Greetings from Angola, Africa

Angola has a hard history. After centuries of subsistence farming, animistic worship tribal warfare, slavery (many, many of the slaves brought to the US came from here), and 25 years of civil war – the trust level, confidence and hope are very low. Angola is a country rich in resources and potential, but often without a clue how to go ahead. The basic salary is $115 per month, the population is divided by tribal background, ancient loyalties, a low level of basic services (the neighborhood where I am staying has had no water since January, the electricity goes one or more times every day and may stay off for hours) and rampant injustice. Trash, dust and noise clog the streets and the air. The phrase that comes to mind is “like sheep without a shepherd”:. The churches work hard, but they have limited vision and its an uphill slog. But, I’m having a blast. The twenty students that I am teaching are a joy. Most are already pastors. They hardly aver miss and they’re very punctual. The Dean of the seminary is Pastor of First Baptist Church and also General Secretary of the Convention. I am teaching Old Testament Theology. After a week of getting to know one another and what to expect (the first couple of days they were looking at me like herd of cows staring at a new gate) We’ve made real progress this week. We are now almost half way through. I am looking forward to the next two weeks.