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)
This is not a large village, but it is the home of a number of some of
our best boys; those who have been of greatest assistance in teaching
and in industrial work. The village has been lately moved, and huts are
not yet all completed, nor is the schoolhouse finished. We drive near
and are met by a number of the pupils, for we are always certain of a
welcome at this place. The rain, which has been threatening, begins to
come down, and one of the new huts is given to us. Wood is brought and a
fire is kindled in the center, that we may have breakfast. A mat is
placed on the nicely-swept floor, and on this the tablecloth is spread
and the breakfast placed after it is cooked. This consists of corn
porridge, with milk, bread, butter, eggs, fruit, and coffee if we desire
it. Muguwe sends us milk, for he always sees that we are furnished with
fresh milk when we come here. The boys are given another hut in which to
cook their food. The meal being over, we hand the dishes to one of the
boys to be washed, while we turn our attention to the school and work
for which we came.
By this time the rain is beginning to abate, and the pupils, about
twenty in number, assemble in another hut for school. Today there are
not quite as many as usual, because there is a wedding in progress. Here
is Muguwe, a tall, odd-looking native, over thirty years of age, and a
Christian, and so far as we can learn he is consistent in his life.
Learning is difficult for him, but he is making progress and is quite
persevering. His wife for a long time was opposed to his serving the
Lord, but she is changing, and we trust that she too may accept Christ
as her Savior. The stepdaughter is also in school and is making progress
in Divine life. There are several other women and some girls and boys.
Some of them seem very slow in accepting Christ, but there has
manifestly been a change in the lives of some, and a number of the old
women are believers. During the last year of drought, when the people
of nearly every village were so zealous in their heathen worship for
rain, this was one of the two who stood true. After school is over, the
older ones are summoned to join with us in worship, and we take the
occasion once more to give them a Gospel message, to which they listen
attentively. Here are Tom's mother, Jim's mother, and Chikaile's mother,
all of whom seem to believe as far as they have grasped the Truth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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