The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1928, Page 90

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90

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

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two or three generations before they were able to
comprehend the Gospel-message at all? The
answer to this is to be found in a letter recently
received from Chimbu. Remember that only thir-
teen years have elapsed since he heard from us, on
the first visit any missionary had ever made to his
people, the “wonderful words of life.” This letter
was neatly typed by him on a Corona typewriter in
English, and we give it as he himself wrote it,
putting in a few words in brackets to make the

meaning plain.
Amos Chimbu

Kapanga, Katanga, Lulua Dist.
Congo Belge, Africa, via Capetown.
August 12, 1927.
Mr. J. M. Sprrncer : —

To day I want to ansear your comfort letter
which you was wrott to me in June 1; 192%. first
of all I want to thank you two thousand times and
five hundred moyo [greetings]; and rejoi I conot
count it.

I have never never never find or see the love as
such as it is in God, never, never. Now I think
that I shoul fly in spirit and come to your spiritual
love and kiss you in love because you have fresh
my heart with good letter.

And the day which I was received your nice
letter, I was in Musumba [the capital] in the frant
of Mwata Yamvo, for he was calling all his chiefs
to be witness when he was giving the kingdom to
the one of his chiefs, his name is Chishidila, because
the first was died. And I was there, and I read it
there, and many of them see it, and heard when I
was reading that you like to know the villages which
are the teachers, and that you like to know about
the news out of here, and how you sent your greét-
ings to the chief. And they was glad also.

But about the work; God is with us, and in
the last year we were in Judgment by new Ad-

. ministrateur; and he not like our Mission and mis-
sion’s people. So he was telling the chiefs to hat
us and our work [this is unusual on the part of an
official] and some of us was to go to prison, and we
were going to his judge ment to judge about Malala,
that mean about the Idol’s custom, but we were not

- afraid to ansear him, and still now he is on the

ungod’s side, he wants the people to do to their dead
things as they can. [This is evidently, in essence,

a form of emperor worship, not only of the living

kings, but also of the dead.] Buta you know that
the power of God is like the ground, and the power
of man is like the rain. Fod the rain thinks it have
power over the ground, but the rain will go away,

and the ground remain forever. And so it is with
the power of man.

But my work now I going to visit the brethren.
And some of the chiefs now believing to God, n0W
the church is going forward on every month and
weeks. “But all these things we winning or gaining
by our praying, and your helping. for no man can
win himself without Faith’s Prayer; and the faith
coming from trust.

We thank God, and his Spiritu which is in you,
because we heard that Mr. Brastrup is Coming back
with the other Missionary [the Longfields]; we
thank God who was carrying you out and Mama
Springer like the little bird was flying with the
seed in its mouth, and throw it down on the unseed
place, and that ground was fille with good seeds
which was carred by the little bird.

And so when you eat and drink and work and
pray please remember us in your praying, I like
that you should pray about here, that God may send
His Spirit’s Power to fight with the power of Satan.

About myself; God is with me, and I will take
the Medicine with faith; if it will please God hi
will [heal me]; but if not, it is no matter, because
I filing [feeling] in my heart that God he do not
wants me to proud in body; because to proud in
body, is fall in sin; for God was know everythings
in bigining of a man, when he-was creat him, and
if God he like to save person, he co’nt give good
body to all he likis to give; He can give to some,
good body, but to other, he can let them have what
kind of bodies bad, or good, because he will save
the souls. Even if I sick or well or weak or strong
or poor or rich, I am of the Lord’s; for the Lord
hav not respect some and spise the other. All
are his.

I say again, pray for Africa; because your name
is known to every tribes in [this part of] Africa.
for they were know you alon in beginis. So pray
for them that they can know God as they know you.

I ask my picture which you was take us my wife
and may self I want them if you have it send to
me, and big thing, send me the other letter [another
letter] also, that I will tell you also all things, it is
all I finish to speak. Salute Mama Springer and
all our fathers in the Lord.

I am your first son in Lu-unda’s trib

Am
Amos CHIMBU
No other words or appeal seem fitting to add to

this letter than the words of One who spoke with
authority. He said: “Lift up your eyes and look