Africa Region

Cabo Verde

Located 300 miles (483 kilometers) off the west coast of Africa from Senegal, and on the Africa Region, Cabo Verde, a Portuguese-speaking nation, is an archipelago of ten volcanic islands on the Africa West Francophone Field. After gaining its independence from Portugal in 1975 as a one-party socialist republic, Cabo Verde later (1990) adopted a revised constitution that stabilized the country, both politically and economically, under a multiparty democratic system. Over 46 percent of the population is under the age of 25, which presents great opportunities for the future. The Church of the Nazarene was established in Cabo Verde in 1901, which makes it one of the oldest works of the denomination. Currently, the Church of the Nazarene is the largest Protestant presence in the country. There are no longer any missionaries serving in Cabo Verde. All ministries are covered by national leaders, and the church continues to grow. Dr. Eugenio Duarte, the 37th general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene, elected on 30 June 2009 at the 27th General Assembly, was born in Cabo Verde.

A Piece of Cake and Three Little Words

A woman went to buy a cake in an area near the locality of Águas Fundas, a suburban area of the city of Praia in Cabo Verde. 

When she arrived, the cake was still getting baked, so she went for a walk. She came across a neighborhood where there was no church. The Spirit of God filled her with compassion for that community. She felt that God was showing her this place as a missions field. From that moment on, the cake she went to buy became a lesser priority because that neighborhood was now her greatest interest. 

She learned that the name of the neighborhood was Águas Fundas, meaning “Deep Waters.” The following week, she told two people in her church and the pastor, “We are going to do missions in Águas Fundas.” Thus, three more people joined her and began to do missions there, drawing on principles of orality and the use of stories that connect with lived and shared experiences. 

Upon arriving in the community, this group of local missionaries came across a local lady who asked them, "What are you doing here?" They answered, "We are teaching the Word of God." 

The group on missions was known as "Três Palavrinhas" because of a song they often sang: 

Just three words
I learned by heart
God is Love
La, la la, la la, la la la la, la la 

All the children asked them to sing this song at each meeting. The children in the photograph above were the first audience. They came to sing the “three words” with the local missionaries every Sunday afternoon. 

And so this small group of obedient servants continued on their mission, going from house to house. Families were converted, entire homes. Day after day, they won the hearts of the people of Águas Fundas. They knocked on almost every door in the neighborhood. They sat with people, ate with them, laughed, helped, hugged, played, and taught the living gospel that changes lives in so many ways; each time the good news was shared, the community grew closer together. 

Months later, the church rented a house with a garage for services and a space for a kindergarten. They became the first Christian church and the first kindergarten in the neighborhood. The whole community rejoiced, and last year, the Church of the Nazarene of Águas Fundas was officially organized. Today, it has a good number of faithful believers of all ages. Some have already been baptized, and the church continues to flourish. 

From a trip to the bakery to buy a cake, a mission arose, resulting in entire families being reached. And God’s grace continues to transform this community. Some now call the neighborhood, Fonte de Águas Vivas, meaning “Fountain of Living Waters,” for many there have passed from death to life. 

Adaptation from story shared by Angela Moreno, Cabo Verde.