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02.06.09
CTV Update

We appreciate the feedback we have received from the most recent CTV Update: The Pygmies Of Yeyimbo. Many have asked to learn more about these brethren.

The most common question that was asked is, “What language do they speak?” They all speak their local dialect, but some also speak French and some speak Lingala. The missionary brothers travel up the Congo River, usually in dugout canoes, and deliver Lingala and French material to the Pygmy believers about twice a year. The Pygmies that speak and/or can read these languages (many cannot read at all) then translate for their brethren.

Brother Manze, VGR librarian in Lisala Congo, is also the pastor of a church with a congregation of about 1,800 believers. The library he supervises serves more than 100 churches and 26,000 people. Brother Tshibangu, our long-time friend and dedicated missionary, has been spreading the Gospel to the natives of Congo for decades. He has a deep burden to give every person in his country the opportunity to hear the Voice of God for themselves; and no river, crocodile, or civil unrest will weaken his resolve.

The following is Brother Manze’s full report of his initial trip to Yeyimbo and Brother Tshibangu’s report of their recent trip. These reports are vital in informing us of the needs of the Bride of Christ in that area.

The Pygmies are primitive and superstitious people. They always believed in the superstitions from father to son. They never trust in modern medicine and in pharmaceutical products, and they do not need them at all.

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Brother Lileke, a Message believer and member of the church of Brother Manze, is from a nearby village of the Yeyimbo villlage (a Pygmy village). He went there to bring the End-Time Message but for a long time, no Pygmy wanted to believe, and they rejected in all what the brother was saying, because for them, nothing was more effective or mightier than their superstitions; so, they could not give up the superstitions for another thing.

But one day, one of them had been bitten by a venomous snake and all the village hastened to bring him help by all kinds of superstitions, but the situation went from bad into worse and finally, the man died in spite of the superstitions and the various practices to cure him. It was such a shock for the village, and the cries, tears, and lamentations reached the close village where Brother Lileke was living, and he felt in his heart to go and see what happened there. Once there, he noticed that people were crying over one of them who died after the bite of a venomous snake. Brother Lileke felt an anointing upon him and he started to pray for the dead body in the presence of the entire village. The dead man came back to life and rose up. He resurrected from the dead in the presence of all the inhabitants of the village. The resurrected person is still alive today with the scars of the snake on him.

Because of this miracle, Pygmies decided to give up their superstitions, and they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and got baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ and from that time, the church of Pygmies of Yeyimbo started. This happened in 2000.

When the war started, the Pygmies left the villages and went to take refuge in the deep forest, and without brotherly fellowship, some started to weaken, but at the end of the war they went back to their village, and they rebuilt their huts. And, since 2001, I started to visit them each year, and when I cannot go myself, I send one of my associate ministers to encourage them to persevere in this way of salvation.

The first trip of me among the Pygmies in 2001 was painful. We made the trip from Lisala to Yakata, 80 km (50 miles) on the river, on a non-motorized boat with paddles. For this, we left Lisala at 7:30am and arrived at midnight. In Yakata, we spent the night and the next morning, we went on walking through the forest. The Pygmy brothers were such in a great joy to receive us in their village.

From the church of the Pygmies in Yeyimbo, other churches were born and they are scattered through the deep Equatorial forest, and every time we go there, brothers from various churches gather in Yeyimbo for a great brotherly fellowship around the Message. Here is their favorite song:

“Jesus Christ is the Liberator,
His great prophet is called William Branham.
The vision of William Branham saying that the Message would enter the jungle of Africa is the Truth.
It has been fulfilled and the Message entered the deep Equatorial forest. Jesus Christ is God and William Branham is His prophet.”

There was also an outpouring of the Holy Spirit among the Pygmies and the gifts of the Spirit are marvelously operating. Some of the Pygmy brothers received the gift of healing. They prayed for a woman who had Tuberculosis, and she was healed. Sick people come from the close villages of Bantus to receive the divine healing in the church of the Pygmies, where God operates signs and wonders. God has proved that the power of resurrection is more effective and stronger than the superstitions of the Pygmies.

We will post Brother Tshibangu’s detailed report and pictures in the days to come.