Through the Valley of the Shadow

Growing up running the streets in a poor suburb of Luanda, the rebellious and resentful young Araujo Francisco soon turned to crime. He felt entitled and craved power and respect. To avoid being press-ganged and lured by the thought of being armed, he and his gang joined the army at 16. They were soon trained killers and put their new skills to the test whenever they were home on leave.

Having been sent covertly to Johannesburg for training, he felt let down by the army and deserted. He was soon working in the underworld of drugs. Ultimately he was caught and jailed. On his release, he found his friends had begun attending a church. He reluctantly joined them, thinking of various agenda of his own.

The love and acceptance he found among these people, however, soon changed his thinking and had him eagerly wanting to know more—like: " How come nobody is rich and yet they're all so happy?"

He embraced the teachings and turned his life around. He no longer craves power and respect but is content with a life of service to his congregants and community.

The message of this book is that anybody can change with God. Many people lose hope easily and believe what other people say rather than what God says. If God can change someone like Araujo then He can change anyone's situation, including yours; you too can find redemption.