South Africa by W. H. Anderson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 9, 1906

South Africa

By W. H. Anderson

KALOMA, NORTHWEST RHODESIA.—The letter that came yesterday was the first mail we had had for two months, and you may be sure it was appreciated. I hope soon to arrange for mail to be delivered to a station about twenty miles away, and then we can get it once in two weeks. With all the dangers from wild animals and fever, it is hard to get a native to go so far for the mail; in the wet season I do not want to take one of the boys from the school, as it keeps him away too long.

We are not yet far enough advanced to start a training-school. I hope to begin one about the first of September. In the meantime, I am trying to give the boys a good foundation, by teaching them to be good readers, also to spell, write, and to count to one thousand. We also have oral Bible instruction. It is a brief story of the Bible as we teach it to children.

Our studies in the training-school will be Bible (life of Christ), arithmetic (simple addition), geography (South Africa), teaching (practical work in the school here), reading, writing, spelling.

This is to continue for one year. Then I expect to give them a few months of experience out in the kraals, and bring them in for their second year.

Second year: Bible (Acts and one of Paul’s epistles), arithmetic (subtraction), geography (Africa), methods of teaching (practical work in the school here), reading, writing, spelling; more experience in kraals.

Third year: Bible (call of Abraham, to captivity), arithmetic (multiplication), geography (world), teaching (practical work), reading, writing, spelling.

Fourth year: Bible (Daniel, Revelation, present truth), arithmetic (division), geography (missionary), methods of labor (Sabbath-school, preaching, canvassing, and visiting), reading, writing (letter-writing), spelling.

Then I expect them to go out to the villages, and settle as workers. During their vacations, they should come to the central station, and have summer school and ministerial institute work.

We have our buildings started; but the boys keep coming in so fast that we are not making much progress. We now have thirty-five. I think that ten more will be all I can handle.

I have written to Elder Hyatt, asking permission to go north of the Kafui, to look out a new mission station. I also asked for two hundred dollars to pay the expenses of the trip, which means about two months’ time, and four hundred miles on foot. He gives consent for me to go, but says that they can do nothing toward paying the expenses.

Those natives speak a dialect of the Swahili, the same as is spoken in Nyassaland. From there we can reach across to the east, to clasp hands with Brother Branch.

In July I hope to open two out-stations here. So we are trying to let our light shine at home, as well as going to the fields afar off.

W. H. ANDERSON.