The Majita General Meeting. German East Africa
By Louis Richard Conradi
This important meeting was held from Dec. 25-29, 1912. No less than twenty-one white missionaries were in attendance, and hundreds of the natives from half a dozen different tribes were present. Brother Kotz and a native teacher of the Pare Mission, Brother Carscallen and his eight Luo boys from the British side, Brother Dail, and I were the outside visitors. From the field itself Brother Stein and his wife, Brother Seiler and his wife, Brother Ohme and his family, and Brethren Vasenius, Persson, Palm, Kaltenhauser, Munzig, Schurich, Wallath, and Winter were there from the beginning, while Brethren Bornath, Toppenberg, and Dominick arrived on the twenty-sixth, having been delayed on account of the sailboat. Sisters Vasenius, Persson, and Bornath were unable to come because of the long distance, and Sister Mertke was very ill in bed. All the brethren mentioned had brought with them some of their converts and native boys and porters, so we had Wasenaki, Kidzu, Wasakuma, and Majita people, besides the Kavirondos and Pare natives. As we met on the afternoon of the twenty-fifth, we at once made our program, and a busy one it was indeed. As early as six in the morning there was a meeting with the natives. From eight to nine the missionaries had their prayer and social meeting. From nine to twelve, three to five, and in the evening we had general instruction and council meetings. From two to three the candidates for baptism had their meeting. Thus every moment of time was occupied. We were pleased to see that all our missionaries took hold, seeking God and at the same13time studying the mighty problems before them. In view of the large extent of the field, it was decided to divide it into three districts and have an ordained missionary over each district. First is the Majita District, which includes the seacoast stations of Majita, Iramba, Nyabangi, and also Schirati if a station is located there. Brother Ohme is in charge of this district. Then comes the Busegwe District, with Brother Persson in charge. In addition to Busegwe it includes Kidzu, Utimbaru, and Sisaki, the latter to be opened this year. Third is the Usukuma District, including the Ntussu, Itilima, Magala, and Kanage stations. The leader is to be supplied from the Pare field. Each of these three districts has its own language, and can now be far more easily handled than when the districts were as a unit. The next item was the distribution of workers, and we found that we have ample help for the present to supply these stations. Brethren Kaltenhauser and Toppenberg, who have given most of their time to building, are each expected to take a station, as is also Dr. Vasenius. It was also decided to organize the field into three churches according to the districts, until a later date when each station has more converts and more churches can be organized. We carefully went through the budget for 1913, which runs up to about fifteen thousand dollars, including the amount required for the new stations. About seven thousand of this sum is for the wages of the workers, several thousand for the transportation of goods, and the rest is for the fitting up of the new stations. In carefully considering the buildings necessary for common stations, we decided that if we did not count the wage of our own white missionaries, twelve hundred dollars would be the least needed for a good dwelling-house (with corrugated-iron roof and cement floors), school building, workshop, boys' dormitories, and the seed needed for the land. The German government usually grants us from thirty to forty acres of land about the station for a nominal sum. Considerable time was spent on the educational question, and a unified plan was adopted for a four years' course. As we have good Swahili text-books for reading, arithmetic, etc., issued by the German government, we use these, and they prove a great help to us. A course for the native teachers was also supplied. No less than sixteen native teachers were granted permission to teach for us, and their wages were arranged on a general standard. As our missionaries are increasing, we could not as hitherto put them all on the committee, but a committee of five was elected, consisting of the three district superintendents and Dr. Vasenius and Brother Kaltenhauser, while Brother Winter was chosen as secretary. Being so close to the beginning of the new year, we were able to go over the accounts of the missionaries, also to suggest the rate of wage, and it was unanimously agreed to that as the workers are receiving their goods with transportation paid from the home lands, they can get on with the same rate of wage in the field as we pay to our European workers. Some time was also given to a consideration of the instruction for the candidates for baptism and their fitness. On Friday twelve natives were examined and accepted. Sabbath, the twenty-eighth, will always be a day remembered in the annals of this mission. Though the Majita chapel holds fully six hundred people, all the seats were crowded. The sultan and his sons came. God indeed gave the writer strength to set before this heathen congregation the love of Jesus and the certainty of the Christian's hope. While I spoke in German, Brother Carscallen translated into the Luo, Brother Winter into the Majita, and Brother Persson into the Wasenaki. Thus the polyglot nature of our work becomes as apparent here as in Europe and elsewhere. After the sermon Brother Persson was set aside to the ministry. Brother Kotz first made some remarks in Swahili, Brother Ohme prayed, I gave the charge, which was translated, and Brother Dail welcomed him into the ministry. During the noon hour I called on the sultan, who lives about a ten minutes' walk from the station, near a large rock fortress that the Majita people had to defend a number of times against the warlike Massai. They had put up for him a European building with corrugated-iron roof, but we found it filled with cotton, so that it is used as a storehouse, while the sultan prefers to live in the native huts with his many wives. In the afternoon Brother Ohme baptized twelve, six of whom were from Busegwe, five from Majita, and one from Kidzu. Then we organized three churches, thirty-five members in all, of whom fifteen were natives, and we had a splendid social meeting after the celebration of the ordinances of the Lord's house. Not only did the baptized Christians bear testimony, but a number of others testified of the love of Christ, and not less than twenty-eight stood up asking that they might be baptized in the future. The testimony of many of these was just as intelligent and as hearty as would have been borne by Sabbath-keepers in Europe or America. As nearly all of these boys are developing well, they will not only make us converts, but many of them will become excellent help as teachers, and later on as evangelists. Before the Sabbath closed we had prayer with Sister Mertke, and she remarked that she was sorry she was kept so long in bed, and could not assist Brother Winter in the school, but rather made our workers extra trouble. She felt assured that she rested in the arms of Jesus whether she would be laid to rest or continue in the work. During the night she quietly passed away. On the twenty-ninth we finished our business and arranged for our night trip. We had previously held an examination of both the boys and girls, and found that they had made really good progress. Ere the sun set, we gathered in the chapel for the funeral service. Brother Ohme first spoke in Swahili, I addressed the missionaries in German, and then we buried Sister Mertke beside Sister Kaltenhauser, near the chapel. As the workers stood about the open grave where dust would return to dust, we were cheered with the bright hope that the power of Christ's resurrection will not only raise all the faithful saints who sleep in him, but even prove his life-giving power in the heart of the missionary and in the hearts of his heathen hearers. While the missionaries gladly give their lives in heathen lands, let those at home not only remember them in their prayers, but with their means, and let strong young men and women give their lives to God not only to fill up these gaps, but to answer the loud call for more workers.