NOVEMBER 2021, issue 12

~ The ~ Stutzmans

Serving In Angola With MAF

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship

is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” 1 John 1:3

Dear Friends and Family,

Our last letter was written to you during Angola’s winter months; the weather has now turned and the temperature is anywhere from 29 to 37 degrees Celsius during the day. The sun is intense enough to burn us through sunscreen.

We have a little garden growing in our backyard with jasmine, an amaryllis, passion fruit, and a Nespera (Loquat) tree. These plants all love the intensity of the sun! As these baby plants grow, we look forward to having a refreshing place to sit with our friends and guests.

To the right: Meet Alex, a friend from church. He comes over to practice English, and we get to practice our Portuguese with him.

A CRITICAL MAF FLIGHT: Saving a Life Just in Time One recent evening, the MAF team received a text from Dr. Tim Kubacki at the remote Cavango clinic. There were four patients needing urgent transport to CEML Hospital in Lubango. The most critical was a fifteen-year-old boy named Armando. He had just arrived at the clinic with severe peritonitis - inflammation in the tissue that lines the abdomen.

It was too late in the day to dispatch the MAF plane as the remote airstrip is not suitable for night landings. There are no lights and the runway is just wide enough for the wheels of the Caravan. The flight would have to be dispatched the next morning, with the hope that Armando would survive the night.

Early the next morning, Andrew departed on the one-and-a-half hour flight to Cavango. The ambulance from the clinic met the plane with four patients, including Armando. He was clearly in pain, but still alive! It was evident that even before his infection started he had a challenging life. He looked about half his age and despite being fifteen years old, he was only fifty seven pounds.

The return flight went quickly, Andrew prayerfully choosing to fly at a lower altitude to reduce pressure on Armando’s internal organs. Upon arrival in Lubango, the ambulance from CEML hospital was waiting, but by this time Armando was drifting in and out of consciousness.

We had done all we could do; he was in the hands of God and the doctors at CEML.

One week later, Andrew checked in with a doctor at the hospital. By God’s grace Armando was doing well and was getting better with every passing day! Three weeks after his arrival, Armando flew back home with Andrew, healed. We are so grateful to God to be able to witness these life changing stories, thank you for your part in this work!

Landing at Cavango

Patient transfer in Lubango Armando ready to depart

Windows into God’s work In our last newsletter, we asked for prayer regarding Jaelynn finding her

place in ministry here in Angola. She feels that the prayers have been heard

as doors have been continuing to open for her. Below are a few of the

areas she is participating in, and witnessing God’s hand at work.

Two or three times a week, Jaelynn meets with and goes on visits with the

palliative care team run through CEML hospital. Talking about what the

future holds for those she is caring for can be a tough subject, and one that

as a foreigner requires a lot of education from her Angolan teammates. It

has been a learning curve to discover that talking about death can be taken

as a curse, and that depression and anxiety are subjects that are only

discussed indirectly. Weekly team meetings are essential for the team to

discuss these tough topics and pray for wisdom. What is encouraging is how

open the patients are with spiritual conversations. Where our strength and

ability fail, God’s comfort and peace prevail.

A Nurse Practitioner, Laurel, has invited Jaelynn along when she flies with

MAF to the remote First Aid post in Tchincombe where she works a few

times a month. Jaelynn helps her by doing intake, meeting the patients,

praying for them, taking their vital signs, and writing down the ages of

those who know how old they are. Sometimes finding out information is

tricky, but the effort makes the days with Laurel move quickly!

On Monday afternoons Jaelynn was invited to be an assistant in a beginner-

level English class at ISTEL—the Bible Institute in Lubango. Their teacher

and fellow Canadian, Michael, thought it would be beneficial for the

students to hear another English voice and different manner of speech.

Personal experience has shown that comprehension of what is said is the

greatest challenge when learning a new language. For the fourteen

students in the English class, it is important for them to have usable English,

because ISTEL is partnered with the South African University, Stellenbosch.

This University requires them to be able to present their masters and

doctorate papers in English! Helping them to achieve this has been fun and

it is exciting to see the passion these Angolans have as they pursue God’s

calling on their lives.

Thank you so much for your ongoing love, prayers, and financial support of

our ministry! Your desire to see God at work in the world around you is

what allows us to bear witness to HIS great works and to in turn share

them with you. We hope that you are encouraged and reminded that even

in difficult and confusing times, God is with us.

In Christ,

Laurel and Jaelynn at

Tchincombe

A palliative care team

meeting

A palliative visit with Sra

Juliana and her brother

Some of the ISTEL English class

and their teacher Michael

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:

Rainy season was supposed to start back in

October, but we have had very little rain so far.

The drought last year resulted in severe food scarcity and famine. We would like to invite you to join us and the local church as we pray for

rain in Lubango and the surrounding area.

Praise & Prayer

• Praise God for the many medical missionaries who God is using in this country

• Praise God for MAF and that He has enabled us to be a lifeline for those in need of urgent care

• Pray for the palliative care team as they continue to learn, grow, and share the hope we have in Christ

• Please pray for the English class at ISTEL and that God would continue to raise up passionate Angolans who long to transform their country in Christ’s name.

• Praise God for our continued good health

Contact Information:

Andrew: astutzman@maf.org / 1 (289) 217-4130

Jaelynn: jstutzman@maf.org / +244 (934)896-714 Donate Online at: www.mafc.org/missionaries/stutzman

Or by phone at 1-877-351-9344