetings accomplished this again in 2024, also equipping each participant with tools with which to make decisions in their homes about how to respond to various illnesses.

.

Jesus’ ministry likely saw similar numbers of people touched.  So many received from Jesus and were grateful.  Many saw Jesus’ work and surrendered to Him as their “Lord and God”.  Many praised Him and told others about Him and His work, desiring others to know Him.  The exact same happens in Cavango and the regions surrounding… every day.

.

Jesus left His heavenly Kingdom to live among those who needed to see/hear/touch Him.  He left His beloved Father to live in the glorious, tainted world He created and He then left His earthly family to travel to see/touch as many as possible outside his own circle and culture.  He traveled constantly.  He had no home.  He healed, every day, all the time, often to the point of exhaustion. He proclaimed the truth about Himself, His Father, and mankind’s need for Him, every day, all the time, often to the point of exhaustion.  He discipled a small group of local men to know Him and His Father, to follow Him, and to be potential leaders/servants who would continue His work/service/love.  He maintained intimate connection with His Father, now unseen. He chose to focus on the outcast, the poor, the oppressed, the wounded, the sick, the hungry…  He built nothing worthy of praise as He was the necessary focus of all He did.  He gained nothing for what He did, as He called “all” and “anyone” to follow Him…

.

A follower “chooses” to follow, chooses to trust his/her leader, and chooses to focus on the one he/she follows. A follower’s life will resemble the life of the One he/she follows.  The follower is not the leader and is, in no way, equal.  The follower does what he/she sees the leader do, says what the leader says and credits the leader for his work.  In Cavango, our Leader, His followers, the Vine, His branches and His fruit, are all clearly evident.

.

Most of those who knew Jesus loved Him.  Many, especially those in authority, did not. Jesus was killed.  Most of His followers (those who chose to continue to do what He did) were killed.  Like the One they followed, before they were killed, they were threatened, hated, slandered, misunderstood, reviled, maligned, exiled, excommunicated, imprisoned, mocked, dismissed and abandoned.

.

Those in authority used the cultural laws and customs of Jesus’ day to criticize, fault and condemn Him.  And using their laws, they did find Him, a sinless man, a law-breaker!  They also used lies, deception and gossip to threaten Him, entrap Him and dismiss Him.  They tried to destroy His name and reputation and they constantly threatened to end His crazy-beautiful work.  These “leaders” were offended/threatened by Jesus and by those who followed Him, to the point of harming and killing them.  They will all see Jesus and bow before their King….

.

As we enter 2025, knowing that many will disagree with us, misunderstand us, and perhaps threaten us, let us decide again to follow this same Jesus. Let us fix our eyes and efforts on Him, follow Him and seek His pleasure, in Cavango and wherever we are. Let us do what He did, serve as He served, proclaim all He proclaimed, seek the outcast and hurting as He did, give ourselves away as He did, and walk with His Father as He did…

.