A Witnessing Raid to Angola – 1st Part

Preparation, Gathering the Team and Knocking on Doors

(By Carlos)

I want to tell you about a trip that I made to Angola in the year 2000 while this country was still engulfed in a horrendous civil war

Being born and raised in Angola I always had a burden to reach the people of my own country. I am aware of the weakness and difficulties and frustrations found in that country – as in everywhere else nowadays – but the fact of the matter is that ALL things are possible when we believe. I don’t say this in a vain boasting of my puny, ridiculous and weak faith but as a testimony that when you have your eyes on a goal what you see with the eyes of faith becomes a reality even if the whole world around you screams that it is impossible.

Before I get into the narration of the accounts I want to give you an idea of the state of Angola at that time. The country was being ravaged by an insane civil war after the static Portuguese Forces were compelled to leave suddenly in 1974 pressured by the moving International Pressure, the people in the country were left on their own to rule and govern the best way they knew how. The terrain was left open again for the GOOD and the BAD to enter in.

The GOOD is composed of people of good will on this earth that want the betterment of living conditions, that want the light to shine in the ignorance of superstition, they long for the happiness and peace in an atmosphere of equal opportunities, progress and tolerance for all in a loving and wise way. These people do exist and I meet them everywhere from all cultures, colours and creeds and upon these people rest the guaranties of Blessed are the Peace Makers for they shall be called the Children of God. (Mat.5:9)

The BAD is composed of greedy and false politicians, generals and what not that believe that the end justify the means, that don’t believe in the ways of peace, and that have an eye on the oil, diamonds and other riches to seize the opportunity and grab the most they can for themselves and their “bosses”. The result of all this greed and madness in Angola was a bloody civil war that destroyed the country’s infrastructure, killed half a million people, and left millions maimed, lost, poor, sick, and desperate for a staggering period of 26 long years of civil war.

Except in the south (border with Namibia) the roads were unpassable, the only form of transportation was done by average private and state airplanes. Our goal was to enter Angola through the south border and hitch hike all the way to the capital (Luanda) 2000 km away to reach the students and the top influential people that could do something to change things for the better to millions of peace starving people.

There had been no progress in Luanda since 1974, the infrastructure, the streets, the parks, the buildings were all there, except that every single empty corner was taken by 6 million people from all over Angola dislodge by the war. What was originally a city for 700.000 people became the home for 7 million living wherever possible.  You could hardly see a shop open but everything could be bought in the streets –dollars, electronic gadgets, clothes, food, car parts, motorbikes, and so on. Being the most expensive city on earth at the time the accommodation was outrageously expensive and just one night in a hotel would have wiped out all our economies for the trip. We intended to spend one month in Angola so we were counting on the hospitality of the people for every plate of food, bed to sleep on and transportation to use and we were not disappointed.

Eighteen months after our visit the peace was signed between the rival parties and the civil war was ended. Did we have any influence on bringing the peace? I am bold enough to say: Yes we had! A man hitch hiking with us and sharing the same open bakkie on the road to Lubango on the very first day of our arrival in Angola told me: “Just seeing you guys here gives me hope. I know that peace is on its way”. Nobody would venture out into Angola unless it was for business or military purposes.

First I tried in 1997 from Namibia to get into Angola and all I got was an Angolan passport in the Angolan Embassy  – and that in itself was a miracle of a unique opportunity . This same passport was confiscated later during the trip by corrupt authorities because of a mistake made by the border guard. But just the fact that I got it was a sign and a confirmation that I should make this trip. 

I was looking for a team that could accompany me and I found that team only one year later in South Africa. It was a group of young people used to do these stunt missionary trips into difficult countries and they were exactly what I needed. I told them of my desire to reach Angola and they expressed the same desire and begged me to please wait for them for a couple more months until they were ready.

And sure enough, six months later we all met in Pretoria. Aaron and Lisa and their children, Jason and Jasper (Americans). Matt and Melissa (Germans). Marc (French), Faithy (Brazilian) and myself (Carlos – Portuguese/Angolan). Altogether we were 9. 

Here you see the picture of our team as it came out in a local newspaper

(In the next chapter I want to tell you of all the miracles of open doors, supply, transportation and the very influential people we met that made it possible for us to give the Good News to Angolan authorities, students and people we met on the way)