Angola's new housing development

We spent a month this summer in Angola (which for those of you who are geographically semi-literate is a country in southwest Africa; for those of you who are geographically illiterate, it's not in America). It was incredible on numerous levels. I thought I might share a few pics that illustrate the state the country is in. We'll start with Angola's new housing development - which isn't quite what you'd expect:



The big concrete thing isn't a new development. It's been there a while, and like many other buildings in the city of Kuito it got bombed out during the 18 month siege of the city several years ago. The caving in roof doesn't seem to bother the market sellers out front - it hasn't yet fallen all the way down, so why should it today? What's more amazing is the housing inside the ruins. That's right. Look carefully and you'll see mud block walls inside the concrete building. Those are people's houses. They moved in, built houses, and stuck around. They live there. They sleep there. Every day. Like this family:



I took that picture inside the collapsing building. This is just one of perhaps 30 families that laugh in the face of impending burial under tons of concrete. There is even a store inside this little development. It's quite a burgeoning community. They were all quite surprised to see two white guys inside it, though. Who knows, we may have been some of the first white people to enter the premises since its half-destruction. If you live in a place like this, you don't have to worry too much about unwanted visitors.

So Angola...

It's a big country (twice the size of Texas) in southwest Africa. Long war, finally peace, lots of rebuilding to do, and a key time of receptivity to the gospel. If you really want to know more, there's more info on our mission team's site, www.angolateam.org.

Today I ran across a news article which describes Angola's economic progress in glowing terms. It sounds like good news. Sounds like the country is moving further and further from war. But I wonder what the more complete story is. Is Angola's economy stabilizing and growing, or does all the growth belong to foreign companies seeking their fortune in Angola? The country has a long history of economic slavery to other nations (500 years). Is this simply a variation on a theme, a remix for a new generation of radio?

And if Angolan firms are also gaining a more solid footing, are they doing so to the benefit or at the expense of the Angolan populace? This article notes,

Many new buildings are being erected, mainly in the commercial centre of Luanda, where oil and financial sector companies are establishing offices.

But another news article gives a different perspective on the same growth phenomenon:

Police arrived at 07:00 and began tearing down homes in Cambamba 1 and 2 neighbourhoods [in Luanda]. More than three hundred families have been made homeless.... The houses were apparently torn down to make way for new buildings.

I pray that Angola's political and economic leaders are doing what needs to be done to set the country on firm enough footing to help the majority population meet their basic needs. Big business growth doesn't seem to be an indicator of such.

Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against big businesses. Nor do I think the hope of Angola's future lies in economic progress. Angola's hope lies in the Lord, period. As best I can tell, the Lord takes a keen interest in the sufferings of His creation. He has definitely noticed the Angolan people, and He is working to rectify their situation. Whether he uses economics, politics, or missionaries, He will continue to redeem Angola from its dark past - physically, relationally, emotionally, spiritually.