Luebo, Feb. 25, 1922
Dear Mother & Daddy:
The past few weeks have certainly been busy ones for all of us here at Luebo. The coming of this party, and then the full-week Conference with Dr. Smith, have kept us going at full speed. The party with Dr. Smith arrived on February 8th, and with him were Dr. & Mrs. Stixrud, Miss McKay (teacher, and probably to remain at Luebo), and Miss
Porter, trained nurse. As we have been looking forward to this visit of Dr. Smith, it certainly has been a great pleasure and treat for us to have him actually on the field, and the man all of us would prefer out of the entire Committee.
Dorothy will no doubt tell you all about how happy we both were to get your kind and thoughtful remembrances to us. The dresses for Dorothy are fine, and she was very proud to get them, as well as myself. Dr. Stixrud brought me a silk shirt and a fruit cake as a gift from you, and for-which I want to thank you many times. As we are keeping the Club this month, the fruit cake came in very well.
Well, as to Dr. Smith's visit. Dr. Smith is not limiting his time, but wants to get away as soon as possible without passing over anything. We began our Conference the night of his arrival, and finished on the morning of the 17th, having two sessions daily; from 8:30 till 11:30 in the mornings, and 7:30 till 9:30 in the evenings. He sent out in advance a questionnaire containing 100 questions, and which covered practically every phase of our work. We went into detail with every nook and corner of our work, and with his gift of getting a hold on things and knowing how to get the information out of others with questions, I suppose he has an accurate knowledge of what has been done, is being done, and is being planned, for our field. Being familiar with all the other fields in the east, their-problems and plans, it didn't seem difficult for him to grasp the situation.
One of the greatest benefits we feel from his visit is the spiritual atmosphere that comes with him. His stay has meant a great deal to us. On the 17th he left for Lusambo on the Lapsley, where he will stay about a week or less, and from there he goes to Bibango, which will take him about six days; at Bibango he will perhaps stay a week; from Bibango he goes to Mutoto. At each of these stations, he will hold a conference with the members of the station as he held with us. Then after his Conference with Mutoto he will remain there for the Meeting of what we call our Stated Meeting of our Ad-Interim Committee, which in effect is a semi-Annual Meeting of the Mission. As this meeting was scheduled to be held just about the time Dr. Smith was to be at Mutoto, they have arranged for him to be present at this meeting of the Ad-Interim Committee. After this meeting at Mutoto he will return to Luebo, and from here go to the Bulape station, which is only two days from Luebo. Then he will return to Luebo to go down river by the first steamer, back to Europe.
Just now we have been having station meetings at nights to clear up some of the matters brought up at the Conference with Dr. Smith. And as we are having the Club this month, that means that we have very little time to ourselves, or for anything like letter writing.
You asked us in one of your recent letters to be sure that we let you know that we received that certain letter. I haven't the date before me, but am sure you know to which letter I refer. As it seems to me we have all of us misunderstood each other, and as we have already explained to you in detail just what we meant, and that we have no objections to your using the letters in the manner which you said you had been using them, I'll not go into any further explanations. I want to assure you though, that there has been no effort on the part of either one of us to make trouble out of nothing, but it was merely a misunderstanding of what you meant. I trust you will see it this way.
We have both been keeping well; Dorothy hasn't gained any, but has had fairly good, that is, just about as good as usual--which means that I don't want to exaggerate, although I believe she has been in what you might call good health. I have gained a few pounds.
With love to all.
B.M.
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