These children live at Tchincombe – a 200,000-acre ranch in southern Angola. Launched twenty years ago, this vast project of the Angola Union churches has multiple interventions including agriculture, primary school education, provision of drinkable water, and intermittent clinics. Tchincombe is also home to Stirling and Donna Foster, sweet friends whom I met during language school in Lisbon.
We were arranging clinic when I was approached by Tchincombe leaders. “Dr. Nicholas, please don’t simply treat our diseases,” they implored using the most graceful Portuguese language. “Share with us some insight from the words of Christ. Then, instruct our parents how to keep their children healthy, and encourage our elders how to recognize their grandchildren’s illnesses. Only then give yourself to examining our sick.” I marvel at their insight into the complex but essential relationships between mind, body, community, and spirit. But then, between these the African mindset rarely draws distinctions.