Thursday, March 19, 2009

Congo (34) Luebo, Congo 6/12/1921 [BMS]

Luebo, Belgian Congo

June 12, 1921

Dear Mother and Daddy:

We have had quite a bit of excitement for the past few days, all of which is due to the fact that our long expected party of missionaries arrived on Friday night. This is always an important, as well as exciting time with us and a memorable occasion. (As Dot and I are both writing at the same time we may both write the same things, so just remember this item.)

Those who came in this party were: Rev. and Mrs. Vinson and little 21 months old son (this is a brother to the President of Texas Univ.), who are returning from furlough, Mr. Hillhouse, builder, who is returning from furlough; Dr. and Mrs. Kellersberger, M. D., returning from furlough, and two children; Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Anderson, coming out for the first time, and who will go on to Lusamba in a few weeks, and who are new folks; and Miss Black, business lady, coming out for the first time, and who will remain here at Luebo. Dr. and Mrs. Kellersberger, I forgot to say, will go to Bibanga, and the Vinsons will remain here.

As Dot is writing you about Mr. Hillhouse stopping with us, I'll leave that to her. We enjoy his company, as he is a very interesting talker and well informed; he is over 50 years old, but in no way decrepit. Dot has been getting along fine with her little white class. The Stegalls certainly appreciate what she is doing for their little girl, as that is about all the training she gets, for Mrs. Stegall teaches in the school. Perhaps it doesn't sound such a high honor for one to be doing out here on the field, but after you see the surroundings of our white children you realize it means a great deal more.

Our day school work comes next to our directly evangelistic work, or rather it is a part of that branch. What we have to do with the natives in this respect compares very much with what you have to do with the Indian children in teaching them English, altho we have less to start on, for you at least have some civilizing influence around them, and here they have the converse surroundings and influence. Very fortunately we do not have to teach them grammar, for that is instinctive, and you can imagine what a deal of trouble as well as years this saves us -- the years our English children have to wrestle and fight with this old English tongue. Of course this has its disadvantages too for it is often extremely difficult to express our ideas in their language which is so limited. The great advantage is that it is easily learned and read by the natives. The children learn very quickly up to a certain point, no doubt fully as quickly as our own children. In from one to two years they acquire a good knowledge of reading, and the most apt learn in less than a year. Our school hours here are from 9 till 11 in the morning, and some special classes in the afternoon, but the bulk get only two hours a day, and this is true of our outstations. Of course, our great aim is to teach them to read in order that they may have the Bible in their own hands.

It's well on toward bedtime, and both of us will have something to start on in the morning. In the near future I want to write a letter and send it to our Correspondence Department of our Committee with a list of names; they will in turn send a copy of each of these parties. So if you get one of these letters you will know its origin and cause.

Well good-bye and good night. With much love to all. As ever,

B. M.

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