The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-12-17
AFRICAN LETTER


Dear Friends OF Old Berea-
have been here at work now al
most two years and have not writ
ten to The Citizen. This has not
been because OF a lack of interest
in all our old friends, but because
almost all our time has been con-
sumed just in language study and
secondly in the work Of the sta
ton. I scarcely know what to write
you now. All this is so strange
and we know so little Of the work
and the people that I fear to write
about that phase of our lives.
First let me say that ! am not at
our station, but have been for five
weeks on an itineration of our
field in the northeastern section.
News reached me from the station
yesterday that all are well. We
are but two families now in blanche,
Mr.. and Mrs. Allen from Missouri
and the Washburns.
Our field is somewhat larger than
the state of Kentucky, which has
been assigned to us. Just to the
west and north are hundreds OF
miles which have never been touch
ed with the gospel. So our only
boundary lines are TO the south, one
days march to Luebo and TO the east
ten DAYS march TO another of our
stations, Mutoto.
The people, | know so little about
them that I fear to write. Suffice
it to say this time that they are
as conservative as the most rigid
high-class man Of India or the an
cestor worshipping Chinaman. This
is not true of the people at our 9TH
er stations, however, for they are
open to the gospel.
As to their numbers, none know,
let me say however, that | know the
names of hundreds of villages where
the missionary has never been and
they know not the name of our
Lord and Master. On this present
trip have met with the unanswera-
BILE question "Why did you not come
sooner il your religion is the only
true religion" This question looms
up in many villages and | can but
admit that the church has been too
slow in sending out the gospel.
You may be curious to know how
we live. Well. at the station we
have a house Of five large rooms
and a hallway. True this house
is built OF mud but the walls are
thick and have been well smooth
ed with a plaster's trowel. Our
home is very comfortable indeed,
and sometimes we wonder il it is
not too much so. On the road we
live in a tent. This is because Of
the awful dirt and disease Of the
natives. We begin our day at s
a. m. and usually quit work at 0
p. m. On the road il is one con-
tinuOus day Of preaching and talking
to the natives, travelling and the like
until we send the natives away for
the night. Our health is excellent,
in fact, Mrs. Washburn and I have
had better health out here than we
had in the homeland. And as you
know us we were not considered in
valids in the homeland.
On the road live mostly on such
things as ! can get in the villages
as chickens, corn, meat or cakes,
COW peas, sweet potatoes, onions,
eggs, and some fruit but not great
amount We always carry a re-
serve stock in tins but | seldom open
a tin on the road.
Some Of my friends accused me
OF wanting TO come out here that |
might hunt. Well, il that was my
purpose, | have certainly been dis
appointed. ] see plenty Of elephants,
buffalo, leopard and deer tracks but
have not the time TO go and hunt up
the animals. fear my record along
the sportsman's line is a slim one.
But really there is ten thousand
times the joy in gathering a group
OF people together and telling the
Gospel story for the first time they
have ever heard il. ! only regret