Sweat and Smile
Trip Start
Mar 21, 2012
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Trip End
Apr 06, 2012
Soyo, Angola
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Sunday we had a good day in Luanda. I went with National ECS Director, Ferreira to his big assembly. I saw the missionary complex built up years ago, that had a school, clinic, etc. at one point. The clinic still functions a bit. The assembly has over 500 and a nice Emmaus office.
I spoke most of the Breaking of Bread at their request and then again at the Family Bible Hour after much music, some choir, some loud keyboard static. Lovely people and so brightly dressed. I wear water running in streams down all parts.
A nice lunch was served but we had to leave for the airport as we were 22 kms out on the edge of Luanda—a nasty sprawling city of dust, dirt and confusion. But Sunday there is little traffic and it is more tolerable, and there must be nice parts somewhere!
I have decided Africa requires sweat and smiles. Sweat is part of life. Smile or die at the rest of life.
We arrived in Cabinda just about dark at 6:30 and stayed with a pastor who also works for Chevron. Ninety-five percent of Angola’s oil is up here. They had just fixed a room for the foreigners all tiled bathroom, and a/c!!! It was cool! Yeah! The power went wonky and the a/c went off before bedtime. So now we have a room with no a/c, no screens, can’t open windows, there are some mosquitoes so I put up my little net tent and the new mattress still has its plastic. Wow, what a night.
Then the tummy rumblings started and at 6 a.m. my trips started. Our ride didn’t come for us till after 10 and I was pretty good by then. They wanted a mini session on Study Methods, so they got it in 2 hours and really were quite good and loved it. The graduation followed the events. Then we took a tour of various Bible Centers in the city.
Our flight was only 15 minutes across the Cabinda province and the mighty Congo River mouth to Soyo. The hot dog pilot nearly clipped the cover over the path in the Cabinda airport when parking his turbo-prop. Then in Soyo he got too close to the new airport building and was about to clip a part that stuck out. The ground crew were running and jumping and hollering and got his attention in nick of time. He reversed prop and backed up and maneuvered it like a car!
There was a good group at the sand-floored church this morning There were many taking notes, Emmaus Correctors, students and new people - all dressed up. I am the least dressed in my khakis and short sleeve shirt. They have suits on! And bright African shoes!
I did my visuals in the sand floor with a big stick. That’s a first.
We go up river tomorrow by boat 4 hours. But we are already up from the mouth here a bit so it is just river The Lord will guide and care.
And Herbert says I should not expect anything nice like Cabinda and Soyo in Congo!
The photos in this post are not taken by Jim, but ones I found of Cabinda and Angola on the Internet--Sharon
