Spreading the message across worlds

POLSON — One Polson pastor has ventured a long ways from home and it’s not for a vacation. Mark Calhoun of the Polson United Methodist Church, is spending 19 days in Angola, Africa on a mission trip with two other individuals from Montana.

“The Methodist Churches in Montana have had a close connection to the churches in Angola since 2003,” Calhoun said. “In June of last year, myself and two others were invited by the regional mission coordinator to travel to East Angola to learn more about our partnership with the East Angola pastors and churches.”

Located in Southwestern Africa, Angola is a country of roughly 18.5 million people. It’s almost twice the size of the state of Texas and while its economic growth has been tremendous, the quality of life there is low with Angola’s life expectancy and infant mortality rates among the worst in the world.

“We are going in order to learn more about the needs of the Angolan people and the ways that we might be able to help out,” Calhoun said.

The pastor left on Jan. 23 and will be back on Feb. 10 after overcoming the natures of travel, being in a foreign country, traveling to remote African villages and overcoming a language barrier.

“Another challenge is being able to translate and communicate the stories of the people we meet back to the folks here in Montana,” Calhoun said.

Jeremy Scott of Billings and Kristen Cates of Great Falls are accompanying the Polson pastor. Bringing computer and video equipment, the trio hopes to be able to return with visual stories of the partnership with the churches in East Angola. The Methodist Churches in Montana pay the monthly salaries of 40 dollars for 50 pastors in East Angola.

“The fact of the matter is that these people rely on us to survive and our financial gifts allow them to spread the message of grace, hope, peace and love,” Calhoun said. “These people live within a drastically different life situation than we do.”

The people of Angola grapple with the threats of malaria, aids, active land-mines, various civil war byproducts, third-world conditions and elements of extreme global poverty. Calhoun and his fellow companions aim to help bring hope to the region and think the work is very crucial.

“Our partnership with the people of East Angola is not something to be taken lightly,” Calhoun said. “Our presence on their continent and in their villages and in their homes communicates our intentions, as a conference, to be faithful to this partnership as well as our faithfulness to Jesus’ message of cosmic love.”

The trip itself will cost $5,000 per person and anyone wishing to help Calhoun on his journey may donate to the Polson United Methodist Church. More information can be found at http://www.polsonumc.org/ and the mission trip has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/YACUMC.Angola2012