Displaying items by tag: Angola

People are still dying or being maimed by one of the millions of landmines or unexploded ordnance left from the war that ended 20+ years ago. ‘I don't want my daughter to be the next landmine victim’, said Helena from eastern Angola. The 25-year-old mother has joined the ‘sapadora’ - Angolan women risking their lives daily to clear the scourge of leftover landmines. A national survey by the Angolan government in 2014 found that about 88,000 people were living with injuries caused by landmines. Organisations like the International Campaign to Ban Landmines say the true toll may be higher still, as there is no on-going official monitoring of casualties. Everyone in Angola knows someone who is injured. 7,300 hectares still need clearing. ‘We need to stop this cycle for the good of our people and our nation’, said Helena.

There are some Christian deaf leaders and deaf believers in South Africa who now have scripture published in sign language by Door International. That gives them a perfect opportunity to move into training local leaders in how to evangelise, disciple, and plant churches. Published sign-language scriptures and deaf leaders are rare. Deaf people are one of the world’s largest unreached people groups. Less than 2% of the world’s 70 million deaf people have access to the Gospel. Using a new technique, Door is teaching deaf leaders from Angola and South Africa how to reach their people for Christ. The programme ‘2×2’ is based on Christ’s mission approach in Luke 10. Between now and June four leaders are going into the field to live, work, observe, and serve alongside existing two-by-two teams to gain some of the tools they need and then return to their country and continue the process.

The Angolan government has put 1,106 churches on notice for operating illegally. The director for religious matters said they had been given a 30-day ultimatum from 4 October to regularise their operations or be shut. The number of illegal churches in the country has reached 4,000, and they need to change their status. According to the culture ministry, there are only 84 legal churches, and apart from the 1,106 churches on notice another 2,006 have already been shut. Pray for freedom of religion, and for legislation only to be applied where necessary. Meanwhile in Rwanda, where 81% of the population are believers, the government has closed 8,000 churches, believed to have ‘untrained leaders and poor accountability’, with pastors being accused of enriching themselves financially. Pray for the government to eradicate mental, spiritual and financial abuse by leaders and promote safe building standards for church structures. See