A Living Testimony
As I maneuvered my car up the winding Kuranda Ranges towards the Atherton Tablelands, my mind went back many years ago when I first met Brother Ron Congoo, an Aboriginal pastor and elder from the North East of Australia. I was just a young boy. I saw him again in the early 90s and was now excited to be meeting with him after many years. Brother Congoo lives in Atherton, a small town located inland from the coastal tourist city of Cairns. I drove from the coastal plains through the ranges and rain forests passing rivers and old volcanic crater lakes. The rugged beauty of the country side was inspiring. When I finally arrived at the church, the music was playing softly as the saints of God waited in prayer. I felt at home as the spirit of the Lord settled upon the people.
Brother Congoo asked me to share some testimonies and give a report on VGR’s outreach activities. The saints were blessed as they heard how God was working in the hearts of the believers. Also how the words of the prophet were being fulfilled as he said, “It's on tapes; It'll go worldwide on the tapes where people in their houses. Them tapes will fall right into the hands of the predestinated of God; He can direct the Word; He'll direct everything just exactly to its course.” The people were inspired to hear the powerful testimonies of how God is directing His Word - into the far reaches of Siberia, in the dimly lit country side of China and in the dense forests and rivers of the Congo in Africa.
Brother Congoo expressed his thanks to Voice of God, Brother Joseph, and Brother Billy Paul, and encouraged the members of his congregation to approach me for materials.
An elderly aboriginal sister walked up with a list of books and tapes she had carefully prepared. When she said her last name, I felt the hand of the Lord, as this lady was related to a family I was looking for. I had with me a personal letter from VGR that had been returned "Not At This Address" many months ago. I asked the sister if she would be happy to distribute the letter; she smiled and held out her hand. I handed out some of the new Missionary CDs and DVDs of the Deep Calleth to the Deep, and some sermon books, and identified some more materials to send direct. Bro. Congoo was very happy to receive the material from VGR and was keen to give a DVD to a man he was witnessing to.
It was a wonderful time of fellowship with the saints. Later that day Brother Congoo testified how Malachi 4 found him more than 30 years ago. An Aboriginal friend had heard that a Pentecostal man was throwing away a collection of Brother Branham books. Little did the Pentecostal man know, the sequence of events that would unfold as he discarded the precious life-giving resource. The Aboriginal friend rescued many of the books and started distributing them to his friends. One of these was Brother Congoo.
God had found a hungry heart, a predestined seed searching for more than what the denominational world could offer. The power in the Message caught Brother Congoo’s attention and changed his life. At that time he was a minister in the Pentecostal church. After baptizing many of his congregation in the Name of Jesus Christ, the denomination decided it was time to kick him out. He soon opened his own church and has since worked tirelessly among the Aboriginal people of Northern Queensland.
Even today, at almost 80 years of age, he hasn’t lost any of the original zeal that inspired his soul and turned his life around those many years ago. He smiled as he recalled the precious memories of his experiences. May God bless him for his gallant stand, a true living testimony of the power of this Message.
Brother Andrew