From His Lips: About His Co-workers: Inner Stories, #2

THE ELDERS

There are elders who from the first time they saw me, God gave them loyal hearts towards me and they have never murmured in their hearts against me for the past ten years. It is something that God gives.

1

BROTHER MARTIN FATELE

I want to say one thing that has been Martin Fatele’s great strength: For over 15 years, he has not sought his own glory, or his own name.

You see no Fatele-ism in the church in Douala ¹. He has not sought to originate his own thing. We thank God for such men in our work. We are in the very able hands of the Holy Spirit. He is worthy to be praised.

2ND MISSIONARY TRAINING SCHOOL

Yaounde, 11th - 15th July, 1995.

For the past ten years, except when it was the last day of a 40-day fast, brother Martin came to the airport in Douala to see me off each time I was travelling, and came to welcome me whenever I was landing in Douala from any trip. Even the other day, when I was landing at 2.30 am, he was there. So, he got my last words before I left the country and my first words when I came back. Three years ago, I had to cash a voucher at the treasury in Douala. By the time I got to the treasury, he was already there waiting for me. Such things make a man unforgettable. They make you count on a man. Whether in the relationship with God or with men, relationships are cemented through unchanging routines.

MONDAY WORLD CONQUEST PRAYER ETOUG-EBE.

Yaounde, 10th March, 1997.

The day I get to Douala airport while I’m going out of the country or coming back, and I do not find brother Martin Fatele there, I would think that the city had sunk. And I travel often! He is always there to see me off and to welcome me. Last year, I gave him a gift of 100 000 francs to celebrate eleven years of his faithfully seeing me off and welcoming me back. So, he has heard the last word I said while going and heard the first word I said on coming back each time. This has been done at his inconvenience knowing how inconsistent the flights have been.

Yaounde, 10th August, 1999.

After 5 years of our relationship, Martin Fatele had not given me any gift and I had given him a lot of things. So, I confronted him and said, Man, you have given me no gift! I was coveting nothing that he had, I am very rich. I just wanted to take away his poverty, because if he did not learn to give to me, those under him would also not give him, and he would be the poorer for it. He repented and has since carried out massive restitutions. Now he is enjoying, because many people are also giving to him.

He had 14 million francs; he gave God 6.6 million francs and he gave me 250 000 francs. If you don’t get the people to invest in you, their treasure will not be in you. How then will they follow you?

MORNING PRAYER

Yaounde, 25th December, 1999.

If I plan for something at the Douala airport, I know that brother Constant Yonke will be there, brother Silas Songo will be there, brother Silas’ wife, Elisabeth will be there, and invariably, Magdalene Bikitik will be there. I gave brother Martin 100.000 francs as reward for an unbroken record of ten years of being there to welcome me when I was passing through Douala on my way out or on my return, inspite of the irregularity of the flights. Even when I was passing to Kumba ², to Limbe ³ or elsewhere, he was there to welcome me. One day, while they were having a meeting, he came to welcome me and requested to go back to the meeting. He has always been there.

Yaounde, 20th November, 2000.

The Church in Douala has sent 4. 9 million francs for the Headquarters project. Brother Martin also sent 100 000 francs to feed the crusaders. That is brother Martin acting as a leader. If I add his gift to the 4.9 million francs, it becomes a gift of 5 million francs. He also sent some money for fruits for sister Esther Kouonang and sister Emilia who just ended their fasts.

Yaounde, 27th December, 2004.

I travel a lot; but in the past twenty years only once has brother Martin been absent from the airport either to see me off or welcome me back. He knows what is happening. He knows what no Yaounde ⁴ elder knows. He knows the thoughts that preoccupy me before each trip. He knows what God did in the country from which I am coming.

Brother Martin is always reading. I can’t remember ever seeing him without a book.

At all costs brothers, just for your own sake in heaven, go and buy that thing called ‘‘faithfulness’’. In the past 7 years, I have never got to Douala and not been welcomed by a vitamin drink in a Kumbo cup ⁵ from brother Constant. A person is his character. What a person does occasionally means nothing. You cannot count on it nor can you build on it.

RETURN FROM DOUALA.

Yaounde, 26th July, 2005.

Presently brother Martin is the champion of church planting in the city of Douala, but it was not so five years ago. Now, he goes to a quarter where there is no church, labours and leaves a church there.

Yaounde, 9th May, 2006.

People do not know brother Martin Fatele because he is self-effacing. He is one of the backbones of our ministry.

Yaounde, 12th September, 2007.

There was a message in which the Lord told brother Martin that he is a faithful man:

Faithful in Bible reading,

Faithful in prayer,

Faithful in church planting etc.

RETURN FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

Yaounde, 25th March, 2008.

I have Martin’s first 50 sermons. He used to write his sermons and give them to me for evaluation.

Yaounde, 28th April, 2008.

While we were going to the train station in London, the brethren were having a joint service in Douala. Brother Martin and brother Constant connected us by phone. When brother Martin finished preaching, he told the sick that I was going to pray for them. So, from London, I prayed for the sick in Douala, and from what he told me, many people including himself got healed. He had had a swelling on his hand for two years which disappeared that day.

Is there something to learn?

Is there something to learn?

When he phoned to say what God had done, I told him that he was positioned to go very far.

Brother Martin knows something which places him to be above most of the leaders. Just watch what God will do with him in a few years to come.

BACK FROM LONDON AND PARIS.

Yaounde, 2nd June, 2008.

Brother Martin is not perfect, but he does not resist the touches of God. He is not stiff-necked.

Are you stiff-necked?

Do you bring in logic to resist and keep your sins?

RETURN TRIP FROM PARIS AND DOUALA.

Yaounde, 28th July, 2008.

Eighteen to twenty years ago, brother Martin was working as an accountant and he had a big salary, but one day, he called me and said, I don’t have money for water and electricity bills. I said to myself, I am dealing with a big man. I sent someone down to Douala not only with money for water and electricity but more. That day, I knew I was dealing with a big man. A fool would have gone and borrowed to prove that he is able. But I said, He is a great man. If he ever has a problem in his walk with God or his leadership, he will bring it up. From that day, I believed him.

72ND PRAYER SIEGE.

Yaounde, 13th August, 2008.

Once, brother Martin and some believers had to cross through mud to go and plant a church. The brethren offered to carry him through the mud but he refused, removed his shoes and crossed. Then he said, Nobody should say that he did not plant a church because there was nobody to carry him through mud.

Yaounde, 30th September, 2008.

Let’s thank the Lord for brother Martin. The devil must fear him. He is a humble man. He is a consecrated man. He leads church planting in the city of Douala. A leader does not tell people, Go and do this. A leader does it and by so doing, sets an example for the people to do likewise. He has a loyal heart. When I say something to brother Martin, it has been said. He is not crafty. He does not seek his own will. That is strength. If he were to fail, I would fail. I will take responsibility. But he will only succeed and only succeed. I thank God for men like him.

RETURN FROM DOUALA.

Yaounde, 9th November, 2008.

BROTHER MARTIN FATELE AND SOME OTHERS

Brother Martin Fatele is not a pastor. He is an administrator. He is also a teacher of the word.

For those whose main concentration is on the church, great deeds such as longs fasts, long prayer crusades are in short supply. Joseph Gado is an exception. The breaking of new grounds in numbers and localities reached is not as a result of faithfulness, but of great deeds. Brother Nicolas is another faithful man; his advantage is that his wife is a doer of great deeds. For four years she has been on a partial fast. So, when in a couple you are the pastor and there are great deeds, you will break new grounds.

Brother Martin Fatele has to make great deeds a way of life. There was a time in Douala when it was not clear who the leader was between brother Martin and brother Jean De Dieu. But two 40-day fasts that brother Martin Fatele carried out and the two that Lydienne gave him, the leadership was established.

Leadership is established by unusual distinction.

RETURN FROM DOUALA.

Yaounde, 19th November, 2008.

BROTHER MARTIN, BROTHER JEAN DE DIEU, BROTHER THEODORE, SISTER HENRIETTE MBARGA

Henriette consecrated her life to me. She is investing her life into mine. Henriette did not make a list of the evangelists of the world to pray that signs and wonders be manifested in their ministries. She concentrated on me. She refused to get married in order to accomplish that purpose. Three brothers asked for her hand in marriage but she said "No’’ to all of them. She turned down further education in order to invest her life into mine. She is not just a doer of things; it is the investment of her life. It is not just the doing of things; it is the investment of a life.

For those of you who are in positions of responsibility, I want you to pray that God would give you helpers. Also, pray that God would make you helpers. For example, brother Jean De Dieu Watchiyi has committed himself that I have a good diary every year; brother Martin has guaranteed providing my meditation books and Theodore has already given me the shaving blades for the next five years. One thing about helpers is that they are extravagant.

NIGHT OF PRAYER.

Yaounde, 17th September, 1999.

¹ Douala is a town in Cameroon.

² Kumba a town in Cameroon.

³ Limbe a town in Cameroon.

⁴ Yaounde is a town in Cameroon.

⁵ Kumbo cup: a big cup.

2

BROTHER JOSEPH BESONG

Joseph Besong is the General Administrator of Christian Missionary Fellowship International.

We needed a senior elder with real administrative skills to hold the work together in 200 countries. We needed someone committed to the vision, and Joseph Besong is committed to me, to Joe and to the church in the city.

30 HOUR PRAYER SIEGE

Yaounde, 4th – 5th December, 1998.

3

BROTHER JEAN DE DIEU WATCHIYI

In 1986, he had 14 people under him as deacons. At the moment, even though there are ten bishops, over 30% of the church is made of people under his bishopric. He is fifth in the hierarchy, and when the fifth person leads one third, he is the leader. His group gives and prays more for world conquest and it is growing more than the others.

Brother Jean De Dieu is preparing two missionaries for next year. He said they are not ripe for this year. He is building people; he is training and teaching people. He gave the profile of what he is doing to train them, and he got me to meet them. The departure of the second missionary will cause great loss to his team.

Into what are you raising and investing men?

MONDAY WORLD CONQUEST PRAYER.

Yaounde, 26th August, 1996.

Jean De Dieu took his ordination prophecy seriously. He withdrew for many days of fasting and prayer. After some years, so much in his prophecy had come to pass that one of his disciples came to ask me to also prophesy on her.

SPECIAL PRAYER NIGHT.

Yaounde, 1st September, 2001.

Brother Jean de Dieu is involved in the whole work.

Just to convince you a bit: among the men, he is without a second as far as praying for everything about me and everything about the ministry. The gap between him and the next person is so big and, that is why I am saying he is first without a second. He carries the burden for the impact of our Ministry. He has drawn up a whole strategy for praying for Asia, nation after nation, a massive work.

He is in charge of funds from Douala and Sanaga Maritime. He is in contact with most of our missionaries – More than anybody else, he writes to many of our missionaries. We need many of his kind. He is not narrow. He prays for the different departments of the whole ministry.

Yaounde, 28th December, 2004.

One of the great men we have in the ministry is brother Jean de Dieu. Two of his children have smaller brains than normal. They can neither read nor write. His daughter has an unusual eye disease. She just suddenly lost an eye. In his situation, many people here would have backed off God’s service and blamed God, but Jean de Dieu is a prince of God by any standard. He became a provincial leader three years ago and his province is making enormous progress.

He leads four teams in Douala that pray for the impact of the ministry. He is in charge of the financial contribution of Douala and Sanaga Maritime to the work. He corresponds with all the missionaries. He is a herculean man by any standard. At least ten of the international missionaries are people he built. The couple to go to Egypt are both his disciples. He has not sat down to weep because of difficulties.

He took the prophecy that was given at his ordination, went away for many days with it and wrote prayer topics about it that filled half an exercise book. He invested so much into it.

There was a time when God said that he was arrogant and proud. I called him and told him. He immediately took a fast and spent it studying what the Bible says about humility, and he wept before God. I have a copy of this document. If you don’t find God and if you have no intimacy with God, don’t blame your circumstances.

You are the problem. Decide to change. It might help you to tell someone, Watch over me. Be true to me, don’t spare me. I have tendencies to deceive myself. I beg you, watch over me. Make sure I become what I ought to become. Make sure l walk with God. I beg you don’t be soft with me. It will not help me on that day. If need be, be brutal. I don’t want to waste my life ministering from a distance from God and being an activist.

Yaounde, 12th December, 2005.

It is not a mistake that Jean De Dieu became the national leader. He prays for the impact of the whole ministry and has volumes of prayer topics for that.

PRAYER MEETING.

Yaounde, 13th June, 2007.

4

BROTHER JOSEPH TANYI MBAFOR

Brother Joe Mbafor is the Vice President of our missionary organization. Today, he will join me to lay hands on the missionaries. It’s good to see people, but to see a missionary is a special seeing. Jesus was the first missionary sent from Heaven to earth. We are here as a testimony that Jesus the first missionary succeeded.

SATURDAY PRAYER MEETING

Yaounde, 24th August, 1996.

I want to testify that brother Joe Mbafor has seen a city (Yaounde). That’s the only thing he lives for. Its grip on him has tightened with time. It has not always been like that.

MINISTRY STAFF MEETING.

Yaounde, 13th April, 1998

BROTHER JOE MBAFOR

I told brother Joe that I will give him a gift for being a good leader; he has been leading the church in Yaounde since April 1978. He was six months old in the Lord then. It was at six months that he became the young pastor of the little flock; I had to control myself not to burst into tears. I told him, - this is the wonder of it’: He just carried it with all his heart. He carried it as if he were the only person, while others just brought a contribution. I beheld the Lord’s glory. It is a wonderful thing. It is a wonderful work. It is a wonderful ministry.

SPECIAL NIGHT WITH ZTF.

Yaounde, 26th December, 2001.

Brother Joe is a patient man. In Malabo ¹, he allowed everybody to speak.

REPORT FROM MALABO.

Yaounde, 15th September, 2008.

Brother Joe Mbafor has thirty years of pastoral ministry in Yaounde.

In April 1978, we left him as pastor of the church, a small flock. That was when his pastoral ministry of the church in Yaounde started. If I were brother Joe, I would celebrate my thirty years of being pastor of the church of Yaounde.

Yaounde, 23rd September, 2008.

Brother Joe Mbafor does not call me by phone. In the past ten years, he has only called me by phone twice. He comes to see me himself. Some of you consider yourselves bigger than him.

Yaounde, 18th October, 2008.

Brother Joe is a first-class pastor. By nature, he would be ‘zero pastor’ or ‘negative’ pastor. The natural Mbafor has no time to mourn and weep for human beings. The gift of pastor that we see in him is what God has done supernaturally, that is why he can serve. If he were a naturally good man: tender and caring, that would have stood in the way of God very often.

BROTHER JOE MBAFOR AND BROTHER E. BAYIHA

Many years ago, Joe Mbafor and Emmanuel Bayiha were the closest co-workers I had. God has put one of them at the base of the work and the other at the top of the work. But you can be removed. It doesn’t take long for God to remove someone.

TUESDAY TEACHING MEETING.

Yaounde, 1st March, 1994.

¹ Malabo: an island and town of Equatorial Guinea.

5

BROTHER EMMANUEL BAYIHA

When I consider that brother Emmanuel has to coordinate the national work and when I consider that brother Emmanuel has to help the provincial leaders to take their provinces, I ask: who puts in a 21, 28-day fast into Emmanuel’s life every year?

Who lives to ensure that Emmanuel Bayiha succeeds?

Who says, Woe is me if Emmanuel does not succeed?

Who begs to serve him?

Who is there today, tomorrow and the next day?

Whose heart stopped rebelling against him long ago?

Who loves him unchangingly, twenty-four hours every day and therefore would take every risk spiritually in a life poured out in prayer, fasting, and other ways, so that the call of God on him and this nation is fulfilled?

It requires might and loyalty. Someone who says, I have not rebelled against you in my heart for the last one year. Here is my praying, here is my fasting. Here are my gifts.

Emmanuel Bayiha and I will be in Garoua; we hope to come back with a missionary couple for Southern Chad.

One minute of rebellion is ten kicks of Satan.

Father, for the work You called us to do, for our missionaries in their cities, nations, Africa and Planet earth, I plead that You would give one man or one woman to invest himself harshly, radically, totally without reserve, twenty-four hours every day - holding nothing back, with impeccable loyalty, with smashing might, that the 5,000 churches will be raised so that 10,000 missionary couples flow forth.

Pray that people would come forth who do not just see a man, but who see God’s destiny through a man, and because of that destiny they bury their all into him for all time.

Give us the first of such:

someone begging to serve,

someone with a servant’s heart,

someone tired of serving himself,

someone who will let all credit for his investments go to Emmanuel and all blame come to him,

someone who will love him with love from above and who intensifies burdens.

Yaounde, Tuesday, 22nd October, 1996.

I consider that Cameroon Conquest started only this year with brother Emmanuel Bayiha. He has become a restless volcano; it’s not just that he has moved to places, but everything has changed!

SCHOOL OF KNOWING AND SERVING GOD.

Yaounde, 29th October, 1997.

Brother Emmanuel is a faithful servant of the Lord. I don’t think many of you know how faithful he is. He is a man who exerts himself to the last bit of energy. He is priceless. I will personally fill his car with petrol to begin, just to say, ‘‘Thank you’’ to him, and to say that we cannot purchase his contribution