Monday, December 28, 2009

Congo (132) Mutoto, Congo [BMS]

Mutoto, Oct. 6, 1925

Dear Folks:

I have been very delinquent about writing you for the last few weeks, but, as Grape-Nuts says, "There's a reason." We wrote you about the Conference or Meeting we were expecting to have at Lusambo along the first of Sept., with some of the M.E.C.M. folks and some of our Mutoto folks. Messrs. Miller and Smith came over from Mutoto in the car, and as Smith was going for an itinerary from Lusambo, and hence not returning in the car to Mutoto, Mr. Miller offered to take Dorothy, Max, and Miss Fontaine on to Mutoto to be that much nearer Luebo at Mission Meeting time, which was not very distant. So Dot and Max came over here on the 16th inst., spending that night at a lake between here and Lusambo, and reaching Mutoto the following A. M. after a pleasant trip. Then I came over here last week; and no~ we are getting ready to leave for Luebo about Thurs. or Fri. of this week. And as we have no trunks here, having had to send them on to Luebo some days ahead so that they would be there on our arrival, we are in suit cases, or out of them, whichever you prefer. When we went over to Lusambo we were afraid that it could be near the first of the year before we would get back to Luebo, but as Dr. Moore agreed to relieve us at once, after the Conference, this left us free to return to Mission Meeting, or rather to Luebo in time for Mission Meeting. We have also been fortunate in coming by Mutoto, to see the station and the work here, not to mention the folks; as we don't often get many chances to get to other stations when settled at Luebo. I was here at Mutoto seven years ago, but the station has undergone radical changes since then. It is nearing the size of Luebo now.

Max is sound asleep just now, and has been for about an hour (It is now 10:30 a.m.), so hasn't anything to say just at the moment; guess he will soon be demanding his food. He sleeps more in the daytime just now, which of course is good for him.

This station is just "infested" with children; in the afternoon about five you can see them either running all around or riding around in their carriages. There are also a goodly number at Luebo, about ten (the last we heard, but two are expecting hourly! I mean brand-new ones! !) The Bedingers reached Mutoto last week, with a very fine, healthy and

happy little daughter.' They both look fine and healthy. Also, Craig, W. J. Andersons (Dorothy), Miss Black, a new nurse and a new Industrial man, Mr. Watt, arrived with the Bedingers; all these have not yet been placed, awaiting the Mission Meeting, beginning this coming Sunday.

With being a visitor, being visited, and visiting, you can imagine that Dorothy finds it hard to get time to write a letter. Keeping a baby under traveling circumstances in the Congo keeps one rather upset, so Dorothy asked me to write you now, and tell you that she will write you when we get to Luebo. You see we are planning to leave here the day after tomorrow morning bright and early. She received the dresses Dorothy Anderson brought, and is delighted with them. You will hear more on the subject from her; I didn't promise to "write up" her clothes. We take our meals at a new home every day, and you know that means sitting around and exchanging news and views, and other verbal matters.

This is not intended as a letter, but just a hasty note to let you know what is going on; but more specifically, that nothing serious is causing the delay in our writing. I had my hands full and a little more before leaving Lusambo in packing up our possessions. Then the week before, I went on a little itinerary with P. Smith to the Lusambo outstations, which took up about a week. This made me somewhat rushed in packing.

So you can expect to hear from us again at more length when we get to Luebo. I think Dorothy wrote you that we had asked for some changes, improvements we would call them, to be made in our house at Luebo; one especially was a small room to be enlarged for the baby's room. We have heard that these changes have already been completed.

With lots of love to you all, from us three.

B. M., Dorothy & Max

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