Luebo, April 28, 1923
Dear Mother & Daddy:
A few days ago I had orders direct from "headquarters" to explain to you all about our prospective move to Kinshasa, the Union Mission House, et cetera.
Dorothy has written you, I believe, that we have been assigned to this work for the last three months of our term. This Union Mission House is a hostel, or hotel, built and operated by five of our Protestant Missions, for the sole purpose of providing comfortable and pleasant lodging for our missionaries on their way through Kinshasa, as the hotel accommodations there are not only uncertain but often very unsatisfactory and disagreeable. Several of our missionaries have already stopped there (it has been in operation only about six months), and report it a splendid place. The idea is to get some couple from America or England to take permanent charge of it, but until that couple is found
the different Societies agreed to furnish someone, in rotation, to take care of it in the meantime. The Methodist Mission have a man there from June to November, and then we are responsible for it the following six months. So the subject was up for settlement at our Annual Special Ad-Interim Committee Meeting, held here at Luebo from April 14th to 19th. As there seemed to be no likelihood of finding someone to take it for this six months without serious interruption, it was decided to send us there for our last three months, and then send someone to relieve us at the end of our three months (it was definitely understood that we were to be relieved at the end of our three months, which ends some
time in February).
At first Dorothy was somewhat disappointed, but I believe she sees some decided advantages. I will say, and I don't believe you will understand this as boasting or pride, that it is quite a compliment to both of us, for this is quite an important job. My being able to speak a little French, as well as my business experience, will help us a great deal; and there are only a few of our missionaries who can even speak a "little French," on our mission. Then it will give us the opportunity of meeting a large number of missionaries -from the other missions, whom we would not be likely to meet otherwise. Also, we happen to have two good friends of the Baptist Mission in Kinshasa, and this will be quite a help to Dorothy; they are Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland, and came out on the steamer with us from Belgium, so we came to know them quite well. Another item, is that it is on our way home. Kinshasa is the terminus of the railroad -from Matadi (where we get off the steamer from Belgium) to Stanley Pool, and when we get ready to leave we will have already made our trip down river.
I think we wrote you when we came out about the unfortunate situation in which we found ourselves when we landed at Kinshasa on our way out. We certainly had and were a vivid example of the need of this hostel. They certainly pushed it through, for it was started since we came out, and you know you can't get things done out here on schedule time like you can at home.
Kinshasa (Kin, as it is called for short) is quite a commercial center, being at the source of navigation for the larger part of the interior of the Congo; so there are a number of stores (magasins, as they are called out here), and you can get almost anything you need (With of course a great dea.l of profit added).
Our work at Kin, at the U. M. H. (Union Mission House) will be to take care of all missionaries passing through Kinshasa, either on their way out, or on their way in; Kin is where they take steamers for all places on the Main Congo River, the Kasai (which is our way), the Sankuru (on which Lusambo is located), the Kwilu, and others. From what I understand, there is accommodation for about ten people at one time, there being three large rooms, and four small ones. The people going out seldom stay over one or two days, as they take the train for Matadi, and if they have to wait for the Steamer to Europe they generally go to Thysville, which is half way between Kin and Matadi, and which as the
reputation of being very high and pleasant climate. Then there are times when there will be no guests. Of course Dorothy's concern is about caring for and especially feeding the people; but as food is easier to get, I hear, at Kin than here, though more expensive, we will not likely have much trouble on that score.
We will write you more about this in the near future, as we expect to get more information on it ourselves. .
Since Mr. Savels has come, as Dorothy mentioned, I have been relieved of some of my other work so as to give more time and attention to the printing work, which is sorely needed. This pleases me very much, especially since we are in great need of books and other matter waiting to be printed. I still have the work of Station Treasurer, and Station Magasin, so am not wanting for jobs.
Everything is moving along nicely with us, even though there is no exciting news. I haven't written you lately, for with the meetings of the Ad-Interim Committee Meeting here, three times daily, in addition to my work, and being Secretary of the meeting, I had plenty to do and not much time to write letters.
With love to you both.
B. M.
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