Experience in Angola from October -November 2009

 

 

I am Dr. Isabella Daniel and my husband Daniel Stephen who is a pastor had the privilege to visit Angola for the first time. We are from Southern part of India. I was invited for medical work and he for ministry.

I was invited by SOLE which is under SAM ( Swiss Alliance Mission) to Boa Vista project.  Before i went there i had a promises from the bible from Joshua 1:9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and --- I will be with you. Genesis28: 15, Acts 18:9,10, Isa 55: 11. From Luanda the capital, Boa vista is in Benguela which is 10hrs from Luanda. I met the Director of SOLE Dr. Jean Pierre who is a Swiss medical missionary who has settled in Angola. In Boa vista, I saw OPD and theatre on alternative days. I had the privilege to operate on three days along with Dr.Jose who is a medical missionary from Brasil and Dr. Salamao from Angola. I showed the Blumenthal technique and I later did techniques of SICS with vectis. One day I was alone in the OPD as Dr. Jose had gone to the bush to see patients and to do cataract surgeries. I had interpreter to communicate as I did not understand Portuguese. By the grace of God I saw 26patients. I saw lot of cataract, congenital and adult glaucomas ,  demyelination etc,     

 

                         I went to another place called Lubango where I met Dr. Steven Collins who is an Ophthalmologist from Canada. He is a traveling Ophthalmologist who visit the bushes . He is trained in ECLX surgeries. I visited his hospital and saw few OPD patients. I went to another tribal village called Katala. Here I saw few old cases of leprosy patients with deformities who had eye problems. After the church we started our first eye OPD in that village.

                      

 

                                                    OUR MISSION IN ANGOLA

 

Daniel Stephen and me had the privilege to visit different churches in Angola. In Benguela church he gave a short testimony and prayed in our local language Tamil. We attended Catumbela church which is 12kms from Benguela. Here he gave his father’s testimony. His father Bro. Stephen was born in an orthodox Hindu family. He was named Shanmugam by his parents. As a dynamic youngster, he stormed into popularity by bringing about reformation in his home town. Townfolks reverentially called him as

“ Sadhu Shanmugam” that meant priest . He hated Christians and their religion. As he came from a high caste caste he thought Christ was for poor people and only for Americans and Europeans but not for Indians. He came to know about Jesus when he was forced to attend a gospel meeting by his friend where a preacher by name Bro. Bakht Singh spoke. After 3 months he was bed ridden with boils and high fever. Doctors could not diagnose him and they said he had to die. His younger brother had died few ears before him and he cried before his death that he saw a black figure troubling him. So his father was worried that he will die the same way. When shanmugam knew he had to die he prayed earnestly to all gods but there was no answer. Then he felt an inner voice asking him to pray to Jesus Christ. When uttered the name, he saw a vision of Christ so beautiful as described in revelation 1. Jesus asked him what he wanted and asked for life. He opened his hardened heart to Jesus and he was saved both spiritually and physically.

 

We had pastors meeting where pastors from different denominations had come along with their wives. Pastor Daniel shared his testimony from Isa 45 and 54. Many were touched. We had the opportunity to preach Gospel to katala church and in international Baptist church in Luanda. We met people from different continents and we heard them sing and preach in English rest were in Portuguese. They sang “ How great thou art” It was wonderful opportunity God had given us to be with His people.  

 

 

 

                                               

 

 

 

 

 

BRASIL MISSION

 

As our visa was processed in a very short time we had difficulty in obtaining our visa. Dec 25^th-Jan 13^th 2010. We had promise from the bible Deu 31:6, Jer 32: 17,27, I kings 19:7. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him and said, Arise and eat ; because the journey is too great for thee. Our flight was scheduled on 24^th early morning. Our visa had come to Delhi –capitalon 22^nd Our visa had to come by cargo flight on 23^rd at 10pm. But due to technical problem the flight was cancelled and our visa was held up. We missed our flight on 24^th and we started on Christmas morning . We reached Sao Paulo after 19hrs .  From there we had our flight booked to belem which we missed due to late arrival. We took another flight to belem at 11pm on 25^th  this was not a direct flight as booked earlier . the flight which had to go in 31/2 hrs went after 7hrs. As we were delayed and missed flights nobody knew where we where. Everybody was upset. We reached Belem on 26^th morning and we spake through an interpreter. Pastor Messias had invited us to Brasil who Dr. Jose close friend. He does missionary work among the tribals as well he is a pastor in Belem church. God fulfilled H is promise in I kings 19:7. We visited lot of churches in Belem and Sao Paulo. We visited Baptist and presbytarian , Methodist churches.etc. He told about the Indian Scenario about Idol worship, Yoga, Rituals and people being persecuted in Northern parts of India. We came to know lot of tribal mission going on along the amazon river. I am still wondering was it me whom God used?  I thank him for using me and my husband for His kingdom!