De Souza’s in Angola Prayer Letter 1/16/23
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De Souza’s in Angola Prayer Letter 9/29/21
Greetings from Angola!!!
Thank you to each one that has encouraged, supported and prayed for us! We could not do this without you! You are touching lives, many of whom would otherwise live and die without knowing the love of Jesus and the hope of the Gospel!
Here we stand in front of our church building. Our prayer is that the Lord would touch the hearts of those who attend here, showing that He is alive, His love is immeasurable, and His power is unstoppable. Please pray that the church here would not be a building full of rules and rituals, but a body of believers, full of life, passion for their King, and love for their neighbors! Pray that this church would be a beacon of light to the surrounding villages.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Matthew 16: 24-25
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15: 12-13
Angola – Land of Extremes
Cavango – Our New Home:
There are days in which the drastic contrasts overwhelm us! We don’t always voice the turmoil in our souls, but it is always there:
- The injustice we see when we scroll facebook and see the abundance in our home countries and then walk out our front door and see the poverty, sickness, and pain that surround us…
- The thankfulness we feel when our children or ourselves experience sickness and then receive proper treatment, contrasted by the devastation we experience when patients, barely holding onto a thread of life, arrive for treatment too late, after making an excruciating journey of hours or days on foot…
- Dealing with our own homeschooled children who often have to be reminded, begged, and prodded to focus on their studies, then leading a Bible study of some of the highest educated villagers – church leaders who struggle just to read, let alone comprehend what they are reading, not because they didn’t want to study, but because they didn’t have access to quality education…
- The joy of seeing patients with treatable conditions receive their cure, contrasted by the heartache of seeing patients who had a curable condition, but sought help first from the shaman whose treatment left them with terminal liver or kidney failure…
- The pristine, natural beauty of untouched creation contrasted with the devastation and desolation left behind by the centuries-old, destructive practices of burn-farming and burn-hunting…
- The gratitude and guilt that sweep over us as we watch our children enjoy a simple but tasty and nutrient-rich diet, knowing that we are surrounded by thousands of neighbors who are just surviving on a diet consisting mainly of field corn mush…
- The longing for all to know the true, living, holy, compassionate God of immeasurable love who gave His own Son’s blood for our salvation, but instead seeing them strive to save themselves by following lifeless religion, rules, and rituals they call ‘Christianity…’
- The sadness of seeing Christians focused on the things of this world, hiding in fear and trying not to ruffle feathers, then seeing Christ-followers here, among our home churches and supporters, and around the world whose passion for the King and love for their neighbors have led them to joyfully give up their time, homes, loved-ones, comforts, safety, opportunities, reputations, riches, and even their lives…
These extremes are so hard to process, yet they are the reasons we are here. We want to make a difference! They are the reasons you are praying and giving. They are the reasons that the sacrifices are worth it!
These last few months have been filled with processing extremes – in our own lives and in our work. We are so thankful to have been able to come under the wings of Dr. Tim and Betsy as we learn and process. In them, we have seen some of the most beautiful examples of lives lived for the Kingdom!
We have learned that in the clinic here, we are not dealing with colds and minor injuries that we would likely deal with in a clinic in our home countries. Instead we are dealing with major injuries and effects of serious diseases that have been allowed to fester to advanced, critical stages. Many of the patients we see would be ICU status in the US or Brazil, and we are learning to creatively treat them to the best of our ability with the resources available.
In our own lives we have had to process extremes, as well. Both of us experienced a serious case of COVID here in the bush. Eduardo’s case turned quite serious and he nearly was airlifted to the city. Both of us required oxygen, thankfully not at the same time, since we had only one oxygen concentrator. Thank you to each one who heard of our struggle and prayed! The experience made us ask ourselves whether this is all worth it, and we both came to the conclusion that there is no better way to spend our lives than for demonstrating God’s love and hope to the lost and hurting. Our lives on this earth are just a vapor, and only what has an eternal impact will last.
Just after our recovery, we received word that Eduardo’s dear sister, Marilia, a missionary nurse in Senegal for the last 14 years, also had COVID. Marilia struggled and was admitted to a hospital in Senegal. After two weeks, she lost her earthly battle, but she won the battle that truly matters. She was welcomed into the loving arms of her Father and surely heard the words, “Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant.” Marilia’s life was an example of courageous, passionate faith. She lived her purpose: to share the love and hope of the Gospel. May we, like Marilia, invest our lives in what truly matters – leaving an eternal legacy, storing up our treasures in Heaven.
John 12:24-25 (NIV)
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
A Glimpse of Our Lives Here in the Cavango Mission Clinic:
This precious 10-year-old suddenly could not walk due to tuberculosis in her hip. Her mother carried her 6 hours through the bush to receive treatment. Now she can run and play! 
The best part of the day – the children receiving their daily lollipop from Dr. Tim, A.K.A. Dr. Sao Papito (Dr. Lollipop)!
This man saw Eduardo at the clinic in Cavango and said, “Dr. Eduardo! Two years ago I needed surgery in Lubango and couldn’t find any family member with my blood type to donate blood for my surgery. You said, ‘We are different colors, but we have the same blood!’ I received your blood and my surgery! I always wanted to thank you!”
This precious newborn came safely into the world! Mom received high-quality care. The family experienced the love of Christ!
Two moms, grateful to receive life-saving treatment for their babies. These babies would likely not be alive today if it were not for the people who serve, pray, and give for Cavango Mission Clinic.
Eduardo using our new ultrasound machine, lovingly donated by one of our home churches. This machine has been used daily and has saved lives!
A Glimpse of the Work in the Cavango Village:
Twice we have had the privilege of hosting and working with a group from Lubango who have come to reach out to the children, youth, and church leaders from the Cavango Mission Village. Since their visits, our family has continued the work. There is nothing more exciting than seeing the Gospel touch and change lives!
The entire community showed up, enthusiastic to see the Jesus Film in Nganguela, their tribal language!
Housing Needs in Cavango
| As you have seen, there is much work to be done, but the workers are so few! We are excited that our great friends, the Shroyer family, are answering the call to come and serve in Cavango with SIM! As soon as they receive their visas, they will be moving to Angola! They will first live in the city to learn Portuguese. Then they will join us in Cavango! They are a huge answer to prayer! Besides the Shroyer’s, there are a few others also planning to move to Cavango within a year or two. As we see the patient load exploding and community work expanding, it is so good to see that God is calling more workers! We have a need, though! WE NEED HOUSING! We have decided, along with our leaders, that it makes the most sense for our family to build and to leave the house we are currently in for the Shroyers. That way, they can have the same opportunity we had to experience Cavango before making major decisions. The missionary community in Cavango already has a lack of housing, even with only the current missionaries that are here. We have no housing for future families. In addition, we often host evangelism, construction and medical teams and have nowhere to house them. If you sense the Lord leading you to bless the people of Cavango and the surrounding villages by giving toward the construction of a house for our family, proceeds can be given into our regular account and designated for housing, or they can be given to the Cavango housing project. These gifts will be used directly for the house that will be built for our family. Thank you in advance for your generous support! By providing in this practical way, you are sharing the love of Jesus and impacting lives for eternity! To give to this project: simusa.org/give Give to our regular account (De Souza #044522) and designate for housing or Enter project: 94389 Housing for Cavango Mission |
De (not so) Little, (but still) Delightful De Souza’s:
The kids continue to thrive here in Cavango! They are busy helping with the kids and teen groups in the village. Every day they try to get finished with school and chores as quickly as possible so that they can swim, fish, or play soccer with their friends. Tiago is still busy with his agricultural project and his babies (his flock of chickens)! Ella is busy helping Aunty Betsy sew curtains for the new hospital buildings.
Please keep them in your prayers. Living at a medical mission in the bush, they are exposed to a high level of tragedy and heartbreak. They also saw their parents struggle with sickness and then lost their dear aunt soon afterward. They don’t get to be sheltered from life’s hardships and definitely have a lot to process.
The kids’ favorite swimming hole – surrounded on all sides by boulders, so free of hippos and crocs!
During Sunday school the kids saw and killed a small, but poisonous snake in the tree above us!
Praise Report:
- We survived our health crisis!
- We are all feeling that Cavango is where we belong! Life here is not easy, but we all have a sense of purpose and vision.
- We are constantly blown-away by God’s provision – spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Thank you for being part of God’s answer to prayer for provision!
Please Pray:
- That we would wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit.
- For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord, and that they would continue to form great friendships in Cavango.
- For our health.
- For the family, that we would be able to balance ministry and clinic time, time with God, family time, homeschool, rest, etc.
- For the extended family during this time of grieving for Marilia, especially for Eduardo’s parents in Brazil.
- For financial provision and wisdom in planning the construction of our new house.
How Can We Pray for You?
We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you!
Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team!
To Give Online without Using the Above Link:
1. Visit: simusa.org/give
2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza
3. Enter Missionary #044522
Can’t give online? Send checks to:
SIM USA, PO Box 7900,
Charlotte, NC 28241
Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line.
Stay in Touch
Our Mailing Address:
14512 Shoreline Ln.
Lake Park, MN 56554
Facebook/Messenger:
Eduardo De Souza
Jocelyn Thompson de Souza
WhatsApp:
Eduardo: +1 218-457-3577
Jocelyn: +1 218-298-4091
E-mail:
eduardo.desouza@sim.org
jocelyn.desouza@sim.org
De Souza’s in Angola – Prayer Letter May, 2021
Warm greetings from Cavango!!!
Thank you to each one that has prayed for us, supported us, and encouraged us on this new journey!
We could not have done this without you!
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from Him.
Truly He is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Psalm 62:2
| The journey from our old home in the large city of Lubango to our new home in the remote village of Cavango consists of an 11 hour bumpy, jolting drive, more than half of which is on a narrow, rut-filled dirt/mud track through the middle of nowhere. In contemplating our journey to Cavango, I am struck by how similar this path is to our life’s journey, even when we are on the path that God has planned for us! Brief moments of smooth sailing interrupt the bumpy, rut and mud filled stretches. Flat tires stop us in our tracks. We sometimes look in all directions and feel alone and vulnerable. We ask ourselves whether we have taken a wrong turn. We wonder whether our destination is just around the next curve, or how long we will continue on this exhausting trip. If we look up from our circumstances for just a moment, though, we catch a glimpse of something else. We realize we are not alone; we are being led. If we listen closely, if we can shut out the other voices for a moment – the voices that want to distract, bring fear and doubt, accuse, confuse, steal our peace… we can hear another voice – The still, small voice. The voice that comes in love and peace. The voice that says, “I’m right here! Don’t focus on the bumps, the curves, the darkness, the vastness, the loneliness, the fear, the pain, the unknown… Keep your eyes on Me. Tune your ears to My voice, My Beloved!” Never once have we journeyed alone! Not only has He never left us, but He is guiding us with His LOVING eyes on us! |
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Our first couple of months in Cavango have been beautiful and challenging. We have discovered the rugged beauty of the nature and the incredible people that call the wilderness their home. We have likewise seen the utter hopelessness experienced by so many of these same people, who face fear and tragedy day after day, and don’t know that there is a loving Creator who longs to walk with them on their journey.
We are immensely blessed to be learning alongside Dr. Tim and Betsy Kubacki, who have graciously taken us under their wings. Please pray that we can represent the light and love of the Lord in our new community. There are so many that are living and dying without the hope that is found only in Him.
Glimpses of the Cavango Clinic, where Eduardo spends the majority of his days. Each day begins with prayer and a time of sharing. Pray that their words would penetrate the hearts of these precious lives, that they may know they are loved by their Creator, who gave His own Son so that they may have peace with Him.
De (not so) Little (but still) Delightful De Souza’s
The children have been troopers! Life over the past few months has been chaotic! Not only have they moved across the world, but they have moved again across the country. They had to say “Goodbye” to loved-ones in the U.S. and then say “Goodbye” again to loved-ones in Lubango. They have each faced their insecurities as they’ve tried to befriend children that see them as vastly strange and humorous.
The kids bravely faced all of the unknowns awaiting them in Cavango. Dr. Tim and Betsy had graciously agreed to give up their house for us. They had an annex built next door, which was not finished when we had to move to Cavango. For our first month in Cavango, both families and all of our stuff were together in one small house. The kids have worked hard, trying to help establish a homeschool, chore, and playtime routine which will free up Mom a bit to be able to spend time at the clinic.
On top of the incredible transition, we have faced sickness and struggles. All but two of us have had malaria at least once upon our return. We helplessly tried to assist Dad as he SUFFERED from a kidney stone in the bush.
Please keep them in your prayers as they face so many challenges!
Tiago’s Agricultural Project
Tiago: In preparing to move to Cavango, we realized that there was very little gardening and farming in the area. Malnutrition is a huge problem. My project may seem strange, but I am hoping to teach the people in Cavango how to raise chickens and grow fruits and vegetables to provide food for their families. I am building a large chicken coop (pictured below). Rows of vegetables will be planted in circles surrounding the coop. The chickens will reduce the number of plant-eating bugs, make fertilizer for the garden, and provide eggs and meat for hungry families.
 | Class of 2021! Mariano graduated from high-school on May 4th! Thank you to all who prayed for no more delays! If it were not for COVID, he would have graduated in November, 2020, but classes and graduation were postponed multiple times. Thank God, the day that sometimes seemed it would never arrive finally arrived! Please pray that the Lord would guide Mariano’s next steps! |
Praise Report:
- By God’s grace we overcame multiple obstacles on our journey from the US to Angola – negative COVID tests, documentation from Angola allowing our entry, last-minute passport for Cienna, etc.
- We have sensed the loving and sustaining presence of the Lord in the midst of all of the transition.
- We’ve been reunited with our Angolan son, Mariano, who successfully graduated from high-school on May 4th!
- The children are enjoying Cavango and are gradually building friendships.
Please Pray:
- That we would wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit.
- For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord. That they would form great friendships in Cavango and be welcomed into the community.
- For our health – we have faced much more sickness than usual in the past months. Pray that our bodies would adapt to the new environment.
- For the family, that we would do well at establishing routines that would allow for plenty of ministry and clinic time, while not neglecting time with God, family, homeschool, rest, etc.
How Can We Pray for You?
We would also like to keep you in our prayers.
Please let us know how we can be praying for you!
Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team!
To Give Online without Using the Above Link:
1. Visit: simusa.org/give
2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza
3. Enter Missionary #044522
Can’t give online?
Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900,
Charlotte, NC 28241
Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line.
With love from the De Souza Family – Serving in CAVANGO, ANGOLA, where we are privileged to share God’s love and the hope of the Good News in one of the places where it has been least heard! The Cavango clinic serves about 50 neighboring villages, which altogether have a population of about 30,000 people who are largely unreached with the Gospel and lack any other basic healthcare.
 | Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Facebook/Messenger: Eduardo De Souza Jocelyn Thompson de Souza Phone numbers/WhatsApp: Eduardo: +1 218-457-3577 Jocelyn: +1 218-298-4091 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |
Merry Christmas 12/18/2020
De Souza’s in Angola 12/18/20  Merry Christmas and Happy 2021 from the De Souza Family! As 2020 comes to a close and we begin our journey back to our beloved Angola, we want to THANK YOU for praying for us, encouraging us, and supporting us! During Christmas season, we remember the greatest gift ever given: God’s own Son, Jesus, Our Savior. Because of you, precious lives who would otherwise be living and dying without Him, are also receiving the Greatest Gift!  “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 Did you know that this promise came about 700 years before the birth of Jesus? Had the people given up on their promised Messiah or were they still eagerly expecting His arrival? Imagine the shepherds watching their flocks as they did every night… Suddenly the dark sky burst forth with angelic light announcing the birth of the Messiah! In the blink of an eye, everything had changed! The world would never be the same. The Savior had arrived! “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. The astonishing news collided with people of all states of the heart. Some hearts were full of unbelief – this couldn’t be the Savior because He didn’t come the way they had expected. Other hearts were full of pride – they thought they could save themselves and didn’t need a Savior. Many hearts were too full of the things of the world to even notice that their Redeemer had come. There were a few hearts, though, that had never given up hope. They were ready for the arrival of the Messiah and wholly gave Him their lives. The Prince of Peace had come who would pay the price for their sin and restore their peace with God. Just as God did not forget His promise to send the Savior, the Savior will not forget His promise to come back for His bride: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 This world may seem like a dark place right now, but in the blink of an eye, everything will change. What will be the state of your heart when light bursts forth and our Savior suddenly appears? Will you be ready? Did you know that there are still people in this world that have not heard the Good News of God’s Son who came as a baby, died for us as a sacrificial lamb, and will return for His bride as the triumphant Lion of Judah? How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Rom. 10:14-15  We are eagerly anticipating our upcoming move to CAVANGO, where we will have the chance to share God’s love and hope of the Good News in one of the places where it has been least heard! We will be returning to Angola in early January, and then will move to Cavango after our two-week quarantine. The Cavango clinic serves about 50 neighboring villages, which altogether have a population of about 30,000 people who are largely unreached with the Gospel and lack any other basic healthcare. We are looking forward to learning and serving alongside Dr. Tim and Betsy Kubacki!  Life in Cavango is tough and rugged. Modern conveniences are few. This young mother’s experience of delivering her precious new child was most likely quite similar to the experience of young Mary as she, in a rugged stable, enveloped by the loving presence of Father God, welcomed His Son, Our Redeemer into the world. Because of the presence of the Cavango clinic, this precious young mother was also enveloped by God’s love through the hands of God’s servants during the scary experience of bringing her precious child into the world. Moms in this environment don’t assume that they and their baby will survive labor and delivery. Now, as Mom gazes lovingly on her new blessing, she may wonder whether this newborn will survive to become a toddler, a teenager, a grown man… His future is uncertain in this context. There are so many moms in and around Cavango continually facing the reality that life is fragile and death is not always avoidable. To them, COVID is just another disease to be concerned about and not nearly as worrisome as the plethora of other problems they face daily. The love of God, experienced through the hands and feet of those God has sent to these precious lives, is priceless and transformational. Thank you for the part you have played in bringing hope and love to them!   De (not so) Little (but still) Delightful De Souza’s We asked a couple of them to share what they would like to share in this letter:   I’m super happy that the Shroyer Family will be joining us in Cavango so that we will have more friends there, but there is something that makes me even more happy about them coming: More people will be able to hear about Jesus! Merry Christmas! Ella De Souza  In just a few days it will be Christmas. 2020 was a year of many challenges, not only for us here in Angola, but for the rest of the world also. We were required to live in a different way than we have been accustomed to. Even so, we are happy because we will be able to come together again to celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus, and that is what really matters. Thanks to the coming of the Messiah to earth we can have peace, joy and salvation from our sins. May the Lord Jesus bless, illuminate, and protect all of the families of Angola, USA, Brazil and the world! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Mariano Sawendo De Souza |
 We have been so blessed to be able to enjoy almost all of the seasons on the lakes during these 4 months in Minnesota. Our last month here we have enjoyed the ice on the lake that froze smoothly, like a huge ice-skating rink. God is so good! |
Praise Report: Even with home assignment during COVID, we have been healthy and have had a productive time back in the US. Despite the challenges, we have found ways to share the amazing things God has done and to catch up with friends and family. We have purchased tickets to return to Angola in early January and are excited for the upcoming move to Cavango. Eduardo’s Dad is doing much better, and Eduardo and Teo were able to spend some time with him in Brazil. God has provided for us to be able to return to Angola and even provided overly-abundantly! We were donated, by a very generous church, a portable ultrasound machine that will be used daily to provide medical care to precious lives in and around Cavango. Please Pray: That we would continue to wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord. That God would comfort them and give them His joy as they once again say goodbyes to loved ones. For Mariano, that he would be able to finish his last semester of high school. His graduation has been postponed once again because of COVID. Please pray that he would be able to graduate and move on to his next step earlier than they are now projecting. That our return to Angola would be uneventful. That our COVID tests would be negative and we would be able to board. For save travels on our 14-hour drive from the capital to Lubango where we will quarantine. How Can We Pray for You? We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you! Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team! To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line.  Life with God sometimes feels like this twisting, treacherous road straight up the mountain, but the views, rewards, and experiences along the way are so worth it! With love and thanks, The De Souza Family  Stay in Touch Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Facebook/Messenger: Eduardo De Souza Jocelyn Thompson de Souza Phone numbers/WhatsApp: Eduardo: +1 218-457-3577 Jocelyn: +1 218-298-4091 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |
Heading Back to Angola 12/11/2020
| Heading back to our beloved Angola soon! 12/11/2020 |
| Just a quick update! Our next prayer letter will be coming out soon. Firstly, we want to thank you for praying for us, encouraging us, and supporting us during our time back in the USA. We can’t believe how quickly our time here has flown by! It has been a whirlwind! There are so many people that we wanted to see, but with the busyness and COVID lockdowns, it often hasn’t worked out! God willing, we will be returning to Angola on January 9th. Because of lockdowns and COVID exposures, all of our gatherings in the Twin Cities were cancelled. If you were one of the people that we did not get to see, and you would like to meet with us virtually or in person, please let us know! For those who did not have a chance to hear us speak about our first term in Angola, we are sending a link to a video in which we shared at Lakes Area Vineyard Church last month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBHCRN6O6sE We begin speaking after worship and announcements, around 35:20. We have been so privileged to participate in what God is doing in Angola and we couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for making it possible for us to share God’s love and the Good News with precious lives! As Christmas approaches and we are reminded of the story of God so loving the world that He sent His only Son… let’s remember so many precious lives who have not heard the Good News in a way that they can understand and who are living and dying without Him! |
| To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line. |
Prayer Letter 9/10/2020
| De Souza’s in Angola – Prayer Letter 09/10/20 Once again, we want to start off by saying, “THANK YOU!” In these uncertain times, times of pandemic, hardship, and division in our world, you have kept your eyes on Jesus and continue to faithfully pray for us and support us. Thank you for sharing God’s love in Angola! You are touching lives with God’s love in this present world and making an eternal impact!  Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 2020, what a year of drought and heat it has been so far! For the whole world, 2020 has been a year of surprises, uncertainties, and frustrations. These verses have spoken to us time and again. Trusting the Lord means we seek Him and know Him. We know that He cares for us and for our loved-ones more than we ever could. Placing our confidence in Him means that when our well-thought-out plans are ruined, when our new paths lead us through the unknown, we can know with certainty that we are not alone. We can drink deeply of the river of God’s love and peace, take the next step in confidence, and continue full of life and bearing fruit. Some of the Ways the Pandemic Affected Us in Angola:  While the stories from the USA of empty shelves where the toilet paper or meat should have been reminded us of normal life in Angola, toilet paper is one thing we did not lack! We had to taunt our family and friends across the ocean with our vast supply, which even included “Butsoft” toilet paper! Over the course of two years in Angola, we have experienced shortages of diesel, gasoline, flour, salt, eggs, milk, various types of meat, cash in the ATM’s, etc. However, toilet paper has always been available for purchase, and after any length of time in Angola, you learn that you must have a roll of it in your car and in your bag, as it is a moment to celebrate if you ever find it in a public restroom!  While COVID-19 numbers were low in Angola, in order to prevent the fast spread of the illness, the country declared a state of emergency (tight lockdown for 6 weeks), then a state of calamity, which is still ongoing. Eduardo continued to work at the hospital, but the rest of us were confined to the house. The worst part of this was that the meetings with the shepherd children and the Sisters of Hope had to be suspended. Crowds of people who depended on buying and selling their goods on the streets and in open markets were no longer allowed do business, leaving them without the means to obtain food. Along with other missionary families, we packed and distributed food and basic supplies to desperate families.  Provincial borders and some neighborhood borders were closed. Strict curfews were in place. Public transportation was suspended. Police were out using physical force to enforce mask and curfew rules. All of this made access to medical care extremely difficult, causing many to suffer from lack of medical attention for the regular illnesses and injuries that did not take a break for COVID – malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, pneumonia, GI infections… Just as for each one of you, the worldwide pandemic personally impacted our family. We had to choose to trust in the Lord as uncertainty, frustration, and fear surrounded us. It was a strange feeling, a feeling of being stuck, the day in March when we heard that borders were closed and international flights were canceled. We knew this meant that if a family member in Brazil or the US had an emergency, we would not be able to be there for them. We had just purchased airline tickets to return to the USA for our home assignment, and we were sure this situation wouldn’t last through July…  In Angola, there are none of the conveniences that we take for granted in the US. All the food is made from scratch. Water needs to be boiled and filtered and fruits and vegetables bleached. Grocery shopping is tedious even without COVID. This meant that trying to keep up with homeschool, housework and cooking without the help of our beautiful, hard-working sister and house help, Sofia, was impossible. In May, when rules lightened and Sofia was finally able to return, I had time to focus again on the children’s school. I was shocked to see how far behind they had gotten. To top it off, Tiago was desperate for a friend and couldn’t stand another day of confinement. I prayed, “God, we can’t do this anymore! Please do something!” Wow! God answered that prayer overly and abundantly beyond what we asked or thought! I immediately thought of our good friend, a 19-year-old senior in high school, Mariano, and called him to come help with the children’s school. As his school was closed for COVID, he was able to help full-time. His joy, companionship, and beautiful heart for the Lord were a breath of fresh air for us! Somehow, over the course of the next weeks and months, God knit our hearts together as only He can do. Soon Mariano was living with us and has now become a son to us and brother to our children. We are eternally grateful for the priceless gift that the Lord has given us in him! In June, our visa renewal was due, so we turned in our passports and applications. Six weeks later, when we should have been flying to the US, we still had not received our passports and visas back. COVID had delayed our processes and canceled our flights. We couldn’t even try to get on a repatriation flight without our passports. Finally, in mid-August, we heard that Eduardo’s father was having some serious health problems in Brazil, and we sensed that it was time to find our way out. This meant that we had to be completely moved out of our house, have our passports in hand, and say some incredibly hard, “See you laters.” Then we would have to make the 14-hour extremely rough drive to Luanda, the capital, since domestic flights were closed. We needed to find a safe place to leave our car in Luanda, and somehow get on a flight to the USA. It would take another letter to explain all of the ways we saw God’s hand in this journey, but somehow it all happened and we were on a flight a week later, with passports and visas in hand, totally refreshed after having had our socks blessed off by a precious missionary couple in Luanda. Living by faith is overwhelmingly satisfying! God’s care and provision for us never cease to blow us away! Now we are back in the USA, feeling like our hearts are torn between three nations we call home. We are so excited to reconnect with family and friends in the USA again! We are waiting to hear back about medical tests of Eduardo’s dad and missing our family in Brazil. At the same time, we are desperately missing friends and friends that have become family in Angola. Next Step after Home Assignment: Moving to Cavango  After much prayer and discussion we have committed to moving for at least 6 months to Cavango, an extremely remote village in the bush. We hope to make this move soon after our return to Angola in January. The Cavango clinic serves about 50 neighboring villages, which altogether would have a population of about 30,000 people who are largely unreached with the Gospel and lack any other basic healthcare. We will be learning and serving alongside Dr. Tim and Betsy Kubacki and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to glean all we can from them! After our six month learning and adaptation period, we hope to decide whether Cavango will be a long-term fit for our family.      Leprosy – is this Bible times? No, this is Cavango… In many ways, moving to Cavango feels like going back in time. Our lifestyle will be vastly different than it was in urban Lubango. There are no stores or even a corner where ladies sell their produce. Life is rugged and tough. Suffering and death are part of daily life. The medicine we will learn to practice in Cavango will be bush medicine. We will need to learn to assess and treat without the use of labs or x-rays. Supplies and medications will be limited. Why would anyone want to give up modern conveniences, comforts, and entertainment to move to the middle of nowhere, to share with those who have been forgotten and neglected? Because these precious lives matter to God! Loving our neighbor as ourselves means that we are willing to sacrifice some of our excess to allow God to use us to meet some of their basic spiritual, emotional and physical needs. The eternal riches that this brings far outweigh the temporal sacrifices!!!   Each morning before starting clinic in Cavango, Dr. Tim shares with patients and family members, many of whom have never heard the Gospel before, about life with Jesus. It is wonderful to be used by God to bring healing to another precious life in this temporal world, but knowing that you were used by God to change someone’s life for eternity is priceless! It is worth every sacrifice we could possibly make! This is what excites us about moving to Cavango. Please read a recent post from Dr. Tim: “This boy in renal failure and with a blood count 1/3 of normal was sent home from a hospital. His father had heard about Cavango and brought him here. He’s improving dramatically with appropriate treatment. His father today, who knows nothing of Jesus, after discussing his son’s improved condition, said, ‘Doctor, in the mornings you’ve been talking about a life with Jesus. I would like to know Jesus. How do I begin?’ We had a great discussion about Jesus and how to begin. He will receive a bible tomorrow.” De Little Delightful De Souza’s    Saying “Goodbye for now,” to our newest family member was very tough on all of us. Mariano is finishing his last semester of high school in Angola and we are all praying for the Lord’s guidance in the next steps in his journey. The other four were so thankful for warm weather and a beautiful lake during their two weeks of quarantine here in Minnesota. We are now thoroughly enjoying being able to catch up with family and friends here. Each of the children are excited about the coming move to Cavango. They are looking forward to getting to know the village children and to exploring the vast landscape and river of Cavango, complete with hippos and crocs! |
| During our stay in the USA, we would love to meet and share with you! Please contact us if that would be something you would enjoy! |
| Praise Report: We arrived safely in the US despite so many obstacles and uncertainties along the journey! We have experienced God’s protection and provision during our first two-year term. As our term has ended, we rejoice in the fact that we have developed a love and longing for Angola, a new homeland! We are excited to go back! There are so many stories we could share of the joy of being used by God to make an eternal difference in precious lives! There is no greater joy in life! Please Pray: That we would continue to wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit! That our time in the USA would be fruitful and refreshing. That we will be able to reconnect with the beautiful friends, family and supporters here. That the Lord would provide all needed finances and that doors would be open for us to return to Angola in January. For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord. For Mariano, that he would be able to finish his last semester of high school, despite Covid. That God would reveal clearly his next step. For healing of Eduardo’s dad and that we would know if and when Eduardo should go visit him in Brazil. International travel and quarantine rules right now are challenging. How Can We Pray for You? We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you! Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team! To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line.  Life with God sometimes feels like this twisting, treacherous road straight up the mountain, but the views, rewards, and experiences along the way are so worth it! With love and thanks, The De Souza Family  Stay in Touch Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Facebook/Messenger: Eduardo De Souza Jocelyn Thompson de Souza Phone numbers/WhatsApp: +1 218-298-4091 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |
Prayer Letter 2/24/2020
De Souza’s in Angola – Prayer Letter 02/24/20  Once again, we want to start off by saying, “THANK YOU!” We couldn’t be here without your prayers, support, and encouragement! Thank you for sharing God’s love in Angola! You are touching lives in this present world and making an eternal impact! 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:2-6 Pepa and Mema (Grandpa and Grandma) joined us over the last two months, which was an enormous blessing for each one of us! They always jump right in, providing fun and care for the kids and lots of help with home-school and travels. We have been blessed with amazing grandparents, willing to travel across the world to spend time with their kids and grand-kids! God has placed in our hearts the desire to move to the bush, to a more remote place in Angola, in which health needs and spiritual needs are vast. The plan over the next year is that we will continue to work at CEML, but we will also spend a lot more time travelling to remote clinics to gain experience with rural medicine.  Typical home in Cavango  In a classroom – Cavango School We had the opportunity to visit and work with missionaries, Dr. Tim and Betsy Kubacki, in Cavango, Angola. This village is extremely remote, but has a small mission hospital. It is surrounded by about 50 other small villages that depend on the mission hospital for basic healthcare. The surrounding villages have nearly no Gospel presence. It is an incredible privilege to be able to share God’s love with the patients and their families through healthcare, but at the same time, tell them about the Lord, that there is a God who loves them so much that He sent His Beloved Son to die for them.  During our visit, we got to help with the first ever blood transfusion in Cavango! We saw Baby Martinho, who was so close to death’s door turn from flaccid, lethargic and pale to pink, then stronger, then full of life once again. One thing that struck us was the joy and life-changing power that are present when the body of Christ works together in unity! So many chose to love God and their neighbor in this situation, and the results were BEAUTIFUL! 30Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31  The body of Christ worked together: Betsy lovingly hosting us all, Pepa and Mema caring for our kids, Dr. Blake who came up with a transfusion kit that would not require refrigeration or a lab, Dr. Tim and us figuring out the transfusion kit and trying to analyze the baby’s tea-thin blood, Dr. Tim getting an IV into the baby’s neck, Eduardo drawing Jocelyn’s blood, the baby’s parents and hospital staff crouching over the stretcher holding the baby perfectly still for nearly four hours, and an army of all of you who support us all by giving, praying and encouraging!  I wish you all could have seen first-hand the life return to this baby. I wish you could have felt the tender embrace of the mother who, the day before was frantically weeping and pacing, certain she would soon lose her precious son. I wish you could have heard the heartfelt thanks from the community church for God’s rescue of one of their own. We get to be here, sometimes doing our best to comfort in the midst of tragedy, but oftentimes joining in joyful celebrations! We are so thankful for each of you that is part of this body, the body of Christ, loving Him and loving our neighbors!  Back at CEML, this beautiful young lady, Joaquina, was near-death. She was suffering from malaria and meningitis. She had been there for several days and despite all of the best medical effort, she continued to deteriorate. The pressure from the swelling in her brain was so great that she was unresponsive and couldn’t close her left eye because the eyeball was bulging out. Eduardo was on call on the weekend and we both went to the hospital on Sunday to attend to a friend of ours who was sick.  While we were there, we checked on this patient who we knew was critical, but was already receiving all of the medical help possible. At this moment, we sensed a deep urgency to pray and cry out to the Lord for her. Without His intervention, we were sure Eduardo would be signing a death certificate before the morning shift. The patient’s sister was present and also prayed. When we saw the patient the next day, she actually said, “Bom dia (good morning).” She had been unresponsive for more than a week. The sister asked us to pray again stating that she saw her begin to improve after we prayed the day before. We cried out to the Lord again. By the next day, she was on the mend – alert, oriented, and talkative. She was soon discharged. Weeks later, she came back for her checkup, healthy and full of joy. God still heals!  Gospel Mural in Lubango! Remember the mural that our visitors from Minnesota painted at CEML in October? A group of Angolan Artists have been hired by the City of Lubango to paint murals on the walls of the city.  The group saw the Gospel mural at CEML and loved it. They are now reproducing the Gospel mural on one of the largest walls on a very busy street in downtown Lubango!  God’s plans are always so much greater than ours! As we were taking pictures a passerby exclaimed, “Look! It’s the Bible! They are painting the Bible!” “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9  De Little Delightful De Souza’s The children loved having their grandparents here, and got them involved in every aspect of their lives: school, traveling to remote villages, and ministering to about 50 shepherd children behind the hospital. They continue to amaze us with their desire to share the love of the Lord!    The kids and their friends started a new business! They are selling massages and foot washes to the other missionaries in order to make money to buy jackets for their shepherd friends. They noticed that it is cold where the kids live up on the mountain, and most don’t have a coat! |
| Praise Report: Thank you for praying for rain for southern Angola and northern Namibia! Rainy season finally arrived with abundant rain! The crisis seems to be over for now. Praise the Lord! We have all been blessed with health during the past few months. We are seeing God move powerfully as we step out in faith! We wish we could include all of our stories, but our letter would get much too long. There is nothing better, though, than stepping out in faith and seeing God touch and transform lives! What an awesome God we serve! Please Pray: That we would continue to wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit! For the people that we encounter at the hospital, in the fistula program, on the rural trips, and in our daily lives here, that God would touch their hearts and use us to reveal His love to them. For both of us as we continue to work and learn at the hospital and at the remote clinics. Facing such immense need is often overwhelming. Please pray that we will seek God in the midst of the busyness and emotional toil and find a healthy balance in family life and ministry. For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord. For our health, that we would remain strong and healthy. How Can We Pray for You? We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you! Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team! To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line.  Typical scene of one of the beautiful, strong women of Angola: Woman on her way to the market on a mototaxi with her baby strapped on her back and carrying about a dozen live chickens to sell. With love and thanks, The De Souza Family  Stay in Touch Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Facebook/Messenger: Eduardo De Souza Jocelyn Thompson de Souza WhatsApp: Eduardo: +244-932-572-740 Jocelyn: +244-932-572-741 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |
Prayer Letter 12/4/2019
De Souza’s Prayer letter 12/04/2019  Merry Christmas and Happy 2020!!! As 2019 comes to a close, we think back on how we have experienced God’s awe-inspiring presence, protection, and love over the past year! One way He has shown His tremendous love to us is through each one of you that has encouraged us, prayed for us, or given so that we could be here! You are His body, pouring out His love on us and on those we serve. We couldn’t do this without you! Thank you! A highlight over the last few months was hosting a team of 10 from Minnesota. Some of our visitors were already dearest of friends, and the others became dear friends during our time together. Their visit was a breath of fresh air for us! The team, our family, and several helpers poured out God’s love in a variety of ways, including feeding and clothing the poor, teaching crafts and running a spa day for the “Sisters of Hope” (the ladies in the fistula program), and sharing the hope of the Gospel through dramas and teaching. The main project, though, was to paint a 120-foot-long mural depicting the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation in the patient village behind the hospital. The village houses hundreds of people from diverse tribes and languages throughout southern Angola. These residents include the Sisters of Hope, caregivers of patients, and patients themselves who are waiting for or recovering from surgeries or needing outpatient treatments. Over the past year we have shared the hope we have in Christ with the precious people in the village, but have been overwhelmed by obstacles – lack of even basic understanding of the Gospel, tremendous language barriers, fear of evil spirits but dependence on witchcraft and shamanism, and a wrong understanding of what it means to follow Christ. Most know religion: a list of rules we must strive to follow, punishments we deserve, inevitable failures we must hide, and fear of the evil powers that are part of their daily lives. Most don’t know the true Gospel – the “Good News” – of our Loving and Holy Creator, who gave His own Son, our Savior, to pay the price of our sin so that we could be free – free from sin and free to love Him and to experience His love for us. They don’t realize that we can be full of His Spirit – Our Guide, Loving Comforter and Almighty Protector – we no longer need to fear evil, as the same power that raised Christ from the dead can live in us! Thus was born the dream of a mural which would powerfully show the Gospel in pictures.  Sisters of Hope cooking lunch on their coal stoves outside of their rooms, facing the freshly painted mural. Following are a few of the powerful Gospel scenes:  The Curse – Humankind chose to believe the Evil One, disobeying their Loving Creator, bringing death – separation from God. God’s plan didn’t end here, though!  But the Angel said to them, “Listen: Do not fear. For I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.” Luke 2:10-14  This is love: God gave His Son for us! For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should  bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:7-11 (MEV) Then I looked and there was a great multitude which no one could count, from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out with a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10 Praise the Risen Lamb, Our Savior, the Victorious King who will crush the head of the Serpent!   Tiago painting with our dear friend Anna, the artist who spent countless hours planning the mural.  Ella and our team, dancing with the Sisters of Hope who are thanking God for all the love poured out!  In God’s Kingdom no one is too small! Everyone gets to participate! All of the kids were excited to share God’s love! Cute painters: Teo and Cienna!  Our precious friend, Bella (12-yr-old from Minnesota), and the rest of the team loved that the Sisters of Hope picked up brushes and joined in! It was “their project!” |
More from the Last Few Months |
CEML (Evangelical Medical Center of Lubango) Eduardo continues to work long hours at CEML and is gaining tremendous experience and skill! Jocelyn has been at CEML part-time. The plan over the next year is that we will continue to work at CEML, but we will also spend a lot more time travelling to the remote clinics to gain experience with rural medicine. We face tragedy on a daily basis. We see unimaginable evil up close and personally. We also are often blown away by God’s love and power! There truly is never a hopeless situation when we bring it to the Lord!  One of the evils we see up close and personally: “Tala.” Tala refers to a poison obtained from a shaman and applied in revenge, hatred or jealousy to another person or left in a location that the other person is likely to touch. In this case, it was applied to this woman’s hand while she slept. In her sleep, she touched both legs and her other forearm with the poisoned hand. She was near death by the time she arrived to the hospital. In the end, her life was spared, but her right arm was amputated and the necrotic wounds on her legs and other arm were treated and gradually healed. In the beginning of her hospitalization, this woman’s heart was hard and closed, but after experiencing the love of God through hospital staff, she is soft and open to prayer. Please pray for the healing and salvation of her soul!  While we have seen God perform inexplicable physical healing and we have been able to help with complicated medical healing, we have also been blessed to feel the joy that comes with pouring out God’s love and care in simple ways. This beautiful baby boy was starving to death. His mother had died and and his father was alone with the baby in the patient village and could not afford formula or find a nursing mother who could feed him. As the baby’s cries of hunger became weaker and more infrequent, the grieving father became more hopeless. God brought this baby into our path just in time. Our team bought formula and tried to feed him gradually, but he desperately guzzled it down. He slowly perked up and he and his father were able to return to their village where they know other nursing moms who will feed him. Praise the Lord for a life saved and a family touched by God’s love! Praise Report: We not only survived, but thrived during our first year in Angola, which many have told us is the hardest year on the mission field! We are feeling more and more at home in our new country! We are seeing God move powerfully as we step out in faith. He is doing great things in Angola! Please Pray:. That we would continue to wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit so that we would be guided by Him and give from the abundance of His love and strength in our lives. That He would flow through us to heal, set captives free, and open blind eyes! For the people that we encounter at the hospital, in the fistula program, on the rural trips, and in our daily lives here, that God would touch their hearts and use us to reveal His love to them. For physical health for the family. For both of us as we continue to work and learn at the hospital and at the remote clinics. Facing such immense need is often overwhelming physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Please pray for guidance as we learn how to seek God in the midst of the busyness and exhaustion and find a healthy balance in family life and ministry. For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord and that they would remain healthy and continue to adjust well to life in Angola. Finally, we have a very special prayer request! Please pray for rain in southern Angola and northern Namibia. Also pray for God’s provision until the next harvest. These areas are experiencing extreme famine. People are dying of starvation and dehydration. Our MAF colleagues are flying in food gathered by our local churches to the needy, hard-to-reach communities, but our brothers and sisters are suffering. They need your prayers!  How Can We Pray for You? We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you! Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team! To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line. De Little Delightful De Souza’s The children have become a vital part of our team! Our hearts are flooded with joy when we see the changes in their lives. Over the past year, they have learned to reach out with God’s love. With financial help from friends in the USA, each week they feed a nutritious meal and teach about the love of Jesus to a group of nearly 50 impoverished shepherd children who live behind the patient village. The four kids spent long, exhausting days in the heat with our team of visitors painting the mural and feeding and loving on the village residents without a complaint! We wish that every American child could have the chance to experience the life our four are living! It is life-changing for sure!  Ella and Bella massaging feet and praying for one of the Sisters of Hope.  The four kids sharing God’s love with their new friends, the shepherd kids.  Merry Christmas and THANK YOU, again, to all who are on this amazing journey with us through prayers, encouragement and support! We could not do this without you! May the Lord Bless you and Keep You! Let’s Keep Serving Him Together! With Love, The De Souza Family  Stay in Touch Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Facebook/Messenger: Eduardo De Souza Jocelyn Thompson de Souza WhatsApp: Eduardo: +244-932-572-740 Jocelyn: +244-932-572-741 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |
Prayer Letter 7/16/2019
| De Souza’s Prayer letter 07/16/2019 As we rapidly approach the one-year anniversary of our arrival in Angola, we want to say, “THANK YOU!!!” August 9th will mark one year in Angola! I don’t think a year has ever flown by so quickly! Many have told us that the first year on the mission field is one of the hardest. We are so thankful to the Lord, who never leaves us and never forsakes us! We also thank Him for each of you who has walked with us, encouraged us, prayed for us, and supported us on this journey, through all of the moments, the good and bad, up and down, healthy and sick, sunshine and rain… THANK YOU!!! You are an amazing blessing to us and to the people of Angola!  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:6-10 |
The last couple of weeks were our toughest yet! To those who heard of our situation and stood in the gap for us, THANK YOU! Your prayers were answered! Not only answered, but, as always, God used the tough times to speak deeply into our lives. I received a little plaque that says, “God doesn’t give us what we can handle. He helps us handle what we are given.” These words have rung so true over the last couple of weeks! Often just regular life here seems too much to handle. We were already dealing with our usual stresses: long work hours, dealing with death and disease day after day, raising four wonderfully active children, trying to legalize our medical and nursing licenses in Angola, dealing with a fuel shortage, lack of electricity and internet, being far away from family during surgeries, weddings, birthdays, holidays, Minnesota summer, etc. A couple of weeks ago, on top of our usual stresses, we began the process of renewing our visas. Feeling as if I was drowning under the seemingly unending piles of paperwork and deadlines quickly approaching, I told a friend, “If I was struggling with staying on the mission field, this could push me right over the edge and send me packing.” Soon after that, to make matters worse, each of us, one after the other, came down with a terrible flu-like illness: high fevers, chills, extreme fatigue, cough, etc. Ella (6 years old) was the first to get a fever. Just to be on the safe-side, we ran her to the hospital and were very surprised when she tested positive for malaria. We prayed and asked others to pray for her and immediately started her on treatment. That evening, her symptoms suddenly progressed to hallucinations, restless, jerky movements, and fevers of 104+ degrees despite Tylenol and Motrin. This was a scary night! Her suffering broke our hearts and we cried out to God throughout the entire night. As the darkness gave way to the light of dawn that morning, fear gave way to peace as we gradually saw health return to Ella’s little body. Later that day, Cienna (3 years old), who sleeps under the same mosquito net and uses the same malaria prophylaxis, started to have similar frightening symptoms. We started her on treatment and spent another night in fervent prayer as we cared for her. Thank the LORD, by morning her health had also improved. Both girls were left with just the nasty flu that then swept through the whole family. Now, after an awful week, we are all physically back to normal, out of self-quarantine, and appreciating our health more than ever! For two nights, all of our usual stresses seemed microscopic as we faced our deepest fear. As we wrestled in prayer, we had to reach the point of full surrender to God, the point at which we truly realized in our hearts, not only in our minds, that God is good, that His love for us and our children is beyond understanding, that His power is greater than any other power, and that He is sovereign. We have reached a “point of no return” in our relationship with the Lord. This is the point at which a military pilot knows that he does not have enough fuel to return to base, so must carry out his mission. It is the point in which he is most dangerous to the enemy and least focused on himself. This is where we are: no matter where God leads, we will follow. His ways are higher than our ways. No matter the circumstances, we place our trust in Him. He is our hope and our future. In the powerful words of Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose!” Both of us sensed a deep conviction regarding our family on the mission field: If we are here with our precious children, far away from beloved family members and friends, giving up opportunities and comforts, and facing risks and hardships, it needs to be WORTH IT. What makes it “worth it?” Working even harder to try to help more people won’t make it worth it. That will just make us exhausted and burnt out. We, mere jars of clay, need to be full to overflowing with the Spirit! We need Him to guide us, fill us, and flow through us. Our love and strength are so finite, but when God’s all-surpassing power flows through us, Heaven invades earth! Lives are transformed, the hopeless are filled with hope, sick are healed, captives are set free, rejected souls are loved, and the perishing are saved! We are wholeheartedly seeking the Lord and are excited to see how He will move in and through us!  Highlights from the Last Few Months  Team from Calvary E-Free in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota! It was such a joy to host these four amazing women! They crammed so many experiences into their two weeks: consults and scrubbing-in for surgeries at the hospital, a rural medical trip, blessing hundreds of the poorest children in our city, and loving on us and our kids! We even got to enjoy a wonderful date night! One of the most precious parts of their time here was an afternoon spent pouring out God’s love on the fistula women:  We taught about the love of Jesus, who humbly took the place of a servant and washed the feet of the disciples. Then we washed the feet of each women present and gave a pedicure. The ladies were overwhelmed by God’s love, a love many had never felt before. Afterward, the group presented each woman with a special gift. They were so touched, that each woman placed her gift on top of her head and sang and danced for over an hour, thanking God and thanking the visitors for sharing His love with them.    Sandra Our prayer group from Lakes Area Vineyard Church in Detroit Lakes, MN, held a garage sale and raised the finances for this precious girl’s surgeries. Sandra recovered from surgery for her open, infected leg fracture and was able to return to her home. She and her family experienced the love of Jesus in a tangible way that will greatly affect their future!  Rural Medical Trips I had the privilege of joining another nurse practitioner, a pastoral team, and an MAF pilot on two medical trips to rural southern Angola, where we served some of the most under-served and difficult to reach people on the planet! The joy and gratitude expressed by these beautiful people is humbling. As we attempt to minister to physical and spiritual needs, we are confronted with the stench of our own hideous selfishness and sense of entitlement. This part of Angola has faced serious drought and devastating famine this year.  Many do not know where their next meal will come from or when it will be. They have lost loved-ones to hunger and sickness. “Tomorrow” for them is not a given, so any blessing they receive, no matter how small, is a priceless gift. How can we, as Western Christians, be so distracted and dissatisfied in our overabundance and so blind to the poor and needy? Isn’t all that we have and all that we are from Him and for Him? We are the ones who have received the 10 talents, but are we using them to share His love and spread the Good News of the Gospel, or are we selfishly burying them in the sand? |
 CEML (Evangelical Medical Center of Lubango) Eduardo continues to work long hours at CEML and is gaining tremendous experience and skill! Jocelyn has been at CEML part-time. We still struggle with the tragedies we see day after day. People often come to the hospital as a last resort, hoping for a miracle cure, while gasping for their last breath. No matter the outcome, it is an incredible privilege to walk with, support, and pray with patients and their families during some of their most emotional moments – whether they be filled with joy, hope, fear, pain, or heartache. God uses these moments to pour out His love and draw hearts to Him.  Three Amigos: Eduardo, his very grateful patient, and the cockroach he pulled from his patient’s ear!  Assisting in a surgery at CEML: Eduardo and our great friend, Lydia, visiting nurse from Pelican Rapids, MN! Praise Report: We found and purchased a great vehicle! We were blown-away by the way that God provided the funds needed for a vehicle, and then helped us find a vehicle that is exactly what we needed and even less expensive than expected! Thank you for your prayers and financial gifts toward this purchase! We all survived our first experience with malaria! Thank you, Jesus!!! Please Pray for Us:. That we would continue to wholeheartedly seek the Lord and be filled to overflowing with the Spirit so that we would be guided by Him and give from the abundance of His love and strength in our lives. That He would flow through us to heal, set captives free, and open blind eyes! For the people that we encounter at the hospital, in the fistula program, on the rural trips, and in our daily lives here, that God would touch their hearts and use us to reveal His love to them. For physical health for the family. For Eduardo as he continues to work and learn at the hospital. Facing such immense need is often overwhelming physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Please pray for guidance as He learns how to find a healthy balance in family life and ministry. For the children – that they would develop close relationships with the Lord and that they would remain healthy and continue to adjust well to life in Angola. For a teacher/helper for the children’s school next year. So far there is quite a shortage of teachers or helpers for the mission school for the next school year. Please pray for this, and if any of you would be interested in coming to help out, please let us know! The school is English-speaking, so no Portuguese required! How Can We Pray for You? We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you! Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team! To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line. De Little Delightful De Souza’s The children continue to thrive here in Angola. We are amazed to see how they have faced so many changes and challenges with courage and perseverance. The three oldest just finished their first school-year here, and all three made the honor-roll! It is such a joy to watch them grow physically, intellectually and spiritually! What they are learning in this context is priceless!  THANK YOU, again, to all who are on this amazing journey with us through prayers, encouragement and support! We could not do this without you! May the Lord Bless you and Keep You! Let’s Keep Serving Him Together! With Love, The De Souza Family  Stay in Touch Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Facebook/Messenger: Eduardo De Souza Jocelyn Thompson de Souza WhatsApp: Eduardo: +244-932-572-740 Jocelyn: +244-932-572-741 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |