Congo (93) Elenga, Congo, Congo 3/4/23 [BMS]

Luebo , March 4, 1923

Dear Mother and Daddy:

It is hard to realize that in less than a year from this time we shall perhaps be on our way home. Looking at it from the standpoint of the work three years seems a short time; part of this time is spent in adjusting oneself, and part spent in packing up. Of course, three years is a long time from the other viewpoint, in fact, it will have been over three and one half years for us away from home.

The "Lapsley" came in Saturday, and will leave on Wednesday, with the Whartons and Miss Larson on board going home on furlough. They expect to bring back with them Mr. and Mrs. Savels, who will be at Luebo. Mr. Savels is the ex-priest, Catholic, who spent about fifteen years in the service of the Roman Catholic Church out here in the Congo; and now he is with us. He joined our Mission about four years ago. )

I would like to write you something about our trip to the outstations, but haven't time in this letter. However, I shall give you some account of it in the near future, for this is the heart of our work out here, and the most interesting part of it. We had an excellent trip, and saw and came into contact with "real heathen," and while we found some very discouraging conditions, still the work on the whole is most encouraging. But I'll go into that more fully later. Dorothy enjoyed the trip, and I believe it did her good physically; and I'm sure she got an insight into the work that she would never have gotten on the station here; she was rather tired of the road life towards the end, and was glad to tum homeward, for we were on the move so much. It was an opportunity for us both, not only to see the real work, but to take an active share in it.

The coming of the "Lapsley" always means extra work for me, as we have quite a bit of cargo (our supplies from Europe), and it has to be transported from the beach up to the station by native porters. So I'll have to make this letter brief, and write you more details about our trip as soon as I can find time.

With love to all

B. M.