How we watch for the weekly visits of the dear old REVIEW, and scan its pages for words of courage and counsel. For thirty-five years this dear old messenger has visited my home, and surely I should not know what to do were it to stop. We look so carefully for the reports of the work done by our brethren in all parts of the field, and know they, too, are interested in the work we are doing. I am reminded of our duty to send in a report once in a while, that it may be seen what God is doing for us.
This week I take up the paper of June 18, and on reading Brother Spicer’s article in the Editorial department, “The Bond of Missionary Interest,” my heart is melted and my eyes are brought to tears as I see how we, too, are remembered by those we know and by those who have never seen us in the flesh, yet have a tender care for us and an interest in the work being done by our hands. Our hearts are touched, and we have not words to express our gratitude to God, and to our brethren for all the blessings received through their prayers and their gifts. That dear little “maiden” that was so interested in Elder Sturdevant’s needs and the typewriter, God has heard and seen. The typewriter has been here nearly two years, has written many a letter, and is printing this one for me today, with much other work it does for the mission.
UPPER — M. C. STURDEVANT’S NEIGHBOR AND HIS PUMPKINS
LOWER — BROTHER AND SISTER STURDEVANT ON THEIR WAY
TO VISIT GRANDPA’S FARM
OUR MISSION SCHOOL AT PANVEL, INDIA A. G. KELSEY (IN CHARGE OF PANVEL MISSION) AND FAMILY
And to that dear little band that Sister Gilbert is training to help us and do work for God, I would say, The teacher gets his wages from your funds. His name is Elijah Matebu. He is our chief teacher here, but spends some of his time with another teacher, Joel Cheranu. They are today going out over the country, visiting their people as evangelists. They are two faithful young men. The latter is our first fruits here at the Tsungwesi Mission. Elijah is one who came with me from Matabeleland. I wish you could have seen their faces two weeks ago when, on returning from one of their tours, they told their experiences. They said, “O, my! the darkness of our people! the darkness of our people!” We gave them the Friday evening prayer meeting hour to tell their experiences. It would take a little book to relate them all. They said, “Brethren, you do not know how great is the light God has given us here at Tsungwesi,” and urged the students to more study and watchfulness. You may be sure this strengthens the hands and hearts of the missionary.
I confess we sometimes get downhearted as the days and months go by and we see little result of our labor, but again the clouds clear away, and we see that a good work is being accomplished. When we arrived home, now eight months ago, and saw what havoc sickness and death had wrought,—the closing up of our mission and the burning of many of our houses because of the smallpox,—our hearts melted within us, and we scarcely had courage to take up the work and go on with it. Then, too, our helpers who came with us broke down in health at once, and had to go to the Cape for treatment, bringing another check upon the school work. The brethren who were sent to help us soon came down with fever, one having to leave in a little while, the other laboring on with fever almost every week. This, with all the rebuilding, restoring, and trying to make the work advance, seeking to bring good cheer and courage to the students (for many had become dreadfully downhearted, and nearly all the older students had left the mission), made the work exceedingly hard on us. My own health finally gave way. It is marvelous how Mrs. Sturdevant has stood the work, sometimes caring for three sick ones at a time, and looking after the general work of the mission alone. It is all of God; the strength given has been a miracle. To him be all the glory.
The past eight months have been far the hardest time we ever spent in mission work, but thanks be to our Heavenly Father, our sickness seems to have passed. Brother and Sister Jewell are restored to their work in the school, and Brother Harry Jennings has come to help in the general farm and building work. Courage has revived, and our school has increased from thirty-four (mostly girls and small boys) to nearly one hundred, among whom are many strong young men who will help us in the heavy work of building up the mission. These are all boarding students. Surely, in the midst of perplexity the Lord has worked and has crowned our efforts with success. We give glory to God, take courage, and press on.
I wish our brethren over the sea could have been here today and heard the sermon our native ox driver, Frank Mlombe, preached to us. He took his text from the fifth chapter of James, and admonished and comforted his brethren and fellow students in a remarkable way. Taking a train of cars as an illustration, he said: “When we want to go on a journey, we first get ready. Then we go to the station master and get our tickets. After we have the tickets, we can go through to the end of the journey.” Then with eyes aglow and face shining, he said: “Brethren, we are soon going to heaven. The Lord has sent us the station masters [pointing to his teachers] to give us the ticket [holding up the13Bible]. Have you taken your tickets? We are soon going home. It is time we were getting our tickets.” It was the thought of his own heart. A few years ago he was a poor heathen in Matabeleland, with no knowledge of a Saviour. Today he is an ordained deacon in our native church. I sat behind him and listened. I thought to myself, “This is enough to pay me for coming to Africa.”
So while the clouds gather and the tempests at times rage, God is behind it all, and the work is advancing. Be assured your prayers are not in vain. Your gifts are appreciated. Hold the ropes firmly a little longer, and we will stay here to find the jewels. Encourage those dear little children to keep up their works of benevolence. Their gifts will be rewarded at the coming of our Lord. Finally, pray for us.
