South and South Central Africa: A record of fifteen years' missionary labors among primitive peoplesDavidson, Hannah Frances
History
South and South Central Africa: A record of fifteen years' missionary labors among primitive peoples
Davidson, Hannah Frances
Brethren in Christ Church -- Missions; Missions -- Rhodesia; Ndebele (African people); Tsonga (African people)
There had been improvements made since I had left. Prominent among these
were two substantial brick buildings, a house for the boys and one for
the girls, and there were thirty-three boys occupying the one and three
girls the other. There is a nice little band of believers at this
place, some of whom I wish especially to mention. First is poor old
blind Ngiga. Shortly after Elder Engle's death we found him at a kraal,
destitute and afflicted, with no one seemingly to care for him and give
him food. We carried or sent food to him for a time, and gave him a
blanket, and he gradually gained strength. Thinking that exercise would
do him good, Brother Lehman encouraged him to come to the mission for
his food, as he was only a short distance away. He had lain for so long
without exercising his body that at first it was with great difficulty
that he reached the mission, but being supplied with food, he grew
stronger and was enabled to walk the distance easily and to help himself
a little. Some time after Elder Steigerwald came he treated him for his
disease and built a hut and brought him to the mission to stay, as the
loathsome disease with which he was afflicted had left him about blind.
He, however, was converted and has been received into the Church. It is
a pleasure to hear him now testify to Christ's saving power, and to
praise the Lord for bringing the missionaries. Truly, the Lord is no
Respecter of persons.
Again, let us go to Buka's house. My readers will remember Buka, whom
Sister Heise and I found upon the rocks eleven years before when we went
in search of little Lomazwana. Yes, it is really he whose life and home
looked so black to us that day. He moved to within about three miles of
the mission, and his son Kolisa came to stay at the mission and go to
school. The father became sick and Brother and Sister Doner visited him
and ministered unto him. Then they built him a hut and made him more
comfortable. He finally became a paralytic and unable to help himself,
so Brother Steigerwald assisted them to get a home on the mission
premises, and gave them gardens, so that they are now quite comfortable.
The oldest daughter also accepted Christ, then the mother followed, and
these two with the son are now members of the Church.
My first Sunday at Matopo, in company with Brother and Sister Doner, I
visited this home. A smile of recognition at once lighted up the face of
the invalid father; and though he could not speak, the family
interpreted the sounds he made. After he had expressed his welcome he
said that though his body and speech were paralyzed, yet his heart was
all right. During another visit he tried to explain how Jesus was
dwelling within, and how glad he was that when he got "over there" he
would not be sick. One could not help feeling that he had learned to
know the Lord. Truly, affliction had proved a blessing to him.
[Illustration: Building the Boys' House at Matopo, M. S.]
[Illustration: Boys' Brick House at Matopo Mission.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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