Your ShelfYour Projects

South Africa

17%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 31, 1908

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 85, No. 53.

Read the full edition

South Africa

By M. E. Emmerson

KOLO, BASUTOLAND.— We are in Basutoland, at the foot of Kolo Mountain, having arrived here September 10. The mission house is in fairly good shape; but in course of time it will be necessary to replace it with a new one. The house has four rooms, and is quite nicely furnished with such furniture as would be necessary in any house. The church seats about eighty persons. We have a good, three-room house, built of stone, for my native helper; also a good stable and shop, besides other smaller buildings, all in fairly good shape.
About eight acres of land are fenced in at the mission. There is also an eighty-acre patch a little distance away, which has been given to us, making, in all, sixteen acres belonging to the Kolo Mission. On the fenced-in land we have a nice garden, a small vineyard of about two hundred grape-vines which are bearing, a strawberry and raspberry patch, and a small orchard of peach-, apple-, plum-, fig-, pear-, and apricot-trees. The water from a nice spring on the side of the mountain has been piped down close to the house, where is a reservoir having a capacity of one hundred twenty-five barrels. By this means we are able to water most of the plot.
The mission owns two good horses, one yoke of cattle, two cows, and some young stock, also one new American farm wagon, and an old spring wagon. For all these material blessings we feel thankful to God, but long for the time to come when the truth will find a deeper hold in Basutoland.
Basutoland has a population of about two hundred fifty thousand. Many of these are honest in heart, and are waiting for the precious truth to be proclaimed to them. Some tracts on the Sabbath question and the soon coming of the Lord, and “Steps to Christ,” have been published in the Sesuto language. These will give great strength to our work in this place. A native brother who lives on the mission place understands the English language well, and is able to do much good among the natives.
Elder Hyatt came here with us, and will remain several days. He has given us much valuable instruction, for which we are thankful to God and to him. My wife and I are of good courage in the work God has seen fit to lay upon us. But we feel our weakness and inability to do anything of ourselves, and so we pray that he will give wisdom in all things and at all times. We also ask his people everywhere to remember us before our Heavenly Father, who cares for his people and his work. M. E. EMMERSON.