Angola

War and food shortage, the deadly ravages of disease, the suffering and death caused by men who act like wild beasts—under the symbol of the horsemen of the Apocalypse, the Bible foretold all of this for our day. (Rev. 6:3-8) The entire earth has been affected. Angola has not been exempt.

From one end of this country to the other, the effect of the wild ride of those apocalyptic horsemen has been felt. What has been the lot of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the midst of these conditions?

Many Witnesses have been the objects of vicious persecution. Some have been killed as innocent bystanders in brutal and endless civil war. Many have faced the cruel effects of famines brought on by political and economic turmoil. However, nothing has extinguished their faith in Jehovah God and their confidence in his Word. Their earnest desire is to prove loyal to God and to give a thorough witness to others about his purposes. And the love they show for one another gives convincing evidence that they are true disciples of Jesus Christ.—John 13:35.

Consider two examples showing the caliber of their faith. Over 40 years ago, a police inspector emphatically declared to one of Jehovah’s Witnesses: “As far as Angola is concerned . . . , the Watch Tower organization is finished, finished, finished!” Shortly afterward, he spoke threateningly to yet another Witness who was born in Angola. “Do you  know what is going to happen to you?” the inspector demanded. The calm reply was: “I know what you can do to me. But the worst that you can do is kill me. Can you do more than that? But I will not turn away from my faith.” Despite years of brutal mistreatment in prisons and penal camps, that Witness, João Mancoca, has held firm to that resolve.

More recently, an elder from the province of Huambo wrote: “Our situation is perilous. Extreme food shortages and lack of medicine are devastating the congregations. We lack words to describe the existing situation and the physical state of our brothers.” But he also said: “Though our physical condition is serious, we are spiritually healthy. What is happening is exactly what was foretold in Matthew chapter 24 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.”

What accounts for such positive reactions in the face of severe hardship? The faith and courage that result when people put their trust, not in themselves or in other humans, but in God’s Kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ. They know that regardless of who at the moment seems to have the upper hand or how difficult a situation may be, God’s purpose will prevail. They are fully persuaded that God’s Son, ruling from heaven, will prove victorious and that under his rule earth will become a paradise. (Dan. 7:13, 14; Rev. 6:1, 2; 19:11-16) Jehovah’s  Witnesses in Angola know from experience that even now God gives frail humans power beyond what is normal so that they can endure.—2 Cor. 4:7-9.

But before we explore further the history of Jehovah’s people in Angola, take a brief look at the country in which they live.

A Diamond in the Rough

Angola is situated in the southwest part of Africa, bounded by the Democratic Republic of Congo on the north, Namibia on the south, Zambia on the east, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. It occupies a land area of 481,350 square miles [1,246,700 sq. km], roughly the size of France, Italy, and Germany combined. It is nearly 14 times as large as Portugal, which began to colonize Angola in the 16th century. As a result of Portuguese colonization, about 50 percent of the population profess the Catholic faith.

Portuguese is still the official language, but Angola is a polyglot society. Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo are the most widely spoken of the more than 40 languages used here.

Over the years, Angola’s rich resources have been siphoned off to other lands. During colonization, millions of slaves were sent to Brazil, which was then another Portuguese colony. The fertile soil of Angola once produced an abundant supply of bananas, mangoes, pineapples, sugarcane, and coffee. After the colonial yoke was removed, economic development was stifled by crippling civil strife. Even so, Angola still possesses rich resources of offshore oil and vast deposits of diamonds and iron ore. However, its richest resource is found in a humble and determined people, thousands of whom have shown a deep love for God’s Word and its promise of a bright future under God’s Kingdom.

 “Send Out Your Bread Upon the Surface of the Waters”

The first reported activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola was that of Gray Smith and his wife, Olga, a pioneer couple from Cape Town, South Africa. In July 1938 they motored up from Johannesburg in a car designed to broadcast recorded Bible talks. The car was loaded with Watch Tower publications. On their three-month trip, the Smiths obtained subscriptions for The Watchtower and placed 8,158 Bibles, books, and booklets. They liberally spread Bible literature over a wide area, reaching people in Benguela, Luanda, Sá da Bandeira (now Lubango), and other towns in western Angola. However, World War II broke out the following year, so it was difficult to maintain contact with the people who had shown interest.

For a time, there were few tangible results from their preaching campaign. Nevertheless, the principle at Ecclesiastes 11:1 proved true: “Send out your bread upon the surface of the waters, for in the course of many days you will find it again.”

Some seeds of truth took years to germinate, as a report from Huíla Province illustrates. Many years after that preaching expedition by the Smiths, a certain Mr. Andrade would recall that when he was 41 years old and living in Sá da Bandeira, he had received certain Watch Tower publications from someone passing through in a car from South Africa. At that time, he obtained the book Riches and a subscription for The Watchtower. He wrote to the Brazil branch, and the branch made arrangements for him to benefit from a home Bible study by correspondence. However, later the Bible study was stopped when Mr. Andrade realized that his mail was being censored. He lost contact with the Witnesses for many years.

 In 1967, Zuleika Fareleiro, who was newly baptized, moved to Sá da Bandeira. She had relatively little knowledge of the truth, and at that time the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses was under ban in the country. Nevertheless, she was very desirous of sharing with others what she knew. She started a Bible study with a woman who told her that she knew a shoemaker who seemed to be of the same religion. Sister Fareleiro took some shoes to be repaired, and when she showed the shoemaker the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, his eyes lit up. She was able to start a Bible study with him. The man was Mr. Andrade, who by that time was in a  wheelchair. He had been traumatized by witnessing the murder of his wife. The Kingdom hope thus appealed to him, and he took firm hold of it. He was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1971 and served Jehovah faithfully until his death in 1981 at the age of 80. Despite his disability and advanced age, his regular and active presence at all the congregation meetings greatly encouraged others.

An Effort to Educate and Uplift Angolans

About 60 years ago, a man named Simão Toco was associated with a Baptist mission in northern Angola. When moving from M’banza Congo in Angola to Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo (now Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo), Toco stopped at the home of a friend. There he saw a copy of the magazine Luz e Verdade (now Despertai!). It contained a Portuguese translation of the booklet The Kingdom, the Hope of the World. Toco was interested in it, but his friend was not, so he told Toco to take it. In this way he too had come into possession of a piece of Bible literature published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

After arriving in Léopoldville in 1943, Toco established a choir, which grew in time to include hundreds of members. Because he was eager to educate and uplift his fellow expatriated Angolans, he translated into Kikongo The Kingdom, the Hope of the World. Gradually, he introduced into hymns that he composed the Kingdom hope and other Bible truths that he had learned. He also used that information in Bible discussions with some members of his choir. João Mancoca, another Angolan who was working in Léopoldville, began to associate with Toco’s Bible study group in 1946. Meetings were held on Saturday and Sunday nights, and Mancoca was always among the 50 or so in attendance.

 In 1949 the members of the group felt the urge to tell others what they were learning, so many of them went preaching in Léopoldville. This drew the fire of the Baptist clergy and of the Belgian authorities. Soon, many from Toco’s group were arrested. João Mancoca was among them. They were held in prison for several months. Then those who refused to abandon the movement that was developing in association with Toco and who refused to stop reading literature that originated with the Watch Tower Society were deported to their homeland, Angola. Eventually, there were about 1,000 of them.

The Portuguese authorities in Angola were undecided as to what to do with them. Finally, those who had been sent back to Angola were dispersed to various parts of the country.

It was about this time, in 1950, that Bible truth was introduced in the second-largest city of Angola, Huambo, known then as New Lisbon. Progress took time, but eventually João da Silva Wima, Leonardo Sonjamba, Agostinho Chimbili, Maria Etosi, and Francisco Portugal Eliseu were among those in this location who became loyal servants of Jehovah. They also helped their families to learn about Jehovah and his righteous standards.

Toco himself and some others were sent to work on a coffee plantation in the north. But sadly, changes had already been taking place in Toco’s outlook. While Toco and his group were still in Léopoldville, followers of Simão  Kimbangu, who were practicers of spiritism, had been attending their meetings. On one occasion during a meeting, they had experienced what some viewed as an outpouring of the spirit. But they did not ‘test to see whether this spirit was from God.’ (1 John 4:1) João Mancoca was not pleased as he saw study of the Bible being pushed aside in favor of relying on ‘the spirit.’

After they were returned to Angola, João Mancoca found himself in Luanda. Mancoca, along with Sala Filemon and Carlos Agostinho Cadi, urged the others in their group to adhere to the Bible and to reject practices that were not in harmony with it. Later, when Toco was being relocated to a place in the south, he passed through Luanda. It was obvious that  he had become even more strongly influenced by the beliefs of the followers of Kimbangu.

In 1952, as a result of treachery on the part of one who was associated with their group, João Mancoca, Carlos Agostinho Cadi, and Sala Filemon were arrested and banished to Baía dos Tigres, a penal colony associated with a fishing station. The betrayer was an intimidating man who had two wives. His attempts to establish himself as leader of the group in Luanda nearly caused some to give up. But his dishonest ways soon got him into difficulty with the authorities, and he too was banished to the penal colony.

A Visitor With a Threefold Mission

During 1954 a number of letters were received at the South Africa branch from the group at Baía dos Tigres. They were eager to obtain Bible literature. In response, John Cooke, a Watch Tower missionary, was sent to Angola from France in 1955. He had a threefold commission: to investigate reports that there were 1,000 Witnesses in Angola, to try to help them if possible, and to see what could be done to establish the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses legally in Angola. After he met with numerous groups, his five-month investigation revealed that there were far fewer than 1,000 Witnesses. As the 1955 field service report for Angola showed, there were but 30 publishers of the good news in the entire country.

It took a number of weeks before the Portuguese authorities would permit John Cooke to visit João Mancoca and the small group who were at Baía dos Tigres, in southern Angola. Brother Cooke was permitted to stay there for five days, and his explanations of the Bible further convinced Mancoca and the others that he represented the organization that truly serves Jehovah God. On the last day of his  visit, Brother Cooke gave a public talk on the theme “This Good News of the Kingdom” to a group of about 80, including the chief administrator of the penal colony.

During the months that he was in Angola, Brother Cooke was able to contact Toco as well as people in various locations who looked to him as their leader. Many of them proved to be simply sectarian followers of Toco and not interested in the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. An exception was António Bizi, a young man in Luanda who was eager to learn more about Jehovah’s purposes. Toco himself was at the time being confined to a village near Sá da Bandeira, without the privilege of either sending or receiving mail.

Brother Cooke’s visit was a great source of encouragement to the small group of faithful ones at Baía dos Tigres. Brother Mancoca recalls that the visit confirmed that they “were not going in the wrong way.” It also revealed that, although the number of Witnesses was smaller than reported, there was potential for growth. Brother Cooke stated in his report that some with whom he met were “keen to learn” and that “it appears that there is a fine field here.”

More Encouragement Follows

The year after Brother Cooke’s visit, the Society sent another capable brother, Mervyn Passlow, a graduate of Gilead School, along with his wife, Aurora, to Luanda. They had a list compiled by John Cooke of some 65 subscribers and other interested people. At first, the Passlows had difficulty contacting the subscribers, since the magazines were delivered to post office boxes, not home addresses. But at this time a woman named Berta Teixeira returned to Luanda from Portugal. There she had met Jehovah’s Witnesses and had shown considerable interest in Bible truth. The office in Lisbon notified the Passlows that she would be coming, and they  promptly started a Bible study with her. One of Berta’s relatives worked in the post office and helped them to find the addresses of the subscribers, many of whom became eager Bible students. Soon these were talking to friends and neighbors. Within six months the Passlows were studying with over 50 people.

A couple of months after the Passlows arrived, they began holding regular Bible studies in their room with the use of The Watchtower. By the end of the first month, the room was too small. Berta Teixeira ran a language school, and she offered the use of one of her classrooms for the meetings. After eight months the first baptism by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola was performed in the bay at Luanda.

Because of the situation then existing in Angola, the Passlows’ contact with the African brothers was limited. But some of them did visit the Passlows. One who came regularly for studies was António Bizi, whom John Cooke had found to be an earnest student. And João Mancoca, still under detention, sent them letters of encouragement.

However, shortly after the first baptism, the government refused to renew the visas for the Passlows, so they had to leave the country. They had done a fine work of planting “seeds” and watering those sown by others. (1 Cor. 3:6) They had also formed a bond of great affection with the Angolan brothers. Because of the hostility being shown by the police, the Passlows cautioned the local brothers, especially the Africans, not to try to see them off. But the bond of love was too great. Many were on hand to express their affection as they headed toward the gangway to board the ship.

Harry Arnott, a zone overseer, had visited the Passlows in 1958 while they were in Luanda. In February of 1959, when he once again sought to visit Angola as zone overseer, a small group including Brother Mancoca and Sister Teixeira were on  hand to meet him at the airport. However, almost immediately the police intervened. They separated Brother Arnott from the group and searched through his possessions.

Eventually, however, Brother Arnott found himself in the same holding room as Brother Mancoca. When they saw each other, they laughed. The police inspector failed to see the humor in the situation. He spoke furiously to Mancoca: “Do you know what is going to happen to you?” Brother Mancoca, who by this time had spent six years in prison and had suffered repeated beatings, calmly replied: “I cannot cry. I know what you can do to me. But the worst that you can do is kill me. Can you do more than that?” He concluded with the firm declaration: “But I will not turn away from my faith.” He then looked across to Brother Arnott and smiled encouragingly. Brother Arnott recalls: “He seemed quite oblivious of his own predicament and was only concerned with ensuring that I was not discouraged by the situation. It was a most uplifting moment to see this African brother, after years of imprisonment, take such a firm and courageous stand.”

As for Brother Arnott, he was sent out of the country on the same plane that brought him in—but not before that brief but upbuilding contact with Brother Mancoca. After seven hours of interrogation, Brother Mancoca too was released.

 One week after that incident, Brother Mancoca was finally baptized along with his friends Carlos Cadi and Sala Filemon. About that time, a room was rented in Sambizanga, a suburb of Luanda, and it was there that the first official congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola held its meetings. At that time, they were able to open and close the meeting with a song, and this singing attracted the attention of others nearby. Many were impressed by the fact that those in attendance at the Watchtower Study could actually participate during the meeting and that they were also permitted to ask questions after the meetings. This interchange, which was not available in the churches of Christendom, gave great impetus to the work there.

“Cautious as Serpents”

In 1960 supervision of the preaching of the good news in Angola was transferred from South Africa to the Portugal branch. This strengthening of ties between Jehovah’s Witnesses in the two lands was a contrast to the deteriorating political relationship between Angola and Portugal, which had long ruled Angola as a colony.

The independence of neighboring Belgian Congo and the subsequent civil war there greatly affected the political climate in Angola. The colonial government increased their vigilance, but they could not stop a guerrilla war for independence from breaking out in Angola. In January 1961 violence erupted in central Angola. This led to an attempted coup in Luanda in February. Then in March, after disputes over wages in the poverty-stricken Kongo region in the north, Angolans killed several hundred Portuguese settlers. This led to massive retaliation.

During the 1960’s, three major anticolonial movements emerged: the communist Popular Liberation Movement  of Angola (Movimento Popular de Libertac̩ão de Angola; MPLA), the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertac̩ão de Angola; FNLA), and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola; UNITA).

This civil war created immediate problems for the small group of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The press labeled them an “anti-Christian sect and socially pernicious.” Journalists misquoted articles from Awake! and wrongly claimed that the Witnesses’ purpose was “to justify, if not to incite, the acts of terrorism that the north of the Province has experienced recently.” Beneath a photo of Awake! was the caption “Religious propaganda poisons the spirits of the natives.”

During this same period, all of Jehovah’s Witnesses were kept under constant surveillance. All incoming mail was closely monitored, so communication with the Portugal branch was limited, and it was very difficult to receive Watch Tower literature. Those who did receive any of the literature through the mail were subject to interrogation by the police.

The colonial government was suspicious of any meeting of more than two people who were not members of the same family. Taking precautions, the brothers changed meeting places and gathered in small groups. In 1961, however, 130 attended the Memorial of Christ’s death. Brothers Mancoca and Filemon thereafter visited those who had attended to be sure that they had arrived home safely. The loving concern they showed strengthened their Christian brothers.

A Time of Severe Tests

Silvestre Simão’s experience gives an idea of what new Bible students had to face at that time. In 1959, while still in  school, he received from a classmate the tract “Hell-Fire—Bible Truth or Pagan Scare?” He later said: “Reading this tract was the turning point in my life. Upon learning the truth about hell, which I had been taught to fear, I immediately stopped attending church and started to read the Society’s publications.”

In those tense times, the Witnesses did not readily invite to their meetings anyone who professed interest. However, after two years they felt it was safe to invite Silvestre. Following his first meeting, he asked questions about the Sabbath. What he heard convinced him that he had found the truth. But how highly did he value it? The following week, on June 25, 1961, when he attended his second meeting, his appreciation for what he had learned was put to the test. A military patrol stopped the meeting. All the men were ordered outside and beaten with galvanized steel pipes. One of the brothers recalled: “We were beaten like one would do to kill an unreasoning animal—yes, similar to the way men beat a pig with a club so it will die before it is sold in the market.” Silvestre Simão and those with him still bear the marks of that beating. They were then marched single file to a football stadium where they encountered a large group of furious Europeans who had just lost their families in the war in northern Angola. The soldiers and the crowd, including some of the Europeans, savagely beat the brothers once again.

 Silvestre and the other brothers were then loaded onto trucks and taken to the São Paulo prison, which was controlled by the infamous secret police. The brothers were again brutally beaten and thrown, one on top of the other, into a cell. Badly wounded and bleeding profusely, they were left for dead.

João Mancoca was viewed by the authorities as the leader of that group, since he was the Watchtower Study conductor. After that terrible beating, he was taken away to be executed, accused of planning to attack the white men, according to the way the authorities misconstrued a paragraph in The Watchtower. Brother Mancoca asked what they would think if they found the same magazine in the hands of Europeans or a family in Brazil or in Portugal? He pointed out that this magazine is universal and is studied by people of all nationalities. To verify that, the authorities drove him to the home of a Portuguese family of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When they saw the same magazine there and learned that this family had studied the same material, they changed their minds about the execution. Brother Mancoca was returned to the other brothers at the São Paulo prison.

Not all were satisfied though. When they arrived back at the São Paulo prison, the warden, a thin Portuguese man, took Brother Mancoca “under his care.” The “care” included passing the whole afternoon under the hot sun with no food. Then at five o’clock, the warden took a whip and began using it on Brother Mancoca, who recalls: “I have never seen a person who uses the whip as he did. He said he would not stop until I fell down dead.” He continued the merciless beating for one hour, but eventually Brother Mancoca ceased feeling any pain. Then a sudden urge to sleep came over him right in the midst of the beating. The exhausted  warden was convinced that Mancoca was dying, so a soldier dragged his body away and put it under a box. When the militia came at night to make sure he was dead, the soldier showed them the box Mancoca was under and told them that he was already dead. Amazingly, he recovered, and the same soldier was shocked to see him alive in the dining hall three months later. He then told Brother Mancoca the details of what had happened on that night. The sudden urge to sleep had saved the brother from certain death.

Brother Mancoca was able to rejoin the other brothers, and they conducted meetings in prison. Three times during the five-month internment in the São Paulo prison, public talks were delivered with some 300 in attendance. The witness given in prison strengthened the congregations outside because many prisoners who showed interest progressed to baptism after their release.

During the months spent in this prison, Silvestre Simão was able to join the group there in systematically studying the Bible, thus gaining needed spiritual strength. From there the members of the group were transferred to other prisons and labor camps where they were subjected to more savage beatings and hard labor. After four years of incarceration in various locations, Silvestre was released in November 1965. He returned to Luanda, where he joined the group of Witnesses meeting in the Rangel area. With his faith already tested, he was finally baptized in 1967. Others in the prison, including Brother Mancoca, were not released until 1970, only to be imprisoned again.

“Neither Will They Learn War Anymore”

The country was immersed in war. But the Bible says that when people learn Jehovah’s ways, they “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears” and do  not “learn war anymore.” (Isa. 2:3, 4) What would young men in Angola do?

In March 1969 the government began a brutal campaign against all who refused to compromise their Christian neutrality. Among the first arrested were António Gouveia and João Pereira in Luanda. Brother Gouveia was picked up at his place of employment and thrown into a filthy cell. Only after 45 days of imprisonment was his mother permitted to visit him.

Fernando Gouveia, António Alberto, and António Matías were among those arrested in Huambo. They were cruelly beaten three times a day. Even Fernando’s own mother did not recognize him after the beatings. Finally, when the brothers wrote a letter to the commander of the armed forces exposing the abusive treatment, the cruelty diminished.

António Gouveia recalls some things that helped them to endure. From time to time, his mother hid a page of The Watchtower in food she brought. “It helped us to keep our minds alert. It also kept up our spirituality.” He also says: “We would preach to the walls on whatever Biblical subject came to our mind.” To keep their spirits up, some brothers used a bit of humor. In a loud voice, as if making known an important event, they would announce the large number of flies they had killed in their cells.

Included among those imprisoned in Angola were six young men from Portugal who had been sent to perform  military service but had conscientiously refused to do so. One of them, David Mota, recalls: “We felt Jehovah’s protection many times. Officials used various methods to try to break our integrity, concentrating on some among us who were not yet baptized. One tactic they repeated was to wake us up in the middle of the night, choose five from the group, then take one, put a supposedly loaded pistol to his head, and pull the trigger. Thirty minutes after we were ordered back to our bunks, the same tactic was repeated. We are all grateful to Jehovah to be alive. We finally won the respect of the authorities and were allowed to have meetings in prison. How happy we were to see six fellow prisoners baptized while in prison!”

Though the brothers were told that they would remain in prison until they reached age 45, they did not have to wait that long. Nevertheless, those were difficult times. What they experienced refined their faith. Today, most of those brothers serve as elders in the congregations.

Colonial Rule Suddenly Ends

On April 25, 1974, a coup d’état in Portugal toppled the dictatorship there. The 13-year-long colonial war in Angola was over, and the Portuguese troops began to withdraw. A transitional government that was supposed to operate for ten months was set up, effective January 31, 1975, but it lasted only six months.

Initially, Jehovah’s Witnesses benefited from this abrupt change. There were 25 of Jehovah’s Witnesses imprisoned for neutrality in the Cabo Ledo prison who received amnesty in May. Among them were the six from Portugal who had refused to take sides in any war, including the wars against African colonies. What would these European brothers do with their unexpected freedom? David Mota comments:  “Strengthened by our intimate relationship with Jehovah in prison, all six of us decided to remain in Angola and immediately begin pioneer service.”

The climate of religious tolerance was a new experience for the 1,500 Witnesses in Angola. The secret police were gone, arrests stopped, and the Witnesses could meet freely. They scoured Luanda to find auditoriums, recreational centers, or any other places that could hold the growing number of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Until this time, the 18 congregations in the country had all been meeting in private homes.

Arrangements were made for a special service meeting at the Pavilhão do Ferrovia. Among the 400 brothers invited from several congregations was José Augusto, now a member  of the Portugal Bethel family. He recalls: “Here I was for the first time seeing so many brothers and sisters together in a climate of freedom! We could hardly believe that this was happening. Excitement filled the air as everyone freely mingled, enjoying association with other congregations.”

Spiritual Joys in a Turbulent Time

There was a power struggle between the three rival national movements: MPLA, FNLA, and UNITA. Armed groups from the rival factions invaded Luanda and set up headquarters. “Initially, there was just sniper fire,” relates Luis Sabino, an eyewitness. “Then as the hatred increased, more powerful weapons were used. Tanks appeared on the streets, and rockets were fired. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, including those of our brothers.”

Wisdom dictated that congregation meetings should continue to be held at book study locations. “It was common for the meetings to be interrupted by bursts of machine-gun fire a short distance away,” Manuel Cunha recalls. “Everyone would lie low until the shooting stopped, and then the program would continue. At times, the lights were put out to avoid attracting attention. When the meeting was over, brothers would leave carefully.”

Despite the dangers, the brothers were determined to expand their ministry. Delucírio Oliveira explains: “Our work had been prohibited under the colonial government, so going freely from house to house was a new experience for most of the publishers. The pioneers took the lead and encouraged others to go along with them. Meetings for field service were well supported.” Yet, signs of war surrounded them. He continues: “It was normal to hear shooting while in field service. Sometimes we would have to step off the  sidewalk to bypass fresh blood in our path. Other times, we would come across dead bodies in the street.”

Two of our sisters, one a pioneer, were in the field ministry when bombs exploded nearby. One of the sisters crouched as close to a wall as possible and suggested that they go home. The pioneer encouraged her to continue a little longer, with the assurance that they would stop if the bombing resumed. Later that morning, they started a Bible study with a couple who requested three sessions per week.

The unstable conditions did not prevent the brothers from holding their first circuit assembly in a public auditorium in March 1975. Luanda’s largest covered pavilion, the Cidadela Desportiva, was hired for the occasion. As a precautionary measure, only those regularly attending meetings were invited. Yet, the attendance reached 2,888.

Since all went well, the brothers invited interested people and those having Bible studies to the second assembly. Aníbal Magalhães relates: “What impressed us upon entering the pavilion were the large letters above the platform with the theme of the assembly, ‘What Sort of Persons Ought You to Be.—2 Pet. 3:11.’ Before the program began, the pavilion was completely filled. When the attendance of 7,713 was announced, we were overwhelmed. Many could not hold back tears of joy. What we were seeing clearly pointed to a great ingathering work ahead, and we thanked Jehovah for bringing us safely to this day.”

 After the closing prayer, while the brothers were cleaning the facility, shooting erupted again, this time in the entire area. It was yet another reminder that they were ‘tabernacling among haters of peace.’—Ps. 120:6.

Torn Apart by War

The country was being torn apart by the three rival political groups, and Luanda became the main battlefield. Militias were formed through forced conscription of men and women, even children. Uniformed boys as young as 12 years  of age began appearing on the streets with automatic rifles that they fired at random. Machine-gun fire, exploding grenades, rockets, and missiles contributed to many a sleepless night. Angola was plunged into an era of incessant war. As a result, an entire generation of young Angolans were conceived, born, and raised in an atmosphere of violence, with gunfire and bomb explosions for background noise.

To strengthen their Christian brothers and sisters, faithful spiritual shepherds regularly made brief visits to their homes on the way to and from work. They would check to see that everyone was all right and would often read one or two scriptures with the family.

Attending meetings and going in the ministry required courage and reliance on Jehovah. However, being identified as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses was often the best protection. Faustino da Rocha Pinto was on his way to the Society’s office when a soldier suddenly pointed a rifle at him and snapped: “Where are you going? What is your movement? Give us your briefcase!” When opening it, the soldier found only a Bible and some Watch Tower publications. Immediately, his attitude softened. “So, you are one of Jehovah’s Witnesses! I am sorry; excuse me. Be on your way.”

On another occasion, a soldier snapped at a young sister: “What movement do you support?” She replied: “I am not  associated with any movement. I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” At this the soldier said to his comrades: “Look at her! Look at her closely! Look at her skirt! See how she is decently dressed. She is not like other girls. She is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The sister was permitted to go on her way, with the kind warning to be careful.

Communication with the congregations, especially those in the provinces, became increasingly difficult as the fighting intensified. Troops would enter a town, pillage the homes, and burn what they did not take. This forced thousands, including many Witnesses, to flee to the bush. In Banga, where 300 were attending meetings along with the 100 publishers, all of them were forced to abandon their homes and take refuge in the bush for days at a time. The congregations in Jamba and Cela also fled with only ‘their soul as a spoil.’ (Jer. 39:18) Most of the European Witnesses who were still in Lubango left for Windhoek, in neighboring Namibia.

Getting literature to these brothers in the bush became nearly impossible. Some congregations, such as those in Malanje, Lobito, Benguela, Gabela, Huambo, and Lubango, were cut off for months at a time.

A Sad Time

As soon as the colonial yoke was lifted, thousands of Portuguese began to leave the country. As anarchy spread, flight became more urgent. Most were able to take very few of their belongings with them. To illustrate how strong the hatred for Europeans was, one political party declared that they would kill even mulattoes because of their forefathers’ union with white people.

Of course, our Portuguese and Angolan brothers did not share this animosity. There was a strong bond of brotherly  love between them. The departure of the Portuguese meant that many close friends were leaving. By June 1975 all the Portuguese brothers who had taken the lead in the work had to leave. Oversight of the preaching work and shepherding of the flock of God were left in the hands of faithful local brothers. Most of these were family men who had full-time secular jobs. Though saddened by the departure of their Portuguese brothers, they were determined to carry on with Jehovah’s help.

What conditions did they face? The Portugal branch soon received this disturbing message from the Luanda office: “The city is now being shelled. The roads are blocked. Communication with other cities is interrupted. The port of Luanda is closed. The stores are running out of food. Looting and pillaging have begun. There is a 9:00 p.m. curfew. Anyone on the street after this can be shot.”

Forward Movement of Jehovah’s Servants

This period of political turmoil was a time of unprecedented spiritual growth. The peak number of publishers reached 3,055, a 68-percent increase over the previous year. Memorial attendance reached 11,490!

On September 5, 1975, long-awaited news was received. The minister of justice of the transitional government had declared Jehovah’s Witnesses a legally recognized “religious confession.” João Mancoca remembers: “There was total euphoria among the brothers. They had never known complete freedom to worship openly. It was as if the doors of prison had been thrown wide open. For the first time, meetings and circuit assemblies could be held with full knowledge of the general public. The circuit assemblies organized for the spring of 1976 proved to be a great impetus for the  work and strengthened determination that would be needed in the years to come.”

Five circuit assemblies were planned, but caution dictated that gatherings of only three or four congregations at a time be held. Three brothers were also assigned to visit congregations on weekends as circuit overseers.

Over the years, circumstances in Angola had not allowed the overseers to attend any of the special schools prepared by the Society. So plans were made to hold the first Kingdom Ministry School for elders on May 19-24, 1976. Two Angolan brothers attended the school in Portugal and received training. On their return, they conducted it in Luanda, with Mário P. Oliveira from the Portugal branch on hand to assist.

The 23 elders greatly appreciated the Bible-based instruction to help them “shepherd the flock of God.” (1 Pet. 5:2) Carlos Cadi, then serving as a circuit overseer, remembers the impact of the school: “The elders were able to see Jehovah’s organization from a new perspective. The school exposed the brothers to the educational aspect of Jehovah’s organization. They learned how to help the brothers in the congregations to apply Bible principles in resolving problems. The school also helped the elders to see how they could better organize the congregation activity, making fuller use of the capabilities of ministerial servants who served along with them.”

Legal recognition also meant that Bibles and Bible literature could be imported. Within five months, some congregations received their first magazines. What a great blessing it was to have at last complete 32-page issues of The Watchtower and Awake! The brothers had moved quickly through the ‘large door leading to activity that had been opened’ to  them. (1 Cor. 16:9) However, the unstable conditions in the country led to further serious problems.

Although official independence from Portugal took place as planned on November 11, 1975, fighting between the major political parties quickly turned into full-scale civil war. Independent republics were established, with Luanda as the capital of the Marxist MPLA. Huambo became the capital of the coalition of UNITA and FNLA.

The political propaganda of one group against another gave rise to unprecedented racial and tribal hatred. In the capital, cold-blooded killings—even burning people in the street—became the order of the day. Often the victims’ only offense was that they spoke a language that identified them as coming from a region outside of Luanda. This hatred for outsiders generated a tension that caused a large population movement as people from the north and the south of the country fled back to their provinces of origin. Some brothers, though, bravely stayed on in areas that were not their home provinces in order to care for the needs of their spiritual brothers.

“Viva Jehovah!”

Jehovah’s Witnesses once again faced brutal persecution. Witnesses in Luanda were called before neighborhood committees who tried to force them to buy political party cards. In this highly charged atmosphere, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the MPLA accused the Witnesses of inciting the people to disobey the State, to disrespect the national flag, and to resist serving in the military. Explanations on the part of Jehovah’s Witnesses fell on deaf ears.

In March of 1976, a shipment of Bible literature was sent to Angola from Portugal. It contained 3,000 Bibles, 17,000  copies of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, 3,000 copies of the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained, as well as magazines. All of this was confiscated by the authorities and burned.

On May 27, 1976, government radio broadcasts directed all neighborhood committees and State organizations to monitor closely the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Catholic Church made daily announcements on its radio station that Jehovah’s Witnesses were subversive.

Witnesses were forced out of food lines. Mobs assembled outside the places where congregation meetings were being held. Children were harassed at school. The children of José dos Santos Cardoso and his wife, Brígida, were put under intense pressure to recite political slogans, sing the national anthem, and shout “Down with Jehovah.” They were abused for refusing. José Jr., nine years old at the time, suddenly spoke up and said: “OK, I will say ‘Viva [long live]!’” Everyone waited in expectation. Finally, the young boy shouted “Viva Jehovah!” Before they realized what he had said, they unitedly shouted “Viva!”

In “the Furnace”

The ruling party was determined to force the Witnesses to join the army. This led to further vicious persecution.

On February 17, 1977, Artur Wanakambi, a zealous brother in Huíla Province, tried unsuccessfully to explain his neutral position. He and three other brothers were paraded  through the streets on their way to prison. Onlookers, including the street sweepers, were invited to beat them. The next day the wives of the three married brothers went to the prison to learn about their husbands’ whereabouts. After waiting for a considerable time, they were whipped unmercifully, leaving them battered and bleeding. That afternoon, the sisters found themselves in the same prison where their husbands were.

Brother Teles recounts what happened to another group of imprisoned brothers ten days later: “Thirty-five of us were put in ‘the furnace.’ It was a room seven meters long [23 feet] and three meters [10 feet] wide and high. In the reinforced concrete ceiling, there were two small air holes, not large enough to put one’s hand through. It was the hottest season, and the cell truly proved to be a furnace. Since they were determined to do away with us, they closed these two holes.

“On the fourth day, we entreated Jehovah to give us the strength to bear the merciless heat. We were reminded of the three faithful young men in Daniel’s day who were thrown into the fiery furnace. The next day, at about three o’clock in the morning, there was a loud bang at the door, and it opened. How relieved we were to have a breath of fresh air! It was the jailer. Still half asleep, he had opened the door and then collapsed. After about ten minutes, the jailer got up and closed the door without saying a word. We gave thanks to Jehovah for a few precious moments of fresh air.

“Several days later, seven more brothers were thrown in with us. There was no longer enough room to sit. We were beaten on several occasions. The heat increased, and fever blisters and the wounds from the beatings were smelling very bad.

 “On March 23 we celebrated the Memorial, even though it was only a talk without the emblems. By then, we were 45 in all. Some of us spent 52 days in ‘the furnace’ and survived.”

After their removal from “the furnace,” they were sent to the work camp of Sakassange, 800 miles [1,300 km] away in the eastern province of Moxico.

Persecution “Legalized”

On March 8, 1978, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the MPLA declared “the church ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’” illegal and banned it. To ensure wide publicity, the announcement was made three times daily on Luanda’s radio station. The original decree was in Portuguese, but to make sure that everyone got the news, the announcement was also transmitted for one week in the Chokwe, Kikongo, Kimbundu, and Umbundu languages. Finally, the decree was published in the party newspaper, Jornal de Angola, on March 14, 1978. In reality, the ban merely “legalized” the brutality already being meted out.

Denunciations by the Organization for the Defense of the People (ODP) were increasing. Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses were rounded up and imprisoned without a trial. Surprise visits were made at factories throughout Luanda. At the Malas Onil suitcase factory, 14 Witnesses were arrested. In the town of Lubango, 13 others were arrested. A few days later, reports confirmed the arrest of 50 in Ndalatando. Within just one week after the ban, at least 150 brothers and sisters were imprisoned.

This was followed by arbitrary dismissals of Witnesses from their employment. No consideration was given to years of exemplary conduct, competence, or performance. In fact,  some who were dismissed had occupied responsible positions related to the economic development of the country.

Women were not exempt. A military officer saw Emília Pereira in front of her home and asked why she was not a member of the militia. When she answered that she did not like anything that involved killing or shedding blood, he understood that she was a Witness. Upon admitting this, she was told to get into a waiting truck. Her two sisters came to see what was happening, and they were also pushed into the truck. Meanwhile, her father came home. The officer ordered him into the truck. As they were about to leave, a brother who lived nearby asked what was happening. He too was grabbed and forced into the truck.

They were taken to the prison compound, where the sisters were put into the women’s ward. One evening after another, the officers would try to assault these young sisters sexually, but the sisters would cling to one another, cry, and pray out loud. Their reaction thwarted the men’s evil intent, and they were not violated.

The brothers in the province of Malanje were also severely tried. The harsh mistreatment of 74-year-old José António Bartolomeu resulted in his death. Domingas António was so weak after her arrest and repeated beatings that she died during a malaria attack. Manuel Ribeiro was poisoned and died because he wrote a letter to his family from prison.

The week following the ban, a meeting was held with elders from all the Luanda congregations. They were given Scriptural encouragement and guidance regarding their future activity, and this was passed on to the congregations. Their resolve was strengthened as they considered the yeartext for 1978: “They will not prevail against you, for ‘I [Jehovah] am with you . . . to deliver you.’”—Jer. 1:19.

 Appeal to Government Authorities

On March 21, 1978, the three brothers who served as directors of the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola sent an appeal to the Political Bureau of the MPLA, urging that violations of law be determined by the courts and that illegal imprisonment of the Witnesses cease. Copies of this letter were sent to the president of the republic and the prime minister, as well as to the ministers of defense, justice, education and culture. No reply was received.

Following the apostle Paul’s example, a further appeal was made to the highest authority in the land. (Acts 25:11) This letter, sent by the Portugal branch, respectfully asked the president of the People’s Republic of Angola to review the record of Jehovah’s Witnesses and to grant them a hearing. The request was made that the courts investigate the facts regarding each of the Witnesses being detained. This time, the branch in Portugal received a reply saying that the matter would be investigated.

Deeply Touched by Firm Determination

Civil war continued to rage in Angola, so there were few visitors from abroad. However, in 1979 the country committee in Angola received word that Albert Olih, an overseer from the Nigeria branch, would arrive in August. How happy the brothers were!

Brother Olih said: “To me it was like being in an army barracks for a complete week. Everywhere you looked there were armed soldiers.” He was kept up at night by shoot-outs on the street.

The Angolan Witnesses had experienced rapid changes during the preceding years. From 1973, when the country was still under colonial rule, down till 1976, there had been  a 266-percent increase in the number of publishers. Then when persecution intensified in 1977, followed by a ban in 1978, the growth had come to a standstill. Many of the Witnesses in the country had been baptized fairly recently—1,000 in 1975 alone. Though there were 31 congregations, many of these had no elders. Without the loving care of spiritual shepherds, some serious problems and cases of moral uncleanness had not been resolved. Entire congregations in such places as Malanje, Waku Kungo, and Ndalatando were now in prison camps.

On arrival, Brother Olih was given an extensive agenda outlining areas that needed to be discussed. Attention was given to ways in which local Witnesses could carry on their God-given ministry under the existing circumstances. Direction was given on how to provide literature despite limited access to paper. There was also discussion of the need for more literature in the local languages, but, of course, it would take time to find and train qualified translators.

Problems in the congregations were also given attention. Brother Olih emphasized that all, including elders, must live by Bible standards. None should feel that they were above the need for counsel. Questions were answered about qualifications for baptism, registering marriages, and visits to the congregations by circuit overseers. The Angolan brothers appreciated the Society’s arranging for them to receive Scriptural direction through such an experienced brother.

During Brother Olih’s visit, a meeting was held with the elders from Luanda and any who could come from other areas. At 10:00 a.m., they began arriving, one by one, so as not to draw attention to the meeting place. However, before the meeting started at 7:00 p.m., the location was changed  twice because the place seemed to be under surveillance. When Brother Olih arrived at the third location, he found 47 elders seated in the yard waiting for him. When the greetings from the Nigeria Bethel family were conveyed, hands were silently waved in appreciation. His one-hour talk was a Biblical discussion of the arrangement for elders, emphasizing the need for more elders in the Christian congregation and outlining the duties involved. After the talk, the brothers asked questions for two more hours until they had to leave in order to get home safely before the curfew.

How did Brother Olih feel about the week that he spent with the Angolan brothers? “I must say, I benefited very much. I was deeply encouraged by the firm determination  of the brothers and sisters to serve Jehovah despite their difficulties. I left Angola with prayers in my heart and tears in my eyes because of these brothers who, although suffering, smile because of the wonderful hope they have.”

A Follow-Up Visit

The year after Brother Olih’s visit, the Governing Body sent Albert Olugbebi, also from the Nigeria branch, to serve the brothers in Angola. He recommended that they conduct sessions of the Pioneer Service School for the 50 regular pioneers. Also, he encouraged them to try to hold circuit assemblies every six months but with limited attendance.

During Brother Olugbebi’s visit, three meetings were held with groups of elders as well as brothers caring for responsibilities in congregations that had no elders. The attendance was 102. Scriptural counsel was given on the need for elders to uphold Bible principles and to become examples to the flock, not lording it over them. (1 Pet. 5:3) Questions were answered about the procedure to follow when making recommendations for appointment of elders in congregations where none were yet serving.

Among those in attendance at this meeting was Silvestre Simão, who had already had his faith tested during nearly four years in prison and labor camps. After  serving as an elder for a number of years, he had been entrusted with greater responsibility as a circuit overseer when the European brothers were forced to leave Angola in the mid-1970’s. Now, with the arrangement to have circuit assemblies every six months, there was need for a district overseer. Though Brother Simão had six children, along with the secular responsibilities involved in caring for his family, he accepted this new assignment. He has cared for it in an exemplary manner for the past 20 years. He also serves on the Branch Committee.

Upon concluding his visit, Brother Olugbebi reported an encouraging development: While the Witnesses still needed to meet and to preach with caution, the vicious persecution against those of conscription age seemed to be subsiding. In fact, though there were then between 150 and 200 brothers still in prison or work camps, that number was reduced to 30 by March of 1982.

Distributing Spiritual Food—A Challenge

Throughout the period of the ban, providing regular supplies of spiritual food was a high priority. This often involved considerable risk.

First of all, it was very hard to get paper for use in mimeographing The Watchtower. Government authorization was required to purchase paper. Although there were over 3,000 publishers, for a time only 800 to 1,000 copies of the study articles could be produced because of limited paper supplies. Even so, using small presses, the brothers were able to  produce copies of small books with flexible covers, such as The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life.

At great risk to themselves, Fernando Figueiredo and Francisco João Manuel accepted the assignment to reproduce literature. These energetic brothers found new locations where they could expand the duplicating operation. At times, locations had to be changed for security reasons. In some places, the mimeograph machine was located in a soundproof room with no windows or ventilation, making working conditions very difficult. In an adjacent room, other volunteers collated and stapled the magazines. They had to finish separating, stapling, and packaging so that the material could be distributed the same night. Any evidence of the work had to be cleaned up so that there would be nothing to attract attention. As production increased, two mimeograph machines were operating simultaneously in the “kitchen,” the place where literature containing spiritual food was being prepared. A team of brothers worked daily, typing stencils, proofreading, duplicating, collating, stapling, and delivering the magazines to the congregations.

Delivery of the literature to the scattered congregations outside of Luanda had to be handled by couriers. This was a dangerous assignment. One who served as a courier relates: “Some months after the ban was officially declared, I traveled to the province of Benguela in connection with my secular work. The Society’s local office had provided me with certain items to be delivered to the congregations in Lobito and Benguela. I did not know any of the brothers in these cities. The only reference I had for contacting them was a telephone number for one of the elders in Benguela. For security reasons, the only identification would be the code name Isaiah’s Family.

 “Upon my arriving in Benguela, everything appeared to be going quite well. At the airport I was not searched, as was the custom, because of the nature of my work. The package I was carrying arrived intact. Once in the city, I immediately telephoned the brothers so they could come and get the package. The brother I spoke to said he was not feeling well, but he promised to send someone to the hotel to pick up the parcel. For some unexplained reason, during the four days I spent at the hotel, no one came to claim the package, despite my daily telephone calls to the brother.

“On the day of my departure, I had no choice but to take the package back with me to Luanda. Arriving at the airport, the head of the delegation insisted that all members of his delegation and their baggage be searched to set an example for other travelers. I saw only two options: (1) throw the package into the garbage container or (2) keep it with me and be arrested.

“After praying to Jehovah, Proverbs 29:25 came to mind: ‘Trembling at men is what lays a snare, but he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected.’ I decided to confront the situation, as it would be a great waste to throw away so much spiritual food.

“I placed myself at the end of the line so it would not create a great public disturbance when the police found the literature and magazines. When there were two people left to be searched, I heard someone say, ‘Please, there is a man here who wants to contact a member of the delegation from Luanda concerning a package.’ When I heard this, I said to myself, ‘Jehovah heard my prayer. I am seeing the fulfillment of Isaiah 59:1: “The hand of Jehovah has not become too short that it cannot save,”’ and I hurried out. When I got to the brother, I only had time to say Isaiah’s Family. He replied  and received the package. I had to return in a hurry as the plane was leaving, so I did not even have time to speak to the brother. Yes, Jehovah is ‘our salvation in the time of distress.’”—Isa. 33:2.

Caring for the Flock Despite Danger

War—the rider of the fiery-colored horse of the Apocalypse—continued to wreak havoc in the lives of the people of Angola. (Rev. 6:4) Towns and factories were bombed, roads mined, bridges dynamited, water supplies sabotaged, and villages attacked. The massacre of civilians became an everyday occurrence. Crops were destroyed, and farmers fled to the cities. War refugees flocked to Luanda. Food rationing and black-market conditions made daily survival a major challenge. But loving cooperation among Jehovah’s Witnesses helped many to survive in otherwise hopeless circumstances.

During this perilous time, Rui Gonçalves, Hélder Silva, and others risked their lives to visit congregations scattered throughout the country. Describing how such visits had to be organized, Brother Gonçalves wrote: “May 1982 saw the first visit by a circuit overseer to Tombua. The 35 brothers began arriving at the meeting location at well-planned intervals starting at 10:00 a.m. that day. They waited in silence. The ODP [Organization for the Defense of the People] was controlling all movement in town. I arrived under the cover of darkness, 11 hours later, at 9:00 p.m. Thirty minutes later, the meeting started and lasted until 4:40 a.m.”

Most of those who shared in the circuit work were married and had children. But they did their best to care for the spiritual interests of the congregations. One of the brothers, who is now a member of the Branch Committee, explained  what was involved in a routine circuit visit: “Each congregation was scheduled to be visited for one week. However, the visits began on Monday rather than on Tuesday. This was because it was not possible for the whole congregation to meet together. Visits were made to each Congregation Book Study group. In large congregations several groups would be visited on the same evening. The hours of the meetings were staggered so the circuit overseer could go from one group to another. He would repeat the program for the benefit of each group. Therefore, during the week, he would give each of his talks from 7 to 21 times. The week’s activity was full and demanding, but the brothers persevered in providing encouragement to the congregations.”

Rui Gonçalves vividly remembers a harrowing trip to the town of Cubal in January 1983. It nearly proved fatal. He said: “The only way to visit this congregation was to travel with a military column for protection. After carefully checking the situation, the military authorized the 35 vehicles to start their journey. We traveled in Brother Godinho’s car, and ours was the third in a caravan of six vehicles. Only two hours into the journey, a missile was fired by guerrillas, and it destroyed the first military truck. This was quickly followed by another missile, which destroyed the second vehicle. Two bombs hit our car but did not explode. With the car in motion, Brother Godinho yelled for everyone to jump. As I  scrambled for cover in the bush, a bullet destroyed much of my left ear, and I fainted.”

Before fainting, he saw three guerrilla soldiers pursuing the other brothers, but the brothers escaped into the jungle. Brother Gonçalves continues: “When I woke up, my head was covered with blood. Several hours later, I crawled back to the road. A military unit found me, administered first aid, and took me to the Benguela hospital.” He later learned that all the cars in the convoy had been burned or otherwise destroyed. Twelve persons in those cars were dead, and 11 more were severely wounded by bullets. The brothers traveling with Brother Gonçalves were the only ones not hit by bullets. And although Brother Gonçalves had lost most of his ear and some personal possessions, he concludes by saying: “We gave heartfelt thanks to Jehovah.”

Sharing Life-Giving Water

At a time when most Angolans were thinking only of survival, Jehovah’s Witnesses were eager to spread “good news of something better” throughout this large territory. (Isa. 52:7) How did they carry out this work?

A pioneer in Luanda explains that he, his wife, and his young daughter would go in the ministry together. After greeting the householder, they would request a drink of water for their little girl. If the water was given, they would tell the householder that they knew of a kind of water that would bring even greater benefits than the cold water that had kindly been given to their daughter. Inquisitive ones would ask, ‘What kind of water is this?’ The family would then describe the blessings of God’s Kingdom and the hope of everlasting life.—John 4:7-15.

They did not carry bookbags, Bibles, or literature in their ministry. But if the householder owned a Bible and  wanted to read about these things, they would use the householder’s Bible to continue the discussion. Wherever interest was shown, they would call again. By using discreet approaches such as this one, the Witnesses were able to find interested people, and the congregations were blessed with regular increase.

A Man of God

Remote areas were also being reached with the good news. It penetrated the Gambos region, near the Namibian border, through the efforts of Tchande Cuituna. He first heard the Kingdom message in what was then Rhodesia. After working for a time in the mines of South Africa, he returned home and concentrated on cattle raising. He regularly made return trips to South Africa to obtain Watch Tower publications, and on one of those trips, in 1961, he was baptized. Thereafter, he zealously spread the good news among his people.

He would load his wagon with water, food, and Bible literature and go preaching from quimbo to quimbo (from one small village to another) for two to three months at a time. When his wagon broke down, he would continue the journey riding on his bull. Even at the age of 70, he traveled on foot with other publishers for distances of over 120 miles [200 km].

Tchande Cuituna came to have large herds of cattle that would roam the plains. In this patriarchal society, he was the recognized head. The day’s activity began with the sounding of a bell so that everyone could assemble to hear him consider a Bible text in the local language. On meeting days, the familiar sound of the gong told some 100 people to assemble for spiritual instruction.

Throughout the entire region of the Gambos, Tchande Cuituna became known as the man of God. By applying  what he had learned from his personal study of the Bible along with the valuable publications of “the faithful and discreet slave,” Brother Cuituna provided an excellent example for others to follow. To reach as many people as possible, he translated the booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom” into the Nyaneka and Kwanyama languages.

The office in Luanda learned of Brother Cuituna’s activity from the field service reports he would turn in from time to time through the brothers in Windhoek, Namibia. In an effort to bring Brother Cuituna into closer contact with other Witnesses, in 1979 the Luanda office sent Hélder Silva, a circuit overseer, to reach him. He well remembers the journey.

Brother Silva writes: “We traveled by car for 100 miles [160 km] to Chiange. From there the remaining 45 miles [70 km] were on foot. A torrential rainstorm lasting some six hours made it almost impossible to continue. Sometimes we were in water up to our knees, but we could not stop, as the area had many ferocious wild animals. Because of the mud, we found it easier to walk barefoot, with our belongings suspended on a stick over our shoulder. Finally, we reached the Liokafela region and our destination, the quimbo (village) of Cuituna. We were hungry and exhausted, so the womenfolk gave us sour milk, the local corn drink called bulunga (kissangua), cocoa, and a corn puree called ihita (pirão de massango). After resting by a warm fire, we were ready for the anticipated activities.”  This visit marked a step forward in organized preaching of the good news in the Gambos region.

No one who was present will forget the baptism of 18 new brothers and sisters in August of 1986 in the Caculuvar River. These were the first baptisms to be held in the Gambos region during the 40 years since the Kingdom message had been introduced there. The pioneers who had come to share in the work in this area were beaming with joy. Words cannot convey the happiness of Brother Cuituna as he witnessed the baptism. Jumping with joy, he said: “I feel like King David when he accompanied the ark of Jehovah.” (2 Sam. 6:11-15) Brother Cuituna continues to serve as a regular pioneer.

The Work in Southern Angola

In 1975, 18-year-old Tymoly, a tall woman from the Huíla region of southern Angola, was introduced to the truth through the efforts of a pioneer named José Tiakatandela. Tymoly appreciated the Bible’s message, but her parents strongly opposed her. She was deprived of food for days at a time, beaten, and finally pelted with stones. With her life in danger, she walked 40 miles [60 km] to reach Lubango. There she was able to attend the congregation meetings. With the help of the congregation’s class for reading and writing, she progressed to the point where she could enroll in the Theocratic Ministry School. She was baptized in 1981. Tymoly also learned to sew in order to earn a living, and she makes her own modest attire. Three men and four women from her ethnic group who heard the Kingdom message in 1978 were baptized in 1980.

Then in 1983, José Maria Muvindi, from Lubango, enrolled as an auxiliary pioneer for three months. He went south, preaching in the rural areas around the towns of Jau and Gambos. He traveled down into Namibe Province,  spreading the good news among the Mukubais, the predominant tribe. Seeing the great need in these territories, he enrolled as a regular pioneer. Other pioneers followed.

When Brother Muvindi preached in the area, Bible truths touched the hearts of many of these people. They began to make needed changes in their lives. In order to serve Jehovah acceptably, they had to abandon unscriptural practices, such as polygamy, immorality, drunkenness, and superstition. They began to wear more than the traditional tchinkuani, or loincloth. A steady stream of couples began to travel to Lubango to get legally married. For some, this meant leaving the village for the first time in their life! A civil registry office in Chiange that had been closed for ten years was reopened to accommodate the sudden influx of people from the Gambos region who wanted birth certificates and identity cards in order to register their marriages.

Sadly, Brother Muvindi died from hepatitis in 1986, but his zealous ministry bore good fruit. Through his efforts and those of others who worked in these regions, many received a witness. Today, there are in this area nine congregations as well as ten groups that have not yet been organized as congregations, all of which are promoting true worship in that region.

Surveillance Increases

With the forming of the Popular Brigades of Vigilantes (BPV) in 1984, renewed pressure was brought on our brothers. The mission of the BPV was to guarantee that a close watch was kept on those not integrated in the revolutionary process. How did the BPV fulfill its mission? Domingos Mateus, serving as a circuit overseer at that time, well remembers: “On every corner in Luanda, you would see a Popular Brigade Vigilante, identified by a blue armband with the  initials BPV. He was authorized to search any passerby. It became increasingly difficult for brothers to bring publications to the meetings. In December 1985 a total of 800 brigade groups were enlisted for duty in Luanda, making it impossible even to hold congregation meetings.

“At ex-Largo Serpa Pinto, a group of approximately 40 brigade members were screening the entire area. Accompanying them were members of the Popular Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola, a group armed with machine guns. It was common to hear them open fire when they were chasing someone or they wanted to stop a person for interrogation.

“One congregation scheduled a large meeting in the home of a brother. Shortly before the program began, we realized that a member of the BPV was watching the brothers as they entered and was writing down their names in a notebook. Despite the danger, the brother who lived there did not panic. An idea came to mind. Quietly, he made his way to a position behind the man, and when he got quite close, he started to shout, ‘Neighbors, look! a thief, catch the thief!’

“Caught by surprise, the brigade member ran off, dropping everything he had in his hands. As the neighbors came down from the apartment building and others leaned out their windows to see what was happening, the brother entered his home and told the elder: ‘Brother, you can start the meeting now, the situation is under control.’ All the meetings scheduled in that home for the week of the visit had no further problems or disturbances.”

“The Soup Has Been Spilled”

Communication by Jehovah’s Witnesses with their Christian brothers outside the country became increasingly  difficult. However, António Alberto worked for a foreign-owned petroleum firm. He assisted by carrying important mail between the brothers in Angola and the Portugal branch.

But one day in 1987, the police at the airport intercepted a packet that contained correspondence about circuit visits and other sensitive matters. Brother Alberto felt sick at heart. At noon, he went home to see his family, since he was certain that he would soon be arrested. He telephoned the brother who had oversight of these matters and said simply: “Grandfather, the soup has been spilled.”

After that, Brother Alberto bravely went to the home of the man in charge of police security at the airport. The brother explained that he had been in prison during colonial rule with some Portuguese young men, that they kept in touch by correspondence, and that a package containing that correspondence had been confiscated at the airport. The chief of security gave him a card to present to the man who had confiscated the package, asking that it be delivered to his office. When the brother presented this message to the man at the airport, the officer became very distraught. Why? Because he could not deliver the correspondence to the chief of security—it had been burned! To Brother Alberto’s great relief, no harm was done.

Determined to Walk in Jehovah’s Ways

The ongoing war also brought renewed pressure on Jehovah’s Witnesses to break their Christian neutrality. In February 1984, 13 young men were arrested for refusing to take up arms. Of these, just three were baptized Witnesses; the others were unbaptized publishers and Bible students. Despite threats and physical abuse, they proved unwavering in their decision to walk in Jehovah’s ways. (Isa. 2:3, 4) Sadly, when  they were being transferred by airplane to Luanda, the aircraft crashed on takeoff, and everyone on board was killed.

In April 1985 a group of nine—including baptized Witnesses, unbaptized publishers, and interested persons—refused to violate their neutrality. (John 17:16) They were transferred by train, then by helicopter, into a heavy-combat zone. When the soldiers tried to force them to join in the battle and Manual Morais de Lima refused, he was shot to death. Another brother was hit by a mortar that severely wounded his leg, so he was taken out of the combat zone and sent to a hospital. Two of the brothers were told, “The helicopters that brought you here do not belong to Jehovah,” so the only way out was on foot—120 miles [200 km] through a territory in which there were guerrilla troops and wild animals. On arriving in Luanda, they were imprisoned again! Nevertheless, they were still convinced that being governed by love for Jehovah God and for one’s fellowman is the right way to live.—Luke 10:25-28.

In another instance, four Witnesses were sent to a remote military camp in southernmost Angola. The soldiers felt certain that the intensity of the war would force the Witnesses to take up arms to protect themselves. Instead, as Miguel Quiambata recalls, some officers, impressed by the steadfastness of these men and realizing that they were harmless,  granted them freedom of movement in the area. They used that freedom to teach others about Jehovah’s provision for eternal life through his Son, Jesus Christ. In 1987 when they celebrated the Memorial of Christ’s death, there were 47 present, and soon the meeting attendance was up to 58.

About 300 of Jehovah’s Witnesses were still in prison in 1990 because of their Christian neutrality. Some had served multiple sentences, each one of more than five years. Others had been detained for four years without any trial. Even after an amnesty was granted, some prison authorities withheld knowledge of the amnesty from the brothers and kept them in prison. Others delayed in releasing them because the Witnesses were considered their best workers and could be trusted to do jobs outside the prisons without trying to escape. And that amnesty did not prevent the arrest and execution of two more Witnesses in 1994.

At a later time, while distributing Kingdom News No. 35, a pioneer sister met a former military man who stated that he had been present at the execution of three Witnesses who had refused to take up arms. When asked if the world would be a better place if all were Jehovah’s Witnesses, he acknowledged that if they are capable of facing death because of refusing to kill their fellowman, the world would certainly be at peace if all were Jehovah’s Witnesses. He accepted the brochure What Does God Require of Us?, agreed to a home Bible study, and began to attend the congregation meetings.

Waters of Truth Continued to Flow

To the prophet Ezekiel, Jehovah gave a vision of water of life flowing forth from God’s great spiritual temple. It flowed under and around obstacles, through rugged land, and  imparted life where there had formerly been a death-dealing environment. (Ezek. 47:1-9) Today, despite obstacles, the life-giving water of truth has flowed into more than 230 lands, including Angola.

At times the obstacles have seemed formidable, but the water of life that comes from God has found a way around these. Throughout the 1980’s, censorship was so strict that only infrequent courier messages from abroad reached the Luanda office. Yet, Bible literature containing refreshing truths found its way across the border between Angola and Namibia, where it was relatively easy to cross. In this way publications in Portuguese and local languages were obtained. This arrangement worked in that area for several years.

Help came from many sources. A number of professional people assisted the brothers in obtaining Bibles. Even military personnel, some with relatives who were Witnesses, took great risks to aid the brothers in Angola. Several shipments of office supplies, including a valuable duplicating machine, were sent in the names of influential individuals. One such man later chose to join Jehovah’s people in serving under the direction of God’s “Prince of Peace.”—Isa. 9:6.

In 1984, Thierry Duthoit and his wife, Manuela, moved to Angola from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). They came to be dearly loved by the local brothers. Brother Duthoit was tall and often mistaken for being Russian. Under the government at that time, the many Russians in Angola had complete freedom of movement.

This mistaken identity was used to good advantage to bring into this war-wracked country literature telling how Jehovah God by means of the Messianic Kingdom would bring true peace to humankind and would cause it to flourish to  the ends of the earth. (Ps. 72:7, 8) Brother Duthoit established a number of business contacts with airline pilots who agreed to transport boxes of Bible literature into the country. Then Brother Duthoit would pick these up at the airport and deliver them to the brothers. He also obtained badly needed medicines for ailing brothers.

Through Brother Duthoit, responsible brothers were introduced to Mr. Ilídio Silva, a businessman, who donated two duplicating machines. These were very difficult for the brothers to obtain, since the government kept an inventory of all office machinery in the country. Mr. Silva was blessed as well, as he eventually became a baptized servant of Jehovah.

With electronic duplicating equipment, it became possible to produce a 20-page edition of The Watchtower. This included important secondary articles that the Angolan brothers had previously missed. In a short time, 10,000 copies per issue were being distributed on average. Examining the Scriptures was also mimeographed, and this was greatly appreciated. From Portugal, selected material from “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial” was sent so that it too could be mimeographed. Later, it was possible to receive that material in booklet form. This helped to enrich the program at the Theocratic Ministry School. How refreshing all these spiritual provisions were!

Evidence of divine blessing included growth in the number of people praising Jehovah in this land. By the end of the 1987 service year, the number who reported activity as his Witnesses reached 8,388, an increase of over 150 percent since the ban in 1978. The number of congregations had also multiplied, from 33 to 89. Although great care was exercised before newly interested ones were invited to meetings,  attendance was about 150 percent of the number of publishers. The publishers were averaging some 18 hours in the field service each month, and home Bible studies reached a peak of 23,665! True, there were economic problems, and there was a scarcity of food. But the confidence that our brothers have in Jehovah’s promises enabled them to hold their heads high. They were determined to keep on “speaking the word of God with boldness.”—Acts 4:31.

Special Training for Circuit Overseers

The traveling overseers, who were constantly giving of themselves in behalf of the congregations, also needed encouragement. How thrilled they were to learn of arrangements for them to attend a special seminar for traveling overseers in Lisbon, Portugal, in November of 1988!

Imagine their joy in having daily association with the Portugal Bethel family! Luis Cardoso, one who attended the seminar, summarizes how they felt: “This was an especially thrilling time for me. We were so warmly received by the Bethel family in Portugal. It seemed that the brothers could not do enough for us. Those proved to be 34 days of tightly-packed, joyful activity and learning for us.”

First they spent two weeks working with traveling overseers in the circuits in Portugal so that they could learn by observation. During the next two weeks, they attended the seminar. It dealt especially with their field of theocratic activity and prepared them for the Kingdom Ministry School classes in which they would be participating as instructors. The following week, they attended Kingdom Ministry School classes that were being conducted for elders and ministerial servants in Portugal. This gave the brothers from Angola opportunity to observe how the traveling overseers in  Portugal taught the local elders what they had learned at the seminar.

“This seminar taught me what it means to be a good student,” says Brother Cardoso. “I learned to study and do research as I had never done before. By their example, the brothers taught us how to show consideration for our wives so that we could work together unitedly. This unforgettable time was capped when the brothers showed us the ‘Photo Drama of Creation.’ I had heard so much about it, and now actually seeing it was thrilling.”

As a follow-up to that period of instruction, in October 1990, Mário Nobre, a circuit overseer from Portugal, was assigned to work with the Angolan circuit overseers as they served congregations in their home country. He spent two months training the brothers, and his kind, patient approach was greatly appreciated.

With special delight, Brother Nobre relates this experience that he had a few days after his arrival in Angola: “Arrangements were made for me to give a public talk in a congregation with 198 publishers. I was amazed to see 487 in attendance. To my surprise, the presiding overseer asked me to give the talk again. Only half the congregation had been present! Of course I accepted, and 461 attended the second talk, for a grand total of 948!”

During his stay, Brother Nobre learned much about the daily life of the brothers in Angola. He found that the streets in Luanda were dangerous because of gunfire, but he adapted quickly to the situation and focused his attention on the extraordinary interest in the Kingdom message shown by the people. Regarding his accommodations, he says: “The brothers gave me the best they had. Everything we had was the bare minimum, but it was sufficient.”

 Severe Drought

Early in 1990, the rider of the black horse of the Apocalypse—famine—left his mark on southern Angola when a severe three-month drought took a heavy toll. (Rev. 6:5, 6) Crops were destroyed. There was much suffering. According to Lisbon’s Diário de Notícias, at least 10,000 died as a result of the drought.

When news of the situation reached the Portugal branch, the brothers immediately dispatched two large shipping containers through brothers and businessmen who showed interest in Bible truth. One container went to Benguela, the other to Luanda.

The South Africa branch transported 25 tons of relief supplies through Namibia by truck. When the brothers arrived at Windhoek, they requested permission from the Angolan consulate to enter Angola to deliver the supplies to their Christian brothers. Though the official knew that the Witnesses were not recognized in his country, he gladly issued the necessary papers so that relief could reach those suffering people. Provision was even made for a military escort to ensure safe delivery.

When the truck reached the makeshift bridge at the Cunene River, the brothers had to transfer everything to a smaller truck and then put it all back when they got safely to the other side. After passing more than 30 military checkpoints, the truck reached Lubango. This successful mission paved the way for three additional trips, each carrying tons of precious relief supplies.

Flávio Teixeira Quental, who was present in Lubango when the first truck pulled in, recalls: “When we saw the truck arrive about three o’clock in the afternoon, we felt a great joy and comfort, along with surprise and some trepidation.  Where would we store 25 tons of literature, clothing, and food? Our Kingdom Hall did not have doors or windows, and our house was too small for all those boxes. We quickly organized the brothers to do guard duty all day and all night, and we put everything in the Kingdom Hall.”

All the supplies were promptly distributed. Brother Quental continues: “This was a time of war. . . . At this time we often had only one magazine for the whole congregation. How grateful we were to Jehovah, his organization, and our dear brothers who risked their own lives for brothers they did not even know! This called to our mind the kind of love that Jesus has shown for mankind in giving his human life in behalf of others.”—John 3:16.

 A letter of appreciation from the elders in Benguela stated: “This last weekend was filled with much activity as 32 volunteers distributed the supplies received. We thank those whose kind hearts were moved to send us this gift.” Despite the famine, none of the brothers there died from starvation.

A Promise of Human Rights

On May 31, 1991, a cease-fire agreement was signed between the rival factions in Angola, bringing in a period of relative peace. A new constitution was agreed on, promising human and political rights. The 16-year-long civil war had left the country devastated. Some 300,000 people had been killed. Life expectancy for a man was 43 years; for a woman, 46. Unemployment and inflation were rising. The educational system had been severely disrupted. Major rehabilitation was needed. Would it include relief for Jehovah’s Witnesses from the ban that had been in effect since 1978?

On October 22, 1991, a request for registration of the religious association of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola was presented to the minister of justice. A news release was also issued to make this request public knowledge.

The very next day the Jornal de Angola published an article that said, in part: “According to the spokesman of the  Witnesses in Angola, there is optimism as to the recognition of the Association, and the preliminary reception obtained from the Ministry of Justice was satisfactory.” The article also reviewed the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola, as well as their record in such lands as Portugal and Mozambique, where bans on the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses had been lifted.

For the first time in Angola, favorable publicity was being given to Jehovah’s Witnesses! Several days later, the director of the newspaper said that he had received many phone calls, even from people in influential positions, congratulating him for printing the article.

“An Experience I Will Never Forget”

Already Jehovah’s Witnesses were beginning to gather together more freely. Congregations with 100 publishers reported that 300 to 500 people were showing up at the meetings! How would the Witnesses, who until then had been forced to meet in small groups in private homes, accommodate such crowds? Some brothers with backyards put up a sheet-metal roof and offered the space for congregation use. Many congregations simply met in the open. The publishers were encouraged to invite only well-advanced Bible students to the meetings and assemblies because there was no room for all the others. Places for worship were urgently needed.

Douglas Guest and Mário P. Oliveira were sent from Portugal to help the brothers assess the work at hand and to consider future needs. During their stay, special meetings were held with elders and pioneers from the 127 congregations in Luanda. There was opportunity to meet with elders from 30 congregations outside the capital. All parts of the country were represented. What an upbuilding time it was!

 For Brother Guest too it was a deeply moving experience. He had worked closely with these brothers by means of correspondence for more than 30 years. Recalling this visit, he said: “Remarkable was the absence of any complaints about their lot in life. An inner peace radiated from their smiling faces, revealing that they were spiritually alive and well. All they could talk about were the prospects of expanding the preaching work in their country. It was an experience I will never forget.”

 Legal Recognition Once More

On April 10, 1992, the government’s official paper, Diário da República, declared that the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses had been legally approved. Jehovah’s Witnesses were fired with determination to make the most of the opportunities that this afforded them. Quickly, a new peak of 18,911 publishers was reached—30 percent over the preceding year’s average. The 56,075 home Bible studies—an average of three per publisher—pointed to a bountiful harvest ahead.

The South Africa branch was now advised that they could begin shipping The Watchtower, Awake!, and other literature to Angola. Two trucks were purchased to facilitate local distribution to the congregations. How thrilled the brothers were when 24,000 copies of the May 1, 1992, Watchtower and 12,000 copies of the May 8, 1992, Awake! arrived! Soon there was an adequate supply of books with which to conduct home Bible studies. Prior to this, in order to conduct studies, some publishers would memorize every question and answer in the study publication.

Facing Difficult Times—Again!

Violence was not all a thing of the past. After the elections in September 1992, the country was again torn apart by civil war. Intense fighting broke out on October 30 in five major cities: Lubango, Benguela, Huambo, Lobito, and especially Luanda, where it was reported that 1,000 were killed in the first days of fighting.

Hospitals were crowded far beyond their capacity. Dead bodies lay in the streets. Epidemics spread. Supplies of electricity, food, and water could not be obtained for several weeks. Stealing and pillaging were rife. Much of the civilian population was traumatized.

 Several of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Luanda were killed; others were reported missing. When reports of the dire circumstances confronting our brothers were received in Portugal, the branch immediately dispatched food and medical supplies.

During this period of fighting between political factions, the strict neutrality of Jehovah’s Witnesses was observed by the public. Favorable remarks were heard about the fact that they were the only ones not involved in politics and not taking sides in the struggle for power. Interested people began approaching Witnesses on the street to ask for Bible studies.

As the Witnesses themselves viewed their situation, they were convinced that what they were experiencing was the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and this made their confidence in God’s Kingdom even stronger. They appreciated the timeliness of studying the book Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand!, especially the portion on the activities of the wild beast in these last days.

A Message From the Governing Body

Shortly after the renewed outbreak of violence, the Governing Body sent the Portugal branch a heartwarming letter expressing concern for the brothers in Angola. The letter considered, among other things, the immediate needs of the Angolan brothers. In conclusion, the Governing Body asked that their warm love be conveyed to the brothers in Angola.

Upon receiving this message in Luanda, the brothers expressed  their sincere gratitude to Jehovah for such a loving organization that so tenderly cares for his people in times of distress. Especially was this loving expression comforting to the families of the brothers who lost their lives during this violent time.

Landmark District Convention

By January 1993, conditions in Luanda were somewhat calmer, and it was possible for many publishers from various parts of the country to attend the “Light Bearers” District Conventions in the capital. Some had come great distances on foot. One sister from Huambo Province walked seven days with her four small children, the oldest being just six years of age. She arrived exhausted but in happy anticipation of the spiritual feast they were about to enjoy.

The Industrial Fair Pavilion was rented for two consecutive weeks. Generators and sound equipment were supplied from Portugal. Even though the brothers invited only those regularly attending meetings, the pavilion was packed to overflowing for both conventions. The combined attendance reached 24,491. It was the first time that the brothers in Angola had been able to enjoy a complete three-day district convention program, including the drama. There were 629 new ministers baptized at those conventions, and the conventioners rejoiced to receive the brochure Enjoy Life on Earth Forever! in Kikongo, Kimbundu, and Umbundu, as well as the brochure Does God Really Care About Us? in Portuguese.

Government officials closely observed the fine conduct of the Witnesses who attended. The contrast with what was happening in Luanda could hardly have been greater. On the day that the first convention began, violence against returning refugees broke out in various boroughs of the city. Many were  killed and hundreds injured. Looting was rampant. Homes were destroyed, including those of some brothers. This dark cloud of renewed violence made the contrast with the spiritual light enjoyed by Jehovah’s people seem all the more marked.—Isa. 60:2.

Congregations Cut Off From the Office

Because of the renewed fighting, most congregations in the provinces were gradually cut off from contact with the Luanda office. The resistance army set up its headquarters in Huambo in January 1993, and fierce fighting followed. The brothers fled en masse to the bush while this beautiful city was practically destroyed. For four months there was absolutely no news from the 11 congregations that had been in that city. Finally, in April a short message was received: “Memorial attendance of 11 congregations in Huambo: 3,505. Up to the present, we have nothing to mourn.” What welcome news that none of the brothers had been killed!

In the months and years that followed, more reports came through, revealing a record of faithfulness and endurance. One congregation reported: “The worst time was a two-month period when the fighting was so bad that no one dared venture into the streets during the daytime. The brothers grouped together in the basement of an apartment building. At night they would go out to find water to boil so they would have something to drink the next day. People who tried to cross the street from one building to another would often be shot down by snipers. How did the brothers obtain food? They pooled their resources to buy rice from soldiers at an exorbitant price. One cup per day was allotted to each person. When they could not obtain food, they would try to dull the hunger pangs by drinking boiled water. They could not receive literature, but in order to keep spiritually strong,  they read again and again the magazines and books they had. As a result, they now feel even closer to Jehovah.”

A congregation in Kwanza Norte Province was cut off from the Luanda office for two years. Though isolated, the local Witnesses faithfully kept a record of their field service and a record of the contributions received. Their own situation was very difficult, but they did not touch those funds for any personal use. And they personally kept on making small contributions to the worldwide work. These funds were turned in when they were finally able to get in touch with the office. What an example of appreciation for Jehovah’s visible organization!

Bethel Expansion

At the end of 1992, the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses was able to purchase the three-story home that had been rented as an office for the country committee. That same  year, they were also able to rent a warehouse that was ideal for literature storage and that was later used for a small printing operation. Two years later, plans were under way to renovate the three-story home and to add a three-story annex.

Purchasing materials locally for this project was impossible, so the proposed building was prefabricated in Portugal and shipped to Angola in containers. Carlos Cunha, Jorge Pegado, and Noé Nunes came from Portugal to lend their building skills to the project. The project overseer, Mário P. Oliveira from Portugal, relates: “When construction work started in July 1994, Bethel was a beehive of activity as one container after another arrived. Practically everyone in the family helped unload the containers that brought all the tools and construction materials, including paint, tiles, doors, window frames, and so forth. The Bethel family had read about time-saving procedures, but now they could hardly believe their eyes at seeing how fast the three-story building went up.”

At the conclusion of the project, a letter of appreciation was received from a local brother who said: “I thank Jehovah that I was permitted to share in the construction of the new Bethel. In the beginning it seemed like a dream, but it has become a reality. It was an outstanding privilege to be able to be present for the consideration of the daily text, which gave me much encouragement. I also got to know all the members of the Bethel family by name, some of whom I had only seen as speakers at conventions. I ask Jehovah that if a new Bethel or any other construction is undertaken in the future, I may have the great privilege to be allowed to share in the work.”

Since then, to care for growing needs, an 11-acre [4.5 ha] plot of land some six miles [10 km] outside of Luanda has been purchased. Hopefully, this will become the location of a new office and Bethel home.

 From other lands, brothers and sisters eager to help arrived in Angola. Eight missionaries arrived in May and June of 1994. Brothers made several trips from South Africa to help set up a new printing press and to teach local brothers how to use it. Brothers from Portugal came to help the office with computers, bookkeeping, and other organizational matters. Bethelites in foreign service from Canada and Brazil contributed their skills. How much the brothers appreciated their willingness to help with the work as well as with the training of local brothers in valuable trades!

Conventions Give a Favorable Witness

Arrangements were made in 1994 to hold district conventions in more locations. For the first time, two of them were held in the provinces: one in Benguela, with an attendance of 2,043, and the other in Namibe, where a peak of 4,088 attended. Total attendance reached 67,278, and 962 were baptized.

The director of one facility was so impressed by what he saw that he offered the use of his arena for two weeks free of charge. An interested person said: “How beautiful the kind manners that I observed! I did not come to spy on you; I desire to continue with you. I ask that you do me the great favor of sending me an instructor as soon as possible, so that I can firmly follow your example.”

For the “Joyful Praisers” District Convention in August 1995, the Witnesses secured a large stadium in the heart of Luanda. The brothers replaced a large portion of the wooden seating, applied a fresh coat of paint, and made repairs to the water system. How would the public respond to the invitation to attend? The answer was overwhelming! The first weekend, the crowd spilled out onto the football field and filled all the space under the bleachers. The delegates  were thrilled to learn that 40,035 had attended. The following weekend, another 33,119 came. A total of 1,089 were baptized.

Since there were fewer than 26,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the entire country, where had all these people come from? They were Angolans who were showing interest in the Biblical message being taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses. A reporter from a news agency in Luanda said: “Something never seen before is happening here in the Coqueiros Stadium. About 60,000 people of all social levels are here attending the district convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is really notable; men, women, children, and old people all gathered together . . . listening to encouragement to praise their God, Jehovah.”

Those who observed the delegates arriving were impressed by the fact that despite their limited resources, the delegates were all neat and clean. During sessions, everyone was attentive. It seemed that the only ones walking around  were attendants who were taking the count. A vice-minister of the government who attended the entire Sunday morning session remarked: “I am amazed! What a difference between the people inside this stadium and those outside. I am impressed by the practical value of your program. Congratulations!”

The Angolan Witnesses had read about large conventions of Jehovah’s people in other parts of the world. But here they were attending one in their own land. What a blessing after years of perseverance through very difficult times! They were awestruck. Their hearts were filled with thanks to Jehovah for letting them be a part of his special family on the earth at this momentous time in human history.

Angola Becomes a Branch

The preaching of the good news was expanding rapidly. During the years from 1994 to 1996, publishers increased in number at an average of 14 percent each year. Peak publishers reached 28,969, and the number of home Bible studies exceeded 61,000. When the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses was registered in 1992, there were 213 congregations; by 1996 that had increased to 405. The Memorial attendance of 108,394 that year pointed to a further bountiful ingathering.

Changing the office in Luanda to a branch could expedite the handling of local needs. Thus, on September 1, 1996, a branch office went into operation in Angola. The Governing Body appointed to the Branch Committee three brothers who had already been faithfully serving on the country committee: João Mancoca, Domingos Mateus, and Silvestre Simão. Two others, missionaries, were designated to serve along with them: José Casimiro and Steve Starycki.

To help in preparing for the transition, Douglas Guest, from the Portugal branch, visited Angola in June 1996. He  spoke to the 56-member Bethel family on the need for them to set a fine example in all things. A special program for 5,260 elders and pioneers, along with their wives, from the greater Luanda area featured interviews of Branch Committee members and other older brothers, recalling highlights of the history of Jehovah’s people in Angola. Brother Guest spoke to them about the courage that results from trusting in Jehovah and looking to Him for strength.

Making the Truth Available in Their Own Language

Revelation 7:9 says that “a great crowd” of people “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” would join in worshiping Jehovah. Angola is certainly included in this prophecy. There are 42 languages and many more dialects spoken in Angola. Of these, Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo are the most widely used native languages.

For years, congregation meetings had frequently involved interpreting study material from Portuguese into at least one local language. In order to have study material of their own, people needed to learn Portuguese, yet opportunities for education were very limited. One of the first publications available in Umbundu was the booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom.” In 1978 when one of the elders received a copy, he commented: “With this booklet in Umbundu, Moçâmedes [now Namibe] will have more than 300 publishers. Most people in this area speak and read this language. This is a real blessing!” So great has that blessing been that in Namibe there are now 1,362 publishers in 21 congregations.

But more needed to be done in order to reach the hearts of the Angolan people by providing the good news in their own languages. The groundwork needed to be laid for a full-fledged Translation Department. Shortly after Jehovah’s Witnesses  were legally registered in 1992, three prospective translators were sent to the South Africa branch to receive preliminary training. Computers were obtained. Then Keith Wiggill and his wife, Evelyn, came from South Africa to give assistance in organizing the new department and using the Society’s Translation Tools computer programs.

An increasing supply of literature in the native languages began to be provided. In Umbundu, such brochures as Enjoy Life on Earth Forever! and Does God Really Care About Us? were published. Then they were made available in Kikongo and Kimbundu, along with a variety of tracts. In 1996 the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life and the brochure What Does God Require of Us? were released in all three languages. A district overseer reported that in one of the host congregations he served, he used a very simple and direct presentation and was able to start 90 Bible studies in one week! The following year saw the number of congregations increase from 478 to 606.

What a blessing it was for the brothers to be able to hear and read Bible truths in their own tongue! In 1998 the first complete Umbundu-language district convention was held in Huambo. The attendance was over 3,600. With appreciative hearts, delegates were heard to say, “Jehovah has not forgotten us!” The evidence of that loving concern was enhanced when the The Watchtower became available in Umbundu, starting with the issue of January 1, 1999.

Urgent Need for Kingdom Halls

For many years, because of bans on their activity, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola had not been able to have Kingdom Halls. Since 1992, the number of congregations in Luanda alone has grown from 147 to 514. For the entire country, the number of congregations has increased by more  than 200 percent, to 696. Average meeting attendance is between 200 and 400 persons in many congregations. Assemblies and conventions in 1998 reported attendances four times the number of publishers! Suitable meeting places are urgently needed.

The city of Lubango got its first Kingdom Hall in 1997, Lobito in July 1998, and Viana (just south of Luanda) in December 1999. With the help of the current international Kingdom Hall building program, progress is now being made.

A movable, steel-frame, open-air Kingdom Hall has been designed for use in Angola. Why movable? Despite efforts to obtain a clear title to a piece of land, someone may come along even after a building has been erected and claim that he is the rightful owner of the lot. The Kingdom Hall is designed so that it can be moved if necessary. As for the open-air style, it is more comfortable in this hot climate. In May of 2000, materials for the first prefabricated unit arrived. There are just 24 Kingdom Halls of various sorts in the country, and another 355 will be needed during the next five years. It is hoped that what is now being done will help to meet the urgent need.

In addition to the work on Kingdom Halls, a steel-frame, open-sided Assembly Hall with seating for 12,000 is being planned for the future.

Respecting the Sanctity of Blood

To fill yet another need, in October 1996 a Hospital Liaison Committee (HLC) consisting of ten caring elders began  to serve the hundreds of congregations in the greater Luanda area. The local Witnesses were thrilled to have well-trained brothers available to help them obtain medical treatment that takes into consideration their desire to ‘abstain from blood.’—Acts 15:28, 29.

The medical facilities that survived the war had received very little maintenance since the mid-1970’s. Medications were scarce. With these difficult conditions, would doctors be willing to cooperate with Jehovah’s Witnesses in establishing a program of bloodless medicine and surgery? At first, most doctors and hospital administrators responded negatively or put off the appointments. Then a medical emergency arose.

A brother from the province of Malanje was taken to the Américo Boavida Hospital in Luanda for surgery on a stomach tumor. An HLC member accompanied the brother’s wife to visit the surgeon. Dr. Jaime de Abreu, the chief  of surgery at the hospital, received the two Witnesses. To their surprise, he was familiar with Jehovah’s Witnesses and their stand on blood, and he had heard about the bloodless program when on vacation in Portugal.

With the cooperation of Dr. de Abreu, a successful operation was performed without blood. Later, the brothers from the HLC met with Dr. de Abreu and his team to provide additional information. Now five doctors are cooperating with the Witnesses by respecting their stand on blood.

More Workers for the Harvest

Once the many organizational and literature needs were addressed, more attention was turned to the great interest being shown in the field. How well the words of Jesus apply to  Angola: “Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few”! (Matt. 9:37) Reports revealed dozens of cities needing help to care for those showing interest in the truth.

In response to this need, the Society sent 11 more missionaries to assist in “the harvest.” Some were assigned to the coastal cities of Benguela and Namibe. But Jehovah has raised up the majority of the workers from among the Angolan people themselves. During just the past five years, 21,839 people have been baptized, thus joining the throng of dedicated praisers of Jehovah in this land.

The Eyes of Jehovah Are Upon Them

It has been impossible to send experienced brothers to all the places where there is interest in God’s Word. What has been the result? Greater evidence has been provided that the work is directed, not by man, but by God’s spirit. (Zech. 4:6) Jehovah’s eyes are upon all his servants, as well as others who  sincerely want to know and serve the true God.—Ps. 65:2; Prov. 15:3.

Some villagers from the province of Kwanza Norte traveled to Luanda and obtained magazines from Witnesses who were distributing copies on the street. After seeing what good news these contained, the villagers decided that they should follow the example of the Witnesses in Luanda and share the magazines with others. They also discerned the need to assemble together, so one man in the group did his best to conduct meetings. However, since their village is remote, news that Jehovah’s Witnesses had been legally registered three years earlier had not reached the local authorities. Because of this, the villagers were not allowed to meet publicly. Undeterred, they met in the bush.

Eventually, news arrived at the Luanda office that people in Quilombo dos Dembos wanted help to organize a congregation. A circuit overseer was sent to the village in October  1997, and 140 people attended the meeting during his visit. He always carried with him a copy of the statutes of the Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, so he was able to provide evidence to the local authorities that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a legally functioning organization. The group is now happy to meet together publicly, and they have in their midst pioneers, who now assist the many interested ones.

In 1996, Ana Maria Filomena found herself in a small town in the province of Bié. She did what she could to spread the good news, and soon a group of interested people assembled each week for a book study and a Watchtower Study. Ana Maria conducted the meetings because there was no baptized brother available. One day she was informed that a local high-ranking military commander would be at their Sunday meeting to see for himself what was being taught there. He came, along with two soldiers. Evidently, he was pleased with what he heard because before leaving he said: “Continue your work without fear in this territory.” That small group is now the Umbundu Kuito-Bié Sul Congregation, with 40 publishers and a Sunday meeting attendance of 150.

Because congregations in the province of Uíge were isolated for about two years, they had not received needed spiritual food. A Witness there explained the problem to a relative who was involved with regular flights that transported supplies. The relative kindly offered to transport the circuit overseer, a special pioneer, and 900 pounds [400 kilos] of literature on the next flight at no cost. On arrival, the brothers found a congregation that was caring for five isolated groups. Each group was holding meetings with 50 to 60 interested people in attendance.

Early in 1996 in this same province, a circuit overseer visited a congregation that had been isolated from the rest of the organization for over four years. What did he find? Although  there were only 75 publishers, a total of 794 attended his public talk! Clearly, living in an isolated area had not dampened the zeal of these brothers to preach the good news to others.

From the area of Gabela, some distance south of Luanda, came similar reports of great interest in the truth. A pioneer there conducts five Congregation Book Studies—a different one each night of the week. He too ‘begs the Master of the harvest to send more workers.’—Matt. 9:37, 38.

“The Most Tragic Conflict of Our Times”

The activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses in proclaiming the good news throughout Angola is all the more amazing when considered in the light of conditions within the country. A United Nations report described Angola’s civil war as “the most tragic conflict of our times.” In view of the human suffering involved, that description would be hard to dispute. Even after the cease-fire, it was reported that 1,000 people a day were being killed. In March 2000, The New York Times said: “The war in Angola, a nation of 12 million people, has left a million dead, and three million are now displaced from their homes.”

Even if all the guns stopped, the aftermath of war would remain. Angola has one of the highest concentrations of land mines in the world and an estimated 70,000 amputees as a result of mine explosions—the highest in the world. Incredibly, mines continue to be laid by the warring parties. This causes farmers to abandon their fields and contributes to the desperate shortage of food for the population.

Amid the violence, Jehovah’s Witnesses have not escaped unscathed. In the province of Kwanza Norte, four Witnesses and an interested person were killed by the cross fire between government troops and the resistance army. Some have been killed in accidents involving land mines and random bombs  exploding in marketplaces. In 1999, four Witnesses lost their lives while attempting to deliver food and other supplies to fellow Christians in Huambo. Thankfully, such incidents have been rare.

Along with others, Jehovah’s Witnesses have suffered greatly from shortages of food, clothing, and shelter. When the civil war escalated in 1999, an estimated 1,700,000 persons, including many of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were forced to flee from their homes. People fleeing the war often move in with relatives who live in already overcrowded houses. Although hard-pressed to provide for their families, the elders continue to care for the spiritual needs of the brothers. Words cannot convey the depth of appreciation of these Witnesses for fellow Christians in Italy, Portugal, and South Africa who have responded to their plight and provided many containers of food, clothing, and badly needed medical supplies.

Living Examples of Faith

Just as intense heat was used in ancient times to purify gold, so the trials endured by servants of God produce faith of a tested quality. (Prov. 17:3; 1 Pet. 1:6, 7) Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola, both young and old, have faith of such tested quality.

Carlos Cadi, a longtime minister who over half a century ago learned precious Bible truths along with João Mancoca in the Belgian Congo, observes: “The courageous and determined stand of our brothers, including the many who gave their lives, has provided a powerful witness. This has resulted not only from their actions but also from their boldly speaking out to many in authority.”

One who has provided such a witness is Antunes Tiago Paulo. He was treated brutally by men who sought to break his Christian neutrality. Today, he serves as a member of the  Angola Bethel family along with others who were similarly tortured: Justino César, Domingos Kambongolo, António Mufuma, David Missi, and Miguel Neto. Alfredo Chimbaia, who spent more than six years in prison, now serves, along with his wife, in the circuit work.

A sister saw her husband torn from the family and killed by a rival tribe. She was warned that if she wanted to stay alive, she must flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo. To get there she had to walk with her four children. It took ten months. Before beginning the trip, she had not realized that she was pregnant, and before reaching the Congo, she gave birth. Sadly, though, the child later died. She prayed constantly. She said that in such a situation when you have no options, you must throw your burden on Jehovah. (Ps. 55:22) If you do not, you will indulge in self-pity and ask, “Why me, Jehovah?” This sister was so grateful just to be alive that upon reaching Kinshasa, she served as an auxiliary pioneer during her first month there.

“God Is Not Ashamed of Them”

What the apostle Paul wrote about men and women of faith in ancient times well describes Jehovah’s servants in Angola. His words might be paraphrased as follows: ‘What more shall we say? For the time will fail us if we go on to relate all the examples of faith of those who escaped the edge of the sword, from a weak state were made powerful, and were tortured because they would not accept release by some compromise. They received their trial by mockings and scourgings, indeed, more than that, by bonds and prisons. They were tried, they were in want, in tribulation, under ill-treatment; and the world was not worthy of them.’ (Heb. 11:32-38) Though they were despised by those who persecuted them, though many live in  want because of war and anarchy, “God is not ashamed of them, to be called upon as their God,” because they keep their eyes firmly fixed on the fulfillment of his promises.—Heb. 11:16.

Although they continue to experience the harsh effects of the furiously riding horsemen of the Apocalypse, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola are keenly aware of God’s blessing. During the past year, the more than 40,000 publishers in this land devoted over 10,000,000 hours to telling others about the good news of God’s Kingdom. They were busy conducting, on an average each month, more than 83,000 home Bible studies with interested people. The earnest desire of Kingdom publishers in Angola is to help as many people as possible to have the opportunity to choose the real life that God makes possible through Jesus Christ. And how they rejoiced when, despite the unstable conditions in the country, over 181,000 assembled for the annual commemoration of the Lord’s Evening Meal! They see abundant evidence that the fields are still white for harvesting.—John 4:35.

Along with their Christian brothers worldwide, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Angola have absolute confidence in the final triumph of their heavenly King and Leader, Jesus Christ. (Ps. 45:1-4; Rev. 6:2) Regardless of the trials they face, their determination is to be loyal servants of him and faithful Witnesses of their loving God, Jehovah.—Ps. 45:17.

[Blurb on page 68]

‘Though our physical condition is serious, we are spiritually healthy. What is happening is exactly what was foretold in the Bible.’

[Blurb on page 73]

They studied the Bible and began to preach. Soon they were deported to Angola.

[Blurb on page 78]

“The worst that you can do is kill me. Can you do more than that? But I will not turn away from my faith.”

[Blurb on page 82]

He was convinced that he had found the truth. But how highly did he value it?

[Blurb on page 85]

In prison they would preach to the walls on whatever Biblical subject came to their mind.

[Blurb on page 89]

Signs of war surrounded them, but they pressed on in their ministry.

[Blurb on page 91]

Christian shepherds regularly made brief visits on their way to and from work. They would often read a few scriptures with the family.

[Blurb on page 96]

“OK, I will say ‘Viva!’” Everyone waited. Finally, the young boy shouted “Viva Jehovah!”

[Blurb on page 103]

“I left Angola with prayers in my heart and tears in my eyes because of these brothers who, although suffering, smile because of the wonderful hope they have.”

[Blurb on page 108]

“He would give each of his talks from 7 to 21 times. The week’s activity was full and demanding.”

[Blurb on page 111]

In this patriarchal society, he was the recognized head. He came to be known as the man of God.

[Blurb on page 116]

Under pressure to break their Christian neutrality, they proved unwavering in their decision to walk in Jehovah’s ways.

[Blurb on page 124]

“How grateful we were to Jehovah, his organization, and our dear brothers who risked their own lives for brothers they did not even know!”

[Blurb on page 128]

The strict neutrality of Jehovah’s Witnesses was observed by the public.

[Blurb on page 138]

There are 696 congregations but just 24 Kingdom Halls.

 [Map/Pictures on page 81]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Atlantic Ocean

DEM. REP. OF CONGO

ANGOLA

Luanda

Malanje

Lobito

Benguela

Huambo

Lubango

Namibe

Baía dos Tigres

NAMIBIA

 [Full-page picture on page 66]

[Pictures on page 71]

Gray and Olga Smith

[Picture on page 74]

John Cooke (center), with João Mancoca (right) and Sala Filemon (left), who were among the first to take a firm stand for true worship in Angola

[Picture on page 87]

Enthusiastic assembly during a window of freedom in 1975

[Picture on page 90]

A country devastated by war

[Pictures on page 102]

The “kitchen,” where spiritual food was prepared

[Picture on page 104]

Silvestre Simão

[Pictures on page 123]

Relief supplies for Angola being loaded in South Africa

[Picture on page 126]

Above: Special meeting with elders and regular pioneers in Luanda

[Picture on page 126]

Douglas Guest (left) in Angola in 1991, with João and Maria Mancoca and Mário Oliveira

[Picture on page 131]

Original office used by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Luanda

[Pictures on page 134]

“Joyful Praisers” District Convention attended by 73,154 in Luanda

[Picture on page 139]

A metal-roof structure that serves as one of the 24 Kingdom Halls in Angola

[Picture on page 140]

Branch Committee (left to right): João Mancoca, Steve Starycki, Silvestre Simão, Domingos Mateus, José Casimiro

[Picture on page 140, 141]

Angola Bethel family in 1996, when the branch was formed

[Pictures on page 142]

A few of the many Bethel family members who proved their faith under harsh mistreatment: (1) Antunes Tiago Paulo, (2) Domingos Kambongolo, (3) Justino César

[Picture on page 147]

Carlos Cadi