Angola #2: A Circle on the Ground

In mid-September, 2003 a couple held a meeting after church concerning their summer mission trip to Angola.  All I knew about the country was that it was in Africa; and all I knew about the continent was, “Lord, please don’t send me to Africa.” 

My wife and I sat in the back of the room. I was a little bored as people talked about the refugees in Namibia and Zambia.  I tried not to yawn or look at my watch.

Things became more interesting when the topic turned to Angola’s recent history.  Angola was once a Portuguese colony, but gained its independence in the 1970’s after 10 years of fighting.  Then Angola fought a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002.

The couple showed a multimedia presentation. The wars left Angola in ruins with its infrastructure destroyed. There was no drinking water, sanitation, electric power, medical care, or education. The people had nothing.

In one scene a group of male refugees sat in a circle on the ground.  The narrator explained that these men were once highly educated professionals in Angola. Now all they did all day long was to wait for their next meal.

Something happened in my heart.  I also am a highly educated professional. I realized that I could be one of those men. This thought caught me off-guard.  Never before had war become so personal. I thought, “Somebody should do something!” But not once did I think, “Maybe it should be me.”