Luebo 12/17/22
Dear Mother & Daddy:
It is hard for us to realize out here that this is only a week from Christmas. While I think there are many pleasures of our Christmases there, still it brings a whole lot of burdens that we escape out here to some extent. I think I have already written you about how we observe the day--for that is about all we make of it. Our "present giving" in America has gone to such an extent that it sometimes makes lives miserable for a week or two trying to provide and improvise presents for all those whom we think expect them. Anyway, it is almost that time of the year here, but by the time this reaches you, it will no doubt well on in February of 1923, and just one year from the time we start home.
Luebo has been a place of interruptions, visitors and passers, for the past few months, and is likely to continue thus for some months. The Edmistons just passed thru on their way to Mutoto from Bulape last week, leaving Tuesday. The Andersons, W. J., from Lusambo are expected here next Saturday; Anderson is to relieve Stegall with the Industrial
School when Stegalls go on furlough, which is the first of February. Then in February the Clevelands are to be here till their time for furlough, which is about April; Cleveland and McKinnon are to make a tour of inspection of a certain territory where we expect, or hope, to place a new missionary station. Then the McElroys will be here early next month, to go home for furlough along with the Stegalls . Later on some of the Mutoto folks will be going thru here, too. Of course our own folks coming through doesn't cause such a great interruption, for we don't break into our work for that.
Things have been moving along fairly well at Luebo lately, except that we had an epidemic of the "flu" which struck several of our folks, none of which were serious. Dorothy is telling you of her spell, I believe. She had about a week of it; but she is normal again now, and I believe looking better than before she was sick, although perhaps not quite so strong, although even there she is gaining. However, don't imagine from this that she has had a terrible sick spell. Stegall, Miss Black, Mrs. McKinnon and Dorothy all seem to have had identical cases. They all got up right weak--Miss Black is recovering more slowly than the others. Stegall had a hard time recovering his normal strength; he's all right now.
In February we are planning to make an evangelistic itinerary to some of the outstations, which will take us about two weeks. The Hobsons are now out on a trip. Of course, here on the station we don't get much chance for doing what we call evangelistic work, and all of us on the station, including laymen, are going to try to get out into the outstations more, especially as some of them have not been visited for three years, and more. This is also a change for those of us who are tied down on the station so much. As I've done some work like this at Lusambo, I'm looking forward to it with a great deal of pleasure, for it is in the outstations where we find our big work and the greatest need.
On a trip of this kind, we travel slowly and take our time, so I believe it will do Dorothy good, besides getting to see what out evangelistic work in the outstations is like.
The Hobsons are set aside for evangelistic work, and specifically for itineration work in that department, which means that they will be out on the road a large part of the time. Mrs. Hobson expects to go as much as possible. She is out now. And I think they are a fine couple for that work; Mrs. Hobson will be a great help, as a woman can do a great many things to help out in this work. The Hobsons are perhaps our best friends on the station now; they are also our next door neighbors on one side, and the McKinnons on the other. Mrs. McKinnon was a frequent visitor of Dorothy's while she was sick, and now Dorothy has been returning these visits during Mrs. McKinnon's. attack of flu; Mrs.
McKinnon was sitting up today, so is almost well.
With all the best wishes and prayers for you both for the coming year; and with much love.
B. M.
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