Camera Fright

Volume 2 1989

A group of scruffy Angolan (FAPLA) soldiers were leaning against a bullet-ridden, bombed-out house — listening to our sermons being translated into Portuguese.

After the service I walked over to them and asked: “May I take a photograph of you?”

“No! No!” They all vehemently shook their heads and gestured negatively with their hands.

“Why?” I asked. “Are you ashamed? Do you feel ashamed of all the churches you’ve burnt down and all the battles you’ve lost? Are you afraid of a camera?”

“Yes,” they answered, and some of them pointed their AK47’s and RPD’s at me to emphasize that I was not to take a picture of them.