REPORT FROM BRIAN HOWDEN ON A VISIT TO ANGOLA.

May 2009

Dear Praying Friends,

Renewed greetings once again in our Saviours wonderful name.

First of all we would just like to thank you for praying for the renewal of my residency permit. It was renewed within 3 months which is incredibly quick. We take this as from the Lord that He still has a work for us to do for Him in that large and needy country.

I have recently returned from another visit to Angola and we trust that these few lines will give you a little insight as to the work of the Lord in Angola and the little that He has entrusted to us to do in His name.

Having landed in Luanda I was immediately told by the brother who collected me that my Land Rover had broken down on the way from Saurimo to Luanda and that Ruth Hadley’s vehicle had to come and tow it back to Saurimo. I was planning on leaving shortly after arriving in Luanda to drive my vehicle to Saurimo as the airport is still closed. But thankfully Jonathan Singletons vehicle was in Luanda and he kindly allowed me to drive it back to Saurimo. I was so grateful for this as when working on a tight schedule days can be quickly lost in such cases. It then had to return the following week as Jonathan was due to be flying in and would need it. Each journey to Luanda and back adds 2000km to the engine and therefore one is very aware of the wear and tear on the vehicles.

Thank you for praying for travelling mercies once again. The road to Saurimo has improved greatly and we no longer have to endure big potholes on the main road but the down side is that this enables lorries and other vehicles to travel at very high speeds. With no road markings, sharp bends and dangerous brows one is very much cast upon the Lord while undertaking the journey.

Camundambala Assembly

I was able to have two Bible study groups daily and continued these studies throughout the time I was there. The first was with a group of lads who had professed salvation last year and had been baptised and brought into fellowship. They have problems with immorality and drink. Of the 14 who were in the group last year, 2 had got girls pregnant and have had to be disciplined by the assembly. Satan has really been active and sadly one elder has also gotten himself away from the Lord, he too has been disciplined along with his wife. We feel this deeply as over the years much time has been invested in this dear brother. Please do pray that we may yet see the Lord powerfully moving amongst His people bringing repentance and conviction. Throughout "Chokweland" we long to see the power of the Gospel breakdown the strongholds of Satan’s kingdom and long to see folk truly delivered from witchcraft and the fear of it. Please do not cease to pray for a mighty work of God to be done. In the meantime we are thankful for the opportunities we have to preach and teach the Word of truth and we wait in pray for the Lord to bless His Word.

The other group was with 4 young men in their early thirties who are really beginning to bear responsibilities in the local assembly, we trust that the Bible teaching will prove to be a blessing to them and help them in their service for the Lord too.

It was good to be with the assembly for the whole time, please do pray for the testimony that despite the attacks of Satan that the Lord would bless His Word and that the believers may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. In doing so we pray that they may have the courage to stand for Him in difficult circumstances.

Due to a driver needed to take the vehicle I had borrowed back up to Luanda I stood in for one of the teachers in the Camundambala Primary School. Having helped a little in the building of the school it was good to be able to actually have hands on experience in the school and see first hand the enthusiasm of the children, many of them walking or cycling great distances each day to attend school. The school is a credit to Ruth Hadley and we really do pray that the Lord would save some of these youngsters and that they will become pillars in their local assemblies in days to come. The Word of God is central in the School and each day starts with prayer and in each lesson the children are exposed to the Word of God. We look forward to shortly being able to say that the 4 additional classrooms will be finished. The classrooms are being used but not yet completed. Jon Singleton is once again visiting and with his help the floor tiles and ceilings will be done.

The school has come a long way since it started in 2007, there are needs on every hand but we praise the Lord for His provision and help and would value your continued prayers for this work.

I was pleased to be able to help out a bit in the printing work in Saurimo. There were a couple of machines needing attention and with the Lords help was delighted to be able to get them going again. Jacob is struggling a little on his own now that Feliz has to fulfil his responsibilities as a head in a local school, and we are looking to the Lord to know how we can take this work on. In the meantime the printing ticks over and meets the needs of the work in general.

As I came back through Luanda, a number of brethren told me of the challenges that the local assemblies are facing in the capital. The charismatic movement appears to be sweeping through the local assemblies and this influence will spread quickly to the provinces now that the travel situation has improved. In many ways we are seeing sustained attacks on Biblical principles and would really urge you to pray without ceasing for the preservation of local assemblies in Luanda and across the provinces, that the Lord would raise up national brethren who will be able to faithfully teach the Word of God.

Our dear sister Marjorie Beckwith who has faithfully served the Lord in the capital has informed us that she does intend to retire and go back to Canada the 1^st August this year. Please do pray that the Lord would raise up others who would be called of the Lord to serve Him in Luanda. Without a missionary presence there in the capital one wonders how we will cope in the future, but it is the Lords work and we trust Him for the months ahead. We are praying about the possibility of building a new base near the proposed new airport in Luanda. This will better facilitate travel into the interior as it is on the outskirts of Luanda and will avoid the congestion which we face at present.

God willing my next visit will be on the Sept 4^th. I had proposed to visit Camaxilo area once again but there seems to be some unrest there at present and the government has sent troops to the area to quell a movement seeking autonomy for the Chokwes. Please pray that this will soon settle down and that there will be no bloodshed, we have many assemblies in that region. I have received a number of requests from assemblies in Moxico province and in Lunda Norte to visit them for the teaching of the Word so am waiting on the Lord as to the program for September.

As a family we are all well, we really do appreciate the prayers of the Lords people for us as a family and for the important days ahead of us.

Thank you too all those who faithfully pray for the work, without your fellowship in prayer it would be a much lonelier task. How thankful we are that when our hearts are overwhelmed we can say "lead me to the rock that is higher than I", His faithfulness and care for us through His people never ceases to cause us to worship Him.

Yours through His grace

Brian & Debbie Howden