Congo (8) Brussels, Belgium, 10/31/1920 [BMS]

Brussels, Oct. 31, 1920

Dear Mother and Daddy,

While I have access to this machine I want to write to you as I can write so much more quickly on one, and I believe even think better while using one (not to mention the fact of writing more legibly.)

So far the weather has been beautiful and it has been pleasant to be outside, but today it feels more comfortable inside by a good warm fire. Dorothy has been taking a nap, and is just waking up. We went to church this morning and heard a sermon in English at the Methodist Church. They had the communion service after the regular service, and saw what you have no doubt seldom seen, a Baptist taking communion with other denominations. However, this man was a Congo missionary where they are more liberal in this respect.

Mr. and Mrs. Hobson have had a sick spell and were kept in bed a couple of days, but they are up today and just about well, as they went to church. Mr. Hobson’s vaccinated arm was the cause of his sickness. All four of us were vaccinated last Monday and only Mr. Hobsons’s (Kemp) and Dorothy’s made much impression; however, Dot was not sick. She felt rather badly one day and her arm was sore, but she didn’t have to go to bed, and now is pretty well healed up. Rowena’s (Mrs. Hobson) and mine didn’t do very much. This was small-pox vaccination.

Our friends, Mr. Kinman (who is here taking a course in Tropical Medicine and who is going out to the Congo which the Methodist Mission) was up here to see us all this afternoon. He is more like one of our own missionaries; this is also true on the fiend, for we feel out there like Methodists belong to our family. This, of course, makes it very pleasant for us, too.

We are still pegging away at our languages. Learning to speak French is a much more tedious, as well as painful, operation than those who never tried it imagine. Learning to read it is one thing, and learning to speak it, and especially learning to understand it when spoken another.

Must close here for today. We think about you often and remember you and your work in our prayers daily.

With much love to all.

As ever, B.M.

Nov. 9^th: Dear folks, we failed to get passage on this boat so shall remain in Brussels until about Dec. 10^th. So please write us here at once.