Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1915-04-06
News From Our Missionaries In Africa.


the location of the present Congo
Mission Station and each new ddy
brings its thrill OF Joy for the privil-
eye OF having little part in Christian
work for these hitherto neglected
children OF darkness yet children OF
promising development
Perhaps you would like to hear a
little of the everyday life on our sta
ton. Strange as it may seem, our day
begins with militant note, somewhat
different however from that which al
tempts to destroy the Coronation
Chair in Westminster Abbey, London.
In Africa, il is woman's wrongs rather
than woman's rights, which need to be
ri5hted. The blasts of a bugle, an
nouncing the break of day, can easily
call one to 90 forth at the day dawn
welding the Sword of the Spirit"
with might and main Wcmbo Mama
has loaned us bugle until a big bell
can be procured for the purpose of
announcing the time for different scr
vices on our compound. Our bugier
IS middle aged native, named -Chilolo,
and always wears a smile SO conta Ii
Gus that the corners of your lips re-
fuse to turn down every time YOU
from Lusambo he was our sentry and
stood guard over the tents at night,
splendid type of the faithful men iii
our Southland who protected "ole
Mistus an re chilun" while "Marster
was gone to the war Having been
notified by the bu5ler that it is time
for morning worship, the missionaries
and natives assemble in the church fSr
the singing OF hymns and having pray
ers together before beginning the
work OF the day
Activities begin by Mr.. Stockwell
calling the roll of the workmen, send
ing some of them for saw logs to be
carried in from the forest, others for
vines, others for poles, others for
palm fronds, others for roof grass,
assigning Others TO saving boards with
pit saw, others to work in the car
penter shop, others to constructors
buildings, and others to agriculture or
various duties. Think of these work
men on certain days making a round
trip of more than twelve miles in order
to procure material needed for the
building of houses and carrying this
material on the return trip upon their
heads or shoulders, and then you need
give but little credit to the oft heard
remark, "The native is lazy and viii
not work" | have made some trips
with the workmen and can testify that
the distance is not overstated. While
the laborerS are being assigned to their
duties, the natives, who need medical
attention or have "palave-s" affairs
calling for adjustment, make an dp:
peal to Dr. Mumpower either to re-
ceive benefit from his knowledge OF
materia medica or to have their dit
terences adjusted by his mental juriS-
purdenCe. This twofold function gives
the doctor the pleasant opportunity
OF mending family ties as well as
broken bones At present there are
eight boys resident in our Evangelis-
tic Training School and these are as
signed certain amount of manual
work by me every morning. In addi-
ton, there are under my oversight,
ten little boys cleaning uD our grounds
this month. My native name is
"Mandefu" and to have eighteen BOYS
trying to make me understand III.
their wants at the same time makes
"lunju efula" noise plenty. an
much attached to my little toilers and
Mrs. Bush will make shirt for each
OF them at the end OF the month as
a reward for their faithful attendance
upon school and religious services.
School is announced at eight O'Clock
by the bugler and the exercises open
with a hymn and prayer The phone
tic system for teaching the alphabet
works well and facilitates the combin-
ing OF letters into syllab.es. This
Batetela language seems to have U.S.
for all our English alphabet except
= and r, but we are teaching r be-
cause it sneeded in French and in
Bible words. During the first few
months OF school work our equipment
consisted of blackboardS and home
made charts, but a First Reader has
been printed on the Presbyterian
Press at Luebo, and paste board
states with pencils have since arrived
from London. A Second Reader wilt
be available in few weeks. The
school attendance on our Compound
is about fifty but will increase as soon
as more volunteers come to help teach
these men, women and children. The
Batetela language can be learned
if one eats Batetela food, so red
sons one of our house boys who says
that he could learn English if he could
go to America and eat English food
Alter school is over one OF the ma
tive evangelistS comes to my house
and helps me with the language which
is made very interesting by giving an
opportunity to learn what Dan Craw
ford calls thinking black" For in
stance, centipede seen in the path
when on journey is a sign of good
luck. Perhaps there is as much geo II
omen in an African centipede as in IN
American horse shoe Furthermore,
the women have custom of mou ming
somewhat resembling the wearing of
white apparel by the Koreans in times
of bereavement except that novel
substitute for white cloth is the smear
ing of the whole person with a white
substance, called "mpembe," durin
three or more weeks after the death
of relative.
AT eleven O'Clock the catechumen
class on our station is instructed BY
Mudlmbl, native evangelist who was
trained at Luebo. The other evangc-
list, also from Luebo, teaches school
and a catechumen class in the villa !.
Wembo Mama, about one mile distant
Some two months ago greatly re-
Joiced when two men came to me and
said, 1--WE wish to learn about God
and join the church." A Catechism
has been prepared and the combined
enrolment of the two classes numbers
more than fifty. We expect candi
dates for baptism withen few months.
Another note of encourag cement is
that there are one or more men who
give evidence of becoming evange-
lists. The term evangelist is SINH
lar to local preacher. The PRAYERS
OF the Christian people in America
are being answered in blessings upo1
this mission.
From 1130 to 2 o. m, outdoor ac-
Invites surrender, for the most part,
to the suns big fire gun. Then comes
one half hour of school for the work
men, in which the lady missionaries
are not expected to participate like
they do in the morning sessions. Eve
with this limited time given 10 the