Welcome to Le Verger’s start-up
in Luanda, Angola
Le Verger’s start-up in Luanda, capital of Angola, in the continent of Africa, where in May 2015 Wendy Abdollahi gave two one-day seminars about Christian Science nursing.
History:
Angola was colonized and exploited by the Portuguese from 1482 and remained a colony of Portugal up until 1975, when Portugal finally granted the county independence. The struggle for independence started after World War II and lasted for 30 years. After independence the country fell into civil war, which lasted till 2002, when the rebel leaders signed a peace accord with the governing forces.
The official language of Angola is Portuguese.
Geography
Angola has a population of about 19 million, and Luanda is the capital, with a population of about 5 million.The country has 1600 miles of coast on the southwest side of Africa, and most of the country sits on a plateau averaging 1800 meter above sea level, which rises abruptly from the costal lowlands.
In the north and east the DRC
Province of Zaire >
The capital: Luanda >
Huambo > In the south east Zambia
In the west 1600 km
of Atlantic coast line >
In the south Namibia
Culture
Angola has strong ties to Brazil. They share a common history, as both were Portuguese colonies, and therefore share a common language. Brazil is Angola’s model for almost everything.
Angola also has strong ties to both the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo Brazzaville, since people from both countries fled to each other’s countries in years of conflict. Christian Science was brought to Angola from Congo. Antonia Conga, the CSB in Angola, is married to a Congolese woman, and lived in Kinshasa, DRC for many years.
First Church of Christ Scientist
in Luanda, Angola
Christian Science society in Palanca,
Luanda, Angola
The one-day seminar
Wendy Abdollahi gave two one-day seminars, entitled “The Spiritual Dimension of Care”, in Angola. Both hosted by the first Church of Christ, Scientists in Luanda.
The original idea was to give one in the church in Luanda, and the second one in the society in Palanca, but it turned out that the church in Luanda was more accessible, and had better seating capability.
A total of 66 participants came to the first one-day seminar, of which, interestedly, there were only about 8 woman in total. Wendy asked about this, and the men explained that it’s because most of their wives go to other churches, which offer services in their tribal languages. But they explained that most men bring their children to Sunday School.
Wendy was impressed with the questions asked during the seminar. The participants were very interested, asked thoughtful questions, and demonstrated a mature understanding of Christian Science.
Above from left to right:
On the way to church one sees all kinds of things that get sold right on the road side.
On the right:
Dirt roads that when it rains get very muddy and hard to drive on.
Filipe Baca and his wife Rebecca in front of First Church in Luanda.
Above: Some of the participants of the first one-day seminar on May 1st 2015 in Luanda, Angola
On the left:
Wendy and some of the women who participated in the first one-day seminar on May 1st.
The second one-day seminar, also in First church, about 45 participants came. What was interesting, was that only 10 participants were coming for the first time; all the others were wishing to participate for a second time.
The day before , Wendy had explained that this was going to be a repeat o the one she had just given, and the idea was that people who had not been able to come on Friday, could come to the one on Saturday.
Wendy gave the whole seminar again, but this time used different examples from her Christian Science nursing practice. They were able to get even deeper into some of the questions about Christian Science nursing, and the participants who had come for the second time, said that it was well worth coming again.
On the left:
Wendy and some of the women who participated in the second seminar, two of them for the second time.
Left: Antonio Gonga CSB in Luanda, Angola, was a huge support in organizing the seminar in Angola
On the right:
Some of the participants of the 2nd one-day seminar in Luanda, Angola
On Sunday Wendy attended church in the Christian Science Society in Palanca on the other side of Luanda. It took over one hours to get there by car, because once on the other side of town, one had to drive very torturous mud roads, full of huge holes, trash, as well as children running all around. Luckily it was not raining, since the roads get practically impassible.
Above: The road to Palanca, on the other side of Luanda.
Above on the right: the Christian Science Society in Planaca, Luanda
Below: Wendy with some of the members of the Christian Science Society in Palanca, Luanda
Oh but what a wonderful group of faithful and dedicated Christian Scientists!
The lesson sermon was beautifully read, and so clear and inspiring. The singing was wonderful, and sung a cappella. The soloist sings the first verse, so the members will know how the melody goes, and then they all sing, with no instrumental accompaniment at all, but in perfect pitch!
It’s quite beautiful!
<- some of the members
On the way back Wendy got to see the newest part of Luanda, where the government of Angola sits, with its newly-built presidential palace, the beautiful National Bank of Angola, and the many building still under construction. This country that has had so many years of unrest and civil war, is now finally in relative peace, and able to progress.
But this is quite a contrast to the every-day life of most if the citizens of Luanda
Both seminars about Christian Science nursing in Angola were sponsored by:
The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Luanda, Angola
&
The Dominion Foundation, in Richmond, Virginia, USA
THANK YOU!
