Luebo, Congo Beige, Africa
April 7, 1923
Dear Friends:
Having just returned from an itinerary of two weeks to a section of our Luebo outstations we will try to tell you something of our experiences on this trip. On a large station like Luebo, we do not have the opportunity of getting quite the insight into the heart of our work, which is in our outstations, as those who itinerate. So it is a privilege for one who is tied to a post with routine duties to take an active part in the out-station visitation.
When we wish to make a trip in America of 50 miles, for a stay of one or two weeks, it takes only a few moments to plan and gather up our effects. But with us we must make preparations for all of our needs, except the house, such as beds, cooking utensils, food, etc., making it really a camping-out trip. In our equipment we carried one article that might be considered luxury, a folding organ, which not only provided music for our services but great delight to the natives as they crowded around to listen. Our means of transportation were a bicycle and a hammock, with native porters.
In reaching a village our program is about as follows: 1- To have a conference with our evangelist, to inquire into the condition of the work in general, the church, school, and the attitude of the chief and people. 2- Examine catechumens for Probationers' Class. 3- Have a personal talk with each Christian. 4- A conference with the chief and his elders. 5- An evangelistic service in every village, at night. As we stayed only one day and night in each village (except Saturday and Sundays) this kept us busy from the time we arrived. Then as a side-line we carried a few simple medicines, such as castor oil, salts, turpentine, iodine, etc., for which there were always a number of applicants, the salts and castor oil
being the most popular.
The last time this field had been visited by missionaries was more than three years ago and we found the work very much as we had anticipated, sadly in need of attention. We found a great many discouraging things; there were a number of Christians to discipline (which means to take their names from the Church roll until their lives became their
profession), and some of them fallen into grievous sins. In one village the church had almost gone back to their old heathen state. In another, the native evangelist had been asleep. In some villages we found some heathen practices among the non-Christians that were causing trouble for our Christians, as they were trying to force the Christians to take part in their wicked customs. In one village we found the chief and his elders trying to prevent by force their wives who were in the Catechumen class from attending either the Catechumen class or the Church, saying that they were glad for their children to be Christians and go to school, but that this affair was not for the older people.
While the above discouraging conditions may sound [illegible] still it was in the villages where we found the worst conditions that we witnessed the most encouraging fruits of our visit, and especially of our night evangelistic services. These night meetings were held in some convenient place in the Village, in the open with one or more fires in the center, It would be difficult to find a more picturesque scene than these evening meetings; the group of natives seated around the fire in a semi-circle, on mats or logs, and the glow of the flames lighting up their faces, eager and attentive; the very atmosphere filled with a sense of peace and quiet.
At the three Villages where our work was in the worst condition, the effects of the services were most inspiring. In the first village where the people had returned almost to their heathen state and medicines, fifteen came forward at the close of the service expressing their desire to abandon their life of sin and to follow the master. In another where
indifference seemed to prevail, eighteen came forward. In these villages there were only about 40 and 75 people present, respectively. Then there were a number of individual cases, some of Christians telling of their trials. some confessing their sins and repenting. One Christian woman came to us with tears in her eyes telling how she had taken part in the heathen worship of her ancestors because of the pressure of her non-Christian husband, over which she was very much distressed and seemed genuinely repentant. The total enrolling was 73. But when we think of them scattered through these villages and the powers of darkness so strong about them, we know many of them will have severe trials of their faith; so we ask you to remember them in your prayers. It makes our hearts heavy to think of how much they need all the help they can get, and how little we are able to give them in proportion to that need.
The thing that impressed us most in the experiences of this trip is the power of the Gospel; the old old story of Redeeming Grace and its power to reach the hearts of men to save. The effect of the plain simple Gospel story on these natives has strengthened our own faith in its power.
It is hard for us to realize that we have been here at Luebo over two years, yet this time next year we shall no doubt be on our way home, perhaps almost there for we shall be due to leave for furlough next February.
With our prayers for each one of you, and asking that you in turn remember us and this work, and again asking that you do not consider and treat this as a "circular" letter, we are
Yours in the Master's Service,
B. M. and Dorothy Schlotter
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