Seen through the stained glass windows is a train on the CFB narrow gauge line. The tracks pass just west of the church, although the tracks are not seen because the window framing spaced out just right to obstruct the view of them. The train is a north bound freight bound for a destination past Kuvango which is 160 km (100 miles) away. A genet is the train driver, and a hybrid mongoose / civet is bringing wood to the firebox (Angola's steam locomotives have always been wood burners).
_______________________________________________________________ Here is a brief history of that community church; _______________________________________________________________ The church was established in 1959 off the highland north road, northeast of the village, with Kosoko Leopard being the pastor. The original church house building was a log frame, thatch wall building with old, half rusted corrugared tin roofing. Years earlier, that building had been used as a storage shed for a tractor and pull behind grader to maintain the dirt roads. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuiNyNta7Jw Back in 1959, Angola was still the Portuguese colony of Portuguese West Africa. Sy Aardwolf was a young cub back then, and his brother Orlander was then a toddler. Sy and Orlander's dad, Navarro Rikuso Aardwolf, worked as a mechanic for an arrogant Italian greyhound, Angelo, who at that time owned the junkyard and automotive shop that Sy owns today... Under the old colonial laws, it was difficult for indigenous animals to start a business of their own. Angola's colonial was for independence broke out in February of 1961. Angelo Fonzino Greyhound had for years made lots of 'bad blood' among the indigenous locals, thus he and his family had to flee the country back to Italy when the fighting started. With the shop abandoned by it's owner, Navarro Aardwolf found himself with the knowledge to run the shop, but with no boss to work for. Who was then the constable of the local community asked Navarro, "Você estaria interessado em ter a lo ?...ser independente?" (Would you be interested in having it?..be independent?), referring to the shop. "Sim" (Yes), Navarro replied. "E' seu" (It is yours), said the constable. Documents were then drawn up giving ownership of the shop to Navarro and his wife, Leola.
These are 1992 pictures of the shop and junkyard. No pictures of the shop ever existed from the 1960s. The Aardwolf Family had been members of the church congregation since the church was founded in 1959. And with prayer, patience and perseverance, Navarro and Leola finally saw the Sunday morning when their cubs, Sy and Olander came to the alter in that old thatch and tin church house, under the preaching of Kosoko Leopard, to get that matter of eternity settled with the creator. In the summer of 1964, the present building was built with the help of North American and Brazilian missionaries who were mostly raccoons and kinkajous...Those missionaries took a risk staying around in a war torn country to help build that church house. But seeing that old thatch and tin church house being not long from falling down, they felt moved to help the locals. The new building was built at the same existing location with cinderblock walls on a concrete footer...The walls were never painted. The floor was made of irregular shaped stone slabs fitted to each other, laid directly on the dirt. Wood for the roof structure was locally milled. Navarro Aardwolf donated metal cut from old junked cars for truss plates and truss tie-downs. The gables were sheathed with corrugated tin. The windows were moss green painted, steel frame, crank-out windows with stained glass paynes. The shingles were cut from slate that was locally collected from a large slate deposit in a nearby river...Many of the local animals pitched in to chip out all the shingles needed, and bore the nail holes in them. Tar cut with diesel fuel was applied to protect wood surfaces from rot that came in contact with stone and masonry materials...There was a slight odor of tar and diesel in the church for the first year until the odor finally dissipated. The alter was made from boards and topped with 3/4 inch plywood, and the purple fabric draped over it was donated by the cotton plantation / fabric mill in the village to the north. Galvin Hyena's dad and mom were struggling to start a thrift store at the time. One find the hyena couple came across in storage lot auction near a coastal city was a harmonium, which they donated to the church being the church had no piano or organ. There never were pews...Instead is collection of various mix-matched chairs that have been accumulated over the years. Pastor Kosoko Leopard and the congregation could never thank the raccoons and kinkajous enough for helping to make the new building possible. But the missionaries simply told the locals, "Thanking God is thanks enough for us. He is where all good things come from". Angola's colonial war still dragged on through the rest of the 1960s and into the 1970s. During that time, while Sy Aardwolf and his brother Orlander were working for their dad in the automotive shop, Sy also showed an exceptional interest in involvement with the church when he was not busy helping in the shop. In 1971, Sy Rikuso Aardwolf met a female friend, Zella Lumah Aardwolf...Eventually they were married, Kosoko Leopard conducting the wedding, thus Zella Lumah Aardwolf took on the name Zella Rikuso Aardwolf. On November 2nd, 1972, Sy and Zella's first cub was born, a female they named Deja. By the time Angola was finally given it's independence in 1974, Kosoko Leopard entrusted functions in the capacity of that of a deacon to Sy Aardwolf. In 1976, due to old age, Navarro began to eventually retire the shop over to Sy...Orlander was attracted to an interest in law enforcement and pursued getting hired on as a constable's deputy...Orlander Aardwolf would eventually attend a law enforcement academy. On February 21st, 1978, Sy and Zella's son, Hiraldo, was born. This was also a time when Pastor Kosoko Leopard was getting way up in his elderly years, and was getting unable to continue to pastor a church. It was around the end of December of 1978 that Sy Aardwolf felt an unmistakable divine calling to minister the church, and Kosoko Leopard instinctively knew as well what Sy was feeling was the calling of divine spirit. On January 10th 1979, Kosoko Leopard ordained Sy Aardwolf as pastor of the community church, and with 100% approval and support from the congregation.
It was only two days after Sy was ordained as pastor he conducted his first ceremony...An adolescent meerkat couple, Bron Bandogo Meerkat (who seemed to have hip joint trouble walking) and Lacara Omossa Meerkat, came to Sy to be married. Normally Sy would not conduct a marriage for underage animals, but Lacara was already pregnant with her and Bron's first cub. In the days to follow, Bron and Lacara Meerkat joined the church, and Sy Aardwolf mustered up some volunteers from the congregation to help build a house for Bron and Lacara on a piece of land 3 kilometers (2 miles) east of the village that Lacara's parents, Zeth and Mylah, had given them...The house was built with what could be scrounged up, but it was a cozy place the meerkat couple and their expected cub could call home.
This was also about the time Bron and Lacara came to the alter one Sunday morning, under conviction through Sy Aardwolf's preaching, and got that eternity thing settled with the creator. That was a God send for Zeth and Mylah Meerkat, considering their concern over how wild their adolescent daughter, Lacara, had been living throughout her adolescent years. It's mentioned in passing here, that whenever Pastor Sy Aardwolf leads another animal in prayer at the alter, Sy places one knee on top the alter rather than to kneel completely down...That is because when Sy squats or kneels down completely, his aardwolf penis pokes out of sheath like a male dog's red rocket penis pokes out of sheath when a dog sits...So to avoid 'little member' down there from poking it's head out of sheath in the church house, Sy kneels one knee on the alter, which is not difficult being the alter isn't much higher than 18 inches. On June 3rd 1983, Kosoko Leopard passed away and was laid to rest in the church cemetary. The farewell song Vinaya Civet played for Kosoko Leopard on that old church harmonium was 'Old Hundredth'; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH_ZQfsMEJg Kosoko's funeral was the first funeral Sy Aardwolf had the task of conducting...And a difficult task it was too, considering it was Kosoko Leopard who accompanied Sy and Orlander when they came to the alter as cubs about the matter of eternity, and it was Kosoko who conducted Sy and Zella's marriage, and it was Kosoko Leopard who mentored and ordained Sy Aardwolf as a pastor...It was now Kosoko Leopard who Sy Aardwolf had to do his first funeral service for. Two years later, in 1985, Vinaya Civet developed arthritis and had to retire from the role as harmonium player for the church. Galvin Hyena's wife, Ayoko, was good with musical instruments, so it was she who came into the position as the new harmonium player.
Galvin and Ayoko Hyena had by then become owners of the thrift shop Galvin's parents started when his dad passed away seven years earlier. Almost a full month after Sy and Zella's daughter, Deja, turned 18 years of age, she was married to Jaxton Balginga Aardwolf. Deja and Jaxton had been sweethearts since the time they were age 15. On November 29th, 1991, Sy Aardwolf conducted the marriage ceremony for Deja and Jaxton at the Community Church. In January of 1992, Sy Aardwolf and his wife, Zella, helped a vagrant meerkat who needed money for a train trip to Kuvango, on his way from Namibia to Tanzania to locate an uncle of his (The meerkat arrived the night before riding in an open boxcar aboard a northbound freight train from the Namibian border 100+ miles away).
Sy almost regretted helping the meerkat due to lies the meerkat had told Sy that he could not find any work in the village that day...Then after Sy and Zella had given the meerkat some money to help him, and Sy later finding out about the meerkat's lies from the mongoose who managed the passenger station, the meerkat was about to spend some of that money that Sy and Zella had given him on a bottle of rum at Kagiso Genet's liquor store...
...But Sy got THAT matter of a rum purchase with money he and his wife helped the meerkat with straightened out in a hurry. And when the northbound passenger train arrived, Sy Aardwolf felt it necessary to explain to the train crew who's money was paying for the meerkat's trip, then gave instruction to the train crew that the meerkat was NOT to leave the train until it arrived in Kuvango.
Three years later, April 1995, Sy Aardwolf experienced a rather comical moment in the 17th year of his ministry; It was after a Sunday service just before Sy, his wife and son were about to leave the church to go back to the house. As Sy Aardwolf was about to get into his work truck with his wife and son, Jorad and Kalila, ages 12 and 13, approached Sy. "Pregador Sy" (Pastor Sy), Jorad called out. "O que você precisa, Jorad?" (What do you need, Jorad?), Sy asked. "Eu e Kalila. Queremos nos casar" (Me and Kalila. We want to get married), Jorad answered. "Sim. Por favor" (Yes. Please), Kalila added. In the truck, Sy and Zella's son, Hilraldo, began to chuckle. "Não. Não" ( No. No.), Zella told Hilraldo, telling him not to be laughing. "Não. Eu não posso. Isso não vou fazer. Ambos de voce são apenas filhotes" (No. I can not. I will not do that. Both of you are only cubs), Sy adamantly affirmed. Jorad and Kalila still pleaded with Sy to get them married, but at their age, the answer was still, "Não". Sy then asked, "Kalila ... Estou correto?", (Kalila...Am I correct?) Kalila acknowledged. "Qual a sua idade?" (What is your age?), Sy asked Kalila. "Treze, Senhor" (Thirteen, Sir), Kalila answered. Sy, already knowing Jorad's age, explained, it would be only six years before they would both be adults, and in six years, he would be more than happy to conduct a marriage service for them. As Sy got in the truck to leave, he suspected what had been going on between Jorad and Kalila... And remembering that Jorad had come to the alter a week earlier to get things right with the creator, Sy surmised they were trying to find a justified way to keep a cub sex relationship going...**Nice try**.
Shortly afterwards, the months of May through November of 1995 was a rough time for the local community. That was when UNITA launched a major offensive in many parts of Angola, overwhelming so much of the country's military that the civilians in the locality were left on their own to defend that part of the homeland.
During those seven months, it was quite frequent Sy Aardwolf had to conduct funerals for those who died fighting UNITA rebels, including for a few deceased cub soldiers as well, including which, was 12 year old Jorad Meerkat.
Less than a week into 1999, Moze and Leia, who had been going together for a little more than four years, made the decission to get married. It was only a few days earlier that Moze proposed and Leia accepted. They planned it to be on Sunday, January 10th, 1999, two days before the 20th anniversary of Bron and Lacara's marriage...which was 20 years to the day since Sy Aardwolf had been ordained a pastor. On that Sunday morning of January 10th, before Pastor Sy Aardwolf began the service, he announced to the congregation it was 20 years to the day that Kosoko Leopard ordained him as a pastor, and that in two days it will be Bron and Lacara's 20th wedding anniversary, it being the first marriage he had conducted. After the congratulations from the congregation, Sy commenced with the service, in which hymns were sang and kept in key with the harmonium, which was then followed by the preaching of a sermon...Not much is ever collected as an offering, hence why it is fortunate Sy has an income from the junkyard and automotive shop. But the members of the congregation do give what they can afford for upkeep of the church. At the end of the service Moze and Liea came forward, Moze calling out, "Pregador Sy". Then Moze and Leia informed Sy Aardwolf that they wanted to be married right-a-way. As everyone was preparing to leave, Sy announced to the congregation, "Todos esperar. Aguarde. Posso ter sua atenção?" (Everyone wait. Hold up. May I have your attention?). As everyone stopped, Sy then announced to the congregation, much to their surprise and delight, that Moze and Leia had just came forward requesting to be married. Everyone in the congregation was so happy to witness Sy Aardwolf begin the marriage service, and asking Moze and Liea the wedding vows...which was answered from both Moze and Lacara, "Sim. Eu faço" (Yes. I do). Pastor Sy Ardwolf then said to Moze and Leia those sacred words, "Com os poderes conferidos em mim, eu declaro você, Moze Bandogo Meerkat e Leia Okoro Meerkat, marido e mulher ... Que Deus o abençoe com um casamento longo e feliz" (With the powers conferred on me, I declare you, Moze Bandogo Meerkat and Leia Okoro Meerkat, husband and wife ... May God bless you with a long and happy marriage). Thus Leia Okoro Meerkat took on the name Leia Bandogo Meerkat. Before leaving the church, everyone greeted and shook paws with Moze and Leia, and wished them a happy marriage.
In the years to follow, the country did begin to experience a fair amount of prosperity...maybe not to a great degree, but the progress was present just the same. The remainder of the 20th century for the church had been pretty much uneventful for the most part.
In Ranger Texas, we have a primary freight line running through the center of town. Despite claims from some of our more ignorant citizens, the typically run around 40-45 MPH. Typical train, 3-4 locomotives in the front, 100-110 freight cars, and 1-2 locomotives in the back. And of course the usual number of "moron fatalities." Usually someone in a hurry to buy beer going around the gates. Aside from the "rail fan" aspect of enjoying watching them go by, to me, it's also an indicator that we still have an economy.
Bunners
In Ranger Texas, we have a primary freight line running through the center of town. Despite claims f
I see those freights like that going through Arkansas and Oklahoma where there are two or three locomotives in front, and two pushing from behind...Union Pacific and BNSF.
I've seen a few like that in Missoula and Frenchtown, Montana when I was there from September to December of 2013...I forgot the name of that railroad. It's not one of the well known ones...Much of the rail line runs beside I-90, and there is a rail yard at the north end of Missoula.
I see those freights like that going through Arkansas and Oklahoma where there are two or three loco
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