MISSIONARY REPORT FROM
ANGOLA

“But ye, beloved,
building up
yourselves on your
most holy faith,
praying in the
Holy Ghost, keep
yourselves in the love
of God, looking for
the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto
eternal life.”
Jude 20,21.

The democratic Republic of Angola is located in southwest Africa and it has borders with Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is an old Portuguese colony with considerable natural resources, among them oil and diamonds.
The country has been plunged in civil war since 1974, when it became independent from Portugal and the MovimientoPopular de Liberacion de Angola (MPLA) (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) came in power. The opponent party was the Union Nacional para la Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola). In 1994 a peace agreement that favoured a national government was signed. In 1998 the war broke out again and it ended with the intervention of the UN in 1999 and the MPLA taking hold of the power once again.
Angola’s economy is very unsteady due to a quarter of a century of continual wars. Although it is rich in natural resources, its income per capita is one of the lowest in the whole world. Agriculture provides sustenance to 85% of the population. Nevertheless, although a peace agreement was signed in 1994, violence continues and millions of

the mines remain buried under the earth. This is the reason why many farmers are not willing to return to their fields.
The history of our church in Angola is very interesting because all the brothers and sisters from the city of Lubango, with the exception of 4 of them, were members of another denomination. Moved by the Holy Spirit and Providence, they came to the firm conviction that the altar at which they were worshiping was not the one erected by God.
After they left their church, they thought their trials were over, but the Lord wanted to further purify their faith, that they obtain more knowledge and practice more patience.
They spent some time in prayer and studying while they met under the trees until one of the leaders of our church invited them for a talk. Once they were convinced where the truth was to be found, they became a part of the people of God. This was in 2001. Some members were baptized in that year, and others when pastor Daniel García visited them in 2002.
In December of the same year, the field of Angola was reorganized by pastor Daniel García and most of the committee was formed by those brethren. We are thankful to the Lord that during the period 2002

– 2004, the work in Angola spread out to four more provinces.
In the city of Luanda (the capital city) the work started already in 1993, and it is still developing. In Luanda we already have 2 churches and 3 organized groups and although there is no chapel to come together, the believers gather in small tents or under arbours in the courtyard of a brother’s house. In this city the church has already a plot of land, but due to the lack of means they have not been able to build a chapel. Thanks to the Lord, at present, the work in Angola is registered by the government, which was not possible in the past.
During my three months-stay in this country, I could see the eagerness of our people to know more about God’s word and their wish to work for the progress of God’s cause.
Now there is a good opportunity for the work to develop in Angola. One can notice an awakening in the whole country, the desire to find a hope and a reason to their existence, which may satisfy the thirst of their soul. After 30 years of civil war, in which the people of Angola suffered the cruel reality of starvation and sickness, and the cruelty of their fellowmen, the country has become a vast and fruitful missionary field.
The economical situation of our

work in Angola is not strong enough to cover the basic needs. There is no headquarters, the only property in the whole country is just one church, there is no informative material or literature for missionary work, such as pamphlets, leaflets, magazines, Bible courses, etc.

The price of printing and photocopying is very high, (the copy of just one page costs between U$ 0.20 and 0.25). Since there is no basic material for missionary work, it is very difficult for our brethren to do effective evangelization. Therefore, I fervently appeal to our brothers and sisters to make a generous offering, a sacrifice of love so that many souls can be reached for the glory of God.

During my stay in Angola the field was blessed with a fruitful seminar for leaders of the field and the churches. For the first time, a conference was held in which one minister and two church elders were ordained.

We made missionary visits and revival meetings in four provinces and 40 souls were baptized. Our brothers and sisters enjoyed this unforgettable conference and spiritual meetings immensely because since 1998 they had received no visit from a member

of the GC who remained some time with them to carry on such activities. The farewell was rather painful both for them and for me, because our hearts were joined in tender feelings of love and friendship. In a certain way, I could better understand the feeling of pain and sadness the disciples experienced when their beloved Master left them to join in the glory of the Father. There is nothing more sublime and comforting in this life than to enjoy the harmonious company of those who love the Lord. Although duty and circumstances may keep us apart for a while, we have the sweet hope that we shall meet again.

“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”
Psalm 133:1.
–Daniel Valverde Contreras

Regional Representative for the French
and Portuguese speaking part of Africa