In the 1990s I moved to the war besieged city of Huambo, in central Angola, to assist churches in starting up a health ministry. My Angolan counterpart was Cesário Sapolo, pictured here in front of the house where I lived. Cesário distinguished himself as a model human: intelligent, social, and devoted to his family and to his Lord. After only two years I had to evacuate just days before the city was overrun by the opposing military force. But Cesário continued to medical service we began together, even amid the hunger and death accompanying the occupation.
This week took the rugged road to Huambo, where I discovered that Cesário has risen to the position of Vice-Director of Health for the entire province. Remember the account described in the biblical book of Daniel, Chapter 6? This is real history from the Babylonian Empire of 538 B.C. “Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so.” Indeed, people of such quality still live among us, including Cesário Sapolo.