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)
St. Mark was already in print, and Mr. Smith, together with some of his
colleagues, was putting forth great efforts to translate the entire New
Testament into Ila. At their urgent request I consented to be on the
revision committee, for they desired to make the translation as
intelligible as possible to the Batonga, so that it could be used all
over Northwestern Rhodesia, with the exception of among the Barotse,
where the Suto language was in use. Matthew was soon in print, and the
entire New Testament is at present in the hands of the publishers. The
translators deserve much praise for their laborious task and the
creditable manner in which they have performed the much-needed
translation. The Word cannot be properly disseminated among the people
unless the pupils have it in their own language as they go out among the
villages to teach.
Placing native teachers in their homes seems to be the best method of
reaching the majority of the people, and especially the girls; and some
of the pupils were sufficiently advanced to begin teaching, yet they
were somewhat young to go out into their dark, dark homes and stand
alone for God. Notwithstanding this, before the end of 1910 several
schools were opened in the nearest villages, and the teachers boarded
at the mission and went back and forth to teach.
On Christmas week of this year a sad and unfortunate affair occurred,
which threw a gloom over the community. My readers will remember the
Chief Macha, who sent a goat the first Christmas, and who was the first
to bring his little boy as a pupil in school. To all appearances he was
a friend of the work from the beginning, and he was nearly always to be
found in his place at the services on Sunday. He had even expressed a
desire several times to be a Christian. We knew his life had not
changed, but he had evidently lost faith in some of the old pagan
beliefs, and his influence was worth much. He was a man of importance in
the neighborhood and the owner of a herd of cattle, which was quite
large from a native standpoint.
[Illustration: Simeboa's Village, Viewing the Strangers, Misses E. Engle
and Mary Helsey.]
On the day before Christmas word came that he had gone to the hills and
could not be found; again that he was found dead, killed by a lion. His
son at once went home, and I, together with some of the girls, soon
followed. On the way to the village we met a native woman, who informed
us that he was already buried, and on our arrival at the place we found
that those who buried him had gone to the river to wash. While we were
sitting there several of the people came to speak to us, and we noticed
that some of the men spoke together in a low tone. Their answers to some
of our questions were somewhat vague; but as there was no suspicion of
foul play, we thought no more of the matter and asked no further
questions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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