Luebo, Belgian Congo, April 10, '21
Dear Mother and Dad:
Dot was just saying last night (Sat.) that she wished she had a letter, and this morning mail came with two letters from you, one from Aunt Hon, one from Hickman & Nettie, and one from Stella. No doubt it seems to you that what you write is "commonplace" as you say, but your letters are certainly a pleasure to us and we enjoy every bit of news you give regardless of how it appears to you; so just remember this when you are afraid it will not fit your readers.
Note what you say about the presents and your choice of the pyrex ware. I like that ware very much and wanted to bring some with us, but it being so expensive coupled with the fact that it would be used almost entirely by the natives, we decided to wait until we found out just what we would like best. Our experience leads us to the conclusion that it isn't well to get too expensive kitchen utensils. Also your picture frame. We have made a guess as to whose pictures you put in the frame, but of course, we are not sure our guess is correct. However, this always brings us a little resentment towards two certain people -we haven't the pictures we would like to put in such a frame; where are they???
Our choice of clothes for this country was pretty good, and there are very few, if any, important things we failed to get, and also our proportions seem to have been right good; of course, on some things we can only tell later for our goods are all still new. Dot will write you more about her clothes. It is needless to say that we are both glad to be apprised of the fact that Daddy is "coming out." I wouldn't be surprised if we see this suit when we come.
You both were talking about your little chickens; we have a brood of eight little biddies hatched out Thursday and Friday. Then we have another hen sitting on seven eggs. Altogether now we have twenty home grown hens with several half-grown chickens. Am building a chicken house in which we shall also have a pigeon loft, and one end of the house for a goat house, as we already have one goat from which we are getting about one cup of milk a day. Haven't decided yet whether or not we shall go into the goat business on a large scale. Some of our folks are getting four, five, and six cups of milk a day from their goats, which is a paying business for its nice, fresh milk.
We are both very much interested in your kodak book. Wish we had some more pictures to send you, but we have taken none since we left Kinshasa. At Kinshasa we took some, but very few were good, and one of our friends developed them and was to send them to us, but so far they have failed to arrive. We want to take some pictures soon, but want to warn you not to expect too many, for it isn't quite as easy here to get them out as it is there. Haven't experimented any more lately with pictures, but want to do so some time soon. The fact is we don't have much time as it takes all of one evening and there is nearly always something to do here in the evening. Saturday, last night, we had a little social for Miss Setser who is leaving tomorrow for Lusambo. Next Tuesday night we have a station meeting, then wednesday night prayer meeting, then no telling what next. Last Friday night we had the Clevelands for supper, or dinner, if you please; last Tuesday evening we took dinner with Miss Larson; and so it goes.
The “Lapsley” is leaving Tuesday morning for Kinshasa, and Mr. & Mrs. Daumery who are in charge of it are moving from Luebo to Busambo.
I suppose you would like to hear something about the religious part of our work sometimes, but my part of the work is nearly all along material lines that my thoughts naturally run that way. Then having been here a term and having written all these things several times it is somewhat harder for me to write about them now. Our work is progressing about as usual, except just at this moment we have a few very difficult problems to settle. Our work in many ways is very similar to yours, except that we come in contact with the natives along more lines than you for it is to him that we have to look for all of our help, both along industrial as well as religious lines; the native carries our transport from one station to another, builds our houses, as well as does the bulk of the preaching of the Gospel. In getting the natives to do our work, we accomplish a two-fold end, that is the manual labor, we use him to work and use the opportunity to train, teach and influence him. We don't look on our help as "servants” but rather as “pupils”.
Must close for this time. The "Lapsley" leaves in the morning, and we have other letters that ought to go with it. With best wishes and love.
B.M.
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