Missionary profile – Verissimo Francisco

By AfriGO Team

Verissimo Francisco, missionary to the Kuvale of Angola

I have been a missionary among the Kuvale people for three years, and I frequently travel down the river to prepare the ground amongst the Thimba and Himba people of southern Angola.

I was born in a coastal town of southern Angola and grew up in a church that combined evangelical beliefs with traditional African practices. At age 17, I joined a philosophy club at school which discussed various issues, and some Christians started attending.

First, they asked if they could pray, then they brought a Bible passage to discuss during the meditation time, and finally, they showed up with a guitar to sing a religious song to start the session. This all started me on the path to becoming a Christian, but once I informed my parents, they threw me out on the street.

Friends took me in, and by God’s grace, I went on to train as a lawyer. Even with the promise of many job offers, I was desperately unhappy with the track I was on. Eventually, I left school and travelled to the village, asking God to show me what to do.

I began listening to preachers like John Piper and felt God calling me to go out and reach others with the gospel. A mission agency offered to bring me into their organization, but without any certificates, the government would not allow me to preach! I had known for a long time that I wanted to reach out to the Kuvale, an unreached people group, but I needed training.

I landed in the big city of Lubango, where I began to make plans to attend missionary training with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). However, my friends urged me to attend Instituto Superior De Theologica no Lubango (ISTEL), where I could get a four-year degree in theology and missions. I enjoyed the learning, though I felt strange among all the pastoral trainees at the school, who had no desire to go out to the field.

I never lost my desire to be a missionary and wrote my senior paper on the problem of infanticide of albino babies among the Kuvale people. My mentor at ISTEL recognized my call immediately, and when a mission agency approached the school to recommend someone to join their team, she put my name forward.

I really feel that local missionaries have an advantage over foreign missionaries. Growing up in the same country as the Kuvale, I have fewer cultural barriers and am more easily accepted among them. I am passionate about this work.

#Pray:

*For the recording of the Jesus Film in the Kuvale language which is almost finished; that this will be a strong tool for witness.

*For Bible translation in the Kuvale language.

*For the church in Angola to find a heart for missions – for sending, for supporting, and for interest in hearing about what God is doing.