London - Luanda - Lubango

Christmas greetings from Angola!

Local "unreached people group": the Himba tribe

We made it, "just" a 28 year journey to get us both here :0) so, not a moment too soon to join the dedicated team and the work which began about 28 yrs ago, to provide essential support for NGOs, missions and churches! Over 1.5 million lives were lost, 4 million displaced in the 27 yrs of civil war where an estimated 10 million landmines were laid in strategic locations, many remain today, encircling communities and endangering roads... flying is essential.  MAF can reduce a doctor's all-day trek by foot to a mere 20-min flight.



Meet Pastor Cesar and Anastacio, our MAF Luanda staff: they showed us a little of the capital with its population of over 2.8 million people.

According to the World Economic Forum Luanda is one of the most expensive places in the world for ex-pats to live.  High oil prices raised expectations, only to be dashed on its decline.  Half of Angola's population live on less than a meagre $2 per day.

We took British weather with us apparently, arriving to one of many, daily heavy downpours that causes havoc and chaos on the roads. We enjoy! phenomenally lively thunderstorms during this rainy season.  Roads are often awash... with mud, etc..., sometimes open sewers flooding streets.  Our road here regularly floods and becomes a river which runs through our compound.

The Chinese influence is greater than we imagined...

We took an hour and a half commercial flight south-east'ish from the capital, to our new home: Lubango (not quite Hollywood!) where, once out of the sprawling city, there are some absolutely stunning views.  There will be more pictures following, in another blog.

Cristo Rei, arms outstretched, visible from our apartment, particularly when lit-up at night, when city power is on!

Jez discussing work with ex-MAF pilot Mark, currently seconded as CEO to the fantastic, life-saving work of the CEML hospital, headed up by Dr Stephen Foster in a country of 21 million and almost no modern healthcare.  MAF assist the doctors/surgeons in serving over 2.5 million people in this area, where statistics state life expectancy of Angolans is the shortest of any nation on earth: 38 yrs!  It also has one of the highest child and maternal mortality rates in the world.  Angola has less than 2 doctors per 10,000 people, (UK 28/10,000)  http://www.ceml.org/

Mark and wife Jana kindly took us to visit the hospital, meeting his assistant plus several dedicated staff, including our multi-talented neighbour (down stairs) Annalise, probably one of Angola's top surgeons.
You may have seen Dr Sarah Hudgins marvelously insightful post "clinic in the bush" if you follow us on Facebook, from Tchincombe, an out-post where Dr Tim Kubacki also serves relentlessly, splitting his time and energies between there and the main CEML hospital, where Dr Steve Collins has done a fantastic job performing critical eye surgery, to over 22,000 Angolan cataract patients thus far!


But before getting onto "greater things" we quickly sourced supplies for our apartment: bucket 'n' bowl, scrubbing brushes, detergents and bleach (and non surgical gloves!)   We were richly rewarded by the warm welcome party the team gave us over at "Mitcha," a 15 min treacherous drive to the other compound where the 4 international MAF families live, alongside SIM and Wycliffe staff.  In addition we have approx 18 wonderfully loyal Angolan staff, all of whom speak (several of the local, tribal languages as well as) Portuguese and who enjoy our attempts to converse! As Programme Manager Jez survived his first big meeting, all in Portuguese, up in Luanda with approx 200 other NGO/delegates and government officials.

So, thanks ever so much for journeying with us these several long months, even years!  We shall endeavor to keep you posted monthly with news and pictures.  Meanwhile thank you for praying with us; we are looking to our Heavenly Father with these current needs:

~ Carina's 30 day visitor visa to be changed into a "temporary permanent" variety
~ for our second pilot Marijn, an absolutely vital need for him to have his visa renewed, immediately, to enable he and the family to remain for the ongoing work here in Angola.  
~ Of less importance, but value to us is the arrival, intact, of our "stuff" from Tanzania to Lubango





~ Family back in the UK:

Oli returning to the UK from RAF deployment overseas;
Asher, Louise and the childrens' well-being;
Great Grandma Margaret's declining health.
A challenging time to be away from family at Christmas.

(Here we are for a last evening with some of our lovely little family before we left London.)


~ Finally, Jez/MAF NEED continued favour with officials for permissions to open "life-line" runways to take doctors and Good News into  "isolated areas, both spiritually and physically, transforming them in Jesus' Name"

Sending you fondest of love and happiest of Christmas and Chanukah greetings :0)

Jez and Carina xx