"I am a hillbilly from Africa, and I'm here to see Pastor Buck the man who wrote the angel book!" I looked up to see who was speaking. He was very tall man with a beret on his head, a green plaid coat, and a yellow and red striped shirt. He had the biggest feet I had ever seen. They were size 16. "I'm Morris Plotts," the man continued picking up his big black suitcase which was covered with colorful travel sticker. I wasn't quite sure how to take this unusual looking "hillbilly," but I fell in love with the twinkle in his eyes, and I led him to meet my father.
There was an immediate rapport between the two men. Alan and I and our kids were excited when mom invited us to join them for dinner because as it turned out Morris shared with the family some of the wondrous ways God had led him thru the years. One special highlight he shared was how twenty black African angels had helped him and his wife when their Land Rover was mired in deep, sticky African mud 200 miles from any known civilization. The story of Morris Plott's life is told in a book by Robert Paul Lamb and published by Jimmy Swaggart. It is entitled, Bwana Tembo, A Prince With God. Bwana Tembo is Morris's African nickname meaning "Lord Elephant."
The following is from my dad's journal in which he kept the record of the angelic visitations.
"Early Sunday morning, July 29, I felt the warm presence of the Holy Spirit in my room. I obeyed the urge to dress and go downstairs for worship and meditation. Following a season of precious fellowship with God, I looked up to see God's messengers, Gabriel and Chrioni appearing in the room. Again I was overwhelmed by the divine glow and the holy atmosphere that surrounds them. They both took hold of my hands and I was strengthened.
"I was allowed again to behold the majesty of God. I saw Him in action caring for all creation, even the grass of the field. I saw him caring for the animals. I saw reminders of Him in the clouds, lightning, and wind. I saw Him and His great love for man, even those who have never know Him. This living panorama of truth is still alive in my mind. Oh, how Great Thou art, Oh, how much you love!
"Then as at other times, He gave me a reference. David saw the same picture and recorded it in Psalm, 102, 104, 105:1-5.
"He then introduced me to a ministering angel from Kenya, Africa, where God had released a large host to ready the people of that country for the Words of life. He stated that a prince with God who had been sent to this body, Morris Plotts, would be happily surprised to hear of the allies from heaven sent to aid him in giving his words life, and scattering the forces of darkness.
"This angel was black and dressed much like a westerner with casual coat and slacks. He was about 6'3", and of large frame. He explained that this host was active throughout the country. His personal assignment had been Nairobi, but he was ministering to a family in Msambweni, a city on the south coast of Kenya when he was directed to appear in Boise."
When daddy shared with his new friend how God saw him, Morris was overwhelmed. To be a prince with God is a wonderful thing. But everyone of us can be one of God's children. It is so easy, and God desires this so much!
God allowed Morris and my dad to have some precious time together when they met at Pastor Gorman's church in New Orleans, just one week before God called my daddy home.
When Morris returned to Africa, he found that what the angel had shared with daddy was true. Multitudes of Africans were finding Jesus as their personal Savior.
Morris was really excited when he and his good friend Louie Earl, a pastor from Plain Dealing, Louisiana, asked God to guide them to the family who the angel had been ministering to when he was directed to appear in Boise to meet with my daddy. Pamela Berry, a translator for Evangel Translators headed by Syvelle Phillips was in Mombasa, Kenya. When Morris told her about the angelic visit to Msambweni, she begged them to take her along.
The town of Msambweni did not appear on any map, but Morris knew there was such a town because it was listed on an old African auto club directory, which he had kept for some reason thru the years. He knew it was on the coast of East Africa because that's what God had said.
They stopped at a hamburger stand in Mombasa to ask directions and the African at the stand told them they were only twenty-six miles from Msambweni, and told them how to find it. As they drove down a road that was lined with coconut palms, a large sign suddenly came into view, anticipation flooded their hearts as they read, "MSAMBWENI!" As they drove into town, the first thing they spotted was a large government building. They parked and went in. In one of the offices was an African with a big smile. Morris began talking to him, and then told him his name was Benjamin Mungai. He told Morris and Louie that he was one of the handful of Christians in the town. He said that he was the government official or "District Officer" in charge of the 110,000 people in his district, and 10,000 in the town.
Morris then proceeded to tell Benjamin about Pastor Buck in America, and the ministering angel had visited him. He told Benjamin what the angel had said about ministering to a family on the coast of Kenya in the town of Msambweni. Benjamin began to really get excited, and asked Morris to give dates and places. When Morris told him, Benjamin was overjoyed. As Morris, Louie and Pamela listened with wonder, Benjamin told Morris how that so many good things had been happening to him and his wife he could hardly believe it. Seemingly out of the clear blue sky he had received a promotion, the town had gone through many government officials, but although Benjamin was a Christian, he had been able to carry out his government responsibilities very smoothly. He hadn't been able to understand this before!
Benjamin said, "Oh, my wife must hear about this!" In the late afternoon, Morris, Louie and Pamela drove to the Mungai's home to tell the news to Benjamin's wife. As Morris stepped into their yard he had to pause for a moment in awe. The angel had told Pastor Buck that he had been in a home on the south coast of Kenya and this home was so close to the coast, the waves of the Indian Ocean were lapping the rocks in the front yard.
Morris shared the story with Benjamin's wife, and she sat entranced. Benjamin said, "All right, this is the first step, now what is next?" He then told Morris that there was a building right down the road he could have for meetings.
Morris couldn't accept the invitation at that time, but he is going back March 15, 1981, and packing a New Testament, written in Swahili, for every home in Msambweni.
Morris states: "Never, since I began preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus fifty-six years ago, have I seen such hunger for God as I find in Africa today. A missions research organization finds that 16,000 people a day are turning to Christ in Africa!
The following excerpt of a letter from Morris Plotts is an exciting confirmation of the ministry of angels in Africa as shared with Pastor Buck by the angel Gabriel.
"Then while in the coastal area, I went down to Msambweni, the town the angel talked to your dear husband about. We sowed the place down with New Testaments in their own language. It has a population of 10,000 Mohammedans and I received a letter today from Dave Smith, our missionary there, and they are planning to start a work there all because the angel of God visited my beloved friend, Roland Buck. If you would be so kind as to do so, I would thank you to ask the church to pray that the hundreds of New Testaments we place in the hands of these poor benighted people will prepare the way for a great move of God there. They were so eager for the New Testaments, and to see them standing in the market and in their yards with the New Testaments open and reading about the Redeemer from Heaven ... well, I will never forget that sight. When we were there, Dave Smith took my picture standing by the big sign with his little boy and two African pastors on the edge of town. The town itself is in the coconut grove about a quarter of a mile away. This is the town that was not on any road map you know. I am sending this to you to keep. I have one that I will prize and how I wish I could have shown it to Roland.
Next: The Alaska Encounter