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Category: Angola

Plans, ideas, hopes, dreams for Angola

As we go… On to Portugal

jonandlayneafrica

Well it’s that time again.

Layne and I are stepping into the next portion of our lives. We are moving to Porto, Portugal tomorrow to study Portuguese for three months. We will have a private tutor for a few hours a day, homework and practice, practice, practice, all in the hopes that we will be close to fluent in Portuguese by the time October comes around.

Please pray dear friends and family… please pray.

We will be trying to find a church and ministry soon after we get there to be involved with while we are in Portugal. There are two purposes in looking for a ministry. The first is simply to be involved in actively serving the Lord while we are there, and the second is to make sure we learn Biblical terms and Christian words that we may otherwise not learn from a private secular tutor.

All of this is in preparation for our goal of moving to Namibe, Angola by the end of this year. We are excited to speak to Angolans in their first language and minister to them without the common misunderstandings that come with speaking in a non-native tongue.

We will be keeping our personal blog updated as often as possible while we are there.  You can even enter your email address in the “Subscribe” box on the right side to receive email updates whenever we post something to our blog.

We are going under a brand new non-profit that my father started. It is called “Voices of the World Missions” and you can visit www.votwmissions.com to learn more about it. Right now the focus is on Layne and I in Angola and our pursuit of ministry there.

Ok… so here’s the money pitch again…
Dear, dear friends and family… we need your help.
Help us.
Please support us as we pursue the ministry of Jesus Christ and the people He loves. Angola is one of the few places in the world that still has very few missionaries and a very great harvest field. A study cited by the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8094873.stm) recently rated the capitol of Angola as the most expensive city in the world, despite the fact that most Angolans live on less than $2 per day. I must be honest. We need your financial help. If we are to be effective in turning the tide of HIV/AIDS and caring for the orphans of Angola, we need your support.
Your one time gifts are an incredible blessing. Your monthly support is absolutely necessary. Know that there are no “administrative fees” there are no “overhead costs” for this ministry. Any and all support will be directly ministry related and Layne and I are committed to being completely open and honest about any money or resources we use in any way. Please know that you can always ask us how and where we are spending our finances and we will be fully honest and up-front about how your resources are used.

Please commit to support us on a month-to-month basis. I am asking you to commit to $30 per month or any amount you can sustain.

To those of you who have continued to support us while we’ve been preparing for this journey… I know I don’t express my gratitude enough. Our finest hour is just beginning. Your hands and feet go with us. Your prayers go with us. We know we are not alone. Christ Almighty and His mighty army (that’s YOU!) stand firm with us.

We are not afraid.

Jonathan and Layne Heller
Missionaries sent from Trinity Christian Fellowship (Chandler, AZ)
Missionaries sent from Quiet Time Ministries (Corpus Christi, TX)

July 3, 2009
Angola, Portugal
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Our last month

A Layne Post

Leaving  on a jet plane… don’t know when I’ll be back again…

In a mere 20 days Jon and I will begin our second journey as a married couple. Wow! Where did the time go?! In some ways I feel like we just returned from our ‘Around the World Trip’ and have gotten into some normal routine.

We will begin by spending a week and a half in Corpus Christi, Texas with my lovely family, taking in as much as we can. I treasure these short weeks. Once we head to Africa, we will not be sure of the next return. That is a strange feeling for me, accompanied by many tears that seem to come on at random times. Jon is so comforting and understanding.

On July 4th we board a plane to Porto, Portugal! It is exciting to be taking another step towards the start of our future ministry.

Jon is still working as I sit at home looking at our stuff to pack. Yes, I said looking. Ha! I have pulled our belongings out into the middle of our living space, gotten rid of a lot, bought plastic tubs… and pretty much that is where it has stopped. I haven’t been motivated to get the stuff in the tubs. Maybe I am just afraid of how many tubs we need, and/or the fact that I may need to slim down some more. Getting rid of things can be strangely difficult. Why we have sentimental attachments to silly little things, I don’t know.

This weekend we head to San Diego with the  Heller clan to participate in the Camp Pendleton 10K Mud Run. We have been training for a few months and are up to running 6 miles. After the hard work of running, we will spend a few days having a family vacation. The whole family will be together! (Rare these days)

At a wedding...

At a wedding...

VISA UPDATE

Jon has diligently been working on this. He is in contact with the Houston consulate every two to three days. Honestly, I’ll brag on him and say what a great job he does communicating over the phone. He is much better in this area than I am. We are waiting on some information from them about non-profits.

Thankfully with the help of some missionaries currently living in Angola, we are also  in contact with a local church. The leadership is limited in speaking English, so e-mails are sometimes difficult. We have not committed to coming under their leadership, but we are interested and praying about it. We would appreciate your prayers in this area as well.

We continue to feel the peace of the Lord. He is in control and we are wholly trusting in Him.

Thank YOU.

We are forever grateful for our supporters. We could not do this without you. Your prayers and encouragement push us forward. Thank you.

June 3, 2009
Angola, Portugal
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5 Hour HIV and AIDS training

A Layne Post

The class we attended on Saturday was such a wealth of information. We learned about HIV, exactly how it is attacking the body, the progression, how it is diagnosed, treatments, etc. A pharmacist from Walgreens came in and explained in detail about the medications and some of the side effects. We also learned about alternative treatments and nutrition recommendations, which could potentially be quite helpful for us, if we do not have much access to meds.

All the information we went over was given to us in a binder, so forgetting is not a problem! Hallelujah. =)

The biggest thing I walked away from the class with was HOPE. HIV and AIDS no longer has to be a death sentence. We met some people in class who had been diagnosed with HIV 28 years ago and are still living full, rich lives. It is manageable with proper care.

There is hope for the orphans in Africa. There is hope for Angola. There is hope.

I praise the Lord for leading me to the website, and getting me in touch with the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS.  I look forward to working with them to learn more over the next few weeks.

We’ll keep you updated!

May 18, 2009
Angola
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Going to an AIDS clinic training

A Jon Post

Saturday (May 16th) we are going to an AIDS clinic here in Arizona for a training day. The clinic is called Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS and this all day workshop will include a whole lot of invaluable information. Much of the material we are already familiar with but there’s also quite a bit of info that we are anxious to know more about. We will learn more about treatment options, natural therapies (especially important to us), up-to-date nutrition guides, and more. swhiv.org

All of this came about because of the incredible dedication that Layne has to being as prepared for HIV/AIDS missions as possible. She contacted this clinic a few weeks ago interested in volunteering for them. Our short time left in the states, unfortunately, won’t allow it to happen, but with the little time we have left in the states we hope to learn as much as we can from the wonderful people working and volunteering there.

May 13, 2009
Angola
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Don’t Give Up

A Layne Post:

As you remember the vision, I would implore you to not give up on that vision, our vision. When things take longer than expected, when it seems as though everything is at a standstill, do not give up.
If Jon and Layne falter, if we grow weary
…please…
Do not give up.
It is imperative for the people of southern Angola to have people fighting for them. You fight by interceding. You fight by financially supporting the hands-on effort. You fight by spreading awareness of the need.

Fight for the fatherless.
Fight for the sick.
Fight for the poor.

And do not give up.

Ever.

Honestly this whole process has been somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster for me. When I say this, I have to giggle because we have not even gotten to Africa. I know it is only the beginning, but let me share. I want you to understand the process in all of this. For now it may seem like we are just sitting, however, we are anything but that.

I started this with so much determination. Don’t get me wrong, I am still determined (said with my serious eyebrows), but over time I have wavered. There have been moments of utter weakness, ready to throw my hands up.

I have struggled with the fear of not being able to do this, thinking maybe it is all too big; maybe I am going to let everyone down. I have prayed earnestly, thought I have heard the voice of the Lord, acted, and then nothing happened. I was left discouraged. Maybe I made up the voice in my head. Perhaps I longed so much for direction that I made up my own. Who knows? I would not be able to answer that even now.

At one point I began to get quite hopeful and decided I would let my heart go there, to get a little excited. That ended with deep hurt and what felt like betrayal. I was left uncontrollably sobbing into my husband’s arms (even now I get tearful thinking about it).

Right now I have surrendered all my efforts. I am at peace. Truly, I am. I read in Psalms 46:10 (NASB) “Cease striving and know that I am God.” I simply need Him to be God.

May 3, 2009
Angola
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