LEAVING Emmanuel Mission after holding open-air services on both Sabbath and Sunday, we rode to the siding, where I boarded the train for Ladybrand. Here Brother M. E. Emmerson came for me with saddle-ponies, and we rode across the border again into Basutoland to the Berea mission school, which is in charge of our native teacher Ndabambi. This out-school has a good location on an elevation, from which a fine view can be obtained of the surrounding country, and of Ladybrand, about seven miles in the distance across the river.
The house, which is made of stone with iron roof, though small, will serve all purposes at present.
WORKERS IN MEXICO
Left to right: C. S. Nicolas, H. L. Rawson,
Juan Robles.
There are about eight acres of land with this out-school. Here, as at Emmanuel Mission, the long drought last summer was very severe on crops; nevertheless, with the Lord's blessing, Ndabambi will have a small harvest.
What remained of the small crops raised by the natives here has been destroyed by insects and other pests; and when they see prospects of the harvest on the mission land, they tell Ndabambi he surely has some big medicine he puts on the land to keep away the vermin. Then they ask him to give them some of the same medicine, and he tells them it is the blessing of God and the Lord's protecting hand over his work.
We remained at this mission overnight, and the next morning the people were called from the near-by villages to a meeting. Brother Emmerson spoke to an audience of about thirty. The writer then talked to them briefly of the gospel of Jesus Christ, its object, its power, and the joy it brings to the one who receives it. The Spirit of the Lord was present, and the people seemed impressed. It is evident that a good work is being done here.
It was late in the morning when we left, and we were bidden a hearty farewell by the people.
After riding all day we came to a village in which were the huts of Philip,12the secretary to the late paramount chief. At this place another site has been given for a mission school by the present Paramount Chief Letsie. It consists of between thirty and forty acres of good land, is accessible from the main road, and has plenty of running water on it.
The next morning we were early on our way again, headed for the kraal of the present paramount chief; and after a rugged ride of several hours, up hill and down dale, we arrived at the kraal. I was thankful for the opportunity of meeting the chief executive of the tribe, and we have reason to believe that our visit proved a blessing both to the chief and to us.
The chief does not allow all who come to see him, even white people, to come into his presence with little or no ceremony; they must first see his secretary, as we did, and wait at his officer's house while the secretary goes to the chief to see if he cares to entertain them, and if so, when. Then, if agreeable to his highness, the secretary returns and escorts them into the chief's presence.
Brother Emmerson was ushered in first, being acquainted, while I waited for some time. After being ushered in, I had nothing to say at first, as I did not know what would be appropriate. The chief was sick in bed, and as I entered, he surveyed me critically and motioned to a chair. After a brief silence he said, “I am a sick man, but I am a different man from what I was a few months ago. God has afflicted me that I might learn lessons. He is the High Chief of all people. He commands the days to go and the nights to come. He does all things according to his pleasure.” I then ventured to tell the chief, through his interpreter, that I was very sorry that he was sick, but glad to hear him speak of God in this way. He said he, too, was sorry he was sick, as there were questions coming up in the Basuto parliament that was in session at that time, which were of vital importance to his nation, and which he would greatly like to hear personally. We sympathized with him further, and Brother Emmerson suggested that he take some water treatment. It was getting late, and as we had several hours' ride before us, I was not overanxious that the chief should accept this suggestion; but imagine my surprise when he told his interpreter to tell us that he was ready for the treatment. He knew what it meant, as Brother Emmerson had given him treatment some time before; but now he turned the job over to me, and I must say it seemed a bit queer for me to give treatment to a black prince. I knew my work, however, and proceeded as soon as water had been heated and brought. When I had finished, the chief sat up in bed, and called all those present to witness to what the treatment had done for him. His secretary told us afterward that the chief had not been able to sit up like this before for nine months, because of rheumatism. He then proceeded to show his gratitude by securing to us a mission site that had been previously asked for, and saying that he had two other places on which he would like to have us establish missions; for he believed that we would do his people and himself good. We can better appreciate the value of this offer when we learn, as I did a little later, that certain other religious denominations had been earnestly endeavoring to secure mission sites from this same chief, but were flatly refused, the chief saying they had enough missions in their country already.
It is needless to say that we rode away with light hearts, feeling well repaid for the time spent. We thank God for these openings; but how our hearts long for workers to place in this needy field on these stations at once!
The next two days were spent with Brother and Sister Emmerson at the Kolo Mission, looking over the mission and the work to be done, and planning to enter at once upon evangelistic work for this people.
Hardships? — Yes, of course there are hardships, but we haven't room nor time to write about them. Besides, it is as Brother Stahl says about the work in South America, even when he had been stoned by the people he wished to help: “There are real hardships to meet, and there is nothing romantic about the work,” but “the blessings are more than the hardships by far.”
