Barotseland Mission by W. H. ANDERSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 1, 1908

Barotseland Mission

By W. H. ANDERSON

W. H. ANDERSON

It has been some time since I sent in a report. I have often thought of writing, but have put it off; and now I have so many things to say that I hardly know where to begin. First, I must thank the Mission Board for the good help sent me in Brother and Sister J. F. Olmstead. They are just the help needed.

Our oranges are doing well, but it takes the trees longer to come into bearing than the lemon-trees. We had a few this year, and hope in December to put out one hundred fifty more grafted trees, that will be in full bearing in four years' time. Our bananas, pineapples, papaws, and guavas are looking well, and we have all the guavas and papaws we are able to use on the station.

We have a nice plat of ground that we can irrigate from the spring, which will make us a fine garden for the dry weather. In this way we are able to grow three crops a year, and so have an abundance of vegetables all the year round. This is necessary for our health here, as we are not able to buy anything of that kind.

I am sending a picture of my new house. I can not tell how grateful I am for it. If only my dear wife could have lived to enjoy it for just a little while, how glad I would have been! Brother Olmstead shares the house with me until some time after we get this house built. I wish that we had had the help and the money earlier in the year, so that we would have been able to get the building finished before the hot season begins; for it is not pleasant to work in the sun when it registers 120°. But we will try to do the work in the early morning and in the evenings, so that we shall not get the direct rays.

SCHOOLHOUSE DONATED BY MRS. W. H. ANDERSON.

Since coming to Africa, I have never had such good health as I now enjoy. I have had no fever since last November. The end of the fever and moving into the new house coincide exactly. Yet I have never done the hard work since I came up here that I am doing now. You can imagine what my burdens are.

We have an attendance in the school here of forty-three. Thirty-one more are in school on the out-stations, and new ones are coming all the time. We are extremely busy with teaching and caring for the boys. However, that is what we are here for, and we are glad to be able to do it.

Brother Olmstead and I will go to the Falls next week to attend a conference of all the missionaries of Rhodesia. There will probably be a committee appointed to wait on the government to ask for greater freedom in the labors of the native teachers in this country. Papers will be read by old missionaries on almost every phase of the mission work, and our relations to the natives. Then the papers will be discussed by those present, and much valuable information will be obtained in that way.

Immediately on our return from the Falls, I shall make a trip to the out-stations, and assist in starting some buildings that are much needed.

We expect much help from Elder Conradi's visit, as we desire to profit by the experiences of the brethren on the east coast. Of course we have a people to deal with who are inferior to those on the east coast.

I will send you a picture of the school building. This building is a donation from my wife. Its cost, with furnishings, was one hundred pounds. That amount did not include the labor for making the bricks, as they were made by the boys in the school. In fact the school-boys have done all the work on the place.

Last week I was out to the east, to see some natives who had sent me word that they wanted a school. They received me very kindly. I held several meetings with them, with an attendance of about one hundred fifty. I will see what I can do for them when we go to the Falls. If I can not get the grants of the out-stations, there are five thousand acres here at this station, and we will establish them right here on our own land. As soon as Brother Olmstead gets hold of the school language so that he can help in the school, we shall take turns making journeys through the country, recruiting the pupils for the schools here. If we can not do the thing one way, we will find another. The work simply must be done; and if the way does not open on the right hand, we will break forth on the left hand. We have the grant of this farm, and none can interfere with what we do on our own land.

We are looking for a strong move forward when the new laborers arrive. We shall stand by them, hold up their hands, and help them in every way that we can.

Pemba, N. W., Rhodesia, So. Africa.