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)
At another time one of our Christian girls was sick with such a disease
that we knew we could not help her, and she desired prayer. We granted
her request and she was healed immediately, even to our surprise. Some
time after Brother Doner had come, an elderly native was quite ill with
lung trouble, and his people had been trying in every way to heal him.
They appealed to us, so we made the case a special subject of prayer and
he was healed immediately, and told everyone that Jesus had healed him.
A mother also wished us to pray for her child, who was very ill and
seemed ready to die at any minute; it too was healed at once. Other
instances of help might be cited; but we give these, because we see that
He is the same Christ yet today and often shows His power, saying unto
the sick, "According to your faith be it unto you."
[Illustration: Back View of Matopo Mission House, Showing Granite Hill
Beyond.]
Why He does not always choose to manifest His power in this way I know
not. I am giving things as I found them. At first we were more or less
loth to use medicine, and some of the early losses may have been owing
to this fact. We believe also that He receives honor in helping the
missionary make use of remedies to relieve the suffering of the sick.
With the natives sickness is always the result of witchcraft or the
influence of their ancestral spirits. If one can by means of remedies,
under the blessing of God, show them that this is not true, he is doing
much to overthrow some of their superstitious beliefs. So the sick are
visited in their homes and ministered to, and many come to the mission
for treatment. Sometimes the disease may be such as will not yield to
treatment, but the gentle sympathy and the delicacy for the appetite
are always much appreciated, even from some sources least expected. The
missionary necessarily becomes physician and nurse to his people, and it
brings him into contact with them and relieves their sufferings and thus
paves the way for ministering to their spiritual needs. He who neglects
this part of the work makes a grave mistake. Many missionaries, who had
done little medical work at home, have by a willingness and desire to
learn, become quite proficient in healing on the mission field.
Elder Steigerwald has been much used in this line of work. Many and
various cases have been treated by him most successfully. In addition to
the sick who come for medicine, there are generally some who remain for
a time at the mission to be treated.
During this dry season, as usual, kraal visiting occupied much of my
time outside of school hours, and many long and enjoyable trips were
made to all the villages surrounding us. During these journeys the Lord
was also reminding His messenger of some things that had been almost
forgotten. He was showing the large fields yet beyond where the people
were in pagan darkness and the Light of Life had not yet penetrated, and
where missionaries and teachers were greatly needed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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