A Providence of Early Somabula Mission Days by W. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Feb 25, 1915

A Providence of Early Somabula Mission Days

By W. A. S.

Speaking of some of the earlier experiences in the planting of the Somabula Mission, in Southern Rhodesia, Elder F. B. Armitage told how one problem of food supply for the mission school was solved by timely provision in an unlooked-for way. He says:—

At a time when our mission school was growing, and food had to be supplied for forty or forty-five students, the milk problem became a difficult one. There had been a dry season, and a weedy growth which the African boys are accustomed to use for greens, of which they are very fond, had been destroyed. This left the mealies, or Indian corn, as practically the one article of food, without change. Milk was needed to eat with the corn.

We began hunting for cows. If only two or three could be secured, we knew it would be a great help to the school. But no cows could be found. We sent runners out in various directions, and all returned unsuccessful. This need was made a matter of prayer to our Heavenly Father, that in some way beyond our unaided power, our wants might be supplied.

About this time, as I was working about the station, I heard one of the native boys calling out, “Teacher, come and see! come and see!” Going out at his call, I saw coming across the country a string of oxen. Thirty-two we counted, traveling as fast as they could go. Thirty-two oxen mean two span, for in Africa sixteen oxen count as a span for hauling. Their heads were up, and they were running as animals do in fright.

“Lions have been after these oxen,” I said to the boys. “There is a loaded wagon somewhere, passing, and the lions have frightened these oxen away.” I sent the boys out to steer the fleeing animals into our herd yard. They succeeded, and immediately the panting oxen lay down as if at home, lying still and resting long in their exhaustion. We cared for them and fed them, and on the second day an owner appeared in search of the animals, highly pleased, indeed, and grateful to find that we had taken them in and cared for them.

The oxen had been frightened by the lions away to the northward of our mission, and had fled to the southwest. But the wind had veered round, and the frightened animals changed their course. When pursued by lions, oxen never run with the wind; for they know that the tactics of the lions are to get in ahead of the fleeing animal. The oxen pursued always keep the wind in their faces, so that they can scent the approaching enemy. Thus the veering of the wind turned the oxen in our direction and guided them to us.

In talking of our need with the owner, we inquired if he knew of any one who had cows to sell. “No,” he said, “I do not know of even one.” But after standing silently for a few moments, looking down in earnest thought, he said: “I will tell you what I will do. I do not know of any cows for sale in this whole country; but I will send you several for you to keep for a time.”

He appointed a time for our boys to come down to the police camp and get the cows, adding, “You can keep them as long as you like.” We sent down to the camp at the time appointed, and back came the herdboys driving seventeen cows in splendid condition, and these we had the use of for several years. They not only gave an abundance of milk, but were good butter makers, an important item in our effort to develop self-supporting industries in the school, butter at that time fetching a high price.

“We felt,” says Elder Armitage, in recalling the experience, and all must agree with him, “that the Lord’s own providence had brought to us this splendid additional means of support for the new mission.” Thus again the Lord had spread “a table in the wilderness.”

W. A. S.