Saturday 21 Mar 2020
Neighborhood visit
Saturday was the first full day after I missed my flight. After breakfast, we were sent out in groups to talk to the neighborhood around the base. I went with Ericleidy and Dorivaldo. We would have normally visited the men’s prison that day, but we were not allowed to go for at least 2 weeks, thanks to the coronavirus restrictions. There were several of their ministries that I would not experience on that trip, including hospital and nursing home visitation.
The tone around the neighborhood was more reserved. More people were wearing masks than before. Some backed away from us (especially me, as the foreigner) due to coronavirus fears, but Ericleidy was good at talking to the young people and drawing them in. Most people were still friendly and open. One group of guys was talking to us while keeping a short distance. It would be weeks before the virus would find its way to the interior of Angola, but they were already fearful. We kicked a ball around with some of them, and Ericleidy asked what they would do if the visitor hugged them. They seemed nervously amused at the idea.
I found that talking to people in Menongue was easier than in America, because the people tend to stay outside their homes during the day. Their homes are simple and sparse, and they are naturally social, so it’s just more interesting for them to be outside. I found it refreshing to walk around a neighborhood where you could meet and interact with the neighbors.
One older gentleman was outside his house sweeping and cleaning up. When we approached him, he broke into a big smile and pointed at me, saying something to Ericleidy. He said that I reminded him of a military officer he served with decades before. My dress for the day was a green travel shirt and cargo pants with a wide-brimmed hat and boots. It apparently brought back some old memories of when he was a young man. We talked with him for a while about why I was there and what my plans were and that I was stranded for a while. We shook hands and parted ways.
The lodge
After we walked back to the base, several of us loaded up in the truck and drove a few miles out of Menongue to an amazing property. It was at the end of a long dirt road in a walled compound. The two guards at the front gate let us in. As we left the dusty road, the landscape inside the walls unfolded before us. The lawn was well maintained and populated by goats, dogs, and geese. Off to one side was a hutch of large, white rabbits. Right in the center of this seeming oasis was a beautiful home built with a charming combination of old and new styles.
The owner was away on business, so Wessel was stopping by to check on the solar panel system that powered the house. The home was built around a courtyard, perfectly blending the indoor and outdoor settings. The rooms were spacious and bright. The structure was well made of high-quality materials. We went through the house to the back where the solar controls were installed. Everything seemed in order as Wessel pointed out the distinct components of the state-of-the-art system.
There were two other reasons for our brief stop there. On our way out, we stopped in the garage, and Wessel picked up a box containing a radiator for the white van that sat idle back at the mission base. And when we got back to the truck, the other guys who were with us had a pair of white rabbits in their arms. Apparently, the OM base was going to breed rabbits.
Garden intruders
When we got back to the base, we found that a herd of cattle had invaded the garden, leaving deep holes in the soft ground with every step. They were a long-horn breed and looked intimidating but were quite harmless. Wessel and I took the lead as we all chased them out and back down the hill. Cattle regularly graze in the riverbed below the base, but there was supposed to be a herdsman keeping watch. After a short investigation, we found that the guy in charge had taken a nap after lunch, and the herd took advantage of the situation to find greener pastures.
Animal farm
Several people busied themselves installing the rabbits in the fenced farmyard. Wire mesh cages were placed in the shade of the fruit trees, and food and water were set out for them. The two dogs on the base came around to see what kind of new roommates they had. One was a puppy, and I noticed that it didn’t seem any bigger than when I arrived weeks before. Perhaps he had worms or some nutritional deficiency. Keeping animals alive and healthy is difficult with so many pathogens and parasites around.
And malicious organisms are not the only threat. I had found two ducklings by themselves, wet and shivering next to the chicken house. Apparently, they had been dunked in the stream as mama duck walked around the yard and were thoroughly soaked. I dried them off; fed them corn meal mixed with water through a syringe; and tried to gently remove some tiny ticks I found on them. Though they seemed to improve, they soon died, despite my efforts.
Sunday 22 Mar 2020
In the morning, we loaded into the truck to visit another local church. The arrival of our group doubled the size of the congregation. We took our seats and waited. After several minutes of silence, someone informed us that the service was cancelled. The number of people present exceeded the limit that the government had imposed on gatherings. Nobody was sure what the punishment might be for violating the restriction, and that church did not want to find out. We went back home.
In the afternoon, the students mounted bicycles and followed Wessel and me in the truck as we drove along the highway that connects to Namibia in the south. As we traveled, we prayed that God would use that highway for His will, and that the flow of drugs and human trafficking would be halted. We prayed that the road would bring only good things between the countries.
On the way back toward Menongue, it started raining, so we stopped at a church by the side of the road. The students piled their bikes under a tree and sought shelter inside with a big group of worshipers. We waited in the truck for the storm to end. Before long, I needed a bathroom. Churches there seldom have indoor bathrooms, and neither of us could see any such facility on the grounds. Seeing no other option, I went around to the back of the church, hoping that the rain and the lively service would be enough to keep the parishioners inside. After the rain subsided, we noticed a tiny, short, roofless thatch hut and presumed it to be the church’s outside toilet. It was right out in the open, so it was just as well we never saw it. I’m not sure I could have brought myself to use it.
Welcome to Angola 