p. 14 | Daily Life at the Mission by J. C. Rogers

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 15, 1907

Daily Life at the Mission

By J. C. Rogers

J. C. ROGERS

At daybreak the missionary arises to call the boys and girls who make up the school. At the rear and to one side of the main building, where the missionary and his family live, stands a row of square, thatch-roofed, one-room houses. These are occupied by boys—three or four in each. On the other side and in the same line, are similar houses for girls. The boys have made themselves little wooden bedsteads, while the girls at this mission sleep on the floor.

The boys quickly dress after hearing the rising call, and are assigned to various kinds of work about the farm. Some have the milking to do; others prepare grain, taking the hulls off by stamping it; others grind this grain in a hand grist-mill, when it is ready for cooking as porridge. Some carry water, others cut wood. Three kinds of grain are chiefly used here, inyauti, poko, and Kafir corn. Inyauti resembles canary seed. Poko is like millet seed, but reddish in color. Inyauti grows on a stalk as high as Indian corn, but the ear, or head, is at the top, and looks like a “cattail” growing in a swamp. Poko grows on a stalk like oats, but the head is like a star-fish with his legs curled up. Kafir corn looks like broom-corn, grows in the same way, and the kernels are the size of small peas.

A small store is kept at the mission, where grain is bought or exchanged for cloth, salt, thread, etc. One native boy has charge of the store, and is trusted with the money, which he faithfully brings to the missionary each evening. It is said that this boy was never known to lose or steal anything.

While the boys are in the field, the girls are cooking the porridge. The cooking is done over a fire of sticks, on the ground, in big kettles held up by long legs. The native kitchen is like their living-houses, twelve feet square, but has a flat iron roof instead of thatch. The only kitchen furniture is a long table made of native wood, sawn by hand.

About eight o’clock the bell is rung for breakfast. The kettle is carried on a pole by two girls, into the schoolroom, used also as dining-room. The furniture of this room is long tables, made by the boys, and fourteen-foot boards sawn by hand and laid on round blocks of logs for seats. These boards serve for dining-room, school, and church services. The

porridge is dipped into white enamel plates. The plates, well filled, are set at the tables. With this thick porridge, milk, or gravy called isitysbo (chabo) is eaten. This makes up the bill of fare.

When all the boys and girls are seated at their tables, the native elder, or leader, of their native church, leads in singing a Zulu hymn, reads a Scripture lesson, and prayer is offered. After giving thanks for the food, it is eaten, usually with much talking and laughing.

Breakfast over, a squad of boys is sent to plow, with the twelve oxen. Another squad is sent to cut poles for building a corn house, or a living-house when needed. These houses are all built here by digging a trench two feet deep, into which poles ten feet long are set upright, close together, all around for walls. On top of these are laid and fastened other poles lengthwise, to which are fastened pole rafters. Other little poles are tied onto the rafters with bark strings, and on these little poles the long grass is laid, six inches deep, and tied with bark, which completes the roof. Then the wall poles are covered over outside and inside with plaster made of clay taken from large ant-hills near by. The ants have mixed a kind of glue with the clay, which, instead of hair or straw, holds the plaster together. The floor is made of the same plaster, with tar or blood mixed in, to harden it.

Between breakfast and school time the girls wash dishes, carry water, get food for dinner, and do other work about the mission house and their own houses. At 11 A. M. the school bell rings. All prepare for class work, and come into the schoolroom at 11:30.

Since the school was started six years ago, Elder Armitage and his wife have taught all the English classes. Besides, he oversees all the farm work, works with the boys much of the time, repairs and makes machinery, pulls teeth, nurses, etc. Being overworked and exposed in all weathers, it is little wonder that weary weeks of racking fever and ague have often reduced him to a skeleton.

From thirty to fifty pupils recite in grades one to five. The fifth grade recites first. Then these “advanced” natives teach the beginning classes in English, while the other grades are heard by English teachers. After all the English classes are heard, the native teachers have Bible and reading classes in their language.

The class exercises close about 4 P. M., when the tables, around which they have studied, are quickly cleared of books. Dinner has been cooking during school, and is served at once. The same coarse porridge is eaten at this meal. In season, green corn or pumpkin is sometimes cooked for dinner.

Again the boys work until sunset, and the girls do their dishes and carry water for morning. At dark the bell calls to night-school. All assemble in the schoolroom. Until nine o’clock the missionary pronounces words, helps in arithmetic, and explains all lessons.

These are but a part of the many things to be done in an African mission.

The missionary’s life is busy from dawn till long after dark. Sometimes a boy or girl who gives great promise of becoming a good worker, teacher or evangelist, and whom the missionary has learned to love as his own, sadly disappoints him, but he works on and prays much, and God gives him courage.

Somabula, Rhodesia.