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Memoir: Homeward bound, 10 Apr 2020
When Nathan and I got to the Luanda airport, we found a long line of people waiting outside. Riquita and Jason from the US embassy were welcoming arrivals and making sure all our paperwork and loan applications were in order. After one more round of signing documents, we were officially confirmed as passengers. Familiar faces…
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Memoir: Back in Luanda
Different perspective on Luanda Nathan and I stayed at Charles’ home for a few hours. Feeling that the exciting times were over, I was feeling a letdown and only wanted to get to a bed and sleep. At times, I could barely stay awake, and I didn’t feel like a good guest. I had come…
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Memoir: Coronavirus convoy, day two, 04 Apr 2020
An early start As I awoke in Huambo the next morning, I noticed a few bug bites that hadn’t been there the evening before. I hadn’t seen any mosquitos in Huambo, but something had certainly found me. I couldn’t be sure if they were mosquito bites or some other nighttime nuisance, but to be safe…
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Memoir: Coronavirus convoy, day one, 03 Apr 2020
Preparing to leave In the morning, the first order of business was to get everything loaded up. The governor had not yet signed our overland authorization, but we were not going to let that deter us. Not content to waste another day waiting, Christy was determined to set out for Huambo that morning. He and…
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Memoir: Breakfast and the HALO Trust Ops room
Breakfast Uppermost in my mind was the dying camera battery that I would need to capture the remainder of my journey, whether that be by land or by air. Somehow, it had lasted from home to HALO without a charge, much longer than it had a right to. My battery charger was dual voltage; I…
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Memoir: 02 Apr 2020, The HALO Trust
Wessel and Ericleidy drove me to the HALO Trust base, just as they had picked me up from the airport three weeks earlier. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had visions of hectic motion, packing of vehicles, and a hasty departure. Christy had made it clear that time was of the essence. I…
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Memoir: 29 Mar – 01 Apr 2020
I was grateful for the day of rest on Sunday. I needed it more than usual. Very little happened that day. Ngunza gave a message about it being difficult to make it to heaven if we don’t have humility and faith like a child, using a reference in the book of Matthew, chapter 18. To…
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Memoir: Saturday 28 Mar 2020
The mornings were so serene. I was accustomed to the rhythm of life on the base, and I was getting used to the idea that I had little control over my fate. I was disappointed that we could not visit the elderly home or the men’s prison. But even as the coronavirus was locking everything…
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Memoir: 26 and 27 Mar 2020
Thursday Departure time draws closer For the first time since Angola closed its borders, I awoke the morning of Thursday the 26th of March with the sense that the time to go home was approaching, though I still had no clue how to make it happen. The events of that day were significant to the…
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Memoir: Wednesday 25 Mar 2020
Painting On Wednesday, I continued working around the mission base. After Herivaldo and I painted the entryways to the classrooms, Wessel was pleased with how the red paint looked and decided to paint the entire floor with it. It was a dream of his to make each schoolroom inviting and cheerful, along with providing a…
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